Rubondo Island National Park (6971)
Tanzania, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Rubondo Island National Park
Central coordinates: Latitude: -2.3333, Longitude: 31.8333
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1134 to 1381
Area of KBA (km2): 459.42935
Protected area coverage (%): 87.93
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The National Park consists of a main island, 12 much smaller islands and the expanse of water around them. These islands are situated in the south-western corner of Lake Victoria to the north of Emin Pasha Gulf. The islands are forested, with large grassy glades on the main island. The shorelines are a mix of narrow sandy beaches, rock, forest-edge and isolated stands of papyrus Cyperus papyrus.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 3 for key species. No species list exists for the park. Two species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome have been recorded (see Table 3). The smaller islands provide safe nesting sites for species which would formally have bred on the nearby mainland. Ardea goliath occurs in noteworthy numbers with a count of 107 birds, including 12 active nests, in January 1995. During January 1995, some 638 Haliaeetus vocifer were counted within the park, including a single concentration of 166 birds. This is a far higher density than has been recorded elsewhere on Lake Victoria. Numbers of other colonial waterbirds such as Phalacrocorax africanus and Threskiornis aethiopicus may well exceed 1% thresholds seasonally, but no counts have been made. Rubondo main island holds a wide variety of other species, including huge breeding colonies of four species of Ploceus weavers and a relatively dense population of Circaetus cinerascens which are rare in East Africa. During January 1995, an unidentified Batis flycatcher was recorded in forest on the main island. Non-bird biodiversity: Small populations of endangered mammals were released on the main island during the 1970s including Diceros bicornis (CR), Loxodonta africana (EN) and Pan trogolodytes (EN). Tragelaphus spekii (LR/nt) are common on the main island, as is Lutra maculicollis (VU).
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 67 | |
| Forest | 31 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: A former Game Reserve, the National Park was established in 1977. The main island is well protected from illegal exploitation by the expanse of water separating it from the heavily populated mainland. The only known threat is the gradual degradation of Lake Victoria.
Additional information
References: Baker (1997), Rodgers et al. (1979).