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28-577: The river then before enters the Eastern Province and ends its course close to the border with Burundi. The Nyabarongo River empties both into Lake Rweru and the Kagera (or Akagera) river in a small but complicated delta. The Kagera river outflows from Lake Rweru, a mere 1 km from the Nyabarongo delta. Almost all the branches of the Nyabarongo delta empty in the lake, however, one branch of

56-424: A bright red inflatable throat pouch . The bill is relatively short and grey, and the legs are black. They have long legs for wading through the grasses. The feet are large, yet slender, adapted for balance rather than defence or grasping. The sexes are similar, although males tend to be slightly larger. Younger cranes are greyer than adults, with a feathered buff face. This species and the black crowned crane are

84-411: A ceremony akin to a wedding when two chicks are being married off. The new couple dance for a while before flying off together to start a new family. Although the grey crowned crane remains common over some of its range , it faces threats to its habitat due to drainage , overgrazing , and pesticide pollution . Their global population is estimated to be between 58,000 and 77,000 individuals. In 2012 it

112-725: A confluence with the Ruvubu River . The waters of the Kagera are thus provided by two major tributaries, the Nyabarongo of Rwanda, which feeds Lake Rweru, and the Ruvubu of Burundi. It is unknown which of these two feeder rivers is the longer and hence the ultimate source of the Nile. From the confluence, the Kagera flows north along the Rwanda-Tanzania border, over Rusumo Falls and through Akagera National Park . It then takes

140-651: A turn to the east, following the Tanzania- Uganda border and emptying into Lake Victoria in Uganda. In 1898, Richard Kandt was the first European to reach the source of the Kagera. The river has featured prominently in the histories of the countries it runs through, particularly Rwanda. In 1894, German Gustav Adolf von Götzen crossed the Kagera at Rusumo Falls, marking the Rwandan colonial era that officially started in 1899. And in 1916, during World War I ,

168-581: A year (about 28 per cent of the lake's outflow ). The Kagera is formed by the confluence of the Ruvuvu and the Nyabarongo , close to the northernmost point of Lake Tanganyika . It forms parts of the Burundi– Tanzania , Rwanda –Tanzania, Burundi–Rwanda, and Tanzania– Uganda borders. It lends its name to Akagera National Park in northern Rwanda, as well as to the Kagera Region of Tanzania. On

196-465: A zone of permanent swamps and lakes. Lake Mugesera lies on the east bank of the river, and is the largest Rwandan lake in the complex. Lakes Birara and Sake also lie along the left bank of the river. The lakes on the right bank, from north to south, are Gashanga, Kidogo, Rumira, Maravi, Kilimbi, Gaharwa, Rweru and Kanzigiri. Lake Rweru , which mostly lies in Burundi, drains in a northeast direction into

224-553: Is a bird in the crane family, Gruidae . It is found in nearly all of Africa, especially in eastern and southern Africa , and it is the national bird of Uganda . The grey crowned crane is closely related to the black crowned crane , and the two species have sometimes been treated as the same species. The two are separable on the basis of genetic evidence, calls, plumage, and bare parts, and all authorities treat them as different species today. There are two subspecies . The East African B. r. gibbericeps (crested crane) occurs in

252-673: Is an East African river, forming part of the upper headwaters of the Nile and carrying water from its most distant source. With a total length of 597 km (371 mi) from its source located in Lake Rweru in Rwanda. The section of river named Kagera begins in Burundi , flowing out from Lake Rweru . From the lake, it flows east along the Rwanda -Burundi and Rwanda- Tanzania borders to

280-399: Is approximately 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall, weighs 3.5 kg (7.7 lb), and has a wingspan of 2 m (6 ft 7 in). Its body plumage is mainly grey. The wings are predominantly white but contain feathers with a range of colours, with a distinctive black patch at the very top. The head has a crown of stiff golden feathers . The sides of the face are white, and there is

308-440: Is generally around 25 °C (77 °F). Fish are abundant, and there are many species of waterbirds. Other animals include water turtles, crocodiles, monitors, snakes and otters. The Nyabarongo River Wetlands is an unprotected area surrounding the course of the Nyabarongo, and covering 142.62 square kilometres (55.07 sq mi). It is of great importance for biodiversity conservation, especially birds, with species such as

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336-524: The Kagera River , the main affluent of Lake Victoria , which drains into the Nile . The river drains the east of the mountains and most of the central plateau of Rwanda. Soon after being joined by the Akanyaru, the combined river meanders east and then south through a complex of lakes and wetlands in a flat valley running in a SSE direction, 35 kilometres (22 mi) wide, which it floods to create

364-825: The Mbirurume and Mwogo rivers. The longest of the streams that supply the Mwogo is the Rukarara , which rises in the Nyungwe Forest . The Rukarara flows south and then east, emptying into the Mwogo River. The Mwogo flows north, merging with the Mbirurume River south of Bwakira . From this confluence, the river assumes the name Nyabarongo. The source of the Rukarara is a contender for the overall source of

392-581: The Nile , the most distant headwater. The Nyawarungu runs northward through the mountain chain in a deep valley roughly parallel to Lake Kivu and about the same elevation of about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). At Muramba it swings to the southeast. On its left bank the Nyabugogo River delivers the outflow from Lake Muhazi . Around Kigali the river is used for cooking, drinking and bathing. It also receives sewage and waste from industry and agriculture. About 35 kilometres (22 mi) further downstream

420-462: The Akanyaru river enters on its right bank, to the southwest of Kigali . The combined river flows east and then southeast through a broad, swampy valley. At the border with Burundi it drains Lake Rweru . It then flows roughly east along the border between Rwanda and Burundi, then between Rwanda and Tanzania , to the point where it is joined by the Ruvuvu River . From there onward it is called

448-627: The Belgians defeated the Germans, entering Rwanda by the same route. The river gained international notoriety in 1994 for carrying bodies from the Rwandan genocide into Lake Victoria, causing a state of emergency to be declared in areas of Uganda, where these bodies eventually washed up. The Kagera rises in Burundi and flows into Lake Victoria. It is the largest single inflow into the lake, contributing approximately 6.4 billion cubic metres of water

476-490: The ability to grab prey items disturbed by antelopes and gazelles . They spend their entire day looking for food. At night, the crowned crane spends its time in the trees sleeping and resting. Grey crowned cranes time their breeding season around the rains, although the effect varies geographically. In East Africa the species breeds year-round, but most frequently during the drier periods, whereas in Southern Africa

504-445: The adults. Dancing is an integral part of courtship, but also may be done at any time of the year. Flocks of 30–150 birds are not uncommon. These cranes are omnivores, eating plants , seeds, grain, insects , frogs , worms , snakes , small fish and the eggs of aquatic animals. Stamping their feet as they walk, they flush out insects which are quickly caught and eaten. The birds also associate with grazing herbivores, benefiting from

532-596: The breeding season is timed to coincide with the rains. During the breeding season, pairs of cranes construct a large nest ; a platform of grass and other plants in tall wetland vegetation. The grey crowned crane lays a clutch of 2-5 glossy, dirty-white eggs , which are incubated by both sexes for 28–31 days. Chicks are precocial , can run as soon as they hatch, and fledge in 56–100 days. Once they are fully grown and independent, chicks of different sexes will separate from their parents to start their own family. Grey crowned cranes have been seen to congregate in large numbers in

560-565: The delta empties directly in the just formed Kagera river. The Kagera River eventually flows into Lake Victoria and forms the Nile. The Nyabarongo River originates in southwestern Rwanda to the east of Lake Kivu . The river's sources rise in the mountain chain that covers most of the western third of Rwanda, to the east of the Albertine Rift . The main headwaters in the forested mountain country, originating at heights of 2,600 to 2,750 metres (8,530 to 9,020 ft) above sea level, are

588-575: The east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Uganda , of which it is the national bird represented in its national flag , and Kenya to eastern South Africa . It has a larger area of bare red facial skin above the white patch than the smaller nominate species, B. r. regulorum (South African crowned crane), which breeds from Angola south to South Africa. The grey crowned crane

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616-974: The endangered Malagasy pond heron ( Ardeola idae ), the near-threatened papyrus gonolek ( Laniarius mufumbiri ), the vulnerable grey crowned crane ( Balearica regulorum ), and the sitatunga ( Tragelaphus spekii ). The wetlands are under serious pressure from agriculture. The following species in the Nyabarongo River Wetlands are red-listed as endangered: papyrus gonolek ( Laniarius mufumbiri ), Carruthers's cisticola ( Cisticola carruthersi ), white-winged scrub-warbler ( Bradypterus carpalis ), papyrus yellow warbler ( Chloropeta gracilirostris ), Sharpe's pied-babbler ( Turdoides sharpei ), northern brown-throated weaver ( Ploceus castanops ), white-collared oliveback ( Nesocharis ansorgei ), and papyrus canary ( Serinus koliensis ). Citations Sources Kagera River The Kagera River , also known as Akagera River , or Alexandra Nile ,

644-485: The lakes in the upper parts of the river basin. Because of the many waterfalls and rapids, the various sections of the Kagera River basin are clearly separated, making movements by fish between them difficult or even impossible. During the Rwandan genocide of 1994, the Kagera was used to dispose of corpses as thousands of Tutsis and Hutu political moderates were murdered on the river banks. The river brought

672-472: The massacred bodies into Lake Victoria, creating a serious health hazard in Uganda. Grey crowned crane The grey crowned crane ( Balearica regulorum ), also known as the African crowned crane , golden crested crane , golden crowned crane , East African crane , East African crowned crane , African crane , Eastern crowned crane , Kavirondo crane , South African crane , and crested crane ,

700-707: The only cranes that can roost in trees, because of a long hind toe that can grasp branches. This trait is assumed to be an ancestral trait among the cranes, which has been lost in the other subfamily. Crowned cranes also lack a coiled trachea and have loose plumage compared to the other cranes. The grey crowned crane occurs in dry savannah in Sub-Saharan Africa , although it nests in somewhat wetter habitats . They can also be found in marshes, cultivated lands and grassy flatlands near rivers and lakes in Uganda and Kenya and as far south as South Africa. This animal does not have set migration patterns, and birds nearer

728-463: The river are the Rusumo Falls , an important crossing point between Rwanda and Tanzania. It is near the town of Rusumo . The Kagera River basin is rich in fish. As of 2001 , there were at least 55 species known from the Rwandan section alone and the actual number is likely higher. Additionally, there are at least 15 undescribed species of haplochromine cichlids that are endemic to some of

756-423: The river through a short swampy section. Although close to the equator, the climate is comparatively temperate due to the elevation. The rainy seasons are from March to May and again from September to December. In the upper reaches of the wetlands the forest is only flooded seasonally. Further down, common plants are Ficus verruculosa , Myrica kandtiana , Phoenix reclinata and Cyperus papyrus . The water

784-432: The tropics are typically sedentary. Birds in more arid areas, particularly Namibia, make localised seasonal movements during drier periods. The grey crowned crane has a breeding display involving dancing, bowing, and jumping. It has a booming call which involves inflation of the red gular sac . It also makes a honking sound quite different from the trumpeting of other crane species. Both sexes dance, and immature birds join

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