Rwihinda Lake Managed Nature Reserve (6033)
Burundi, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Rwihinda Lake Managed Nature Reserve
Central coordinates: Latitude: -2.5500, Longitude: 30.0667
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1400 to 1400
Area of KBA (km2): 9.56449
Protected area coverage (%): 55.21
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Located in the north of Burundi, immediately north of the town of Kirundo close to the Rwandan border, Lake Rwihinda, known in the past as Lac aux Oiseaux (Bird Lake), lies a little way upstream of the Akanyaru wetlands (RW005), to the north-west. The area of the lake is 425 ha, but the total protected area has been extended to cover 8,000 ha.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 3 for key species. In the past, this site held large numbers of breeding Phalacrocorax carbo, Anhinga rufa, Egretta ardesiaca, Ardea melanocephala and Nycticorax nycticorax. Large numbers are rarely observed today, however, due to decreasing water-levels, fishing and agriculture. There are records of Ardeola idea, Circus macrourus, Falco naumanni and Gallinago media. In addition, one species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome, five of the Afrotropical Highlands biome and two of the Zambezian biome have been recorded, while a third, Calamonastes undosus, used to do so, but is now possibly extinct locally due to habitat loss (see Table 3). Indeed, the current status of a number of species at Rwihinda is uncertain. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Delineation rationale: The main threat for Rwihinda is the agricultural extension.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 27 | |
| Shrubland | 45 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 27 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The lake is surrounded by human settlements and pressures upon it from fishing and the demand for agricultural land are extremely high.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Shifting agriculture | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Bider (1973), Debonnet (1991), Verschuren (1977).