Day 1. Tuesday 16th Nov.
Everything went fine at Gatwick, all of the 11 strong group arrived on time and the Monarch flight went smoothly. Six hours later we arrived in the Gambia, in bright sunshine, the temperature was around 30C and as we descended over Banjul the river looked huge and imposing. As soon as we disembarked from the plane we quickly made our first sightings......distant Hooded Vultures circling over the airfield. But it wasn’t until an hour later, after we had cleared the airport, that we met our local guide Modou Colley and boarded our private bus to the hotel, driven by Noah.
The birds came thick and fast and we stopped many times en-route to the district of Kololi. A group of Piapiacs was found at the roadside whilst many doves (Laughing, Vinaceous & Red-eyed Doves) littered the telephone wires, we also found 3 different Rollers in the first 10 minutes! Abyssinian, Blue-bellied and Rufous-crowned Roller were all seen well and in good numbers, Pied Crows were common as were Hooded Vultures. A couple of Lizard Buzzards sat on the wires waiting to pounce on unsuspecting prey and we also had good views of both Red-billed and African Grey Hornbills. Several other species were seen that included Beautiful Sunbird, White-billed Buffalo Weaver, Village Weaver, Yellow-billed Black Kite, Double-spurred Francolin, more Hooded Vultures and lots more doves.
Phew...what a start! At the hotel we checked in and spent 30 minutes unpacking and settling into our rooms before walking around the magnificent tropical gardens. What a lovely place, the forested gardens are a haven for wildlife. Three species of Glossy Starling were picked out in the first few minutes, Greater & Lesser Blue-eared and Long-tailed. We had great entertainment from the White-crowned Robin Chats and spent some time watching a Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher. We also found Red-billed Firefinch, Purple Turaco, Senegal Coucal, Grey Plantain-Eater and more hornbills including Pied. In the sky we watched Palm Swifts, a few Little Swifts and several Broad-billed Rollers, a party of Spur-winged Plover flew over and a couple of the group found both Mosque & Pied-winged Swallows perched high in a dead tree.
As the light faded we walked to the beach and immediately added Lesser-crested Tern, Sandwich Tern and Pomerine Skua to the tally. We also watched several Grey Headed Gulls and another Skua sp. was seen chasing terns in the distance. What a long day, but a great start to our birding holiday in the Gambia.
Day 2. Wednesday 17th Nov.
Our first full day started at 7am in semi-darkness as we ate our buffet breakfast, a good meal was enjoyed by all with plenty to choose from. By 8am we were on the road in our bus to the nearby Kotu Creek where we spent a very pleasant hour watching from the infamous bridge.
We quickly filled our notebooks with lists of waders & plovers and a variety of other species. The best included several Pied Kingfishers, Common Gonolek, Beautiful Sunbird, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Red-chested & Wire-tailed Swallows. We also had excellent views of Long-tailed Cormorant, Western Reef Heron, Striated Heron, Senegal Thicknee, Wattled Plover, Grey headed Gull, Osprey and several Glossy Starlings.
We then walked round to the Casino Cycle Track where another plethora of birds was found. We watched Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Red-billed Firefinch, Varied Sunbird, Green Wood Hoopoe (5), Grey Woodpecker, Bronze Mannikin, Tawny Flanked Prinia, Palm Swift and lots of Yellow-billed Black Kites.
The short walk to the Sewage Works (Kotu Ponds) was quickly made and we set off along the central track looking over the disused pits which held plenty of water, vegetation and birds. Many Cattle Egrets were joined by Little Egret, Grey Heron, Black Winged Stilt, Spur-winged Plover, Wood & Common Sandpiper, lots of Jacana ‘trotted’ across the lilies and hundreds of Little Swifts filled the air above us. Grey Plantain-Eaters and Red-billed Hornbills flashed across the pools whilst noisy groups of Long-tailed Glossy Starlings were located by their tern-like calls. Butterflies were everywhere it was hard to keep up, swallowtails, caper whites, hairstreaks, blues and yellows.
The heat was now imposing and uncomfortable, so we retreated to the shelter of the Hotel for a midday break and lunch. Some went for swim in one of the 3 pools and sometime later we all walked into Kololi for a bite to eat. At 3pm we re-convened for an afternoon walk in the local forest nature reserve, Bijilo.
In the shade of the trees we encountered our first monkeys, both the Green Vervet and the Red Colobus were present in good numbers and so were the birds. Lanner & Red-necked Falcon were seen several times and we spent quite a while trying to see an Oriole Warbler, which after some coaxing eventually showed to us all. A party of Swallowtail Bee-eaters were joined by Little Bee-eaters they were enjoyed by an appreciative group, what a delight. Other sightings included Black-capped Babbler, African Thrush, Senegal Coucal, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Stone Partridge, African Grey Hornbill, lots of Red-billed Hornbills including a party of juveniles on the pathway.
We eventually came out to the beach where we spent a little time watching Sandwich & Lesser Crested Terns, Grey-headed Gulls, a couple of Arctic Skuas and a few Lesser Black-backed Gulls.
Day 3. Thursday 18th Nov.
We started at our usual time with a 7am breakfast and out on the road at 8am. Several sightings were made in the garden during that time which included: Bearded Barbet, Shikra, Red-necked Falcon, Red-billed Firefinch and several of the doves.
We made it to Brufut Woodlands by 8:45am and began a lovely walk along an open woodland glade. Soon the birds came thick and fast, with several new species found in one tree! Both Klaas’s & Dideric Cuckoos were seen along with Yellow-billed Shrike, Fork-tailed Drongo, Grey-backed Cameroptera, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Pied Hornbill, Beautiful and Splendid Sunbirds and African Green Pigeon.
Further exploration into the shaded glades yielded many other species, we spent some time watching a roosting White-faced Scop’s Owl before sheltering from the sun in shaded areas.
The local keepers of the woods had put up drinking trays for the birds and during our stay we notched 13 species at the trays! Both the Black-billed & the Blue Spotted Wood Doves showed up along with Lavender Waxbill, Bronze Mannikin, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, African Thrush and Brown Babbler. Further along the track towards Tanjeh we found Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Lanner Falcon and Grey Kestrel.
We took our lunch in the refuge of a small lodge which overlooked the river estuary at Tanjeh. From the terrace we had great views of Caspian Tern, Osprey, Western Reef Heron and Whimbrel. As we ate our belated lunch (the service was very slow) we had extremely close views of two Yellow-crowned Gonoleks, they refused to come right out and pose for the cameras but showed well enough for us to enjoy their beautiful plumage.
After we had eaten we spent some time on the beach watching a large roost, many terns, gulls, waders and egrets covered the river bank at the mouth of the river. Slender-billed Gulls were a good sighting amongst the Caspian, Lesser-crested, Sandwich and Royal Terns. An Osprey entertained the group as we sheltered from the intense sunlight, it fished just off-shore and made several unsuccessful steep dives before eventually catching a fish.
At 3pm we headed off to visit Tujereng, where we followed an open track through savannah scrub. We found lots more species in the heat of the afternoon the best of which included Brubru, Senegal (green-backed) Eremomela, Striped Kingfisher, Scarlet Chested Sunbird, Willow & Melodious Warbler, Grey-headed Sparrow, Cardinal Woodpecker, Little Bee-eater and Vieillot’s Barbet. Raptors included another Lanner, Osprey, Dark Chanting Goshawk and African Harrier Hawk.
Day 4 Friday 19th Nov.
We were up with the lark for our adventure upriver, leaving the hotel at 6:15am, we carried our packed breakfast with us onto the bus and set off for Banjul so that we could catch the 7am ferry. The river crossing was an experience never to be forgotten, but the birding was great in the early morning light. Many close views were had of both Pomerine & Arctic Skuas, lots of gulls and terns including a party of Black Terns and a few Common Terns.
From Barra on the north bank we headed east, upriver, stopping at many places along the way. Just outside Barra we stopped to view a pair of obliging Northern Anteater Chats and not long after a Red-necked Falcon also obliged us. Next we stopped for a party of Bruce’s Green Pigeons that sat in glorious sunlight, they looked superb. One thing led to another and soon we were gathering quite a list just from two trees. African Golden Orioles were extremely showy, so was a Common Gonolek, along with a pair of Varied Sunbirds and a Cardinal Woodpecker.
One stop near lunchtime was at a watering hole, where a superb array of butterflies, as well as birds, was on show. Namaqua Dove, Exclamatory Whydah, Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark, Yellow-fronted Canary, Red Bishop, Grey-headed Sparrow, Bush Petronia, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu were amongst hundreds of weavers.
A second stop, a little further on, at a second roadside watering hole produced even more birds! These included; Cinnamon- Breasted Bunting, Black-rumped Waxbill, Red-billed Quelea, Northern Red Bishop, Bush Petronia and African Silverbill.
Many more stops were made as we ventured further upriver, we passed through rich forest, open savannah, large tracts of rice fields and many cultivated areas where peanuts were grown. We searched one such area for Temminck’s Courser but only turned up Black-headed Plover, still a lovely bird to find.#
A memorable hour was spent at Kaur Marshes where we found our first Egyptian Plover, a gorgeous bird having ‘perfect’ plumage as described by one of the group. Over the next couple of hours we saw a magnificent flock of 1,000+ Collared Pratincoles, Gull-billed Tern, Ruff, African Darter, Hammerkop, Marsh Sandpiper, Little Ringed & Kentish Plover, Common Snipe, Greenshank, White & Yellow Wagtails, Quailfinch, Long-crested Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, African Hawk Eagle and several Shikra. Another ‘emergency stop’ was made for a perched Martial Eagle, a huge bird, an excellent find for the tour.
The last stop before the ferry crossing onto Georgetown Island was another wetland where we added Black Crake, Little Bittern & Purple Swamphen to the tour list. It was practically dark as we crossed the river to Georgetown Island and in the dark we enjoyed a lovely cold drink at the Boabalong Camp before getting showered for dinner.
Day 5 – Saturday 20th Nov.
We all enjoyed a lovely, al fresco, breakfast in the courtyard of the Boabalong camp where just above us slept 50+ Straw-coloured Fruit bats and Bruce’s Green Pigeons cooed from the trees. We left the island and headed west along the south bank towards our next stop-over the Tendaba Camp. Our first stop was at Kalung where we spent a fabulous hour in the scrub just off the main road. The beautiful Red-throated Bee-eater was the star attraction, a truly stunning bird! Close behind came Green Bee-eater, Abyssinian Roller, Exclamatory Whydah, Village Indigobird, Little Weaver, Beautiful Sunbird, Cut-throat, Quailfinch, White rumped Seedeater and many other species.
The tarmac turned to a dusty track and we spent the next two hours stopping and starting as we saw either raptors in the sky or something perched in the woods. We stopped to look at Maribu Storks at their colonial nest site, Mottled Spinetails whizzed by as we scoped these ugly birds. We took a small detour to search for Verreaux’s Eagle Owl and found two of the magnificent beasts roosting high up in a Baobab tree, several dark Chanting Goshawks were seen perched as were Grasshopper Buzzard, Brown Snake Eagle, Grey Kestrel and the sky was always full of Hooded Vultures with a few White-backed Vultures amongst them.
We came upon a tragic road accident that had resulted in the death of 3 cows; we arrived just after the clear up. The carcasses had been bulldozed into a field and already 40+ Hooded Vultures had gathered, had it been a day earlier we would have seen a vulture-fest which would have been in full swing, a shame on both counts!
At Jally Rice fields we spent some time looking for Painted Snipe but came up with some other goodies instead. We had our first sighting of Intermediate Egret, there was one close by and it stood alongside a Great White, not far away was a Cattle and a Little Egret, great viewing for comparison of size and jizz. A Grey Heron stood near to a Black-headed Heron, we also found both Squacco & Purple Heron, add to those, Jacana, Black Crake, Pygmy Goose, African Fish Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Gabar Goshawk and Red-necked Falcon and you could say we had an excellent morning.
We ate our picnic lunch in the shade of a pumping station whilst watching Yellow-crowned Bishops, Village Weaver another Red-necked Falcon and a rare bird for the Gambia, a Black Stork, flew high above us.
Many raptors were seen along the way in the afternoon including 4 Brown Snake Eagles, 5 Dark Chanting Goshawks, a Lizard Buzzard, a very obliging Grasshopper Buzzard, but the find of the day was an adult Bataleur. A must-see species and it gave us a treat as it passed overhead 3 times! Our last stop was just a few kilometres from Tendaba to look at a colony of Pink-Backed Pelicans, they were panting in the heat of the afternoon and so were we.
At last, Tendaba Camp, we quickly settled in and had a nice cold beer, the river was tranquil and it drifted slowly passed, we watched a fantastic, colourful setting sun as we discussed our days’ birding and the creek-crawl adventure that was due the next morning. The whole camp has a lovely sense of peace and solitude about it with a lovely friendly atmosphere and sense that this was a special place. A delicious evening meal was enjoyed by all, seated in the open air ‘dining hall’, under lamplight, in a lovely warm temperature. After dinner and a couple of beers we retired at 10pm.
Day 6 – Sunday 21st Nov.
An early breakfast was taken, we sat overlooking the river as the sun rose in a reddened sky, it was 6:30am and we needed to be ready for our 7:15 departure on a pirogue for our ‘creek-crawl’. The tide was low as we left from the pier and made our away across the mighty river Gambia. We headed up river first so that we could look at a nest site of the African Fish Eagle; one bird was present sitting adjacent to the huge nest. Crossing the river we entered an inlet that led into the maze of the mangrove swamp, the water was very still and calm, the temperature was just perfect and the lighting ideal for photography. It seemed as though we had entered another world, the silence broken only by bird sounds and gentle hum of the motor. Over the next 4 hours we traced a winding trail through the mangroves seeing an unbelievable array of birds. Every turn and tree top appeared to hold something of interest, kingfishers, herons, darters, egrets, pelicans, bee-eaters, sunbirds, hornbills, the list goes on and on.
Several memorable highlights hold firm in my mind whilst I recall this exciting adventure. The beautiful Blue-breasted & Malachite kingfishers, they seemed to be everywhere, adding the most exquisite colour to the edge of the mangroves. The appearance of a large dog Otter on the bank was a lovely surprise. Instead of running off this inquisitive beast kept standing on hind legs to get a better look at us as it paced up and down the river bank whilst we drifted by with the engine off, what a great show.
As we rounded a bend we almost bumped into a flock of Great White Pelicans, they were just alighting on the water, some 250 of them. It was just a mass of feathers, splashes, noise and colour. The birds were arriving at a phenomenal rate, landing like squadrons of aircraft after a WWII sortie. They allowed us to approach them and suddenly they turned tail and the whole colour, noise, feathers and splashes process repeated itself in reverse as the squadrons took off again, a memory that will last me a lifetime.
A Little later we did bump into the pelican flock again, they sat on a high bank and were joined by about fifty White-breasted Cormorants, yet another wildlife spectacle not to be missed, a blaze of colour as they took off and headed up river. Some pelicans stayed put and gave us extremely close views, great for photography.
Another incidence of spectacular avian colour occurred when we disturbed, unwittingly, a flock of some 60 Black Egrets. They were roosting high in the mangroves that overlooked the river. Their colour was an amazing deep purple showing lovely in the superb light, contrasting with their bright yellow feet; they just kept coming and coming from the bushes a few meters ahead of us. All in all we logged 73 species on the trip, we had a fantastic morning, and it was an experience that will stay in the memory forever.
We ate lunch back at the camp and then checked out. Our journey westward back towards the coast was notable mainly because of the bumpy ride. The red-dust from the track blew up in clouds with every passing vehicle, the rattles, bumps, jerks and bangs of the bus on the bumpy track was uncomfortable. We stopped several times for short breaks, we had two punctures, but we got back to the coast in time for a relaxing hour before dinner at the hotel.
Day 7 – Monday 22nd Nov.
This was our last full day; we spent the morning trawling the forest pathways of Abuko Nature Reserve looking for woodland species. From the onset we heard lots of new calls and soon we were watching new birds for the trip. The Little Greenbul was first to show itself, a rather non-descript olive green/brown bird.
At the Darwin centre we climbed the stairs to the elevated platform that overlooked a large pool where several good species were seen. A Juvenile Harrier Hawk climb up a palm tree hunting young birds in the holes located there, Bearded Barbets were fantastic in the nearby fig trees and herons were represented by the Striated, Night and Black-headed varieties. Fanti Saw-wings swooped over the pool dipping to drink water and Sun Squirrels darted about in the trees.
Moving further along the track we then spent 30mins trying to locate a calling Grey-headed Bristlebill and inadvertently found a Snowy-crowned Robin Chat. Then a small raptor landed close by deep in the scrub, it was a Western Little Sparrowhawk, what a great find, the bird showed very well for our cameras and represented a very rare find. During the next hour or so we had a great time watching such goodies as Green & Violet Turacos, Common Wattle-eye, Grey Woodpecker, Palm Nut Vulture and lots more. The butterflies were just as good with hundreds flying along the sunny trails, we added Striped Policeman & Diadem to our list. One particular highlight was the sighting of a Western Bluebill, what a beautiful beast that was and at the same time another (or the same one as before) Western Little Sparrowhawk showed up!
From Abuko we drove across the road to the Lamin Lodge where we ate a splendid lunch in this wonderful wooden structure which over-looks a tributary to the main river. The whole area was alive with wildlife, crabs, mud-skippers, fish, birds, monkeys and hundreds of butterflies. What a delightful setting it was and a very enjoyable place to take our lunch.
A walk after lunch produced our first Black-winged Kite, we also saw Long Crested Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Osprey, Yellow-billed Black Kite, Pink-backed Pelican and 50+ Hooded Vultures. In the rice fields we found Little Bee-eaters, lots of weavers and bishops.
Our last bird-watching excursion for the day was to the savannah woodlands at Faraba Bantu. It was still hot, even though it was 4pm when we got there, but it did cool off as we walked along the open tracks. We were led to a bush where a very large eagle owl roosted, it was a Greyish Owl and it delighted the group, but more was to come. We found a couple of Lizard Buzzards before stumbling across a group of 8 White Helmet Shrikes. What an odd, but delightful bird, we enjoyed very good views of them before moving back to the make-shift ‘camp’ where a local guy kept cold drinks, during our rest we sipped cold drinks whilst we watched Black Wood Doves, Tawny-flanked Prinia and 3 male Greater Honeyguides. Soon it was time to go; we drove back to the hotel heading into a beautiful sunset.
Day 8 – Tuesday 23rd Nov.
We had time for a morning excursion on this, our last day, so some of the group opted to go out from 7:30 – 10:30 am. To the open woodland savannah at Tujereng. It was an amazing experience, the whole area held an explosion of Caper White butterflies there must have been 10,000 on the wing by the time we left! The birds were very good too, our first Senegal Batis appeared, both sexes gave us good views, a Brown-backed Woodpecker was also new, as was Chestnut-headed Sparrow-Weaver. A few European species were also found in the shape of Common Redstart, Willow Warbler and both Common Nightingale & Subalpine Warbler were in sub-song.
We saw our second Black-winged Kite, a Blue-bellied Roller displaying was an incredible splash of colour in the morning light, a very close Lizard Buzzard was nice and several Ospreys flew over us. In the bushes Yellow-fronted Canaries, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Brown Babbler, Black-crowned Tchagra, Variable Sunbird and a Striped Kingfisher were the highlights. At 10:30am we set off back to the hotel adding more species to the list during the journey back.
The group gathered in the hotel reception at 1pm for checking-out and for departure to the airport, we said our goodbyes to Modou & Yankuba our Gambian Guides and headed for the check-in desk for the return flight.
It was over, our whirlwind visit; in very hot conditions to a country full of birds and surprises. A culture shock indeed, but a very enjoyable birding experience. Everyone agreed that the ‘creek-crawl’ from Tendaba Camp was their highlight and it made the rough ride back worth enduring just for the wonderful ‘upriver’ experience. We amassed a respectable 241 species for the week but the group could not agree on a ‘bird-of-the-trip’. However some memorable highlights spring to mind, they include the Otter and the White Pelican flock on the creek crawl, the 1,000 Collared Pratincoles in flight, the displaying Blue-bellied Roller, the Egyptian Plover, the ferry crossing at Banjul, the magical gardens at the hotel..........there are so many it is hard to stop writing!
Credit and thanks must be given to Modou Colley our guide who proved to be a great ‘birdfinder’ with extraordinary skills, his eyesight is incredible. Thanks also to the rest of the group for their vigilance and endurance under some very hot temperatures, without their efforts the list would have been a lot smaller.
1. Grebe, Little or Dabchick Tachybaptus ruficollis capensis
2. Pelican, Great White Pelecanus onocrotalus
3. Pelican, Pink-backed Pelecanus rufescens
4. Cormorant, White-breasted Phalacrocorax carbo maroccanus
5. Cormorant, Long-tailed Phalacrocorax africanus
6. Darter, African Anhinga rufa
7. Hamerkop Scopus umbretta
8. Heron, Striated or Little Butorides striatus
9. Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
10. Heron, White-backed Night- Gorsachius leuconotus
11. Heron, Black-crowned Night- Nycticorax nycticorax
12. Heron, Squacco Ardeola ralloides
13. Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephalus
14. Heron, Black Egretta ardesias
15. Egret, Cattle Bubulcus ibis
16. Egret, Great Egretta alba
17. Egret, Intermediate or Yellow-billed Ardea intermedia
18. Egret, Little Egretta garzetta
19. Egret, Western Reef- Egretta gularis
20. Goliath Heron Ardea goliath
21. Heron, Grey Ardea cinerea
22. Heron, Purple Ardea purpurea
23. Stork, Woolly-necked Ciconia episcopus
24. Stork, Yellow-billed Mycteria ibis
25. Black Stork Ciconia nigra
26. Stork, Marabou Leptoptilos crumeniferus
27. Spoonbill, African Platalea alba
28. Black-crowned Crane Balearica pavonina
29. Goose, African Pygmy- Nettapus auritus
30. Goose, Spur-winged Plectropterus gambensis gambensis
31. Duck, White-faced Whistling- Dendrocygna viduata
32. Ibis, Sacred Threskiornis aethiopicus
33. Osprey Pandion haliaetus haliaetus
34. Vulture, Hooded Necrosyrtes monachus monachus
35. Vulture, Palm-nut Gypohierax angolensis
36. Vulture, White-backed Gyps africanus
37. Harrier-Hawk, African Polyboroides typus pectoralis
38. Crow, Pied Corvus albus
39. African Fish Eagle Haliaetus vocifer
40. Eagle, African Hawk- Aquila spilogaster
41. Eagle, Tawny Aquila rapax belisarius
42. Eagle, Martial Polemaetus bellicosus
43. Eagle, Long-crested Lophaetus occipitalis
44. Eagle, Wahlberg's Aquila wahlbergi
45. Eagle, Beaudouin’s Circaetus beaudouini
46. Eagle, Brown Snake- Circaetus cinereus
47. Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus
48. Kite, (Yellow-billed) Black Milvus migrans parasiticus
49. Kite, Black-winged or shouldered Elanus caeruleus caeruleus
50. Buzzard, Grasshopper Butastur rufipennis
51. Harrier, Montagu's Circus pygargus
52. Western Little Sparrowhawk Accipitor erythropus
53. Harrier, Western or Eurasian Marsh- Circus a. aeruginosus
54. Buzzard, Lizard Kaupifalco monogrammicus monogrammicus
55. Goshawk, Dark Chanting- Melierax metabates metabates
56. Goshawk Gabar Melierax gabar
57. Shikra, or Little Banded Goshawk Accipiter badius sphenurus
58. Falcon, Lanner Falco biarmicus abyssinicus
59. Falcon, Red-necked Falco chicquera ruficollis
60. Kestrel, Grey Falco ardosiaceus
61. Francolin, Ahanta Pternistis ahantensis
62. Francolin, Double-spurred Pternistis bicalcaratus
63. Partridge, Stone Ptilopachus petrosus
64. Crake, Black Amaurornis flavirostra
65. Swamphen, (African) Purple Porphyrio porphyrio
66. Jacana, African Actophilornis africanus
67. Thick-knee, Senegal Burhinus senegalensis senegalensis
68. Plover, Egyptian or Crocodile-Bird Pluvianus aegyptius
69. Pratincole, Collared Glareola pratincola fuelleborni
70. Lapwing, Spur-winged Vanellus spinosus
71. Lapwing, Wattled Vanellus senegallus senegallus
72. Lapwing, Black-headed Vanellus tectus tectus
73. Plover, Grey or Black-bellied Pluvialis squatarola
74. Plover, Little Ringed Charadius dubius
75. Plover, Kentish Charadius alexandrines alexandrinus
76. Godwit, Bar-tailed Limosa lapponica lapponica
77. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
78. Redshank, Common Tringa totanus
79. Greenshank, Common Tringa nebularia
80. Sandpiper, Common Tringa hypoleucos
81. Sandpiper, Green Tringa ochropus
82. Sandpiper, Marsh Tringa stagnatilis
83. Sandpiper, Wood Tringa glareola
84. Stilt, Black-winged Himantopus himantopus himantopus
85. Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
86. Ruff Philomachus pugnax
87. Turnstone, Ruddy Arenaria interpres interpres
88. Skua, Pomerine Sterocorarius pomarinus
89. Skua, Arctic (Parasitic) Sterocorarius parasiticus
90. Gull, Black-headed, Larus ridibundus
91. Gull, Grey-headed, Larus cirrocephalus
92. Gull, Slender-billed Larus genei
93. Gull, Kelp or Southern Black-backed Larus dominicanus vetula
94. Gull, Lesser Black-backed Larus fuscus graellsii/intermedius
95. Tern, Caspian Hydroprogne caspia
96. Tern, Royal Sterna maxima albidorsalis
97. Tern, Lesser Crested Sterna bengalensis torresii
98. Tern, Sandwich Sterna sandvicensis sandvicensis
99. Tern, Black Chlidonias niger
100. Tern, Gull-billed Sterna nilotica nilotica
101. Tern, Common Sterna hirundo hirundo
102. Dove, African Collared Streptopelia roseogrisea
103. Dove, Black-billed Wood- Turtur abyssinicus
104. Dove, Blue-spotted Wood- Turtur afer
105. Dove, Laughing or Palm Streptopelia senegalensis
106. Dove, African Mourning Streptopelia decipiens
107. Dove, Namaqua Oena capensis
108. Dove, Red-eyed Streptopelia semitorquata
109. Dove, Vinaceous Streptopelia vinacea
110. Pigeon, African Green- Treron calva
111. Pigeon, Bruce's Green- Treron waalia
112. Pigeon, Feral Columba livia feral (introduced)
113. Pigeon, Speckled or Rock Columba guinea
114. Piapiac Ptilostomus afer
115. Cuckoo, Dideric Chrysococcyx caprius
116. Cuckoo, Klaas's Chrysococcyx klaas
117. Cuckoo, Levaillant's or African Striped Clamator levaillantii
118. Coucal, Senegal Centropus senegalensis
119. Owl, Greyish Bubo cinerascens
120. Owl, Verreaux's or Giant Eagle- Bubo lacteus
121. Owl, Northern White-faced Ptilopsis leucotis
122. Owlet, Pearl-spotted Glaucidium perlatum perlatum
123. Swift, African Palm Cypsiourus parvus
124. Swift, Little Apus affinis
125. Swift, White-rumped Apus caffer
126. Spinetail, Mottled Telacanthura ussheri
127. Woodhoopoe, Green Phoeniculus purpureus
128. Kingfisher, Blue-breasted Halcyon malimbica torquata
129. Kingfisher, Giant Megaceryle maxima maxima
130. Kingfisher, Grey-headed Halcyon leucocephala leucocephala
131. Kingfisher, Malachite Alcedo cristata galerita
132. Kingfisher, Pied Ceryle rudis rudis
133. Kingfisher, Striped Halcyon chelicuti chelicuti
134. Kingfisher, Woodland Halcyon senegalensis senegalensis
135. Roller, Abyssinian Coracias abyssinica
136. Roller, Blue-bellied Coracias cyanogaster
137. Roller, Broad-billed Eurystomus glaucurus afer
138. Roller, Rufous-crowned Coracias naevia naevia
139. Bee-eater, Blue-cheeked Merops persicus chrysocercus
140. Bee-eater, European Merops apiaster
141. Bee-eater, Green Merops orientalis viridissimus
142. Bee-eater, Little Merops pusillus pusillus
143. Bee-eater, Red-throated Merops bullocki bullocki
144. Bee-eater, Swallow-tailed Merops hirundineus chrysolaimus
145. Bee-eater, White-throated Merops albicollis
146. Parakeet, Ring-necked Psittacula krameri
147. Parrot, Senegal Poicephalus senegalus senegalus
148. Turaco, Guinea or Green Tauraco persa buffoni
149. Turaco, Violet Musophaga violacea
150. Plantain-eater, Western Grey Crinifer piscator
151. Tinkerbird, Yellow-fronted Pogoniulus chrysoconus
152. Barbet, Bearded Lybius dubius
153. Barbet, Vieillot's Lybius vieilloti
154. Hornbill, African Grey- Tockus nasutus nasutus
155. Hornbill, African Pied- Tockus fasciatus semifasciatus
156. Hornbill, Red-billed Tockus erythrorhynchus kempi
157. Woodpecker, Cardinal Dendropicos fuscescens lafesnayi
158. Woodpecker, Fine-spotted Campethera p. punctuligera
159. Woodpecker, Grey Dendropicos goertae goertae
160. Honeyguide, Greater Indicator indicator
161. Sparrow-lark, Chestnut-backed Eremopterix leucotis
162. Swallow, Mosque Hirundo senegalensis senegalensis
163. Swallow, Pied-winged Hirundo leucosoma
164. Swallow, Red-chested or Gambia Hirundo lucida lucida
165. Swallow, Red-rumped Hirundo daurica
166. Swallow, Wire-tailed Hirundo smithii smithii
167. Martin, Northern House- Delichon urbica urbica
168. Sawwing, Fanti Psalidoprocne obscura
169. Wagtail, White Motacilla alba
170. Wagtail, Yellow Motacilla flava
171. Oriole, African Golden- Oriolus auratus
172. Drongo, Fork-tailed Dicrurus adsimilis
173. Bulbul, Common Pycnonotus barbatus inornatus
174. Greenbul, Little Andropadus virens
175. Greenbul , Yellow-throated Chlorocichla flavicollis flavicollis
176. Bristlebill, Grey-headed Bleda canicapilla
177. Babbler, Blackcap Turdoides reinwardii
178. Babbler, Brown Turdoides plebejus
179. Warbler, Oriole (Moho) Hypergerus atriceps
180. Nightingale, Common, Luscinia megarhynchos
181. Chat, Snowy-crowned Robin- Cossypha niveicapilla
182. Chat, White-crowned Robin- Cossypha albicapilla
183. African Thrush Turdus pelios
184. Warbler, Melodious Hippolais polyglotta
185. Warbler, Willow Phylloscopus trochilus trochilus
186. Warbler, Subalpine Sylvia cantillans
187. Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla atricapilla
188. Cisticola, Zitting Cisticola juncidis uropygialis
189. Warbler, Red-winged Heliolais erythroptera
190. Prinia, Tawny-flanked or Plain Prinia subflava subflava
191. Eremomela, Green-backed (Senegal) Eremomela pusilla
192. Crombec, Northern Sylvietta brachyura
193. Camaroptera, Grey-backed Camaroptera brachyura
194. Apalis, Yellow-breasted, Apalis flavida
195. Wattle-eye, Common Platysteira cynea
196. Senegal Batis Batis senegalnsis
197. Flycatcher, African Paradise- Terpsiphone viridis
198. Flycatcher, Red-bellied Paradise- Terpsiphone r. rufiventer
199. Sunbird, Beautiful Nectarinia pulchella
200. Sunbird, Collared Anthreptes collaris
201. Sunbird, Mouse-brown Anthreptes gabonicus
202. Sunbird, Scarlet-chested Nectarinia senegalensis
203. Sunbird, Splendid Nectarinia coccinigaster
204. Sunbird, Variable or Yellow-bellied Nectarinia venusta
205. Tchagra, Black-crowned Tchagra senegala
206. Gonolek, Common Laniarius barbarus
207. Shrike, Yellow-billed Corvinella corvina
208. Brubru Nilaus afer afer
209. Puffback, Northern Dryoscopus gambensis
210. Helmet-Shrike, White Prionops plumatus
211. Starling, Greater Blue-eared Glossy- Lamprotornis chalybaeus
212. Starling, Lesser Blue-eared Glossy- Lamprotornis c. chloropterus
213. Starling, Long-tailed Glossy- Lamprotornis caudatus
214. Starling, Purple Glossy- Lamprotornis purpureus
215. Oxpecker, Yellow-billed Buphagus africanus africanus
216. Sparrow, House Passer domesticus
217. Sparrow, Northern Grey-headed Passer griseus griseus
218. Bush Petronia, Petronia dentata
219. Seedeater, White-rumped Serinus leucopygius riggenbachi
220. Canary, Yellow-fronted Serinus mozambicus caniceps
221. Weaver, Black-headed Ploceus melanocephalus melanocephalus
222. Weaver, Black-necked Ploceus nigricollis brachypterus
223. Sparrow-weaver, Chestnut-crowned Plocepasser superciliosus
224. Weaver, White-billed Buffalo- Bubalornis albirostris
225. Bishop, Northern Red Euplectes franciscanus
226. Bishop, Yellow-crowned Euplectes afer afer
227. Weaver, Little Ploceus luteolus
228. Weaver, Village or Spotted-backed Ploceus cucullatus
229. Bunting, Cinnamon-breasted Emberiza tahapisi
230. Firefinch, Red-billed Lagonosticta senegala senegala
231. Cordonbleu, Red-cheeked Uraeginthus bengalus bengalus
232. Waxbill, Lavender Estrilda caerulescens
233. Waxbill, Black-rumped Estrilda troglodytes
234. Silverbill, African Lonchura cantans cantans
235. Mannikin, Bronze Lonchura cantans
236. Cut-Throat, Amandina fasciata
237. Western Bluebill Spermophaga haematina
238. Whydah, Long-tailed or Exclamatory Paradise- Vidua interjecta
239. Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea
240. Indigobird, Village or Steel-blue Widowfinch Vidua chalybeata
241. Quailfinch, Black-faced Ortygospiza atricollis