Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone has a humid tropical landscape of Atlantic beaches, mangrove estuaries, lowland rainforest and interior hills and mountains. The southeast retains important fragments of the Upper Guinea forest, while the Loma Mountains contain the country's highest elevations, including Mount Bintumani. Heavy seasonal rainfall supports lush vegetation and extensive river systems, although logging, mining and agriculture have substantially reduced the original forest cover.
Overview
Sierra Leone is an important destination for Upper Guinea forest specialties, with Gola Rainforest National Park its premier birding area. Its extensive forests support White-necked Picathartes, Gola Malimbe, Yellow-bearded Greenbul, Rufous Fishing Owl and numerous hornbills, turacos and forest raptors. The Tiwai Island area offers additional lowland forest birding, while the Loma Mountains hold highland species. Birding tourism remains relatively small-scale, but local guides and community-based tourism are available around key sites. Infrastructure outside main routes can be basic, and remote forest birding may involve rough roads, long walks and challenging conditions during the rainy season.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus | 45.3% | 37.3% | 41.8% | 39.5% | 47.5% | 52.7% | 42.5% | 29.7% | 46.0% | 58.1% | 50.4% | 53.4% | 45.0% |
| Pied Crow Corvus albus | 39.8% | 22.5% | 41.9% | 35.0% | 44.9% | 39.3% | 51.4% | 45.1% | 22.7% | 46.5% | 54.3% | 38.0% | 36.4% |
| Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata | 27.4% | 26.9% | 32.6% | 25.2% | 29.6% | 27.3% | 18.1% | 10.8% | 26.3% | 21.8% | 41.8% | 35.2% | 33.5% |
| Black Kite Milvus migrans | 26.1% | 25.9% | 31.6% | 37.0% | 38.3% | 35.7% | 28.8% | 2.7% | 2.5% | 6.3% | 32.1% | 41.9% | 29.8% |
| Village Weaver Ploceus cucullatus | 25.8% | 16.4% | 23.0% | 22.1% | 23.6% | 16.2% | 37.3% | 15.3% | 22.4% | 26.2% | 42.4% | 34.1% | 30.8% |
| Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus | 20.4% | 8.2% | 14.5% | 17.5% | 29.2% | 23.7% | 22.0% | 13.2% | 19.1% | 19.5% | 32.1% | 26.8% | 18.5% |
| Blue-spotted Wood-Dove Turtur afer | 20.2% | 19.9% | 18.1% | 9.9% | 11.0% | 26.3% | 17.7% | 4.2% | 17.0% | 33.7% | 34.6% | 19.7% | 30.7% |
| Bronze Mannikin Spermestes cucullata | 20.2% | 11.4% | 12.7% | 12.5% | 29.7% | 13.0% | 26.3% | 23.6% | 23.6% | 18.5% | 24.4% | 27.4% | 19.0% |
| African Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides typus | 19.9% | 30.6% | 19.5% | 15.1% | 22.3% | 26.8% | 1.9% | 0.0% | 11.9% | 24.5% | 28.8% | 32.3% | 25.2% |
| African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus | 19.8% | 9.6% | 16.9% | 16.3% | 30.0% | 32.4% | 13.8% | 7.9% | 18.8% | 14.0% | 25.7% | 28.6% | 23.6% |