Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The site is located in the south-east of the country, south-east of Kigali, and includes swamps and marshes in part of the flood-plain of the Nyabarongo river, the longest river in Rwanda. The vegetation is composed of
Cladium and
Typha spp.,
Cyperus latifolius,
C. papyrus and
Echninochloa pyramidalis. Average annual rainfall is estimated to be 950–1,100 mm.
See Box and Table 3 for key species. Around 50 species have been recorded from the wetlands, including
Ardeola idae and
Circus macrourus. In addition, three species of the Afrotropical Highlands biome (A07) have been reported (Table 3).
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Nyabarongo wetlands are under serious pressure from agriculture and are completely unprotected.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Nyabarongo wetlands (Rwanda). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/nyabarongo-wetlands-iba-rwanda on 22/11/2024.