13-DAY RIVER GAMBIA BIRDING ADVENTURE
This is a comprehensive rural and Inland Gambia Birding and Wildlife Tour.
It's designed for wildlife enthusiasts, expert Birders and dedicated listers who are into serious Birding.
This tour will cover the most important and key areas, with a satisfying record of 580 birds species, including some migrants.
Day 1. Pick up from the Airport
All our Tours begin at the airport, where you will be introduced to your guide. If time allows, we will do some short introductory Birding along the way to your hotel, for some roadside pickings, and also a walk around your hotel.
Day 2. Farasutu Forest and Pirang Shrimp Farm
After breakfast pick up from your hotel, we will drive toward the countryside. Our first stop will be at Farasutu Forest and Pirang Shrimp Farm. for the five most iconic Owls species in the Country including Various Eagle Owl, Grayish Eagle Owl, African Wood Owl, African Scops Owl, White faced Scops Owls. Senegal Parrots, Brown neck Parrot, White spotted fluff tailed, Green and Violet Turaco.
Day 3. Kampanti Rice Field and Kalaji Bridge
A drive to Kampanti is really rewarding, as it holds the largest record of Raptors in the region. Which can be encountered either on perch or in flight, with a satisfying View. The Raptors encountered here include the majestic Martial Eagle, African hawk Eagle, Grasshopper Buzzard, Bateleur Eagle, Brown snake Eagle, Bedouin snake Eagle, Wahlback Eagle,Tawny Eagle, Dark chanting Goshawk, Gabar Goshawk, Lanner Falcon,Red Neck Falcon, Lizard Buzzard, Pearl spotted Owlet.
Lunch will be enjoyed at Kalaji River Lodge, overlooking the River Gambia. Evening Birding around the Bridge for some waders, Kingfishers, Harriers, Warblers and Cisticolas.
Day 4. Kiang West National Park
Kiang west is the largest and most important Wildlife reserve in The Gambia. With an area of 115km, about 19,000 hectares , it's still hold an important refuge for most of the Animals and Wildlife in The Gambia, with an impressive total of over 300 Bird species have been recorded in the Area. To name a few. Bronze winged Courser, Black and white bellied Bustard,Spotted Thick Knee, Abysian ground Hornbill, Quail Plover, Temminck's Courser, Collared Pratincole, Yellow bellied Hyliota, Violet backed Starling, White shouldered Black Tit, Yellow white Eye, Senegal Batis, Chestnut crowned sparrow weaver. Vultures vary from large to small. Lappet faced Vulture, White backed Vulture, white headed Vulture, Ruppell's Griffon Vulture, Hooded Vulture and the semi vegetarian Vulture the Palm nuts Vulture.
Day 5. Tendaba Camp
Is a eco Tourist Camp located in Kwinella about 150 km from the Capital Banjul in the Kiang Central region. The Camp is open all year around and features on most Bird watching trips Upriver. Tendaba is worth staying as it offers excellent bird watching opportunities, the evening here we will venture into the rich Tunko or Kissi Bolong Creek on a Boat, to explore one of Bao Bolong wetland, a tributary of the River Gambia.
Among the 268 bird species from 62 families recorded here are resident and migratory avians including Water fowls, such as Herons, Ducks, Egrets, Pelicans, Palearctic Waders as well as Raptors and large array of Parrot, the Reserve is thought to hold over 20,000 Water birds regularly between August and December. It's thought to be an important passage Site for migrating. Black tailed Godwit, Green shank, Black winged stilt and Ringed plovers.
Day 6. Bansang Quarry
After breakfast we will Depart for Basang Quarry, our first stop will be at Kunkiling Forest Park. Where we will observe a wide variety of forest Species, including the most fidelity and rare Adamawa Turtle Dove, which is the Park speciality, after exploring the Park we will continue our drive to Bansang Quarry.
Is a dry savannah woodland area with water holes, famed for the number of Species including. Red throated Beeeaters colony, Carmine Beeeater, White throated Beeeater, Little Beeeater, Little Green Beeeater. The water holes here attract Western little sparrow hawks, and a large array of drinking small passerine like. Red billed Quellea, Cinnamon breasted bunting, Ortolan bunting, Pintail whydah, Sahelian whydah, Bush petronia, Cut throated finch.
Day 7. Georgetown
The road to Georgetown will be punctuated with many stops at places of interest, it will also allow for Roadside pickings, most especially Raptors and bigger Griffon Vultures.
Georgetown or Janjanbureh locally known and Maccarthy Island formally known, it is of historical important and one of the stronghold of Slave trade.
Georgetown is also home to 150 Chimpanzees, Guinea Baboons, Western red colobus monkeys, Green monkeys, West African Crocodile, Hippos.
Day 8. Bao Bolong wetland Reserve
Is the largest among the six protected Wetland reserves in The Gambia, which features a length of 22 km and approximately width of 9 km. The Wetland is the country's most extensive Wildlife and Bird rich Reserve.
Day 9. Kantaur and Wassu Stone Cycle
Kuntaur lies on the north bank of the Gambia river, about 3 km south of Wassu and 13 km
north of Janjangbureh. The north road an important highway crosses, Wassu where the well
known Stone Cycle are found or located.
Another breeding Red throated Beeeaters colony, migrating Northern Carmine Beeaters, Greater honeyguide, Lesser honeyguide. The evening here will be a Boat drive to watch Baboons, Chimps and Hippos, in their natural habitat also the skulking African finn foot. Can be encountered on their forage for food.
Day 10. Kaur Wetland
Is a small Wetland swamp which is known to retain its water throughout the year. The place is worth visiting as it host verse variety of Wild fowls and Waders, the mudflats and rice paddies support variety of Wetland birds like African Jacanas, Black crown Cranes, Greater painted snipes, congregating White face whittling Ducks, Purple swamphen, Quail finch, Little bittern, Flappet Lark, flocks of coloured pratincoles, Kitlitz plover, Ruff, white crown plover and Egyptian plover.
Day 11. Jahally Rice Field
Comprises two distinct Swamp areas located 7 km apart on the southern bank of the Gambia River. The site is famous for its astounding wide range of Water fowls and breeding sedentary Waders. The breeding colony of Marabou storks, Yellow billed storks, Greater white Egrets, can be visited at the Village centre.
Day 12. Panchang Swamp
25 km west of Kaur, is another freshwater swamp known to retain its water throughout the year. A good number of waterfowls, Raptors, and small passerine birds. Which makes this place worth visiting and spending some time around there. The swamp holds record as one of the few places to observe the most eye-catching waterfowl in the continent. The African Pygmy Goose and Raptors, like Shikras, Gabar goshawk, Ovambo sparrowhawk, Sudan golden sparrow, Zebra waxbill, Speckle fronted weaver, Cut throat finch.
Day 13. For Any Missing Birds
This day will offer us the opportunity to go for some of the missing birds before your departure.
