Important Bird Areas

Burkina Faso Sudan Guinea Savanna

Photo: Yvan Perré (IRD)

The Sudan-Guinea Savanna biome with some 800 mm of rainfall per annum lies in the south of Burkina Faso, and 32 species restricted to this biome have been found within its borders including Senegal Parrot Poicephalus senegalus, Violet Turaco Musophaga violacea, Blue-bellied Roller Coracias cyanogaster, Bearded Barbet Lybius dubius, Pied-winged Swallow Hirundo leucosoma, Blackcap Babbler Turdoides reinwardtii and Oriole Warbler Hypergerus atriceps.

The north of the country lies in the Sahel biome and 8 of its restricted species occur in Burkina Faso including Arabian Bustard Ardeotis arabs, Sudan Golden-Sparrow Passer luteus and Cricket Warbler Spiloptila clamans. In addition, there are a number of significant wetlands which support large numbers of both resident and migratory waterbirds).

Burkina Faso Lake Darkoye in August

Photo: Yvan Perré (IRD)

10 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) have been identified in Burkina Faso covering 20,260 km2, equivalent to 7.4% of the land-surface area of the country. The list of IBAs is as follows: Béli River; Lake Oursi—Lake Darkoye; Lake Sourou; Ouagadougou forest; Mare aux Hippopotames; Kaboré Tambi—Nazinga—Sissili complex; Lake Kompienga; Arli-W-Singou complex; Bérégadougou hill and Diéfoula-Logoniégué forest.

Further information on the IBAs of Burkina Faso can be found at BirdLife International.