This comprehensive and fully updated edition of Birds of Senegal and The Gambia is the ultimate guide for travellers and birdwatchers visiting one of Africa’s richest birdwatching regions.
The Gambia, together with the country that envelops it, Senegal, has an avifauna of more than 700 regularly occurring species, including many Western Palearctic migrants from September to April, and a significant list of highly sought-after resident West African birds, including the Egyptian Plover. This authoritative guide covers all species, including details of all residents, migrants and known vagrants.
Senegal and The Gambia offer a true wealth of birdlife, including a fantastic selection of Sahel specialities that are far more easily seen here than anywhere else. Senegal has become a reliable locality for Golden Nightjar, Quail-plover and Cricket Warbler, and the near-endemic Mali Firefinch occurs in the southeast of the country. Birdwatchers in this region can also find Savile’s Bustard, Adamawa Turtle Dove, Little Grey Woodpecker, Yellow Penduline Tit, Sudan Golden Sparrow and Exclamatory Paradise Whydah, while the Saloum delta’s huge roost of tens of thousands of African Swallow-tailed Kites is one of the world’s top birding spectacles.
More than 140 stunning colour plates depict every species and also comprehensively cover all the distinct plumages and subspecies likely to be encountered. Concise species accounts describe key identification features, status, range, habitat and voice, with fully updated distribution maps for each species. This compact guide is an essential companion for any birder visiting this rich and varied area of Western Africa.
Please note that there are two Helm Field Guides covering The Gambia and Senegal, the older Birds of The Gambia and Senegal (now out of print) and the newer Birds of Senegal and The Gambia. To prevent confusion, here is an overview of the principal differences.
| Title | Birds of The Gambia and Senegal | Birds of Senegal and The Gambia |
| Edition | 2 | 2 |
| Publcation date | 1999, with paperback reprints in 2005, 2007, and 2010 | 2023 |
| Authors | Clive Barlow & Tim Wacher | Nik Borrow & Ron Demey |
| Illustrator | Tony Disley | Nik Borrow (largely taken from Birds of Western Africa) |
| Description | 48 colour plates with facing text, no distribution maps | 143 colour plates with facing text, colour distribution maps |
| Number of species | 0ver 660 | almost 700 |
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Geography, Climate and Habitats
Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas
Taxonomy: Some Definitions
Organisations
Bird Topography
Glossary
Abbreviations and Symbols
Species Accounts (1–149)
Checklist of the Birds of Senegal and The Gambia
Appendix: Species not Accepted on the Senegal and Gambia Lists
References
Index
Quick Index to the Main Groups of Birds
