Senegal Trip Report

Limosa’s recent trip to Senegal concluded in late January and was highly success with an impressive selection of specialities being seen.

Led by Limosa’s Frank Lambert, the main goal was to look for some of the special birds of the Sahel, a comparatively narrow zone lying between the mostly treeless landscape and sand dunes of the Sahara Desert and the lusher, more humid forests of the Sudanian Savanna.  

The Sahel stretches across the southernmost part of North Africa, from northern Senegal and Mauritania eastwards to Eritrea and Sudan, however, the only country that it is considered safe to visit to search for these special birds is Senegal and working with a local expert guide, our tour had great success.

Of the key birds targeted on the tour, the group saw and had excellent photographic opportunities of almost all, including African Finfoot, White-crested Tiger Heron, Lappet-faced Vulture, Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle, Arabian and Savile’s Bustard, Egyptian Plover, White-crowned Plover, West African Tern, Golden and Standard-winged Nightjars (during the day), Adamawa Turtle Dove, Little Grey Woodpecker, West African Swallow, Atlas (Seebohm’s) Wheatear, Cricket Warbler, Sudan Golden Sparrow, Exclamatory and Sahel Paradise Wydahs in their spectacular full breeding plumage, and ‘Black-faced’ Quailfinch.

In addition, thousands of Scissor-tailed Kites were seen coming in to a roost in the Saloum Delta and there were visits to a colony of Red-throated Bee-eaters and a truly spectacular Great White Pelican colony in the Djoudj Bird Sanctuary.

To read Frank’s trip report, please click here and to download the systematic list, click here.

Bookings are already open for our next departure in 2026 and with a maximum of just seven clients, early bookings are encouraged as this trip can fill up many months in advance.