244,000 sq. km (94,000 sq. miles)
Habitat type:
Flooded Grasslands and Savannas
Geographic Location:
Central and Eastern Africa: Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda
Conservation Status:
Critical/Endangered
Size:
244,000 sq. km (94,000 sq. miles)
244,000 sq. km (94,000 sq. miles)
Quiz Time!
Which is the largest colony of pelicans outside Africa?
Answer:
The Danube delta, off Romania and the Ukraine - Two-and-a-half thousand breeding pairs of pelicans arrive every spring in the Danube delta. They're attracted to the 5,000 square kilometre region because it is such an isolated wildlife paradise and the largest reed bed in the world.
About the Area
This Global ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: Saharan flooded grasslands; Inner Niger Delta flooded savanna; Lake Chad flooded savanna.
A series of disjunct seasonally flooded grassland areas (including the wetlands associated with Lake Chad), and perennial swamps comprise this ecoregion that dots Central Africa.The Sudd River is important for numerous resident and migratory water birds. In addition, the ecoregion supports large populations of mammals, including areas that witness seasonal migrations of mammals across the ecoregion as the water levels change.
Local Species
Among the most abundant species of the region are the White-eared kob (Kobus kob), Tiang (Damaliscus lunatus tiang), and the Mongalla gazelle (Gazella thomsonii albontata), which make large-scale migrations over the relatively undisturbed habitat of the Sudd River. Other mammals include the Nile lechwe (Kobus megaceros) and the Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius).
The world's largest population of Shoebills (Balaeniceps rex), also known as Whale-headed storks, can be found wading in the wetlands of this ecoregion - also the wintering ground of the endangered White pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus).
Other birds found here include two endemic species called the River prinia (Prinia fluvialis), and the Fox's weaver (Ploceus spekeoides).
Threats
Major threats include hunting, seasonal farming pressures, temporary gardens and pastures. Looking ahead, a planned canal through Sudd to divert water for agricultural and industrial uses, is thought to have major consequences for the wildlife.
Resources
