Saloum Delta National Park

Saloum Delta National Park is a 76,000-hectare maze of mangrove channels, islands and dry coastal forest where the Saloum River meets the Atlantic. This UNESCO World Heritage Site and Ramsar wetland is an essential sanctuary on the East Atlantic Flyway.

Key Birds of the Saloum Delta

Birding highlights include Goliath Heron, Royal Tern, Eurasian and African Spoonbills, Verreaux's Eagle-Owl and Pied, Giant and Malachite Kingfishers. Sandy islands host breeding colonies, while tidal mudflats attract great numbers of wintering Palearctic waders.

Mangroves, Islands and Salt Flats

Dense mangroves provide nurseries for fish and roosting areas for waterbirds. Inland, bare salt flats known as tannes merge into dry savannah woodland. This habitat mosaic allows birdwatchers to move from coastal species to woodland passerines and raptors in a single day.

Best Time to Explore the Delta

November to April offers comfortable conditions and the largest numbers of migrants from Europe and Asia. Guided motorised-pirogue excursions reach quiet mangrove creeks and remote bird colonies, with local eco-lodges providing an excellent base for several days of exploration.