City
Dakar
🇸🇳 Senegal
Africa, Senegal 238 spp. recorded
Dakar is the capital and largest city of Senegal. Wikipedia
14.733° N 17.376° W
🦜 Nature
238 Species sighted
7,910 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jan Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Gambian Rat
Cricetomys gambianus
LC
Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat
Epomophorus gambianus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Nile Monitor
Varanus niloticus
LC
Tropical House Gecko
Hemidactylus mabouia
LC
Senegal Mabuya
Trachylepis affinis
LC
African Redhead Agama
Agama picticauda
LC
Senegal Chameleon
Chamaeleo senegalensis
LC
Boé Agama
Agama boensis
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Egyptian Toad
Sclerophrys regularis
LC
Crowned bullfrog
Hoplobatrachus occipitalis
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Tropical House Gecko
Hemidactylus mabouia
LC
Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat
Epomophorus gambianus
LC
Yellow-fronted Canary
Crithagra mozambica
Recent sightings in Dakar
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Parc Forestier de Hann
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Port Autonome
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
37Jan
31Feb
31Mar
29Apr
24May
27Jun
26Jul
27Aug
28Sep
29Oct
26Nov
30Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Low
Protected land
2%
Protected sea
6%
Protected areas
2
areasWildlife spots
4
spotsZoos & centres
1
placesClimate
Hot semi-arid
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Zoos & rescue centres
0.0 Excellent
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
4.3
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 530
🐒 Mammals 123
🦎 Reptiles 94
🐸 Amphibians 17
764 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
41 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
3.9
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
60% 📊
Coverage (132 species at ≥5% of 764 in the inventory)
17% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)
0% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
3 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
15 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.0
Climate Pleasant High
Green cover Low Low
Protected land & sea 2% land · 6% sea High
Protected areas 2 Medium
Wildlife spots 4 Medium
Zoos & centres 1 Medium
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Dakar?
238 species
Dakar's urban area has 238 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Black Kite (about 80%), Pied Crow (about 80%), Laughing Dove (about 70%), Great Cormorant (about 70%) and House Sparrow (about 60%). Among reptiles, the most-seen is Rainbow Agama (about 40%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Dakar?
March–April and December–January
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 50% in September and November. Those are among Dakar's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 190 mm in August.
Can you see a Red-billed Quelea in Dakar?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Red-billed Quelea sighting in Dakar on a given day, based on 150 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January, April and June–July (about 70%).
Can you see an African Silverbill in Dakar?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report an African Silverbill sighting in Dakar on a given day, based on 158 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April and December (about 70%).
Can you see a Pied Crow in Dakar?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Pied Crow sighting in Dakar on a given day, based on 263 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is June and December (about 90%).
Where in Dakar is wildlife easiest to see?
Île de Ngor
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Île de Ngor (123 bird species recorded), followed by RN Technopole and Parc Forestier de Hann. See them on the map.
Is Dakar good for wildlife watching?
4.0 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Dakar gets 4.0/5: 223rd of 380 cities worldwide and 25th in Africa. 21 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data