Wildlife Holidays in The Gambia

The Gambia is a delightful wildlife destination, with a diversity of species and habitats that belies its tiny size. Known affectionately as the ‘Smiling Coast of West Africa’, this jewel of a country contains a vibrant patchwork of gallery forests, mangrove swamps, acacia savannahs, tidal creeks and expansive wetlands, all set about the banks of the mighty Gambia River. It is an especially appealing option during the northern hemisphere winter, when a mere six-hour direct flight from London exchanges drab, grey skies for virtually uninterrupted sunshine and a dazzling array of tropical birdlife; well over 600 species have been recorded, many of which – including rollers, bee-eaters, kingfishers, sunbirds, turacos and many more – are both stunningly attractive and wonderfully easy to observe. And although The Gambia may lack the classic African megafauna, it nevertheless offers a fascinating supporting cast of mammals, reptiles and other wildlife.

It is undoubtedly the birds, however, that provide The Gambia’s greatest appeal. In the northern winter, there is a heady mix of resident African species and European migrants seeking warmer climes. Furthermore, the huge variety of habitats within a relatively small area, and the ease with which they can be explored, means that visiting naturalists can encounter an astonishing mixture of iconic birds in a short space of time, including such avian treasures as Violet Turaco, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, Blue-bellied Roller, Giant Kingfisher and the aptly named Beautiful Sunbird. Consequently, The Gambia offers one of the most engaging and enjoyable birding experiences in the whole of Africa.

A focal point for Naturetrek’s most popular Gambia itineraries is the beautiful Makasutu Cultural Forest, a stunning 1000-acre reserve where gallery woodland merges seamlessly into a network of tidal creeks and mangroves. Perfectly integrated into this landscape, with its stilted walkways and tree-lined paths, is the fabulous Mandina Lodges. Wildlife is abundant even within the grounds, with Mangrove Sunbird, Common Wattle-eye, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu and Snowy-crowned Robin Chat, Pied Kingfisher bathing in the pool, and regular visits from troops of Green Monkey and Guinea Baboon; at night, the darkness echoes with the strange ‘beeping’ call of Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bats.

The Makasutu Forest itself is home to other sought-after species like Western Plantain-eater, Western Violet-backed Sunbird, Lesser Honeyguide, Western Red-billed and West African Pied Hornbills, African Paradise Flycatcher, and both Violet and Guinea Turacos – spectacular representatives of one of Africa’s most impressive endemic bird families. Canoe trips into the mangroves reveal an equally beguiling world, where Giant, Blue-breasted and Malachite Kingfishers flash by, White-backed Night Herons roost secretively in the foliage, Palm-nut Vultures soar overhead, and Ospreys (some of which may have travelled from the UK) plunge-dive for fish. Further out, where the muddy channels open up into the great Gambia River itself, can be found larger estuarine birds like Yellow-billed Stork, Pink-backed Pelican and Goliath Heron, as well as basking West African Crocodile. This network of waterways also provides access to an assortment of more open habitats, including rice fields, mudflats and grasslands, where target birds include Striped Kingfisher, Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Lizard Buzzard, African Harrier Hawk, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Northern Black Flycatcher and Pearl-spotted Owlet.

Away from Makasutu, Gambia’s coastal region contains a series of other irresistible birding hotspots. On the shores of the Atlantic, close to the southern border with Senegal, the ponds and reedbeds of the Kartong Wetlands draw in vast assemblages of wetland birds, such as White-faced Whistling Duck, Black-winged Stilt, African Wattled Lapwing, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Black-headed Heron and African Darter, while marsh-side vegetation holds heterochromatic jewels like Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater and Yellow-crowned Gonolek. Further north along the coast lies the bustling fishing village of Tanji, where the daily catch attracts flocks of Grey-headed Gull, with West African Crested and Caspian Terns offshore. Inland, the shallow sprawling salt pans of Pirang – former shrimp fields – host migrant waders from Marsh Sandpiper to Pied Avocet, as well as Greater Flamingo, and the closed canopy gallery forests of Bonto and Farasutu represent perhaps the most pristine natural habitats in The Gambia. Amidst their thick, tangled boughs can be found both Greyish and Verreaux’s Eagle Owls, as well as troops of the distinguished-looking (and highly endangered) Western Red Colobus monkey.

More adventurous visitors, however, will leave the coastal region behind and travel up the furthest reaches of the Gambia River, where accommodation is more basic but the birdlife even more compelling. Moving east, the landscape becomes wilder and less densely populated, with raptors such as Lanner Falcon, Grasshopper Buzzard, Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle or even Bateleur starting to appear. Remoter creeks around Tendaba Camp hold African Finfoot and African Blue Flycatcher, while adjacent scrubby savannahs are home to species like White-shouldered Black Tit, Brown-rumped Bunting and Yellow-fronted Canary, many of which are uncommon close to the coast.

Continuing onwards, the seasonally flooded grasslands of Jahally can produce sightings of exquisite African Pygmy Geese and the scarce Black Coucal. The island of Janjanbureh, isolated between two branches of the river, is different in character again, with its grasslands shaded by giant baobab trees, under which flit species like Mottled Spinetail, Red-breasted Swallow, Pygmy Sunbird and Northern Yellow White-eye. However, the apotheosis of any upriver expedition is a visit to the town of Basse Santu Su, where the unequalled Egyptian Plover – one of Africa’s most distinctive and desirable birds – can be seen patrolling the muddy stream beds. The sole member of its biological family, this species is sometimes known as the ‘Crocodile Bird’, due to its (almost certainly mythical) habit of picking scraps of meat from the giant reptile’s open jaws. Finally, the return journey to the coast takes in a riotous nesting colony of Red-throated Bee-eaters, as well as an exceptional gathering of Collared Pratincoles at the Kaur Wetlands.

What's Special About The Gambia's Wildlife?

The Gambia provides a joyful wildlife experience. Easily reached from Europe, the country supports a phenomenal array of over 600 bird species across a compact, complex mosaic of coastal forests, mangrove creeks, savannah, and wetlands. Within hours of leaving grey northern skies behind, visitors can find themselves gazing at feeding turacos, swooping bee-eaters, diving kingfishers, or iridescent starlings and rollers. The birdlife is everything a naturalist could wish it to be: colourful, charismatic, diverse, and often fabulously showy.

Gambia might not have mammals to rival those in East and Southern Africa, but species like Guinea Baboon, West African Red Colobus and Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat provide ample interest, as does a complement of other reptiles and insects. All this natural abundance can be encountered from comfortable accommodation, with typically perfect weather and exceptional local guides, making The Gambia one of West Africa’s standout wildlife destinations.