• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2001 baseline)
Sambisa lies within the catchment of the Yedseram river, south-east of Maiduguri in the north-east of the country. The dominant vegetation is Sudan–Guinea Savanna but, as a result of human activities, areas of the reserve have taken on a more Sahelian aspect. Dominant tree species include Detarium macrocarpum, Ficus spp., Vitex doniana, Anogeissus leiocarpus, Balanites aegyptiaca, Prosopis africana, Acacia spp., Piliostigma thonningii, Combretum spp., Adansonia digitata, Diospyros mespiliformis, Tamarindus indica and Terminalia spp.

Key biodiversity
See Box and Table 3 for key species. To date, 62 species have been recorded, including four species of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome (A04) (see Table 3). Nationally uncommon species include Terathopius ecaudatus, Sagittarius serpentarius and Ardeotis arabs. The site is also thought to be the last in the country at which Struthio camelus occurs.

Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals of global conservation concern include Loxodonta africana (EN), Hippotragus equinus (LR/cd) and Alcelaphus buselaphus (LR/cd).

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sambisa Game Reserve (Nigeria). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sambisa-game-reserve-iba-nigeria on 23/11/2024.