Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Singida town sits on a raised plateau at the south-western end of the Mbulu Highlands and between the two lakes, Singida and Kandai, which comprise the IBA. The western arm of the Eastern Rift lies to the north and west and the eastern arm to the east. The two lakes are typical Rift Valley lakes and receive rainwater only from the surrounding low-lying hills. Lake Singida is the more alkaline and the more likely to evaporate completely during dry periods. Lake Kindai, although fresher, appears to attract fewer birds, but there is extensive movement between the two. Beyond the northern end of Lake Kindai lies a marsh, its size dependent on lake levels and local rainfall.
See Box for key species. Although rarely visited by ornithologists, the lakes are of great importance to waterbirds. Several species probably occur in numbers greater than are currently known, particularly
Thalassornis leuconotus. Over 1,000
Pelecanus onocrotalus have been recorded. A count of 7,000
Limosa limosa in December 1993 was by far the highest ever count within East Africa and evidence of a previously unknown wintering population. There are no known counts of flamingos but both species are included here on anecdotal evidence. There is no doubt that both lakes, especially Lake Singida, are seasonally important to the Rift Valley population of these birds. A single flock of more than 1,000
Falco naumanni was recorded on grass plains north-east of the lake, but it is not clear if the site is regularly used.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Both lakes are affected by growing urban sprawl, which practically reaches the high-water shoreline. Uncontrolled trapping for the international trade in larger waterbirds (including both species of flamingo) is a problem.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Singida lakes (Tanzania). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/singida-lakes-iba-tanzania on 26/11/2024.
