Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Rugezi marsh is located in an inundated valley in the north of Rwanda, to the east of Lake Burera on Uganda border. The vegetation of the marsh is dominated by
Miscanthidium violaceum with stands of
Cyperus latifolius around the fringes and an area of papyrus
C. papyrus near the point of outflow. Average annual rainfall is estimated at 1,200 mm.
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. Some 43 species have been recorded from the marsh and its immediate vicinity, including five of the Afrotropical Highlands biome (see Table 3). This site is important for
Bradypterus graueri and is unusual in that this species occurs together with
B. carpalis.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The marsh has no legal protection and is under pressure from agriculture. The vegetation of the marsh is cut and burned during the dry season, resulting in progressive habitat degradation. The need to conserve Rugezi is urgent. A management programme involving local communities is required.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Rugezi Marsh (Rwanda). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/rugezi-marsh-iba-rwanda on 23/12/2024.
