List of birds of the Gambia


This is a list of the bird species recorded in the Gambia. The avifauna of the Gambia include a total of 576 species, one of which has been introduced by humans and two of which are globally threatened. The country, which is very small and almost completely surrounded by Senegal, has no endemic species.
The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. Not all species will fall into one of these categories. Those that do not are commonly occurring native species.


s are locally common in freshwater ponds, creeks and rice fields, particularly in the Western Division.

Grebes

Order: PodicipediformesFamily: Podicipedidae
Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds. They breed on fresh water, but often visit the sea whilst migrating and in winter. They have lobed toes and are excellent swimmers and divers; however, their feet are placed far back on their bodies, making them quite ungainly on land. There are 19 species worldwide. Of these, one species has been recorded in the Gambia.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Procellariidae
Shearwaters are medium-sized, long-winged seabirds. Highly pelagic, they come ashore only to breed, nesting on islands and rocky cliffs. They generally glide low above the water on stiff wings, and feed on fish, squid and similar oceanic food. There are 23-27 species worldwide.
s are sometimes abundant offshore between April and September.

Austral storm petrels

Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Oceanitidae
The austral storm petrels are relatives of the petrels and are the smallest seabirds. They feed on planktonic crustaceans and small fish picked from the surface, typically while hovering. The flight is fluttering and sometimes bat-like.
Order: ProcellariiformesFamily: Hydrobatidae
Order: PhaethontiformesFamily: Phaethontidae
Tropicbirds are slender white birds of tropical oceans, with exceptionally long central tail feathers. Their heads and long wings have black markings.
s are sometimes seen offshore, generally after strong harmattan winds.

Gannets and boobies

Order: SuliformesFamily: Sulidae
Gannets and boobies are large seabirds with long beaks and long, pointed wings. They eat fish, which they hunt by plunge-diving from heights of up to 30 m and chasing their prey underwater. They nest colonially on islands and along coasts, either on the ground or in trees.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Phalacrocoracidae
Cormorants are medium to large seabirds, found primarily along the coast, but occasionally ranging some way inland in aquatic environments. Their plumage is generally dark, though most species have areas of brightly coloured skin on the face. They are primarily fish eaters. Their bills are long, thin and sharply hooked, and their four-toed feet are webbed. Because their plumage is only semi-waterproof, they often stand out of the water with their wings outstretched to dry out their feathers.
is sometimes called the "snake bird" due to its habit of swimming with only its head and neck sticking out of the water.

Darters

Order: SuliformesFamily: Anhingidae
Darters are large waterbirds, found primarily in fresh and brackish water habitats. Because their plumage is not entirely waterproof, they often stand out of the water with their wings outstretched, drying off. Darters are strongly sexually dimorphic; males generally have much darker plumage than do females. They eat primarily fish, which they catch by diving from the water's surface.
Order: SuliformesFamily: Fregatidae
Frigatebirds are large seabirds typically found soaring over tropical oceans. They have long wings and a deeply forked tail; their plumage is either black or black-and-white. Males have coloured inflatable throat pouches, which are used in courtship. Frigatebirds spend most of their time in the air. They are kleptoparasites and often chase other seabirds to get them to drop their catches of fish; they also scoop fish from the water's surface.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Pelecanidae
Pelicans are large water birds with a distinctive pouch under their beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Ardeidae
Herons, egrets and bitterns are long-legged birds typically associated with wetlands; herons and egrets are long-necked, while bitterns tend to be shorter-necked and quite secretive. Birds in this family often wade in shallow waters, preying on various aquatic organisms as well as reptiles, amphibians and the occasional small bird. In flight, they hold their neck retracted in a gentle S-curve.
builds one of the largest and most complex of all bird nests.

Hamerkop

Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Scopidae
Hamerkops are medium-sized, all-brown wading birds named for their hammer-headed appearance, which is created by the combination of their shaggy backwards-pointing crests and their heavy black bills. Typically found in wetland areas, they forage in shallow water for amphibians, small fish, crustaceans, insects, worms and small mammals. They build enormous, complex nests—which they generally use for only a matter of months—and occupy their territories year-round.
Order: PelecaniformesFamily: Threskiornithidae
Order: CiconiiformesFamily: Ciconiidae
Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long stout bills. They occur in most of the world's warmer regions and tend to live in drier habitats than herons, to which they're closely related. They build large stick nests and sometimes nest colonially. Many species are migratory. Most storks eat a variety of small vertebrates and invertebrates; some eat carrion. Seven species have been recorded in the Gambia.
Order: PhoenicopteriformesFamily: Phoenicopteridae
Order: AnseriformesFamily: Anatidae
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Pandionidae
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Accipitridae
Order: AccipitriformesFamily: Sagittariidae
Order: FalconiformesFamily: Falconidae
Order: GalliformesFamily: Phasianidae
Order: GalliformesFamily: Odontophoridae
Order: GalliformesFamily: Numididae

Cranes

Order: GruiformesFamily: Gruidae
Order: GruiformesFamily: Sarothruridae
Order: GruiformesFamily: Rallidae
Order: GruiformesFamily: Heliornithidae
Order: OtidiformesFamily: Otidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Turnicidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Jacanidae
is largely crepuscular, or most active around dawn and dusk.

Painted-snipes

Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Rostratulidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Haematopodidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Recurvirostridae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Burhinidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Glareolidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Charadriidae
Lapwings, plovers and dotterels are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short, thick necks and long, usually pointed, wings. They are found in open country worldwide, generally in habitats near water, although there are some exceptions. There are 66 species worldwide; of these, 33 species have been recorded in Africa and 15 in the Gambia.
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Scolopacidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Stercorariidae
Order: CharadriiformesFamily: Laridae
Order: PterocliformesFamily: Pteroclidae
Order: ColumbiformesFamily: Columbidae
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittaculidae
Order: PsittaciformesFamily: Psittacidae
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Musophagidae
Order: CuculiformesFamily: Cuculidae
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Tytonidae
Order: StrigiformesFamily: Strigidae
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Caprimulgidae
Order: CaprimulgiformesFamily: Apodidae
Order: ColiiformesFamily: Coliidae
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Alcedinidae
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Meropidae
Order: CoraciiformesFamily: Coraciidae
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Upupidae
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Phoeniculidae
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Bucerotidae
Order: BucerotiformesFamily: Bucorvidae
The ground-hornbills are terrestrial birds which feed almost entirely on insects, other birds, snakes, and amphibians.
Order: PiciformesFamily: Lybiidae
Order: PiciformesFamily: Indicatoridae
Order: PiciformesFamily: Picidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Alaudidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hirundinidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Motacillidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Campephagidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pycnonotidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Turdidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Cisticolidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Macrosphenidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Locustellidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Acrocephalidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Phylloscopidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Hyliotidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sylviidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Muscicapidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Platysteiridae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Stenostiridae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Monarchidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Pellorneidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Leiothrichidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Paridae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Certhiidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Remizidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Nectariniidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Zosteropidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Oriolidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Laniidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Malaconotidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Vangidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Dicruridae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Corvidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Sturnidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Ploceidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Estrildidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Viduidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Emberizidae
is a common resident breeder throughout the country.

Canaries and seedeaters

Order: PasseriformesFamily: Fringillidae
Order: PasseriformesFamily: Passeridae