Lake Basotu and Lake Tlawi are essential wetlands for waterbirds : short communications

Waterbirds are an important component of aquatic ecosystems which constitute a resource of great economic, cultural, scientific, recreational and aesthetic value (Galbraith et al. 2002). Migratory birds transcend frontiers as an international resource (Brown et al. 2012). Lake Basotu and Lake Tlawi are small inland freshwater bodies situated in areas inhabited by agricultural and agro-pastoral communities. Anecdotal evidence suggests Lake Basotu has an underground connection with a water current, most likely derived from Lake Victoria, while Lake Tlawi has uphill water streams and springs which sustain it in years of severe drought. Although the two small lakes have permanent fresh water even in years of prolonged drought, little information is available on their ecological importance for waterbird conservation.