The famous Abuko Forest Reserve is home to gorgeous bird species such as the startlingly coloured violet and Guinea turacos, western red colobus, and some deceptively dozy-looking crocodiles.
The park lies south of the town of Abuko and was established in 1968 as the country’s first designated wildlife reserve. The splendid trees here include oil palm, mahogany and iroko, and these provide refuge for monkeys such as vervet and patas, and other mammals including duikers, African palm civet and mongooses. More than 270 species of bird have been recorded in the forest, and there are also numerous species of butterflies and reptiles.
The dry fields near the forest can be excellent for birds including the stunning blue-bellied roller and for raptors including dark chanting goshawk, lanner, Beaudouin’s snake eagle, black-shouldered kite and long-crested eagle.
Join us for some superb tropical birding – including parrots, hornbills, rollers, bee-eaters, sunbirds, kingfishers and more than a dozen herons – all just six hours from the UK. The Gambia offers a fantastic variety of habitats and their birds within just a few miles of the river. Find out more about West African Birdwatch
