List of Birds of Chad

Although in the 21st century it covers only 17,806 km² (6,875 sq mi), and its surface area is subject to heavy seasonal fluctuations, the lake is Africa’s second largest wetland. The Emi Koussi, a dormant volcano in the Tibesti Mountains that reaches 3,414 metres (13,435 ft) above sea level, is the highest point in Chad and the Sahara.Each year a tropical weather system known as the inter tropical front crosses Chad from south to north, bringing a wet season that lasts from May to October in the south, and from June to September in the Sahel. Variations in local rainfall create three major geographical zones. The Sahara lies in the countries northern third. Yearly precipitations there are under 50 millimeters (2 in); in fact, Borkou in Chad is the aridest area of the Sahara. The vegetation throughout this belt is scarce; only the occasional spontaneous palm grove survives, the only ones to do so south of the Tropic of Cancer. The Sahara gives way to a Sahelian belt in Chad’s center; precipitation there varies from 300 mm to 600 mm (12–24 in) per year. In the Sahel, a steppe of thorny bushes (mostly acacias) gradually gives way to savannah in Chad’s Sudanese zone to the south. Yearly rainfall in this belt is over 900 mm (35 in). The region’s tall grasses and extensive marshes make it favorable for birds, reptiles, and large mammals. Chad’s major rivers – the Chari, Logone, and their tributaries – flow through the southern savannas from the southeast into Lake Chad.