The Hadejia Wetlands National Park in north-western Nigeria is a vital ecological treasure, designated as both a globally important wetland (Ramsar site) and an Important Bird Area, a site recognised internationally for conserving birds.
Spanning 297km², the Hadejia Wetlands National Park is a mosaic of woodlands, wetlands and seasonally flooded marshes. It provides refuge for thousands of resident and migratory birds and is a key breeding site for waterfowl that migrate from Europe and Asia in the winter to sub-Saharan Africa.
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The park is recognised for its role in supporting biodiversity and local livelihoods but faces increasing threats from deforestation, poaching, and climate change. It’s also an important research hub, focusing on bird migration ecology and monitoring to better understand wildlife distribution, diversity, and abundance in the wetlands.
Comprehensive and updated data on its wildlife has been lacking until now, however. To address this huge gap, a map of all the wildlife species in the park was needed.
We were part of a team of ecologists, ornithologists and conservationists who set out to combine field surveys, photography, and geographic information systems to map the park’s flora and fauna. Our key questions were: Which species inhabit the park? Are any of these rare or endangered species? How do seasonal changes affect wildlife species?
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Our team divided the park up into 81 blocks. For a whole year, we spent three days every month looking for birds in the morning when they are at their most active. We used bird sighting apps to record all the birds we saw or heard, and photographed common and rare species. Our study was the first comprehensive assessment of biodiversity in the park.
The park’s ecological role is under increasing pressure, so understanding its biodiversity is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies.
An abundance of avians
From over 1,300 photos, we documented 246 bird species thriving in the park. This is a remarkable 28% of Nigeria’s total avian diversity. Among these, we identified 10 species never before recorded in the park. Either these birds had just never been spotted in the park before, or they’d moved there from their original habitat, probably because of the changes in the environment or climate. This could also mean that birds are shifting their ranges in order to survive in the changing environment.
The birds never seen in the park before included the elusive Little Rush Warbler, a rare songbird that usually only lives in a small area in far north-eastern Nigeria.
One of the most striking finds was one White-billed Buffalo Weaver that was leucistic (it had a genetic anomaly that caused striking, patchy white plumage). Spotting such a rare bird is an exciting and scientifically significant find, as these genetic anomalies are seldom documented in Nigeria. Beyond the beauty of this finding, it offers an insightful glimpse into the bird world of genetics, adaptation, and hidden diversity of our environments. This raises questions about how such atypical birds are able to survive and even thrive in the wild.
We also discovered four species classified as vulnerable, including Streptopelia turtur, (the European Turtle-dove), and three classified as near-threatened. One was the Circus macrourus, (the Pallid Harrier).
The African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) and the Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis) were important finds. Even though they are not endangered, as raptors they are in decline. Humans, agriculture and development have encroached on their habitat and they also fall victim to poisons set out for predators.
Our discoveries highlighted the park’s role as a stronghold for resident species and a critical stopover for rare and migratory birds.
During our study, we found that the bird populations peaked in the cold season with large numbers stopping over on their migration journeys. However, the diversity of migratory birds has decreased because most of them have already arrived at their wintering grounds.
Beyond birds, we documented 49 butterfly species, 15 reptiles and 13 mammals, including the Near-Threatened Red Patas Monkey. We counted all the mammals we saw, and documented their dung, tracks and skeletal remains. We searched at night for reptiles, picking snakes up with tongs to count them, and inspecting rotting logs and riverbanks during the day. We even documented the insects we came across.
We logged every sighting using GPS co-ordinates so that we could create a very precise map. Photos and records were uploaded to the iNaturalist citizen science project, enabling global and public verification. Mapping wildlife this way has previously been done in the Mojave Desert, in the US, for example.
What needs to happen next
The Hadejia Wetlands National Park isn’t just a wildlife haven, it’s a lifeline for local communities relying on fishing and farming. These wetlands are a critical hydrological buffer that sustains human livelihoods and biodiversity. For example, flooding in the rainy season recharges groundwater there. This helps keep the soil fertile and also allows fish stocks to be maintained throughout the year (fish is the primary source of local residents’ protein and income).
Research shows that households who rely on wetlands enjoy greater food security, highlighting the link between ecosystem and human well-being in this arid land. But the wetland is under threat from fishing, farming, climate change and deforestation, due to farmers encroaching on the park’s land to cultivate crops.
If it is destroyed or run down, the effects would ripple across ecosystems and economies. The park’s biodiversity acts as an indicator for global issues, such as habitat loss and climate change. Protecting the Hadejia Wetlands National Park means safeguarding a keystone of west Africa’s natural heritage.
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Our research recommended these actions be taken to safeguard the park:
Strengthen protection: The park was recently upgraded from a game reserve to a national park. This means the national government can enforce the law and put in place strict policies that will improve the protection of the park. This must be accompanied by consistent anti-poaching patrols and habitat restoration programmes.
Community engagement: Collaborate with locals to promote sustainable farming and ecotourism.
Long-term monitoring: Monitor species trends to assess the impacts of climate change.
Conserving wetlands isn’t optional — it’s essential for both people and wildlife.
(The Nigerian Conservation Foundation and A.P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute also participated in the study of the park.
Nanchin Winifred Kazeh works as a researcher at the A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI) and is a member of the African Bird Club. She is a 2023/2024 Mawazo Fellow and 2024 Schifferli Fellow. The PI of the research team, Dr Sulaiman Inuwa, receives funding from Nigeria’s Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) through the National Research Fund (Grant NRF2021/SETI/NRT/00168).
Abubakar S. Ringim is affiliated with the Federal University Dutse, where he serves as a co-researcher on this project. He is also the Vice-President and President-Elect of the Nigerian Society for Conservation Biology.
Sulaiman Inuwa Muhammad receives funding from National Research Fund through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) (NRF2021/SETI/NRT/00168).
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
