Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
This site comprises the Semliki Wildlife Reserve, Semliki Controlled Hunting Area (CHA) and an adjacent area of wetland extending to Lake Albert, whose shores have swamps with
Miscanthus and papyrus
Cyperus papyrus. It borders the Rift Valley escarpment that rises to 1,500 m on the eastern boundary. The Rwenzori foothills are to the south and the CHA adjoins the Wildlife Reserve in the north-west, along the border with Democratic Republic of Congo. These reserves are generally flat, lying at the bottom of the Rift Valley. Two rivers, Wasa and Mugidi, and their tributaries drain the Wildlife Reserve into Lake Albert and the River Semliki marks the western border of the CHA. The local microclimate (influenced by the surrounding topography) and past human activities within the reserves have created a mosaic of vegetation-types, including lake-shore flats and swamps, grassland, wooded grassland, bush grassland, woodland, swamp and riverine forest.
See Box for key species. The species-richness is relatively high, with a list of 350 species for the Wildlife Reserve. The CHA has not been surveyed, but the mudflats at the shores of Lake Albert are worthy of particular investigation. The birds in the two reserves are mainly savanna-woodland species, with water-associated species along various streams through the reserves as well as at the shores of the lake. The tall vegetation along the marshy shores of the lake is home to
Balaeniceps rex and other wetland birds, such as
Microparra capensis and
Nettapus auritus, whilst the papyrus swamp along the rivers holds
Laniarius mufumbiri and perhaps other papyrus specialists.Although this site does not qualify for the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome, it holds six species of this biome, including several that are at the extreme south of their range (but which are common in the Wildlife Reserve), such as
Ptilostomus afer,
Merops bulocki and
Lamprotornis purpureus. Sixteen species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome also occur in the Wildlife Reserve, as do four species of the Lake Victoria Basin biome. There is a single, unconfirmed report of the globally threatened
Falco naumanni.
Non-bird biodiversity: In the 1960s, the reserve was renowned for its high populations of Kobus kob (LR/cd) and Panthera leo (VU), but these were reduced to low levels through poaching during the period 1971–1986, as were Loxodonta africana (EN) and Alcelaphus buselaphus (LR/cd). An unknown number of chimpanzees Pan troglodytes (EN) occur in the reserve along the riverine forests.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Whereas the Wildlife Reserve still enjoys some protection, the CHA has been degraded because of widespread overgrazing. Semliki Wildlife Reserve has a history of heavy poaching, which contributed to the substantial decline in mammal populations. There are several settlements in the reserve and sometimes organized poaching groups visit the reserve. However, this appears to have been controlled recently and large-mammal populations are reported to be recovering slowly. The residents in peripheral villages and in the settlements within the reserve seem to depend on the reserve for domestic requirements. An estimated 50,000 cattle graze in the north-western part, ranging up to 5 km into the reserve. The reserves are areas of contention due to conflicting interests between the local community and the mandate of the protected area. The Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry is likely to degazette around 20 km² of encroached forest, after the submission of a request by the local authorities. However, there was agreement to enhance protection for the wetland portion of the CHA and for a small area of Nyaborogo Forest.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Semliki reserves (Uganda). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/semliki-reserves-iba-uganda on 22/11/2024.
