Africa - Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone is a West African destination offering birders a diverse range of exciting Upper Guinea forest birds and mammals. Sierra Leone's biologically rich rainforests support no less than 15 of the 16 Upper Guinea endemic bird species including the fabled White-necked Picathartes. But even the bustling capital Freetown has great birding with Western Wattled Cuckooshrike, Fiery-breasted Bushshrike and other forest edge species regularly encountered. Not far from Freetown lies the Western Peninsula Forest Reserve where breeding colonies of the endangered Picathartes occur at their highest densities. Whilst exploring the forest trails and steamy mangrove swamps species such as Hartlaub's Duck, the shy White-crested Bittern, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Black and Red-billed Dwarf-Hornbill, the huge Yellow-casqued Wattled Hornbill, endemic Sharpe's Apalis and Thick-billed Cuckoo can also be encountered. Further north the famed Gola Forest, the largest tract of lowland rain forest in Sierra Leone, hosts a great diversity of species including Rufous fishing-Owl, Gola Malimbe and Nimba Flycatcher. And with luck, exciting mammals including Western Chimpanzee and Western Red Colobus may be seen. Tiwai Island, one of Sierra Leone's largest inland islands, on the Moa River holds the rare and endemic White-breasted Guineafowl, along with the seldom observed Pygmy Hippopotamus and seven species of monkey. Text kindly provided by Rockjumper – leading bird tour operators with worldwide destinations including Sierra Leone.

Chocolate-backed Kingfisher © Nik Borrow