Data Zone
Country/territory: Zambia
IBA criteria met: A1, A2, A3 (2001)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 4,000 ha
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2005 | favourable | medium | negligible |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2001 baseline)
Just east of Mbala, the river and its immediate tributaries constitute the only system which drains from Zambia into Tanzania. The site covers the stretch adjacent to the border where there is papyrus swamp, a small flood-plain and rich termitaria. Villages are scattered throughout the surrounding area, cattle are grazed on the flood-plain and the river is heavily fished.
Key biodiversity
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. A poorly known area, apparently visited for the first and only time by ornithologists in 1996, when Ploceus reichardi was discovered in considerable numbers—it probably breeds in the area. Gallinago media occurs, and other birds found included Rallus caerulescens, Sarothrura rufa, Gallinago gallinago, G. nigripennis, Corythaixoides personatus, Tricholaema lacrymosa, Saxicola rubetra, Nectarinia mariquensis and Quelea erythrops.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Saise River (Zambia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/saise-river-iba-zambia on 22/11/2024.