Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Rusizi National Park is located north-west of Bujumbura against the international frontier with DR Congo. It is made up of two parts; a strip of flood-plain about 2 km wide and 35 km long beside the east bank of the Rusizi river and, to the south, a smaller area comprising the delta of the Rusizi at the point where it enters Lake Tanganyika. The two parts are separated by the main Bujumbura–Uvira road. The delta is a mixture of islands and channels covered locally by
Phragmites and papyrus. An important feature of the northern part of the reserve are the stands of the fire-resistant palm
Hyphaene benguellensis ventricosa. Other dominant species are
Acacia albida,
Balanites aegyptiaca and
Euphorbia candelabrum. There are several ponds of varying size in the northern section.
See Box for key species. The site supports a wide diversity of waterbirds, particularly migrant species.
Ardeola idae,
Phoenicopterus minor,
Circus macrourus,
Falco naumanni,
Gallinago media and
Glareola nordmanni have all been recorded. In addition to those listed below, other counts include 300
Phoenicopterus minor, 200
Plegadis falcinellus and 2,000
Dendrocygna viduata. In addition, one species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome, two of the Lake Victoria Basin biome, three of the Afrotropical Highlands biome and two of the Zambezian biome have also been recorded (see Table 3).
Non-bird biodiversity: The ungulate Tragelaphus spekii (LR/nt) has been recorded.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Fires sweep the area during the dry season, June–September. Despite the intense human pressures on the area, it has remained in relatively in good condition, especially in the north.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Rusizi National Park (Burundi). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/rusizi-national-park-iba-burundi on 23/11/2024.
