Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves (6423)
Kenya, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves
Central coordinates: Latitude: 0.6000, Longitude: 37.5000
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 850 to 1250
Area of KBA (km2): 348.987689
Protected area coverage (%): 75.99
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD’
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: These small, adjoining savanna National Reserves lie either side of the Northern Ewaso Ngiro river, some 340 km north north-east of Nairobi. They were established in 1948 as the Samburu-Isiolo Game Reserve, part of the once extensive Marsabit National Reserve. Now their respective County Councils, Samburu and Isiolo manage them. Buffalo Springs consists of gently rolling plains of volcanic origin, while Samburu is more rugged, with outcrops of ancient basement rocks forming isolated inselbergs. The soils are mainly sandy or gravelly; rainfall is c.350 mm/year. Despite their relatively small size, the reserves contain contrasting habitats: rocky cliffs and scarps; pools, swamps and riverine sandbanks; arid open bush and grassland; tracts of Acacia tortilis woodland; and, along the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro and its tributaries (the Isiolo and Ngare Mara), a narrow band of riverine forest with magnificent Acacia elatior, Tana River poplar Populus ilicifolia and doum palm Hyphaene compressa. The Buffalo Springs themselves, with their pools and streams of clear, fresh water, are a magnet for thirsty wildlife in the dry season.
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. Over 380 species have been recorded from the reserves, and the birdlife is generally abundant and colourful. Birds of the arid northern bush country are augmented by a number of riverine forest species. Numerous raptors nest on the cliffs of Samburu’s inselbergs. Several arid-country birds reach their southern limit here, including Plocepasser donaldsoni, Nectarinia habessinica and Onychognathus salvadori. Two globally threatened species are recorded, Falco naumanni (a passage migrant) and Falco fasciinucha (status unclear, probably resident). Regionally threatened species include Anhinga rufa (sporadic visitor); Casmerodius albus (sporadic visitor); Trigonoceps occipitalis (resident in small numbers); Polemaetus bellicosus (resident in small numbers); and Buphagus africanus (fairly common resident). Non-bird biodiversity: The reserves hold populations of several threatened mammal species, including Equus grevyi (EN), Loxodonta africana (EN) and Acinonyx jubatus (VU). The increasingly uncommon Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata occurs in good numbers. The tree Populus ilicifolia, which grows along the Northern Ewaso Ngiro river, is restricted to just three Kenyan river systems.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 50 | |
| Grassland | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves (16,500 ha and 13,100 ha respectively) are a popular tourist destination, the main attractions being their scenic beauty, remoteness and concentrations of photogenic wildlife. The surrounding areas are under increasing pressure from an expanding human population. Overstocking and unsustainable cutting of trees and shrubs for fuelwood and building are causing substantial environmental changes. The reserves themselves remain well protected, and there are few immediate threats to the birds that they contain.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Nomadic grazing | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Climate change & severe weather | Droughts | Ongoing | |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Flight paths | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Finch et al. (1989), Richards (in press), Wilson (1989).