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Gambia

This page lists books about birds and birdwatching in The Gambia. The books are arranged by publication date with the most recent at the top of the page.


Africa

For bird books that cover all or a large part of Africa see:

- Africa

 

Birds of Western Africa

Nik Borrow and Ron Demey

Helm Field Guides

Christopher Helm

2nd edition

2014

Text and plates are same as Princeton publication below

"Birds of Western Africa (Helm, 2001) was the first single-volume guide to cover all the species of this region, which comprises 23 countries from Senegal and southern Mauritania east to Chad and the Central African Republic, and south to Congo. This new edition uses all of the plates from Birds of Western Africa, with a concise, authoritative text on facing pages, to create a conveniently-sized, lightweight field reference covering all 1300 species found in the region. The book also has updated colour distribution maps for each species placed on the text pages for the first time. A number of new images have been painted for this new edition and several of the illustrations have been replaced. This major new guide will enable birders to identify any species found in any of the countries covered."

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Birds of Western Africa

Nik Borrow and Ron Demey

Princeton Field Guides

Princeton University Press

2nd edition

2014

Text and plates are same as Helm publication above

"This revised and expanded edition of Birds of Western Africa is now the most up-to-date field guide available to the 1,285 species of birds found in the region--from Senegal and southern Mauritania east to Chad and the Central African Republic and south to Congo. It now features all maps and text opposite the plates for quick and easy reference. The comprehensive species accounts have been fully updated and expanded, and the color distribution maps have been completely revised. This premier guide also includes more than 3,000 illustrations on 266 stunning color plates."

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Finding Birds in the Gambia

Dave Gosney

Easybirder

2012

A guide to bird watching sites on the Gambia.

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Birds of Senegal and The Gambia

Nik Borrow and Ron Demey

Helm Field Guides

Christopher Helm

2011

"This new field guide covers The Gambia, a country which is very popular with a large number of birders and tourists, and the whole of neighbouring Senegal. This fascinating region shelters many Western Palearctic migrants from September to April, as well as a significant list of resident West African birds. The stunning colour plates depict more than 680 species, covering almost every distinct plumage and race. The authoritative text highlights the key features needed to identify each species in the field, and accurate up-to-date maps are provided for every species."

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Living on the Edge: Wetlands and Birds in a Changing Sahel

Leo Zwarts, Rob G Bijlsma, Jan van der Kamp and Eddy Wymenga

KNNV Uitgeverij

2009

"What do Siberian-breeding ruffs, Ukrainian glossy ibises, Dutch purple herons and Spanish subalpine warblers have in common? They all winter in Africa's Sahel! You will find this information, and much more in Living on the edge, a tribute to the region's function as an important wintering area for long-distance migrants. This fascinating book describes the challenges the birds have to cope with: climate change, of course, and rapid man-made habitat changes related to deforestation, irrigation and reclamation of wetlands. How have all these changes affected the birds, and have birds adapted to these changes? Can we explain the changing numbers of breeding birds in Europe by changes in the Sahel, or vice versa? This book will answer more questions than you will be able to raise."

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Land Cover and Avian Biodiversity in Rice Fields and Mangroves of West Africa

Daan Bos, Ion Grigoras and Abdoulaya Ndiaye

Wetlands International

2006

"The west coast of Africa, from southern Senegal to Sierra Leone, is characterised by extensive mangrove vegetation, interspersed with rice-fields and tidal flats. Many millions of people live in this area and depend on its resources - rice, fish, wood etc. The region is of great biological importance, particularly since it harbours extensive wetlands that function as staging sites for Afro-tropical and migrating Palaearctic birds. Over the past decades, rainfall has been erratic and the severe droughts in the 1970s and 1980s impacted on the existing mangrove stands and rice fields. A change in land cover over time could also have occurred due to developments in management and the socio-economical framework. Such change potentially affects people and biodiversity. This report aims to quantify the availability of different wetland habitats for birds and the changes therein, over the past 15 to 20 years. Furthermore, it investigates the composition of the bird populations in the different wetland types and identifies the threats to these systems."

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Birds of the Gambia and Senegal

Clive Barlow, Tim Wacher and Tony Disley

Helm Field Guides

Christopher Helm

2nd edition

2005

"This is the standard field guide to one of the world's most popular and impressive birding regions. It is illustrated with 48 stunning colour plates, depicting each species in all its plumages. These plates are supplemented by useful line drawings and figures. The concise text has been exhaustively researched, and reflects the considerable field experience of the authors. It includes essential information on field identification, as well as voice, behaviour, habitat and distribution. The introduction provides an overview of the region's history, geography and ecology. The clear layout and practical format make this book ideal for use in the field."

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Birds of Western Africa

Nik Borrow and Ron Demey

Princeton Field Guides

Princeton University Press

2005

"This new field guide uses all 147 color plates from Princeton's A Guide to the Birds of Western Africa, with concise, authoritative text on facing pages, to create a compact, lightweight field reference covering all 1,285 species found in the region - from Senegal and southern Mauritania east to Chad and the Central African Republic and south to Congo. It is the first field guide to cover this region exclusively and in such comprehensive depth, and will enable birders to identify any species found in any of the twenty-three countries and territories covered. Birds of Western Africa also has an updated color distribution map for each species, conveniently placed on interleaved pages within the color plates. The plates, all original and painted by the same leading illustrator, comprise over 3,000 figures - including a number of new images painted for this field guide - and depict almost all the species described. The entries opposite the plates focus on key identification marks for all main plumages."

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Field Guide To The Birds of Western Africa

Nik Borrow and Ron Demey

Helm Field Guides

Christopher Helm

2004

"This field guide utilises all the plates from Birds of Western Africa: An Identification Guide by the same authors, with a concise, authoritative text on facing pages, to create a lightweight guide covering all 1285 species found in the region. The guide also contains an updated colour distribution map for each species and a number of new images have been painted just for this guide."

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A Photographic Field Guide To The Birds Of The Gambia & West Africa

Marcelina Silva, Bob Scholtz and Cees Scholtz

2004

Book/CD-Rom guide to the commoner birds and birdwatching in Gambia.

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Birds of Western and Central Africa

Ber Van perlo

Princeton Illustrated Checklist

Princeton University Press

2003

"This is the only pocket guide to all the species of bird known to inhabit Western and Central Africa. Ber van Perlo introduces more than 1,500 species through 109 expertly rendered full-color plates and concise, easy-to-consult entries. The territory covered is vast - nearly 2,500 miles down the coast and over 1,000 miles inland, including not only Senegal, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo but all or part of Benin, Burkina, Cameroon, Cape Verde, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cte d'Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Prncipe, So Tom, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The plates show all plumages for each species where these differ, including male, female, and juvenile. Succinct textual entries on each species appear on the facing pages, providing key notes for identification and basic information about habitats and voice. Distribution maps follow in the next section, and an appendix provides the French and Portuguese names. Presenting the most essential, up-to-date information in convenient, highly portable form, Birds of Western and Central Africa is the definitive guide for all birders planning or simply pondering a visit to the region."

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Birds of Western Africa

Nick Borrow

Helm Identification Guides

Christopher Helm

2002

"This major new handbook covers 1282 species which occur in the western countries of Africa. The countries covered are Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Rio Muni, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, part of Mauritania and the islands of Sao Tome, Principe, and Bioko (Fernando Po). It is the only field guide available which covers the region's birds in detail and provides colour illustrations of all the species described. The book is illustrated with 142 colour plates which cover all the species described apart from a few vagrants (which are depicted in black and white within the text). Distribution maps are provided for the majority of species."

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A Guide to the Birds of Western Africa

Nick Borrow and Ron Demey

Princeton University Press

2002

"A Guide to the Birds of Western Africa describes 1,285 species, representing the entire avifauna of the region. There are 147 original color plates, all painted by the same leading illustrator, comprising over 3,000 figures and depicting almost all the species described. The detailed species accounts cover all identification criteria, including differences between similar species, voice, habits, habitat, breeding, distribution, and status. The text also features color distribution maps for over 1,100 species, and numerous line drawings illustrate particular aspects of behavior and identification."

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Birds of Western and Central Africa

Ber Van Perlo

Collins Illustrated Checklist

Collins

2002

"This is the only pocket guide to all the species of bird known to inhabit Western and Central Africa. Ber van Perlo introduces more than 1,500 species through 109 expertly rendered full-color plates and concise, easy-to-consult entries. The territory covered is vast - nearly 2,500 miles down the coast and over 1,000 miles inland, including not only Senegal, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo but all or part of Benin, Burkina, Cameroon, Cape Verde, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cte d'Ivoire, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Prncipe, So Tom, Sierra Leone, and Togo."

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A Field Guide to the Birds of the Gambia and Senegal

Clive Barlow, Tim Wacher and Tony Disley

Pica Press

2000

"This field guide covers the area of the Gambia, a country which is very popular with a large number of birders. The Gambia shelters many migrants from the Western Palearctic, from September to April, as well as having a significant list of resident West African birds. The guide also covers Senegal, which almost entirely surrounds The Gambia. The colour plates depict 570 species - virtually every species recorded in The Gambia - and the text covers every species on the Senegambian list, as well as a few which are likely to turn up in the future. In total, over 660 species are described in the book."

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Birdwatchers' Guide to the Gambia

Rod Ward

Prion

1994

"The introductory chapters give information on pre-tour planning, travel, where to stay, climate and clothing, health, maps and when to go. The bulk of the book details key sites, with notes on accommodation, birding strategy, birds and other wildlife, with a map. There are also brief notes on additional sites, and full species checklist."

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A Field Checklist for the Birds of Senegambia

S.J.R. Rumsey and S.P. Rodwell

Wetlands Trust

1992

A checklist of the 640 species recorded in Senegal and The Gambia.

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The Birds of the Gambia: An Annotated Checklist

R.H.W. Pakenham

British Ornithologists Union

1991 (2nd edition)

"A popular holiday destination, The Gambia has experienced considerable interest from the travelling birdwatcher. It is usually most birdwatchers' introduction to the birds of West Africa, which often fuels the desire for further travels. This is a detailed account of the Gambian birdlife which is heavily influenced by the River Gambia which flows along the middle of this tiny West African nation."

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The Birds Of The Gambia: An Annotated Check-List And Guide To Localities

John Verstergaard Jensen and Jens Kirkeby

Aros Nature Guides

1980

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A Naturalist's Guide to the Gambia

Etienne Edberg

J.G. Sanders

1979

A guide to wildlife watching in The Gambia.

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A Field Guide to the Birds of West Africa

W. Searle, G.J. Morel and W. Hartwig

Collins

1977

"A complete bird guide for Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, the Gambia and the whole West African region from the Atlantic to Chad and the Central African Republic in the east, and northwards from the Congo River to the Sahara at 18ºN - 20ºN - the border between the Ethiopian and Palaearctic faunal regions. Over 500 species are illustrated and fully described, with notes on identifying characters, measurements, details of voice, distribution, habitat, nests and eggs. A further 200 allied species are dealt with more briefly and the 371 local or uncommon species are included in the Checklist on pages 263-94. The illustrations by Wolfgang Hartwig were painted specially for this book and are arranged on the Peterson pattern with facing caption pages. A special feature is the list on pages 295-336 which gives the scientific and English, Spanish, French and German vernacular names."

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Birds of West Central and Western Africa

African Handbook Of Birds: Series 3

C. W Mackworth-Praed and C.H.B. Grant

Longmans

Uncertain of original publication date

1970/73

This series was published in two volumes, Volume 1 covers non-passerines, volume 2 covers passerines. This series is part of the 6 volume African Handbook Of Birds.


Birds Of The West African Town And Garden

J.H. Elgood

Longmans

1960

A guide to 100 species of commoner birds of West Africa.

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The Birds Of West And Equatorial Africa

David A.Bannerman

Oliver & Boyd

1953

Published in 2 volumes with over 1,500 pages in total and 30 coloured plates. This two volume set is a condensed version of the earlier 8 volume publication.

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The Birds Of Tropical West Africa

With Special Reference to Those of the Gambia, Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast and Nigeria

David A.Bannerman

Colour plates: G.E. Lodge, H. Gronvold, Henry Jones, Roland Green, P. Rickman, and others

Crown Agents For The Colonies

1931-1951

Published in 8 volumes with over 3,500 pages in total and 85 coloured plates.

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Sketch Of The Forestry Of West Africa

With Particular Reference To Its Present Principal Commercial Products

Alfred Moloney

Additional appendices: Captain G.E. Shelley, Herbert Druce

Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington

1887

This book includes a 20 page appendix by G.E. Shelley: Ornithology Of The Gambia.

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Last updated October 2011