Birding in The Gambia and Senegal with Yankuba

Are you enjoying a relaxing holiday in The Gambia or Senegal? We will make your trip complete! With visits to the most beautiful birding locations we will make sure that you have an unforgettable birding holiday!

Yankuba Tamba is a local bird watching guide resident in The Gambia, with 20 years of experience in the field of bird watching and owner of a photo hide (with Han Bouwmeester).

Yankuba is a member of the Bird Watcher Association and a licensed Tour Guide with the Gambia Tourism Board. After making an appointment, you will be picked up from your hotel or apartment by car, so you do not have to drive yourself!

 

We organize birding tours all across The Gambia and Senegal.

There are daily trips to various popular sites around the coast.

- KOTU CREEK  a walk around rice fields and a boat trip.

The Kotu Creek and the nearby water ponds act as a magnet for birds, especially in the dry season from November to April. This location is often within walking distance of the hotels, so it is easy to reach. From the bridge and along the Kotu creek you can see and find beautiful birds such as the Pied Kingfisher, Broad-billed Roller, Green Bee-eater, Black Heron, Spurred Lapwing, Black Kite and much more. Or rent a canoe and see this beautiful location from the water! You can hire Yankuba for visiting this beautiful area as well.

 

- BRUFUT WOODS

The Brufut Forest is a beautiful area for birdwatching, close to Gambia's main holiday resorts. The area consists of open forest and a small patch of dense forest. A wonderful place to spot birds such as the long-tailed nightjar, which you can see up close here. Furthermore, in this beautiful environment you can encounter many bird species such as the Violet Turaco, African Harrier Hawk, Senegal Coucal, Green Turaco, African Pied Hornbill and many more….

 

 

- FARASUTU FORESTRY

 

- ABUKO RICE FIELDS.

 

- ABUKO NATURE RESERVE

 

- PIRANG BONTO FORESTRY.

 

- MARAKISSA

This area is located about six kilometers from the border with Senegal. A beautiful area located on the Allahein river and mainly consists of forests and swamp landscape

Here you will encounter many bird species such as the Giant Kingfisher, different species of Honey Seekers, crocodile, Black Porcelain Fowl, Hamerkop, Senegalese Curlew and much more...

It is recommended to take a canoe trip on the river with Yankuba and end up in a completely different world.

 

- TUJERING WOODS

 

-TANJI

The Tanji Bird Sanctuary is also close to the resorts on the coastline. It consists of the estuary of the Tanji River and the Bijilo islets. This reserve is an important breeding ground for terns and gulls. More than 250 bird species occur in this area, including kingfishers and more than 30 different birds of prey. Or take a look at the beach at Tanji! A quiet coastal village every day, it turns into a beautiful spectacle of fishing trade every afternoon when the fishermen return with the day's catch.

 

- KARTONG

 

And of course you can visit our famous photo hide.

-HAN BOUWMEESTER HIDE 

A spacious hut with a watertank that is designed in such a way that a nice low position is achieved. Yet this is a hut in a country with completely different circumstances, so don't expect the luxury of the well-known HBN locations. We are dealing with, among other things, destructive termites and the risk of squatting by people looking for shelter. The birds are attracted to water like magnets, so we like to take advantage of that, although you can imagine what a job it is to keep water available here every day. Yankuba Tamba takes care of and maintains this photo location and will therefore be the host of the visiting photographers. He will drop you off and pick you up again, but of course he can also stay with you all day. The proceeds from this hut go entirely to his family, who can thus eat decent food and benefit from medical care. It also ensures that the children can go to school. A wonderful goal, right?

Foto: John Groenenberg Black faced firefinch

 

- Overnight trips to Tendaba Georgetown and Senegal

- NIOKOLO COBA 

All sites mentioned here are very interesting areas for bird watching and also good sites for making photographs!

 

Your safety and your happiness is our greatest concern!

For more information contact Yankuba, the guide of Gambia Birding Tour's,  contact here

 

Watertrapper - African Finfoot  Foto Paul Kruger Januari 2023