Wattled Crane is a large, beautiful but threatened bird species of crane found in the wetlands and grasslands of Eastern and Southern Africa. In Tanzania, the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site is the only reliable habitat for the species.
Nature Tanzania continues with its project to “Promote Wetlands and Bird Conservation in Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site” in the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site. The project, funded by the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) and Partner für Klima und Nature (PKN), is using a community-based approach to conserve species and their habitat using three target/indicator species, i.e., the Grey Crowned Crane, the Shoebill and the Wattled Crane. The site is also recognised by BirdLife International as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area – IBA (TZ017), and Wattled Crane is one of the IBA trigger species. As part of the community-based conservation approach, monitoring of species and habitat continues back-to-back with awareness raising and environmental education.
Our community-based conservation approach is through community conservation champions and close collaboration with the respective Village Natural Resources Committee (VNRC). A network of 11 community conservation champions have been recruited, trained, and equipped and continue to engage farmers, fishermen and livestock keepers on the conservation of the three target species, i.e, Shoebill, Wattled Crane and Grey Crowned Crane. Currently, they are aggressively working in monitoring of target species and their habitat, mainly outside the protected area network of the Ramsar Site.
As a result of the ongoing monitoring activities, on the 24th of March 2025, at Limbulasiasa village, Kaliua district, near ISAWIMA Wildlife Management Area (WMA), 14 Wattled Cranes were observed by our project officer and on-ground conservation champion during species and habitat monitoring. When speaking with farmers and fishermen around the area, they mentioned that these species are frequently seen in that area including also in rice paddies.
Farmers raised concern that Wattled Crane are eating their crops but contrary to what many famers believe, Wattled Crane do not feed on rice but instead they feed on grass seeds. The Wattled Crane faces threats like agricultural expansion, which leads to habitat loss and degradation of its wetland habitat.
Nature Tanzania will continue to engage and educate farmers, fishermen and livestock keepers in the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site on the sustainable conservation of species and wetlands. In the coming project year, we will support farmers, fishermen and livestock keepers to pilot and promote sustainable livelihoods that complement the conservation of the Grey Crowned Crane, Shoebill, and Wattled Cranes, including through sustainable agriculture practises.
We continue to train and equip our community conservation champions with different skills, including field data collection using the ArcGIS Survey123 data collection tool, which will be rolled out in April 2025, focusing on the target species and their habitat. The wattled crane is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. It is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List.
We appreciate financial support from Partner für Klima und Nature (PKN), and Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), collaboration from Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) and regional and district government authorities in Kigoma and Tabora.
