senegalwildlife.wordpress.com Web excerpt · 2026
“Although we saw the occasional bird in January in the Senegal River delta this year, barn swallow is primarily a migrant in Senegal.”
Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary
🇸🇳 Senegal
Africa, Senegal 641 spp. recorded
The Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary lies on the southeast bank of the Senegal River in Senegal, in northern Biffeche, north east of St-Louis. It provides a variety of wetland habitats which prove very popular with migrating birds, many of which have just crossed the Sahara. Of almost 400 species of birds, the most visible are pelicans and flamingos. Less conspicuous are the aquatic warblers migrating there from Europe; for these, the park is the single most important wintering site yet discovered. A wide range of wildlife also inhabits the park, which is designated a World Heritage Site. The site was added to the list of World Heritage in Danger in 1984 due to the introduction of the invasive giant salvinia plant, which threatens to choke out the park's native vegetation. However it was removed from the list in 2006.
16.412° N 16.222° W
🦜 Nature
285 Species sighted
10,635 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jan Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
Recent sightings in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a dayavg 38 year-round
70
No data
Jan69
No data
Feb67
No data
Mar59
No data
Apr5.4
No data
May—
No data
Jun—
No data
Jul4.9
No data
Aug0.6
No data
Sep0.6
No data
Oct55
No data
Nov55
No data
DecSighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
16.420° N, 16.274° W
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
16.398° N, 16.241° W
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
16.389° N, 16.185° W
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
Greater Flamingo~60%≈
Crested Lark~60%-20%
Northern Shoveler~60%-10%
Western Marsh-Harrier~60%-20%
Black-winged Stilt~50%-30%
White-faced Whistling Duck~50%-30%
Spur-winged Lapwing~40%-40%
Lesser Flamingo~40%-30%
Grey Heron~30%-40%
Great White Pelican~30%-50%
Eurasian Spoonbill~30%-40%
Long-tailed Cormorant~30%-40%
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
-20°
0° 0
20° 300
40° 600 mm
Jan1Feb0Mar0Apr0May1Jun5Jul15Aug55Sep51Oct8Nov0Dec1
0.0 World-class
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
3.4
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 480
🐒 Mammals 78
🦎 Reptiles 73
🐸 Amphibians 10
641 Total Species
810 Global average across 340 parks
29 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
5.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
80% 📊
Coverage (184 species at ≥5% of 641 in the inventory)
29% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 2 mammal, 2 reptile)
67% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
165 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
14 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
71 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.0
Climate Pleasant High
Entrance Paid Low
Tourism Low High
Trails Easy High
World Heritage Yes Bonus
What visitors say
Your review
Before you go
What animals can you see in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary?
641 species
Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary has 641 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Common Warthog (about 90%), White-faced Whistling Duck (about 80%), African Golden Wolf (about 80%), Nile Monitor (about 80%) and West African Crocodile (about 80%).
When is the best time to visit Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary for wildlife?
November to March
In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 60% in April. Those are among Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary's driest months, with almost no rain against 55 mm in August.
Can you see a Greater Flamingo in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Flamingo sighting in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary on a given day, based on 127 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January–February and November (about 70%).
Can you see a Lesser Flamingo in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Lesser Flamingo sighting in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary on a given day, based on 118 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January and February (about 80%).
Can you see a Great White Pelican in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Great White Pelican sighting in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary on a given day, based on 201 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is November to March (about 80%).
Can you see a White-faced Whistling Duck in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a White-faced Whistling Duck sighting in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary on a given day, based on 195 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February to April (about 90%).
Is Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary good for wildlife watching?
4.5 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary rates 4.5/5: 57th of 340 parks worldwide and 37th in Africa. 84 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
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