City
Ouagadougou
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
Africa, Burkina Faso 201 spp. recorded
Ouagadougou or Wagadugu is the capital and largest city of Burkina Faso. The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The spelling of the name Ouagadougou is derived from the French orthography common in former French African colonies. Wikipedia
12.362° N 1.534° W
🦜 Nature
201 Species sighted
2,672 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jun Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Roan Antelope
Hippotragus equinus
LC
Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat
Epomophorus gambianus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Teita Mabuya
Trachylepis perrotetii
LC
Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta
LC
West African Rainbow Lizard
Agama africana
Togo Fan-footed Gecko
Ptyodactylus togoensis
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat
Epomophorus gambianus
LC
Grayish Eagle-Owl
Bubo cinerascens
Togo Fan-footed Gecko
Ptyodactylus togoensis
LC
Stone Partridge
Ptilopachus petrosus
LC
Common Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
VU
Scissor-tailed Kite
Chelictinia riocourii
Recent sightings in Ouagadougou
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
32Jan
6.8Feb
32Mar
33Apr
36May
38Jun
31Jul
9.5Aug
32Sep
38Oct
5.5Nov
37Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Low
Protected land
2%
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
2
areasWildlife spots
0
spotsZoos & centres
0
placesClimate
Hot semi-arid
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 World-class
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
3.8
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 433
🐒 Mammals 99
🦎 Reptiles 82
🐸 Amphibians 27
641 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
25 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
5.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
78% 📊
Coverage (119 species at ≥5% of 641 in the inventory)
19% 🔀
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)
8 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
29 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.5
Climate Pleasant High
Green cover Low Low
Protected land & sea 2% land Medium
Protected areas 2 Medium
Wildlife spots 0 Low
Zoos & centres 0 Low
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Ouagadougou?
201 species
Ouagadougou's urban area has 201 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Laughing Dove (over 90%), Western Grey Plantain-eater (about 90%), Common Bulbul (about 80%), Village Weaver (about 80%) and Yellow-crowned Gonolek (about 80%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Striped Ground Squirrel (about 50%); among reptiles, West African Crocodile (about 60%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Ouagadougou?
May–June, September–October and December–January
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 70% in March–April and July.
Can you see a Beautiful Sunbird in Ouagadougou?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Beautiful Sunbird sighting in Ouagadougou on a given day, based on 77 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January and May (about 90%).
Can you see a West African Crocodile in Ouagadougou?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a West African Crocodile sighting in Ouagadougou on a given day, based on 43 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February–April, July and November–December (about 70%).
Can you see a Yellow-crowned Gonolek in Ouagadougou?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-crowned Gonolek sighting in Ouagadougou on a given day, based on 72 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is September and December (about 90%).
Is Ouagadougou good for wildlife watching?
4.7 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Ouagadougou gets 4.7/5: 45th of 380 cities worldwide and 6th in Africa. 32 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
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