References Bashonga, A. B., Sande, E., Ntakimazi, G., & Kahindo, C. (2023 ). The Ruzizi Congolese Plain, an Important Area for the Conservation of Birds, in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. Biolife 11 (1):1-11. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7668515 27/06/2023, 11 pages. Bashonga, B. (2013). The Importance of Ruzizi Congolese Plain, South Kivu, DRC for the Conservation of Birds. A dissertation submitted to the DRGT in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of a degree of Master of Science in ENR of MUK, Uganda, 112 pages. Chapman, A. D. (2005). Numbers of Species Living in Australia and in the Word. Report for the Department of the Environment and Heritage Canberra, Australia. Canberra, Australia: Australian Biodiversity Information Services Toowoomba, Australia, 84 pages. Chapman, A. D. (2009). Numbers of Living Species in Australia and the World. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Study: 1–80, 81 pages. ISBN 978-0-642-56861-8. Deanna, W. M., Brunner, J., Nige, l. S., Karr, C. J., & Nielsen, D. (1998). Forests and the Democratic Republic of Congo Opportunity in a Time Crisis: A Contribution to the Forest Frontiers Initiative. New York: World Resources Institute, 30 pages. Demey, R., & Louette, M. (2001). Democratic Republic of Congo. In Fishpool L.D.C.& Evans M.I eds Important Bird Areas in Africa:Priority Sites for Conservation. Pisces Publications and BirdLife International, 199-218, 20 pages. Dowset, & Dowset-Lemaire. (1993). A contribution to the Distribution and Taxonomy of Afrotropical and Malagasy birds Tauraco Research Report . Liège, Belgium.: Tauraco Press, Jupille No. 5 :195-204, 10 pages. Fishpool, L., & Evans, M. (2002). Important Bird Areas in Africa and Associated Islands, Priority Sites for Conservation. Newbury and Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International, 1144 pages. www.birdlife.net. Gaugris, Y. (1979). Les oiseaux aquatiques de la plaine de la basse Rusizi (Burundi) (1973-1978). Paris-France: Ll'Oiseau et la Revue française d'ornithologie, volume 49 n° 21:33-153, 121 pages. https://eurekamag.com/research/021/279/021279617.php 18/06/2022. Gaugris, Y., & Weghe, J. P. (1993). L'importance du delta de la Rusizi (Burundi) pour les migrateurs paléarctiques. In MRAC, Proceedings of the Eighth Pan-African Ornithological Congress Birds and the African Environment. Annales zoologiques Belgium, Vol. 268: 546-552, 7 pages. Guggisberg, C. (1986). Birds of East Africa. Supra Safari Guide No 6 Volume II. Nairobi: Mount Kenya Sundries, 196 pages. Guggisberg, C. (1988). Birds of East Africa. Supra Safari Guide No 6 Volum I. Nairobi: Mount Kenya Sundries, 198 pages . HBW, BirdLife, & International. (2021). Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. London: HBW (Handbook of the Birds of the World) Version 6, 624 pages. http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/species/Taxonomy/HBW-BirdLife_Checklist_v_Dec21.zip 17/09/2022. ICCN. (2005). Protected Areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Conservation Biology Vol 19 No 1., 15-22, 8 pages . ICCN. (2007). Inventaire Rapide des Zones Humides Représentatives en République Démocratique du Congo (Annuel Report 2007pdf). The Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN), 13 pages. Lepage, D. (2020). List of birds of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . The Worldwide Avibase, Kinshasa, 45 pages. Lewis, L. J., Coombes, D., Burke, B., O'Halloran, J., Walsh, A., Tierney, A., et al. (2019). Countryside Bird Survey: Status and Trends of Common and widespread breeding birds 1998-2016. Gaetltacht, Ireland. https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM115.pdf 23/09/2023: Iris Wildlife Manuals, No 115. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Culture and the Gaeltacht, Ireland, 145 pages. MEEATU, Ramsar, C., & WWF. (2014). Atlas of Burundi's four Ramsar sites: Location and Resources. Bujumbura, Burundi: Ministry of Water, Environment, Land Use Planning and Town Planning (MEEATU), 44 pages. http://www.meeatu.gov.bi 09/12/2021. Nkezabahizi, L., & Bizimana, D. (2008). Burundi's Important Bird Areas, Status and Trends. Bujumbura-Burundi: Association Burundaise pour la protection des Oiseaux, 58 pages. http://datazone.birdlife.org/2008_Burundi_monitoring_report.pdf 20/06/2022. Nkezabahizi, L., & Manirambona, A. (2011). Burundi's Important Bird Areas Status and Trend 2010. London: BirdLife International & RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (UK), 36 pages.

ABSTRACT The new bird species records from the Ruzizi Delta were identified from April 2019 until November 2021 during our doctoral fieldwork in five sites of the Rusizi Burundian Delta (RBD) and five sites of the Ruzizi Congolese Delta RCD). Each site was visited three times a year during the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. The investigation was conducted by direct observation on transect counts, point counts and on road bird counting, using binoculars and two telescopes. Travel was facilitated by the motorized fiberglass boat and the double cabin field vehicle of the Centre for Research in Hydrobiology (CRH) in Uvira, DRC. The Ruzizi Delta includes terrestrial dry areas in wooded and tree-steppe, marshes, rivers, ponds and the northern shoreline of Lake Tanganyika in Bujumbura (Burundi) and Uvira (Democratic Republic of Congo). On the coast and on the ponds, the investigation sometimes resorted to traveling in non-motorized canoes to inform us, among other things, of illegal exploitation in supposedly protected areas. At the end of our investigations, we have drawn up the list of 18 orders, 84 families and 490 species of birds of which 60 bird species that we present in this publication are newly recorded in the Ruzizi Delta. Keywords: New bird species record; Rusizi Burundian Delta; Ruzizi Congolese Delta; African Great Lakes Region; Northern Shoreline of Lake Tanganyika

New Bird Species Records from the Ruzizi Delta: Rusizi Burundian Delta and Ruzizi Congolese Delta, in the African Great Lakes Region, 2019-2021 Bashonga Bishobibiri Alexis1, Eric Sande2, Charles Kahindo3 & Gaspard Ntakimazi4, Majaliwa Mwanjololo Jean Gilbert2 and Claver Sibomana4 1Doctoral School, University of Burundi and Centre for Research in Hydrobiology (CRH) at Uvira, DRC bshobisho@gmail.com 2Makerere University Kampala Uganda, Corresponding Author +256 772 688 552, ericsande@cns.mak.ac.ug 3State University of Bukavu, DRC ckahindo@yahoo.com, 4University of Burundi, Gaspard.ntakimazi@ub.edu.bi