NG026
Sunvit Farm


Country/territory: Nigeria

IBA criteria met: A3 (2001)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 13,200 hectares (132.00 km2)

Nigerian Conservation Foundation
IBA conservation status
Year of assessment (most recent) State (condition) Pressure (threat) Response (action)
2019 good medium high
For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here


Site description (2001 baseline)
Sunvit Farm is a private farm that has been turned into an agricultural training school, located between the towns of Fugar and Agenebode in the centre-south of the country, about 5 km from the western bank of the Niger river. The Ogbudu and Obe rivers form, respectively, the northern and eastern boundaries of the farm. Several other small rivers run through the farm with the result that large areas of it are usually seasonally flooded and three small seasonal lakes are created annually by retreating flood water. The vegetation is a mix of southern Guinea Savanna, riparian vegetation with Guinea–Congo Forest affiliations and open, cultivated or fallow, fields.

Key biodiversity
See Box and Table 3 for key species. Some 222 species have so far been recorded, with a diversity reflecting the mix of savanna, forest and wetland habitat-types. These include the nationally uncommon Coracias cyanogaster and, of forest species, the locally threatened Psittacus erithacus, as well as Pteronetta hartlaubii and Caprimulgus nigriscapularis. The flooded riparian forests are home to breeding Scotopelia bouvieri, known from only one other IBA nationally. Many waterbirds also occur, including Anhinga rufa, now nationally rare as a result of widespread habitat degradation. A variety of Palearctic migrants overwinter, including tens of Circus pygargus. Large flocks of Quelea erythrops are common in the cultivated parts of the farm.

Non-bird biodiversity: The farm and adjoining areas are believed to support a small population of Syncerus caffer (LR/cd).


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sunvit Farm (Nigeria). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sunvit-farm-iba-nigeria on 23/12/2024.