KOTU CREEK & SURROUNDINGS
The range of birds seen at the creek is amazing and they will all allow you to get fairly close to them some of the species that can be seen there are; Giant Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Blue Breasted Kingfisher, Malackite Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, African Darter, Great White Egret, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Oreal Warbler, Hooded Vulture, Palmnut Vulture, Senegal Thicknee, Wattle Lapwing, Spur Winged Lapwing, Shikra, Beautiful Sunbird, Hammerkop, Black Crake, Little Greebe, Wire Tailed Swallow, Black Heron, Yellow Crowned Gonalek, Yellow Fronted Tinkerbird, Blue Cheeked Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater and many more.
ABUKO NATURE RESERVE
Is the first protected area of the Gambia and the founder is called EDI BRUWER born in Wales, UK. The reserved is well-established savannah woodland and very good for sighting forest species like African Paradise Flycatcher, Common Wattle Eye, Grey Headed Bristle Bill, Green Hylia, Yellow Breasted Apallis, Grey Backed Camaroptera, Little Greenbul, Western Blue Bill, Palm-nut Vulture, Green and Violet Turaco, African Jacana, Black Crake, Purple Heron, Black Headed Heron, Black Crowned Night Heron, Pygmy Kingfisher. The reserve also gives you the chance to see three different types of Monkeys, Hyna, and Baboon in a cage which are confiscated from people, Bush Buck, Antilops, Monitor Lizards, and Butterflies. Outside the reserve, there is a rice field and green vegetable allotments where you can see Lizard Buzard, Pearl Spotted Owlet, Shikra, African Darter, Dwarf Bittern, Little Bittern, Greater Painted Snipe, Black Crake, African Jacana, Senegal Coucal and many more.
LAMIN LODGE
One of the many places where you can for the famous excursion called BIRDS & BREAKFAST. You will be picked up at your hotel early in the morning for Tea or Coffee on your arrival at the lodge. At 7 o’clock, you join the boat to see the sunrise in the mangrove swamps and to see more water birds for one hour thirty minutes, and you will return to the lodge for breakfast which is a buffet and it goes with Tea or Coffee again. After breakfast, walk in the vegetable gardens to see more colorful birds like; Red Bill Fire Finch, Fork Tailed Drongo, Grey Headed Sparrow, Marsh Harrier, African Harrier Hawk, Grey Kestrel, Caspian Tern, Sandwich Tern, Gull Bill Tern, Common Sandpiper, Purple Heron, Osprey, Red Bill Quelea, Red Cheeked Cordan Blue, Senegal Parrot, Rose Ringed Parakeet, Yellow Bill Shrike, Buffalo Weaver, Village Weaver, Pearl Spotted Owlet and many more.
BRUFUT WOODS
Brufut Woods is protected by the West African Birds Studies Association (WABSA) with the collaboration of the Brufut Community. It is located in the middle of the community and an open area of woodland where it is a hotspot for Honey Guides, Long Tailed Nightjar, Klaas’ Cuckoo, Swallow Tailed Bee-eater, Green Fruit Pigeon, Yellow Throated Leaflove, White Face Scope’s Owl, Little Bee-eater, Fanti Sawing, Grey Headed Bristle Bill, Northern Red Bishop, Black Winged Bishop, Yellow White Eye, Yellow Fronted Canary, and many more.
return to the lodge for breakfast which is a buffet and it goes with Tea or Coffee again. After breakfast, walk in the vegetable gardens to see more colorful birds like; Red Bill Fire Finch, Fork Tailed Drongo, Grey Headed Sparrow, Marsh Harrier, African Harrier Hawk, Grey Kestrel, Caspian Tern, Sandwich Tern, Gull Bill Tern, Common Sandpiper, Purple Heron, Osprey, Red Bill Quelea, Red Cheeked Cordan Blue, Senegal Parrot, Rose Ringed Parakeet, Yellow Bill Shrike, Buffalo Weaver, Village Weaver, Pearl Spotted Owlet and many more.
KARTONG WETLAND
Kartong is a border village located at the end of the south coast of the Gambia and is the biggest wetland by the south coast with ponds produced by sand mining and some of the ponds contain water all year around. Kartong Pond has become important for birdwatchers visiting the country in recent years, it is a very important birding site that you cannot afford in your itinerary. The community is protecting the site and the visitors pay an entry fee which the village is benefiting from. There is a vegetable garden around the wetland side. It is a passerby for most of the winter species. There is a bird ringing society and some of the birds seen around the pond have been ringed by the ringing club. For example; African Wattle Lapwing, White Fronted Plover, Hooded Vulture, Purple Swamphen, Short Toad Snake Eagle, African Spoon Bill, Sacrid Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Striped Kingfisher, Grey Headed Kingfisher, Pygmy Kingfisher, Blue Cheeked Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater, Brubru, Oesprey, Pink Backed Pelican, Abyssinian Roller, Blue Billied Roller, Squacco Heron, White Face Whisling Duck, Spur Winged Goose, Yellow Billed Stork, Four Banded Sandgrouse, Mass Harrier, Slender Bill Gull, Caspian Tern, Knob Billed Duck, African Spoon Bill and many more.
FARASUTU FOREST
This is the community forest situated in the eastern part of the Gambia. It is 38 kilometers from hotel areas, which include a gallery forest, vegetable garden, and a lot of Baobab Trees, farmlands, freshwater pools, and mangrove swamps. The community is benefiting from the sales of tickets from the visitors and you expect to see species such as; Green Headed Sun Bird, Northern Crombec, Blue Spotted Wood Dove, Grey’s Eagle Owl, Wood Owl, White Backed Night Heron, Black Crown Night Heron, Spotted Honey Guide, Greater Honey Guide, Lesser Honey Guide, Giant Kingfisher, Pygmy Kingfisher, Black Rumped Waxbill, Lavender Waxbill, Bronze Manikin, Senegal Thicknee, Violet Turaco, African Goshawk, Shikra, Long Tailed Nightjar, and many more.
PIRANG SHRIMP FARM
Scan-Gambia is another name for Pirang Shrimp Farm, which is located outside of the village about a 5-minute walk from the village. It has mangroves, rice fields, and open areas with a variety of trees. The farm has good numbers of waders, Pied Avocet, Little Stint, Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper, Quail Finch, Hadada Ibis, Sacrid Ibis, Yellow Bill Stork, African Spoon Bill, Greater and Lesser Flamingo, Marsh Harrier, Crested Lark, Spur Winged Goose, Sanderling, White Face Whistling Duck, and around the wet season is also possible to see Yellow Crowned Bishop and Claas Cuckoo and many more.
TANJI BIRD RESERVE
This is an officially protected area by the Department of Parks and Wildlife of the Gambia. The Park is about a 30-minute drive from the hotel areas. The reserve encompasses a wide range of different habit types from the beach, Tidal Lagoons, Mangrove Swamps, and Dry Savanah Woodlands. The reserve is about a 5-minute drive to the biggest fishing center/market in Tanji Village, which is very exciting to see as every day thousands of people gather here to do business, and you can also have the opportunity to see some birds along the Fish Market like; Royal Tern, Caspian Tan, Sanderling, Black Tailed Godwit, Great Cormorant, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Fanti Sawing, Pied Hornbill, Grey Hornbill, Cardinal Woodpecker, Grey Woodpecker, Striped Kingfisher, Northern Puff Backed, Yellow Crowned Gonolek, Lizard Buzard, Brown Babbler, Blackcap Babbler, Splendid Sun Bird, Beautiful Sun Bird, Copper Sun Bird, Red Necked Falcon, African Harrier Hawk, Pinked Backed Pelican, and among others.
MARAKISSA WOODS
Marakissa Woods is not far from the border of The Gambia and Senegal, one of the favorite places for birders and nature lovers, very quiet and peaceful area, and the most interesting species include; African Hobby, Booted Eagle, Bateleur, Long Crested Eagle, African Harrier Hawk, Grey Kestrel, Lizzard Buzzard, Shikra, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Yellow Throated Leaflove, Spotted Honey Guide, Greater Honey Guide, African Green Pigeon, Palm-nut Vulture, Black Headed Heron, Great White Egret, Purple Heron, Straited Heron, Squacco Heron, Intermediate Egret, African Golden Oreal, Black Rumped Waxbill, Grey Headed Bush Shrike and many more.
TENDABA CAMP
This is the most famous and the stopping point for an overnight visit further upcountry. The camp is situated along the bank of river Gambia in the heart of Tendaba. The area around the camp is very good for birdwatching. The accommodation at the camp is basic but you can have rooms a room with a toilet, selling a fan and there is an option for a room with Air conditioning which is more expensive and a better standard. It is well worth a day or two days’ stay to take further advantage of the surrounding areas, like Tendaba Air Field, Tendaba Rice Field, Kiang West National Park, Bateling Bush Track, and a boat trip to visit Tunku and Kisi Bolong. Species you are likely to see as follows; Abyssian Ground Horn Bill, Goliath Heron, White Backed Night Heron, Brown Sun Bird, Blue Flycatcher, African Finfoot, Hammerkop, European Bee-eater, African Fish Eagle, Wholly Necked Stork, Yellow Bill Stork, Tiger Bittern, African Spoon Bill, Sacrid Ibis, Mosque Swallow, White Throated Bee-eater, African Harrier Hawk, Brown Snake Eagle, Long Crested Eagle, Bateleur, Martial Eagle, Grasshopper Buzard, Pygmy Sun Bird, Variable Sun Bird, Western Violet Backed Sun Bird, Garba Goshawk, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Montigus’s Harrier and many more.
GEORGETOWN OR JANJANBUREH
Georgetown was formally called Janjanbureh and it was built by our colonial masters and it has a lot of Gambian History. It is located on a large Island in the River Gambia. Apart from the capital city of the Gambia Banjul, it is the second biggest Island where people stay. Georgetown is very popular for birdwatchers, and nature lovers, and historical sights are seen when they travel to upriver. Species that you may encounter include; the Shinning Blue Kingfisher, African Fish Eagle, Western Banded Snake Eagle, Verreauxs Eagle Owl, African Scopes Owl, Tawny Eagle, White Backed Vulture, Red Throated Bee-eater, Little Green Bee-eater, Cinnamon Breasted Bunting, Red Bill Quelea, Black Stork, Egyptian Plover, White Crown Plovers, Swamp Flycatcher, Common Snipe and many more.
BANSANG
Bansang quarry is a very good site for spotting Red Throated Bee-eaters, Brown Rumped Bunting, and Raptors, and also you can travel further upriver to Basse for Carmine Bee-eaters, Vultures, and many other species.
FATHALA RESERVE SENEGAL
This is a day trip between the two countries The Gambia and Senegal. From the border side of the Gambia, you can go into the Sine Saloum Delta Region of Senegal and see a lot of wildlife including Giraffes, Rhino, Eland Giant Antelopes, Buffalos, Monkeys, and a lot of birds.
NIOKOLO KOBA NATIONAL PARK
This national park is situated in southeastern Senegal and covers an area of about 9,000 square Kilometers. This is where you can see large mammals in both the Gambia and Senegal. It is important for both wildlife and birdlife if you want to see it. You can’t insist on Senegal for birdwatching without visiting this park to see. The wildlife in Niokolo Koba National Park is very easy to see. Most of the large mammals to be found in West Africa can be sighted in this park. Species that can’t be found there most of them are associated with the high rainforest habitats. Animals that can be seen are Roan Antelope, Red Flanked Duiker and Giant Eland, Bush Buck, Common Warthog, African Buffalo, and African Elephant. Along the river bank, you can see Crocodiles and Hippos. Birds species to be found are the Crowned Eagle, Pied Wagtail, Abyssian Ground Horn Bill, Saddle Bill Stork, White Crowned Plover, Hadada Ibis, Egyptian Plover, and many more.