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

Site description (2001 baseline)
Ugalla lies 40 km south of the Central Railway and 50 km north-east of Katavi National Park. The Walla river from the north-east and the Katumbiki river from the south-east join in the east central area of the reserve to form the Ugalla river which then flows westwards through the centre of the reserve. The area is mainly miombo woodland with Brachystegia spiciformis, B. longifolia and B. wangermeeana predominating. Julbernardia globiflora is also common, as are the commercially important Pterocarpus angolensis and Afzelia quanzensis. There are extensive grasslands associated with the flood-plain with stands of Afrormosia woodland among raised termite mounds. Average rainfall is 600–750 mm per annum and the river often dries to a series of pools, many of which are permanent. There is little permanent swamp.

Key biodiversity
See Box for key species. The area is rarely visited by ornithologists. Marupambala, on the north bank of the Msina river at Gombe, Ugalla, is the type-locality of Sarothrura lugens. This is still the only East African record for this Afrotropical migrant. A waterbird survey in January 1995 revealed a previously unknown population of Vanellus albiceps. The site is believed to be the most important in Tanzania for Grus carunculatus. Crex crex has been recorded during February and these records indicate that a wintering population may be present at the site. Three species of the Zambezian biome have been recorded (see Table 3) and more may be expected to occur.

Non-bird biodiversity: A significant population of Loxodonta africana (EN) is associated with the reserve. Both Hippotragus niger (LR/cd) and H. equinus (LR/cd) are seasonally common.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ugalla River Game Reserve (Tanzania). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ugalla-river-game-reserve-iba-tanzania on 23/12/2024.