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Sierra Leone Tingi Hills River

Photo: Andrew Hester

Highlights of five weeks of field work in Gola Forest, from 22 January to 28 February 2007, include the following: two large groups of White-breasted Guineafowl Agelastes meleagrides (one numbering c.20) in primary forest in Gola North, Black-collared Lovebird Agapornis swindernianus (first definite record for the country) also in Gola North, Rufous Fishing Owl Scotopelia ussheri on a small stream on the edge of Gola East, Brown Nightjar Caprimulgus binotatus found to be widespread and locally common, being very vocal at this season (first Sierra Leone record was in Gola in 2006), several small groups of Bates’s  Swift Apus batesi (also now confirmed for Sierra Leone, cf. Dowsett 1993, Tauraco Res. Rep. 5: 30–36), two Yellow-footed Honeyguides Melignomon eisentrauti in song (Gola East and Gola North), a male Western Wattled Cuckoo-shrike Lobotos lobatus (near Belebu, Gola North), at least three Lagden’s Bush-shrikes Malaconotus lagdeni holding territories in primary forest (Gola North), and the rediscovery of a small population of Gola Malimbe Malimbus ballmanni (pairs in three different mixed bird parties, one with a juvenile) in unlogged primary forest in Gola North c.9 km east of Lalehun, which is not far from the site of the original sightings by Geoffrey Field in 1971-76.

A pair of Blue-headed Coucals Centropus monachus was singing in a small marsh next to a rubbish tip in the centre of Kenema, and another bird was seen flying across a marsh between Kenema and Gola; surprisingly, these are the first records for the country of what has doubtless been an overlooked species. Two pairs of Chattering Cisticolas Cisticola anonymus were holding territory in low farmbush in a forest clearing (Gola North); the more usual habitat in Sierra Leone consists of small natural swamps. Also of note were large numbers of African Black Swifts Apus barbatus (up to 100+) over forest and farmbush (identified mainly by their characteristic calls), two observations of Baumann’s Greenbul Phyllastrephus baumanni singing in low, rank Chromolaena farmbush, and a pair of Black-capped Apalis Apalis nigriceps on a hill near Belebu (new for Gola).

The most interesting record of a birding trip in November 2006 involved two Rufous Fishing Owls Scotopelia ussheri on Tiwaii Island on 14th. Other species of interest, albeit at known localities, included White-breasted Guineafowl Agelastes meleagrides (five at Zimmi on 15th), Sierra Leone Prinia Schistolais leontica (one at Bumbuna on 19th) and Gola Malimbe Malimbus ballmanni (a pair with a juvenile at Gola Forest North on 17th). At Bumbuna, a male indigobird with greenish-blue gloss, white bill and pale legs, making the contact call of Zebra Waxbill Sporaeginthus subflavus, was identified as Jambandu Indigobird Vidua raricola; other indigobirds in the area, with white bills and red legs, were Village Indigobirds V. chalybeata.

During a bird census carried out in Sierra Leone's coastal wetlands in January-February 2005, four species were found that had apparently not been reported previously: five Great White Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus were counted at the Scarcies estuary and 253 at Yawri Bay, 12 Eurasian Spoonbills Platalea leucorodia at Scarcies, 18 Northern Shovelers Anas clypeata at Yawri, and a Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus, also at Yawri.

Among the more interesting records made during a birding trip to this little-visited country in the second half of November 2005 were a Least Honeyguide Indicator exilis, claimed from Tiwai Island, two Yellow-throated Cuckoos Chrysococcyx flavigularis in Gola Forest and, intriguingly, Chattering Cisticola Cisticola anonymus in a flooded area south of Gola; the latter would confirm the existence of an isolated Upper Guinea population of this species.

The following information from Andrew Hester and Craig Pearman gives further details of this visit.

Tiwai Island is a block of forest situated in the impressive Moa River. An afternoon walk on Tiwai produced Latham's Forest Francolin Francolinus lathami, African Finfoot Podica senegalensis, Rock Pratincole Glareola nuchalis, Blue-breasted Kingfisher Alcedo quadribrachys, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher Halcyon badia and Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata.

The following morning dawn chorus at Tiwai included Red-chested Goshawk Accipiter toussenelii, Great Blue Turaco Corythaeola cristata, Yellow-billed Barbet Trachyphonus purpuratus, Pale-breasted Illadopsis Illadopsis rufipennis and a number of the more common Greenbuls such as Yellow-whiskered Andropadus latirostris, Little A. virens, Little Grey A. gracilis and Slender-billed A.gracilirostris. Other species of interest included White-spotted Flufftail Sarothrura pulchra, Black-throated Coucal Centropus leucogaster, Black-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna atrata, White-crested Hornbill Tockus albocristatus, Least Honeyguide Indicator exilis, Finsch’s Flycatcher-Thrush Neocossyphus finschii and Western Bluebill Spermophaga haematina. 

In the Bambuna area, there was Turati’s Boubou Laniarius turatii as well as a plethora of dry country birds, including an obliging Pearl-spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum which conveniently brought in Double-spurred Francolin Francolinus bicalcaratus, Vinaceous Dove Streptopelia vinacea, Black Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus aterimmus, Senegal Eremomela Eremomela pusilla, Northern Black Flycatcher Melaenornis edolioides and Emerald Starling Lamprotornis iris.

Last page update 14th December 2007