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October 2004
 'Birding The Gambia' , is a video produced by Richard Gabb, one of our members.    The filming is of excellent quality - one keen birder counted 137 species. Video or DVD priced £15.00 plus £1.00 for postage and package, with £10.00 for each sale going to projects in The Gambia through The Gambia Birding Group (UK)
for more details click here

Violet Turaco, a still from Richard Gabb's video

7th June 2004
New photographic field guide now available.

(We have a couple of copies available for £20.00 - contact info@Gambiabirding.org if you would like a copy)

13th April 2003
Sound Recording in The Gambia
ca. 120 cassettes and mini-discs that I have made over the last seven years, mostly in The Gambia but also including recordings from Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria & Kenya are now safely deposited and catalogued at the British Library, National Sound Archive. A full set of this work is being made for University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology USA. I thank everyone who has assited me with all this.

The collection contains many recordings from parasitic mimics of which I continue to study with great interest.

Clive R Barlow
Birds of The Gambia Co
www.mandarinproductions.com 

December 02

Click here for a review of 

March
Birds of Western Africa by Nik Borrow and Ron Demey. now available

The Bradt Guide To The Gambia 

Essential reading  click here
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Buy your books on line from Subbuteo Natural History Books. Quote media code 0090 and a % will be directed to Gambia Birding and Conservation Group UK
www.wildlifebooks.com 
Tel 44 (0)870 010 9700   Fax 00 44 (0)870 010 9699

Essential purchase

A Field Guide to Birds of The Gambia and Senegal   1997 Clive Barlow, Tim Wacher and Tony Disley

If you are completely new to birding and want a smaller pocket size photographic guide to the most common birds of the Gambia try the newly published 'A Photographic Field Guide to the Birds of The Gambia & West Africa'  by Marcelina Silva, Bob & Cees Scholtz.  published by a Dutch group Vogel documentatie Fonds.  For information about the availability of the Dutch version contact www.vogeldocumentatiefonds.nl. The English version was launched at the 2004 British Birdwatching Fair, priced at £20.00.  Whilst not in the same league as the Barlow, Wacher and Disley field guide in terms of information, it does meet a long standing gap in the market for a simplified introductory guide for the general visitor.  VDF's objective is to inform and educate people about birds and their behaviour without harming their habitat.  It seems to us that this book will achieve just that.  The idea of supplementing a small handbook with a CD ROM feels like a good idea for European visitors, although the additional information felt a bit sparse.  Talking to them at the birdfair we learned that this is because of problems with illegal copying of discs. 

Essential reading before you leave home:
The Bradt Guide To The Gambia by Craig Emms and Linda Barnett
Written by professional ecologists based in The Gambia.  Covering all of the basics It is particularly good in directing birders to lesser known areas with good birding potential and provides  information about alternative accommodation to enable birders to stay on hand for early morning starts.  Will be well appreciated by visitors interested in wildlife.  The health section also includes useful information.
Lonely Planet Guide to The Gambia and Senegal
This gives sensible advice on a whole range of issues relating to a stay in The Gambia.

and for a deeper understanding of the society you will be visiting read
Michael Tomkinson's Gambia.  Beautiful photographs illustrate this book which will be invaluable to students visiting the country.  The book includes a directory which provides "a comprehensive if subjective guide to The Gambia's hotels, guest houses, lodges and camps, and of the airlines and holiday firms that serve it". A new directory for 2003 was published in the autumn.  Available through Gambia Experience or at many of the hotels in The Gambia. Published by Michael Tomkinson Publishing.  Available

Other useful material:
Traveller's Map of The Gambia. Published by Macmillan. Scale 1:40,000
Birds of The Gambia A checklist taken from A Field Guide to Birds of The Gambia and Senegal by Barlow, Wacher & Disley.  Available from Gambia Birding price £2.30 including postage and packing.
Birds of Western Africa by Nik Borrow and Ron Demey.  Published by Christopher Helm, London  ISBN is 0-7136-3959-8. will be of interest  to birders wanting the wider context of West African birding.
Birdwatching in The Gambia Rod Ward. 1994 complete with site guides.
More recent reports and site information from Foreign Birdwatching Reports and Information Service. For Steve Whitehouses's full catalogue of reports http://www.fbris.co.uk

Birding in The Gambia H Mikkola Alula volume 7 pages 50-55 available in English or Finnish through www.alula.fi
Reports  of trips 10-17 September 99 and 1-8 November 1988 are available through African Bird Club Sales www.africanbirdclub.org
'Selected Observations from The Gambia, 1997-1999, with comments on the identification of a number of species'  M Crewe In the September 2001 edition of the African Bird Club Bulletin:
 Field Identification of Beaudouin's Snake Eagle by William S Clark
African Bird Club Bulletin  Vol 7 No 1
www.africanbirdclub.org
'The Birds of Bijol Island, Tanji River (Karinti) Bird Reserve, The Gambia' by Linda K Barnett, Craig Emms and Amadou Camara. This article outlines the findings of surveys undertaken from September 1999 - October 2000 which underlines the significance of the islands and the reserve for birds, turtles and other marine life. The article also outlines the steps being undertaken to sensitise the local population to the issues and to patrol the islands using the boat being provided by the British High Commission.
This is supplemented by a further article by Linda Barnett and Craig Emms on 'New species and breeding records for The Gambia' .  A third article, 'Recoveries of Birds Ringed in Senegal and The Gambia During Recent Years' by S.J.Rumsey of the Wetlands Trust provides some interesting material although he does warn that it may well be a very incomplete picture. All three articles in the March 2000 volume of the African Bird Club Bulletin. 

Also of interest Information obtained from nine road-killed Red-necked Nightjar Caprimulgus ruficollis in the Gambia, in winters 1990-1997  by Clive Barlow and Gordon Gale, published in the March 1999 volume of the African Bird Club Bulletin
www.africanbirdclub.org

A list of the tree plant species providing food for Western Grey Plantain Eater, Violet Turaco and Green Turaco.  By Clive Barlow for Tanji Birders to inform discussion about replanting at the Tanji Reserve.  Tanji Talk July 2000 (contact info at Gambiabirding.org link at the foot of this page))

See also reports on Sightings and Reports page
 

For West Africaphiles:
 
Dodman, T., Barlow, C., Sa, J. & Robertson, P. 2004. Zonas Importantes para as Aves na Guine-Bissau / Important Bird Areas in Guinea-Bissau. Wetlands International, Dakar / Gabinete de Planificacao Costeira / ODZH, Bissau.
 
Published by: Wetlands International, www.wetlands.org  
Available from: NHBS, www.nhbs.co.uk
 
The current species list stands at 518. The most recent available previous checklist, Catry (2001), gave 447 species, so this list represents a significant increase of 71 species.
Video
'Birding The Gambia' , is a video produced by Richard Gabb, one of our members.    The filming is of excellent quality and one keen birder counted 137 species.  There is no spoken commentary but the birds filmed are all identified on screen.  Species include Egyptian Plover, African Finfoot, White-backed Night Heron, Allen's Gallinule, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Crowned Crane.  Sites covered include the popular coastal sites and the main points up river including Basse and Bansang Quarry.

Video or DVD priced £15.00 plus £1.00 for postage and package, with £10.00 for each sale going to projects in The Gambia through The Gambia Birding Group (UK).To purchase from us send a cheque for £16.00 payable to The Gambia Birding and Conservation Group (UK), to The Secretary, the Gambia Birding Group (UK), 7 Tithe Barn Street, Horbury, Wakefield, WF4 6LJ. 

If you would like a more detailed leaflet listing the birds featured, or you wish to purchase direct from Richard, contact him at rgavian@ntlworld.com 

Malcolm Rymer's popular 3 video set is also available direct from him

Birding in The Gambia 1 features sorties around the Smiling Coast, particularly the birds you are likely to see in or near your hotel,
Birding in The Gambia 2 features forays further afield including Abuko and Tanji, Brufut and Marikissa.
Birding in the Gambia 3 is titled Up River Odyssey and features footage from Basse, Georgetown, Tendaba.
These videos provide good views of many of the birds and habitats seen in the Gambia and will prove popular both with those planning to visit and those who would like to be reminded of the birds and places they have seen. There is a spoken commentary
It is possible to obtain an inspection copy on a 4 weeks purchase or return basis. Each video costs £16.95 plus £1.50 post and packing.  Or all three can be purchased  at a price of £42.00 plus £3.00 p&p.  A donation is made to the Department of  Parks and Wildlife Management for each video sold.   Further information is available from Malcolm Rymer  e-mail pinfold@eggconnect.net.

Sound Recording 
A Review of 'Bird Song of The Gambia and Senegal' from Ian Hinze (written in 2003)

I'm currently reviewing the set (one of the luxuries of being a writer) and
am already mightily impressed. The idea of being able to consult the
excellent book 'Birds of The Gambia and Senegal', by Barlow, et al., and, at
the same time, bring to life 265 of the 660+ species found in Senegambia by
listening to their calls on CD is brilliant - and certainly the way forward
in helping field and armchair enthusiasts more fully comprehend the
magnificence of the birds all around us. Appreciating a photograph or an
illustration of a bird in a book is one thing, helping lift that bird off
the page is a more sentient experience. Bring The Gambia back into your home today (and maybe Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania tomorrow!). Don't hesitate, BUY IT!

Notes from Jill & Neil Thomas having used this on a Field trip in 2003

"  As one would expect the standard is excellent.  It was extremely helpful in terms of learning the calls of the more difficult to locate birds before heading out for a day's buirding. We found the format of compact disc not the easiest to use in the field given the heat and battery consumption; we would recommend that users follow John Hammick's example and load it to one of the new gizmos that enable you to transport hours of recordings in a very small gadget.  Whatever you do, don't forget to pack the accompanying booklet (or photocopy of same to avoid losing the original) as the calls are not identified on the tracks.  But for identifying owl calls from the comfort of our bed at night it was second to none.  We would echo Ian Hinze's advice to BUY IT. "