Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands – Tanzania ■ TANZANIA NEIL E. BAKER AND LIZ M. BAKER Mountain Buzzard Buteo oreophilus. (ILLUSTRATION: MARK ANDREWS) GENERAL INTRODUCTION grassland, swamp and marsh, steppe-grassland, montane grassland, Afromontane moorland and agricultural areas. Throughout much The United Republic of Tanzania (area 936,760 km²) lies between of the west and south-east of the country there are extensive areas the latitudes of 01°00’S and 11°36’S and between the longitudes of of dry woodland dominated by Brachystegia and Julbernardia spp., 29°21’E and 40°29’E. It comprises mainland Tanganyika together usually referred to as miombo woodland. The dry central plateau with the islands of Unguja (also known as Zanzibar), Pemba, Mafia is dominated by Acacia and Commiphora woodlands which extend and a number of smaller ones. It is bordered by Kenya and Uganda southwards to the Usangu plains and the Rukwa valley, effectively to the north, by Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic the southern limit of the Somali–Masai biome. of Congo to the west, by Zambia and Malawi to the south-west, by The population of Tanzania was estimated at 31,507,000 in 1997, Mozambique to the south and, to the east, by the reef-fringed shores with a growth-rate of 2.9%. The population belongs to more than of the Indian Ocean. 120 ethnic communities many of whom have their own languages, The terrain ranges from sea-level to 5,895 m on Mount but Kiswahili and English are the official languages of Government. Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa. The bottom of Lake Historically, many people were hunter-gatherers and pastoralists, Tanganyika, at 697 m below sea-level, is the lowest point in Africa. but gradually settled farming has gained the major role, and About 5% of the surface of Tanzania (54,390 km²) is covered by agricultural practices range from large cattle-ranches to cropping water—swamps, rivers and lakes, including parts of Lake Victoria, on many thousands of small, individual plots and a proliferation of Lake Tanganyika and Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi). The Western slash-and-burn cropping. The political capital is Dodoma, situated or Albertine Rift Valley extends the length of Tanzania’s western in the centre of the country while coastal Dar es Salaam, the economic border, while the Eastern or Gregory Rift Valley penetrates deeply and administrative centre, is the largest city, with a population of into the centre-north of the country and is characterized by internal over 3 million. Tanzania is a multi-party democracy with Presidential drainage basins with a series of large alkaline lakes and dry, Acacia- and constitutional elections held every five years. The country is dominated woodland. In the far north-west lies the extreme eastern divided into 21 Regions, subdivided into some 100 Districts. Tanzania edge of the Guinea–Congo rainforests and, running in a huge arc is considered one of the poorest countries in the world. to the south-west of Mount Kilimanjaro, are a series of mountain Tanzania’s outstanding biodiversity is being seriously affected ranges known collectively as the Eastern Arc mountains. The main by the pressures of a rapidly expanding population and diversifying drainage systems include Lake Victoria, which drains into the economy. Although the country has an extremely high percentage Mediterranean Sea, Lake Tanganyika, which drains into the of its surface area designated, in some form or other, for habitat Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean drainage basin, the Lake Eyasi and wildlife conservation, there are strong indications that, apart internal drainage system, the Lake Rukwa internal drainage system from most National Parks, this system is not working effectively, and Lake Nyasa, which drains into the Indian Ocean. at least for many birds of conservation concern and other taxa. Average annual rainfall varies from 2,500 mm (maximally 3,000) The majority of sites were designated in colonial times with the to 350 mm in the driest areas. The south has a unimodal rainfall purpose of protecting large mammals. Although many of these sites pattern (from November to May); the northern area has two peaks do cater for a range of bird species they do not, in general, cover (October–November and March–April). some of the more threatened habitats for endangered birds, such Tanzania spans a wide variety of habitats. These include closed as coastal or montane forest, seasonal and permanent swamps, forest, woodland, bushland and thicket, wooded and scrub alkaline and freshwater lakes or upland grasslands. 897 Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands – Tanzania Table 1. Summary of Important Bird Areas in Tanzania. 77 IBAs covering 167,314 km² Criteria (see p. 11; for A2/A3 codes, see Tables 2/3) IBA Administrative A1 A2 A3 A4i A4ii A4iii code Site name region 105 106 108 109 110 111 s055 s056 s057 A05 A06 A07 A08 A09 A10 TZ001 Arusha National Park Arusha ✔✔ ✔✔✔ TZ002 Katavi National Park Rukwa ✔✔ TZ003 Mount Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro ✔✔ ✔ TZ004 Lake Manyara National Park Arusha ✔✔ ✔✔✔✔ TZ005 Mahali Mountain National Park Kigoma ✔✔ ✔ TZ006 Mikumi National Park Morogoro ✔ TZ007 Ruaha National Park Iringa, Mbeya ✔✔ TZ008 Rubondo Island National Park Mwanza ✔✔ TZ009 Serengeti National Park Shinyanga, Mara ✔✔ ✔✔✔ TZ010 Tarangire National Park Arusha, Dodoma ✔✔ ✔✔ TZ011 Udzungwa National Park Iringa, Morogoro ✔✔ ✔ TZ012 Mafia island Pwani ✔ TZ013 Ngorongoro Conservation Area Arusha, Shinyanga ✔✔✔ ✔✔✔✔✔ TZ014 Burigi–Biharamulo Game Reserves Kagera ✔✔✔ TZ015 Maswa Game Reserve Shinyanga ✔✔ TZ016 Mkomazi Game Reserve Kilimanjaro, Tanga ✔✔ TZ017 Moyowosi–Kigosi Game Reserves Kigoma, Shinyanga, ✔ ✔ Tabora TZ018 Selous Game Reserve Morogoro, Pwani, Lindi ✔✔✔✔✔ TZ019 Ugalla River Game Reserve Tabora, Rukwa ✔ ✔ TZ020 Lake Burungi Arusha ✔ ✔✔ TZ021 Dar es Salaam coast Dar es Salaam ✔✔ TZ022 Eluanata dam Arusha ✔ TZ023 Lake Eyasi Arusha ✔ ✔✔ TZ024 Kagera swamps Kagera ✔✔ TZ025 Kilombero valley Morogoro ✔✔✔✔ TZ026 Lake Kitangire Singida, Shinyanga ✔ ✔✔ TZ027 Latham island Zanzibar and Pemba ✔✔✔ TZ028 Mnazi Bay Mtwara ✔ TZ029 Mtera reservoir Dodoma, Iringa ✔ TZ030 Nyumba ya Mungu reservoir Kilimanjaro, Arusha ✔✔✔ TZ031 Lake Natron and Engaruka basin Arusha ✔✔✔✔ TZ032 Rufiji Delta Pwani ✔ TZ033 Lake Rukwa Mbeya, Rukwa ✔✔✔ TZ034 Singida lakes Singida ✔ ✔✔ TZ035 Tanga North–Kibo saltpans Tanga ✔ TZ036 Tanga South Tanga ✔ TZ037 Lake Tlawi Arusha ✔ TZ038 Usangu flats Mbeya ✔✔✔✔ TZ039 Lake Victoria—Bumbire islands Kagera ✔✔ TZ040 Lake Victoria—Mwanza Gulf Mwanza ✔ TZ041 Lake Victoria—Mara Bay and Masirori swamp Mara ✔ TZ042 Lake Victoria—Bunda Bay Mwanza, Mara ✔ TZ043 Wembere steppe Tabora, Singida ✔✔ ✔✔✔ TZ044 Zanzibar island—south coast Zanzibar and Pemba ✔ TZ045 Zanzibar island—east coast Zanzibar and Pemba ✔ TZ046 Bagamoyo District coastal forests Pwani ✔✔ ✔ TZ047 Kisarawe District coastal forests Pwani ✔✔ ✔✔ TZ048 Rufiji District coastal forests Pwani ✔ ✔ TZ049 Pande and Dondwe coastal forests Dar es Salaam ✔✔ ✔ TZ050 Kilwa District coastal forests Lindi ✔ ✔ TZ051 Lindi District coastal forests Lindi ✔ ✔ TZ052 Mtwara District coastal forests Mtwara ✔ TZ053 Newala District coastal forests Mtwara ✔ TZ054 Handeni District coastal forests Tanga ✔✔ ✔ TZ055 Muheza District coastal forests Tanga ✔✔ ✔ TZ056 Pangani District coastal forests Tanga ✔✔ ✔ TZ057 Jozani Forest Reserve, Zanzibar Zanzibar and Pemba ✔✔ ✔ TZ058 Livingstone Mountains forests Iringa ✔✔ ✔ TZ059 Nguru mountains Morogoro ✔✔ ✔ TZ060 Nguu mountains Tanga ✔✔ ✔ TZ061 Njombe forests Iringa ✔✔ ✔ TZ062 North Pare mountains Kilimanjaro ✔✔ ✔ 898 Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands – Tanzania Map 1. Location and size of Important Bird Areas in Tanzania. UGANDA Area of IBA (ha) > 1,000,000 24 75 LAKE VICTORIA KENYA 41 39 100,000 to 999,999 RWANDA 14 50,000 to 99,999 9 31 42 8 10,000 to 49,999 40 74 1,000 to 9,999 15 13 100 to 999 BURUNDI 22 1 3 <100 23 4 30 10 26 62 37 20 34 16 17 43 63 71 35 70 55 LAKE 76 36 TANGANYIKA 60 54 56 19 INDIAN 44 OCEAN 5 59 45 46 67 2 57 29 64 21 27 6 68 47 49 7 72 DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF 77 66 11 12 CONGO 48 32 38 33 25 50 69 73 61 65 18 58 51 ZAMBIA 28 52 53 0 200 400 km MALAW I MOZAMBIQUE Table 1 ... continued. Summary of Important Bird Areas in Tanzania. 77 IBAs covering 167,314 km² Criteria (see p. 11; for A2/A3 codes, see Tables 2/3) IBA Administrative A1 A2 A3 A4i A4ii A4iii code Site name region 105 106 108 109 110 111 s055 s056 s057 A05 A06 A07 A08 A09 A10 TZ063 South Pare mountains Kilimanjaro ✔✔ ✔ TZ064 Rubeho mountains Dodoma, Morogoro ✔✔ ✔ TZ065 Mount Rungwe Mbeya ✔✔ ✔ TZ066 Udzungwa mountains Morogoro, Iringa ✔✔ ✔ ✔✔ TZ067 Ukaguru mountains Morogoro ✔✔ ✔ TZ068 Uluguru mountains Morogoro ✔✔ ✔ TZ069 Umalila mountains Mbeya ✔✔ ✔ ✔ TZ070 East Usambara mountains Tanga ✔✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ TZ071 West Usambara mountains Tanga ✔✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ TZ072 Uvidunda mountains Morogoro ✔✔ ✔ TZ073 Kitulo plateau Mbeya, Iringa ✔✔ TZ074 Longido Game Controlled Area Arusha, Kilimanjaro ✔✔✔ TZ075 Minziro Forest Reserve Kagera ✔✔✔ TZ076 Pemba island Zanzibar and Pemba ✔✔ TZ077 Ufipa plateau Rukwa ✔✔✔ Total number of IBAs qualifying: 55 16 1651912114221114938214 899 Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands – Tanzania Table 2. The occurrence of restricted-range species at Important Bird Areas in Tanzania. Sites that meet the A2 criterion are highlighted in bold. Species of global conservation concern are highlighted in bold blue. 105 – Tanzania–Malawi mountains Endemic Bird Area (32 species in Tanzania; 16 sites meet the A2 criterion)