GAMBIA – a week in February

‘What a way to spend a week! Day after day of brilliant birding, from the gallery forest of Abuko where we saw Snowy-crowned Robin Chats, White-backed Night Heron and African Pygmy Kingfisher to Tanji with its Kelp and Slender-billed Gulls, Royal Terns and Golden-tailed Woodpecker.

It hadn’t started so well though, with our local guide’s news that Egyptian Plovers weren’t at their usual site due to the dry winter but a quick change of itinerary and we made it all the way to Basse. Great birds are often remembered for so many reasons, and few will forget our voyage in the MV Bath tub! Using just a stick our ‘pilot’ skilfully and quickly manoeuvred us to within feet of a Crocodile bird, offering us the best views anyone could ever have! This forced diversion also added a couple of species normally exclusive to the two week trip but few were going to complain at seeing Red-throated Bee-eater, Western Banded Snake Eagle and Marabou Stork!

The north bank road was very bird rich again, and included 3 species of Stork (Yellow-billed, White and Woolly-necked), 3 Black-crowned Cranes, Beaudouin’s Short-toed Snake Eagles, Savile’s Bustard, Lesser Kestrel, lots of Abyssinian Rollers, Collared Pratincoles, Chestnut-bellied Starling and best of all 5 African Swallow-tailed Kites! Quite simply amazing and the first Solomon had seen in Gambia for 5 years.

At Tendaba we saw African Fish Eagle, Four-banded Sandgrouse and Long-tailed Nightjar at the same water hole but our creek crawl was the best yet. In 3 hours we watched African Finfoot swimming in the middle of the channel, walking along a totally exposed mud bank and creeping through the mangroves. Added to this Goliath Heron, Woolly-necked Storks, African Blue Flycatcher and Mouse-brown Sunbird, not to mention the Pied, Malachite and Blue-breasted Kingfishers and umpteen herons it was going to be hard to beat.

Our luck just kept getting better and over the week we also saw 2 Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, more Broad-billed and Blue-bellied Rollers, Blue-cheeked, White-throated and Little Bee-eaters, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Bateleur, Brown Snake Eagle, White-faced Scops Owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Oriole Warbler, Green and Violet Turacos, Sacred Ibis, both Spoonbills, Green Hylia, Green Crombec, Pygmy and Beautiful Sunbirds, Arctic Skuas…….the list could go on. In fact we recorded over 270 species in a week. Hectic as this may sound there was still chance to have a swim, sit in the shade after lunch, or try the local beer. A perfect way to escape the northern winter!’ James Lidster

Bird List:

Column A = Number of tours on which this species has been recorded.

Column B = Number of days this species was seen on the last tour.

Column C = Maximum daily count for this species on the last tour.

H = Heard only

A		B	C
1	Little Grebe	1	10		Tachybaptus ruficollis
3	Great White Pelican	4	50		Pelecanus onocrotalus
3	Pink-backed Pelican	6	100		Pelecanus rufescens
1	British Storm Petrel				Hydrobates pelagicus
1	Storm Petrel sp				Hydrobates/Oceanodroma sp
3	Hamerkop	5	20		Scopus umbretta
3	Great Cormorant	2	12		Phalacrocorax carbo (lucidus)
3	Long-tailed Cormorant	6	30		Phalacrocorax africanus
3	African Darter	3	50		Anhinga rufa
2	White-backed Night Heron	1	1		Gorsachius leuconotus
3	Black-crowned Night Heron	3	10		Nycticorax nycticorax
3	Cattle Egret	8	40		Bubulcus ibis
3	Squacco Heron	5	6		Ardeola ralloides
3	Striated Heron	4	3		Butorides striatus
3	Black Egret	3	30		Egretta ardesiaca
3	Intermediate Egret	3	4		Egretta intermedia
3	Western Reef Heron	7	50		Egretta gularis
3	Little Egret	5	2		Egretta garzetta
3	Great White Egret	6	6		Egretta alba
3	Black-headed Heron	6	4		Ardea melanocephala
3	Grey Heron	7	10		Ardea cinerea
2	Goliath Heron	1	2		Ardea goliath
3	Purple Heron	1	3		Ardea purpurea
2	Woolly-necked Stork	2	5		Ciconia episcopus
1	White Stork	1	2		Ciconia ciconia
2	Marabou Stork	1	2		Leptoptilos crumeniferus
3	Yellow-billed Stork	2	8		Mycteria ibis
2	African Spoonbill	1	6		Platalea alba
2	European Spoonbill	2	3		Platalea leucorodia
1	Black-crowned Crane	1	3		Balearica pavonina
3	Spur-winged Goose	3	8		Plectropterus gambensis
1	Knob-billed Duck	1	17		Sarkidironis melanotos
3	White-faced Whistling Duck	1	100		Dendrocygna viduata
3	Sacred Ibis	1	5		Threskiornis aethiopicus
3	Osprey	5	10		Pandion haliaetus
3	African Harrier-Hawk	8	4		Polyboroides typus
3	Palm-nut Vulture	5	2		Gypohierax angolensis
3	Hooded Vulture	8	100		Necrosyrtes monachus
2	Rüppell's Vulture				Gyps rueppellii
1	Griffon Vulture				Gyps fulvus
3	White-backed Vulture	1	4		Gyps africanus
2	African Fish Eagle	2	1		Haliaeetus vocifer
3	Tawny Eagle	2	1		Aquila rapax
1	Wahlberg's Eagle	2	1		Aquila wahlbergi
3	African Hawk Eagle	1	2		Hieraaetus spilogaster
1	Booted Eagle				Hieraaetus pennatus
1	Martial Eagle				Polemaetus bellicosus
3	Long-crested Eagle	1	1		Lophaetus occipitalis
2	Bateleur	1	3		Terathopius ecaudatus
3	Brown Snake Eagle	3	3		Circaetus cinereus
2	Western Banded Snake Eagle	1	1		Circaetus cinerascens
3	Beaudouin's Short-toed Eagle	3	3		Circaetus beaudouini
3	Black Kite	1	1		Milvus migrans
3	Yellow-billed Kite	8	100		Milvus migrans parasitus
3	Grasshopper Buzzard	2	3		Butastur rufipennis
3	Black-shouldered Kite	2	3		Elanus caerulus
1	African Swallow-tailed Kite	1	5		Chelictinia riocourii
3	Montagu's Harrier	2	2		Circuc pygargus
3	Western Marsh Harrier	4	2		Circus aeruginosus
3	Dark Chanting Goshawk	5	10		Melierax metabates
2	Gabar Goshawk	2	1		Micronisus gabar
1	African Goshawk	1	1		Accipiter tachiro
3	Shikra	6	3		Accipiter badius
3	Lizard Buzzard	3	4		Kaupifalco monogrammicus
3	Lanner Falcon	5	4		Falco biarmicus
3	Red-necked Falcon	1	1		Falco chicquera
3	Grey Kestrel	6	3		Falco ardosiaceus
3	Common Kestrel	5	17		Falco tinnunculus
1	Lesser Kestrel	1	2		Falco naumanni
3	Double-spurred Francolin	4	4		Francolinus bicalcaratus
3	Ahanta Francolin	1	1	H	Francolinus ahantensis
2	Stone Partridge	2	7		Ptilopachus petrosus
3	Four-banded Sandgrouse	2	2		Pterocles quadricinctus
2	Black Crake	2	5		Amaurornis flavirostris
3	Savile's Bustard	1	1		Lophotis savilei
3	Greater Painted-snipe	1	18		Rostratula benghalensis
3	African Jacana	3	70		Actophilornis africanus
2	African Finfoot	1	1		Podica senegalensis
3	Egyptian Plover	1	1		Pluvianus aegyptius
1	Bronze-winged Courser				Rhinoptilus chalcopterus
2	Temminck's Courser				Cursorius temminckii
3	Collared Pratincole	2	7		Glareola pratincola
2	Spotted Thick-Knee				Burhinus capensis
3	Senegal Thick-Knee	4	88		Burhinus senegalensis
3	Black-headed Plover	3	10		Vanellus tectus
3	Spur-winged Plover	7	20		Vanellua spinosus
3	Wattled Plover	6	8		Vanellus senegallus
3	Grey Plover	3	25		Pluvialis squatarola
2	Little Ringed Plover	3	6		Charadrius dubius
3	Ringed Plover	6	45		Charadrius hiaticula
1	Kentish Plover				Charadrius alexandrius
2	White-fronted plover	1	2		Charadrius marginatus
1	Kittlitz's Plover				Charadrius pecuarius
3	Eurasian Curlew	1	3		Numenius arquata
3	Whimbrel	3	10		Numenius phaeopus
1	Black-tailed Godwit	1	70		Limosa limosa
3	Bar-tailed Godwit	2	10		Limosa lapponica
3	Common Greenshank	6	40		Tringa nebularia
3	Marsh Sandpiper	4	3		Tringa stagnatilis
3	Green Sandpiper	3	3		Tringa ochropus
3	Wood Sandpiper	4	10		Tringa glareola
3	Redshank	7	6		Tringa totanus
1	Spotted Redshank	1	3		Tringa erythropus
3	Common Sandpiper	7	6		Actitis hypoleucos
1	Eurasian Oystercatcher	2	2		Haematopus ostralegus
1	Avocet	2	8		Recurvirostra avosetta
3	Black-winged Stilt	4	40		Himantopus himantopus
1	Ruff				Philomachus pugnax
1	Common Snipe				Gallinago gallinago
3	Ruddy Turnstone	4	25		Arenaria interpres
2	Little Stint	3	15		Calidris minuta
3	Sanderling	2	10		Calidris alba
1	Dunlin				Calidris alpina
3	Curlew Sandpiper	2	25		Calidris ferruginea
3	Arctic Skua	2	3		Stercorarius parasiticus
2	Audouin's Gull				Larus audouinii
3	Black-headed Gull	1	3		Larus ridibundus
3	Grey-headed Gull	4	150		Larus cirrocephalus
3	Slender-billed Gull	2	100		Larus genei
2	Kelp Gull	1	8		Larus dominicanus
3	Lesser Black-backed Gull	2	50		Larus fuscus
3	Gull-billed Tern	6	12		Sterna nilotica
3	Caspian Tern	3	200		Sterna caspia
3	Royal Tern	2	80		Sterna maxima
3	Sandwich Tern	3	30		Sterna sandvicensis
3	Common Tern	2	2		Sterna hirundo
2	Little Tern	3	5		Sterna albifrons
2	Whiskered Tern	1	4		Chlidonias hybridus
1	Black Tern				Chlidonias niger
3	Laughing Dove	8	10		Streptopelia senegalensis
1	European Turtle Dove	1	3		Streptopelia turtur
3	Blue-spotted Wood Dove	3	4		Turtur afer
3	Black-billed Wood Dove	6	6		Turtur abyssinicus
3	Speckled Pigeon	8	20		Columba guinea
2	Bruce's Green Pigeon	3	2		Treron waalia
3	African Green Pigeon	3	5		Treron calva
3	Namaqua Dove	7	70		Oena capensis
3	Red-eyed Dove	7	30		Streptopelia semitorquata
3	African Mourning Dove	6	10		Streptopelia decipiens
3	Vinaceous Dove	8	30		Streptopelia vinacea
3	Piapiac	6	10		Ptilostomus afer
1	Yellowbill				Ceuthmochares aereus
3	Senegal Coucal	8	4		Centropus senegalensis
3	Klaas's Cuckoo	2	6		Chrysococcyx klaas
2	Verreaux's Eagle Owl				Bubo lacterus
1	Greyish Eagle Owl				Bubo cinerascens
3	African Scops Owl	2	1		Otus senegalensis
1	Barn Owl				Tyto alba
2	White-faced Scops Owl	2	1		Otus leucotis
3	Pearl-Spotted Owlet	2	2		Glaucidium perlatum
2	Long-tailed Nightjar	1	1		Caprimulgus climacurus
1	Pallid Swift	4	6		Apus pallidus
3	Little Swift	8	150		Apus affinis
3	Mottled Spinetail	3	2		Telacanthura ussheri
3	African Palm Swift	7	30		Cypsiurus parvus
2	Black Scimitar-bill				Rhinopomastus aterrimus
3	Green Wood Hoopoe	6	14		Phoeniculus purpureus
3	Hoopoe	2	4		Upupa epops
3	Giant Kingfisher	3	2		Megaceryle maxima
3	Blue-breasted Kingfisher	3	7		Halcyon malimbica
3	Striped Kingfisher	4	2		Halcyon chelicuti
3	Pied Kingfisher	7	40		Ceryle rudis
2	African Pygmy Kingfisher	1	1		Ceyx picta
3	Malachite Kingfisher	2	7		Alcedo cristata
3	Broad-billed Roller	3	6		Eurystomus glaucurus
3	Blue-bellied Roller	5	10		Coracias cyanogaster
3	Rufous-crowned Roller	4	4		Coracias naevia
3	Abyssinian Roller	7	100		Coracias abyssiniica
2	Swallow-tailed Bee-eater				Merops hirundineus
1	Northern Carmine Bee-eater				Merops nubicus
3	Blue-cheeked Bee-eater	4	10		Merops persicus
3	European Bee-eater	2	6		Merops apiaster
1	Red-throated Bee-eater	2	1		Merops bulocki
3	Little Bee-eater	4	14		Merops pusillus
3	White-throated Bee-eater	2	2		Merops albicollis
1	Little Green Bee-eater				Merops orientalis
3	Rose-ringed Parakeet	7	20		Psittacula krameri
3	Senegal Parrot	5	5		Poicephalus senegalus
3	Violet Turaco	4	4		Musophaga violacea
3	Green Turaco	2	3		Tauraco persa
3	Western Grey Plantain-Eater	8	30		Crinifer piscator
3	Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird	4	4		Pogoniulus chrysoconus
3	Bearded Barbet	7	20		Lybius dubius
3	Vieillot's Barbet	1	5		Lybius vieilloti
3	African Pied Hornbill	2	10		Tockus fasciatus
3	Red-billed Hornbill	8	20		Tockus erythrorhynchus
3	African Grey Hornbill	8	20		Tockus nasutus
1	Abyssinian Ground Hornbill	1	2		Bucorvus abyssinicus
3	Grey Woodpecker	3	6		Mesopicos goertae
1	Cardinal Woodpecker				Dendropicos fuscescens
2	Brown-backed Woodpecker	2	2		Picoides obsoletus
2	Golden-tailed Woodpecker	1	2		Campethera abingoni
3	Fine-spotted Woodpecker	3	2		Campethera punctuligera
3	Buff-spotted Woodpecker	1	1		Campethera nivosa
2	Greater Honeyguide				Indicator indicator
3	Lesser Honeyguide	1	1		Indicator minor
1	Spotted Honeyguide	1	1		Indicator maculatus
3	Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark	3	10		Eremopterix leucotis
3	Crested Lark	2	10		Galerida cristata
1	Red-throated Pipit				Anthus cervinus
1	Plain-backed Pipit				Anthus leucophrys
2	Tree Pipit				Anthus trivialis
2	Fanti Saw-wing	1	10		Psalidoprocne obscura
3	Red-rumped Swallow	3	4		Hirundo daurica
3	Pied-winged Swallow	2	2		Hirundo leucosoma
3	Wire-tailed Swallow	2	15		Hirundo smithii
2	Mosque Swallow				Hirundo senegalensis
3	Red-chested Swallow	7	10		Hirundo lucida
2	House Martin	5	15		Delichon urbica
3	Sand Martin	1	2		Riparia riparia
3	African Golden Oriole	1	1		Oriolus auratus
3	Fork-tailed Drongo	4	4		Dicrurus adsimilis
3	Yellow Wagtail	6	10		Motacilla flava
3	White Wagtail	5	2		Motacilla alba
1	Yellow-throated Longclaw	1	1		Macronyx croceus
3	Common Bulbul	8	20		Pycnonotus barbatus
2	Yellow-throated Leaflove	3	3		Chlorocichla flavicollis
3	Little Greenbul	2	6		Andropadus virens
3	Grey-headed Bristlebill	1	3		Bleda canicapilla
3	Oriole Warbler	1	2		Hypergerus atriceps
1	Yellow-bellied Hyliota				Hyliota flavigaster
3	Black-capped Babbler	6	6		Turdoides reinwardtii
3	African Brown Babbler	3	6		Turdoides plebejus
3	Whinchat	1	3		Saxicola rubetra
3	Northern Wheatear	3	10		Oenanthe oenanthe
3	White-fronted Black Chat	1	2		Myrmecocichla albifrons
3	Northern Anteater Chat	1	5		Myrmecocichla aethiops
2	Common Nightingale	1	1	H	Luscinia megarhynchos
1	Rufous Scrub Robin				Cercotrichas galactotes
3	White-crowned Robin-chat	3	4		Cossypha albicapilla
3	Snowy-crowned Robin-chat	1	3		Cossypha niveicapilla
1	Common Redstart				Phoenicurus phoenicurus
3	African Thrush	4	8		Turdus pelios
3	Reed Warbler	2	1		Acrocephalus scirpaceus
3	Western Olivaceous Warbler	4	5		Hippolais opaca
3	Melodious Warbler	1	8		Hippolais polyglotta
1	Blackcap				Sylvia atricapilla
2	Common Whitethroat	1	3		Sylvia communis
2	Subalpine Warbler	2	2		Sylvia cantillans
3	Chiffchaff	3	1		Phylloscopus collybita
1	Western Bonelli's Warbler	1	1		Phylloscopus bonelli
3	Singing Cisticola	1	1		Cisticola cantans
2	Whistling Cisticola				Cisticola lateralis
1	Winding Cisticola				Cisticola galactotes
1	Siffling Cisticola				Cisticola brachypterus
1	Rufous Cisticola	1	3		Cisticola rufus
3	Zitting Cisticola	3	2		Cisticola juncidis
3	Red-winged Warbler	2	3		Heliolais erythroptera
3	Tawny-flanked Prinia	1	1		Prinia subflava
3	Senegal Eremomela	2	7		Eremomela pusilla
3	Northern Crombec	2	2		Sylvietta brachyura
3	Green Crombec	1	2		Sylvietta virens
3	Grey-backed Camaroptera	3	5		Camaroptera brachyura
3	Yellow-breasted Apalis	2	6		Apalis flavida
3	Green Hylia	1	2		Hylia prasina
2	Yellow White-eye				Zosterops senegalensis
1	Yellow Penduline Tit				Anthoscopus parvulus
3	White-shouldered Black Tit	1	2		Parus leucomelas
1	African Blue Flycatcher	1	1		Elminia longicauda
1	Pale Flycatcher				Melaenornis pallidus
3	Scarlet-spectacled Wattle-eye	4	6		Platysteira cyanea
3	Senegal Batis	1	2		Batis senegalensis
3	Northern Black Flycatcher	4	4		Melaenornis edolioides
1	African Paradise Flycatcher				Terpsiphone viridis
3	Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher	2	2		Terpsiphone rufiventer
3	Pygmy Sunbird	3	3		Anthreptes platurus
3	Collared Sunbird	1	2		Anthreptes collaris
3	Variable Sunbird	1	4		Nectarinia venusta
2	Mouse-brown Sunbird	1	2		Anthreptes gabonicus
3	Scarlet-chested Sunbird	3	4		Nectarinia senegalensis
3	Splendid Sunbird	3	6		Nectarinia coccinigaster
3	Beautiful Sunbird	7	10		Nectarinia pulchella
3	Copper Sunbird	1	1		Nectarinia cuprea
1	Western Violet-backed Sunbird				Anthreptes longuemarei
3	Black-crowned Tchagra	2	3		Tchagra senegala
3	Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrike	1	1		Malaconotus sulfureopectus
3	Brubru	2	2		Nilaus afer
3	Northern Puffback	4	4		Dryoscopus gambensis
3	Yellow-crowned Gonolek	7	10		Laniarius barbarus
3	White-crested Helmet Shrike	2	6		Prionops plumatus
3	Woodchat Shrike	6	6		Lanius senator
3	Yellow-billed Shrike	7	4		Corvinella corvina
3	Pied Crow	8	80		Corvus albus
3	Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling	2	10		Lamprotornis chalybaeus
2	Lesser Blue-eared Glossy Starling	1	3		Lamprotornis chloropterus
3	Purple Glossy Starling	2	10		Lamprotornis purpureus
2	Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling	3	3		Lamprotornis chalcurus
3	Long-tailed Glossy Starling	8	30		Lamprotornis caudatus
1	Chestnut-bellied Starling	1	1		Lamprotornis pulcher
3	Yellow-billed Oxpecker	2	9		Buphagus africanus
2	House Sparrow	3	2		Passer domesticus
3	Grey-headed Sparrow	4	6		Passer griseus
3	Bush Petronia	2	2		Petronia dentata
3	Yellow-fronted Canary	3	30		Serinus mozambicus
3	White-billed Buffalo-weaver	6	30		Bubalornis albirostris
3	Northern Red Bishop	3	30		Euplectes franciscanus
2	Black-winged Red Bishop	1	4		Euplectes hordeaceus
2	Yellow-crowned Bishop	1	2		Euplectes afer
2	Vitelline Masked Weaver				Ploceus velatus
3	Village Weaver	8	50		Ploceus cucullatus
2	Little Weaver	1	3		Ploceus luteolus
3	Black-necked Weaver	3	20		Ploceus nigricollis
1	Black-headed Weaver	1	1		Ploceus melanocephalus
3	Chestnut-crowned Sparrow Weaver	1	2		Plocepasser superciliosus
1	Orange-cheeked Waxbill				Estrilda melpoda
3	Lavender Waxbill	5	3		Estrilda caerulescens
2	Black-rumped Waxbill	1	15		Estrilda troglodytes
3	Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu	5	6		Uraeginthus bengalus
3	Red-billed Firefinch	6	30		Lagonosticta senegala
1	Bar-breasted Firefinch				Lagonosticta rufopicta
3	Bronze Mannikin	5	30		Lonchura cucullata
2	Sahel Paradise Whydah	1	1		Vidua orientalis
2	Village Indigobird				Vidua chalybeata
1	Cut-throat Finch	2	4		Amadina fasciata
3	Quail-Finch	1	6		Ortygospiza artricollis
3	Red-billed Quelea	2	10		Quelea quelea
3	Western Bluebill	1	1		Spermophaga haematina
2	Brown-rumped Bunting				Emberiza affinis