Côte d’Ivoire | Ivory Coast

SUB-REGION
West Africa

SIZE
322,463 km²

BIRDS AND BIRDING

SPECIES
Diversity
Strongly Afrotropical avifauna
Approximately 730 recorded species

Birds best found in Côte d’Ivoire but occurring more widely (BT)
Western Wattled Cuckooshrike | Ghana Cuckooshrike

Birds best found in two territories of the ABC region but occurring in more (B2)
Nimba Flycatcher

Other Upper Guinea endemics occurring in Côte d’Ivoire
White-breasted Guineafowl
Rufous Fishing Owl
Brown-cheeked Hornbill
White-necked Rockfowl | Yellow-headed Picathartes
Green-tailed Bristlebill
Yellow-bearded Greenbul
Sierra Leone Prinia | White-eyed Prinia
Sharpe’s Apalis
Black-headed Rufous Warbler | Black-capped Rufous Warbler
Rufous-winged Illadopsis
Copper-tailed Starling
Gola Malimbe | Ballman’s Malimbe

Proposed new species or splits not yet accepted by IOC
Black-shouldered Nightjar
Whistling Long-tailed Cuckoo
Red-chested Goshawk
Etchécopar’s Owlet
Central African Hoopoe
Western Piping Hornbill
Western Yellow-spotted Barbet
West African Pitta
Rufous-bellied Wattle-eye
Fanti Drongo
Glossy-backed Drongo
Western Square-tailed Drongo
West African Swallow
Yellow-bellied Crombec
Grey-hooded Capuchin Babbler
Black-crowned Capuchin Babbler
White-crowned Cliff Chat
Black-faced Quailfinch
Vinaceous Firefinch
Bannerman’s Pipit

More Guineo-Congolian endemics or near-endemics occurring in Côte d’Ivoire
Hartlaub’s Duck
Latham’s Francolin | Forest Francolin
Ahanta Spurfowl
Brown Nightjar
Black Spinetail
Sabine’s Spinetail
Cassin’s Spinetail
Great Blue Turaco
Yellow-billed Turaco
Guinea Turaco | Green Turaco
Black-throated Coucal
Yellow-throated Cuckoo
Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo
Afep Pigeon
Western Bronze-naped Pigeon | Bronze-naped Pigeon
Blue-headed Wood Dove
White-spotted Flufftail
Grey-throated Rail
Nkulengu Rail
Spot-breasted Ibis
White-crested Tiger Heron
Congo Serpent Eagle
Long-tailed Hawk
Red-thighed Sparrowhawk | Red-legged Sparrowhawk
Red-chested Owlet
Sandy Scops Owl
Maned Owl
Akun Eagle-Owl
Shelley’s Eagle-Owl
Forest Wood Hoopoe
West African Pied Hornbill
Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill
Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill
Black-casqued Hornbill
Yellow-casqued Hornbill
Western Dwarf Hornbill | Western Little Hornbill
Western Long-tailed Hornbill
Blue-throated Roller
Chocolate-backed Kingfisher
African Dwarf Kingfisher
White-bellied Kingfisher
Black-headed Bee-eater
Blue-moustached Bee-eater
Black Bee-eater
Rosy Bee-eater
Bristle-nosed Barbet
Naked-faced Barbet
Speckled Tinkerbird
Red-rumped Tinkerbird
Yellow-throated Tinkerbird
Hairy-breasted Barbet
Western Yellow-billed Barbet
Cassin’s Honeybird
Yellow-footed Honeyguide
Least Honeyguide
Spotted Honeyguide
Lyre-tailed Honeyguide
African Piculet
Buff-spotted Woodpecker
Brown-eared Woodpecker
Fire-bellied Woodpecker
Melancholy Woodpecker
Timneh Parrot
Red-fronted Parrot
Black-collared Lovebird
Rufous-sided Broadbill
West African Batis
West African Wattle-eye
Red-cheeked Wattle-eye
Fiery-breasted Bushshrike
Many-colored Bushshrike
Sabine’s Puffback
Lowland Sooty Boubou
Red-billed Helmetshrike
African Shrike-flycatcher
Blue Cuckooshrike
Western Oriole | Western Black-headed Oriole
Black-winged Oriole
Shining Drongo
Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher
Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher | Black-headed Paradise Flycatcher
Dusky Crested Flycatcher
Dusky Tit
Forest Penduline Tit
Western Nicator
Golden Greenbul
Red-tailed Bristlebill
Grey-headed Bristlebill
Spotted Greenbul
Swamp Palm Bulbul | Swamp Greenbul
Simple Greenbul
Honeyguide Greenbul
Western Bearded Greenbul
Red-tailed Greenbul
Plain Greenbul
Little Grey Greenbul | Gray Greenbul
Ansorge’s Greenbul
White-throated Greenbul
Icterine Greenbul
Leaf-love
Square-tailed Saw-wing
White-bibbed Swallow | White-throated Blue Swallow
Kemp’s Longbill
Grey Longbill
Lemon-bellied Crombec
Chestnut-capped Flycatcher
Green Hylia
Tit Hylia
Black-capped Apalis
Yellow-browed Camaroptera
Olive-green Camaroptera
Rufous-crowned Eremomela
Brown Illadopsis
Pale-breasted Illadopsis
Blackcap Illadopsis
Puvel’s Illadopsis
Violet-backed Hyliota
Chestnut-winged Starling
Narrow-tailed Starling
Finsch’s Rufous Thrush | Finsch’s Flycatcher-Thrush
White-tailed Ant Thrush
Grey Ground Thrush
White-tailed Alethe
Forest Scrub Robin
White-browed Forest Flycatcher
Fraser’s Forest Flycatcher | African Forest Flycatcher
Grey-throated Tit-Flycatcher
Olivaceous Flycatcher
Tessmann’s Flycatcher
Dusky-blue Flycatcher
Ussher’s Flycatcher
Little Grey Flycatcher | Little Flycatcher
Cassin’s Flycatcher
Orange-breasted Forest Robin
Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat
Lowland Akalat
Fraser’s Sunbird
Mangrove Sunbird | Mouse-brown Sunbird
Little Green Sunbird
Yellow-chinned Sunbird
Blue-throated Brown Sunbird
Buff-throated Sunbird
Tiny Sunbird
Johanna’s Sunbird
Superb Sunbird
Bates’s Sunbird
Chestnut-and-black Weaver
Yellow-mantled Weaver
Maxwell’s Black Weaver
Preuss’s Weaver
Red-vented Malimbe
Blue-billed Malimbe
Red-headed Malimbe
Crested Malimbe
Red-fronted Antpecker
White-breasted Nigrita
Chestnut-breasted Nigrita
Pale-fronted Nigrita
Western Bluebill
Crimson Seedcracker

MAIN HABITATS
Lowland forest, Guinea savanna

BIRD AREAS
Upper Guinea forests Endemic Bird Area
14 Important Bird Areas

BIRDING SITES
Taï National Park (NP) and N’Zo Fauna Reserve (FR), Cavally Nature Reserve (NR) and Goin-Débé Classified Forest (CF), Mont Péko NP, Haut-Sassandra CF, Guéoulé and Mont Glo CF, Mont Momi CF, Mont Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, Haute-Dodo CF, Grabo CF, Monogaga CF, Rapides Grah CF, Niégré CF, Niouniourou CF, Boubo CF, Mopri CF, Banco NP and Anguédédou CF, Aghien and Dahliafleur Partial NRs, Nganda Nganda CF, Yapo-Abbé CF, Téné CF, Besso CF, Mabi-Yaya NR, Bossématié NR and Tanoé-Ehy Swamp Forest for lowland forest species including Upper Guinea endemics
Mont Sangbé NP and Mont Tonkoui CF for a mix of forest and savanna species including Baumann’s Olive Greenbul and Emerald Starling
Marahoué NP, Lamto Ecological Research Station and Abokouamékro FR on the ecotone of forest and savanna
Comoé NP, Savanes District (Mont Korhogo CF and Mont Bolo) and Haut-Bandama Fauna and Flora Reserve for savanna species including Helmeted Guineafowl, Stone Partridge, White-throated Francolin, Freckled Nightjar, Standard-winged Nightjar, Violet Turaco, Denham’s Bustard, White-bellied Bustard, Savile’s Bustard, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Speckled Pigeon, Vinaceous Dove, Black-billed Wood Dove, Namaqua Dove, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Spotted Thick-knee, Black-headed Lapwing, Temminck’s Courser, White-backed Vulture, Rüppell’s Vulture, White-headed Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Bateleur, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Grasshopper Buzzard, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Northern White-faced Owl, Greyish Eagle-Owl, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Eurasian Hoopoe (senegalensis), Green Wood Hoopoe, Black Scimitarbill, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, African Grey Hornbill, Purple Roller, Abyssinian Roller, Blue-bellied Roller, Striped Kingfisher, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Red-throated Bee-eater, African Green Bee-eater, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Bearded Barbet, Fine-spotted Woodpecker, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Brown-backed Woodpecker, Fox Kestrel, Senegal Parrot, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Red-headed Lovebird, Senegal Batis, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Black-crowned Tchagra, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Brubru, White-crested Helmetshrike, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, African Golden Oriole, Yellow-billed Shrike, Emin’s Shrike, African Blue Flycatcher, Piapiac, White-shouldered Black Tit, Yellow Penduline Tit, Rufous-rumped Lark, Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark, Flappet Lark, Sun Lark, Yellow-gorgeted Greenbul, Pied-winged Swallow, African Red-rumped Swallow (domicella), Northern Crombec, Rock-loving Cisticola (admiralis), Croaking Cisticola, Dorst’s Cisticola, Red-winged Prinia, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Oriole Warbler, Senegal Eremomela, Brown Babbler, Blackcap Babbler, African Spotted Creeper, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Lesser Blue-eared Starling, Bronze-tailed Starling, Long-tailed Glossy Starling, Chestnut-bellied Starling, Neumann’s Starling, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Pale Flycatcher, Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Northern Black Flycatcher, Gambaga Flycatcher, Swamp Flycatcher, White-crowned Robin-Chat, Mocking Cliff Chat (coronata), White-fronted Black Chat, Familiar Chat, Western Violet-backed Sunbird, Pygmy Sunbird, Beautiful Sunbird, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Sahel Bush Sparrow, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Heuglin’s Masked Weaver, Little Weaver, Red-headed Weaver, Yellow-crowned Bishop, Northern Red Bishop, Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Red-collared Widowbird, Grey-headed Oliveback, Green-winged Pytilia, Red-winged Pytilia, Yellow-winged Pytilia, Lavender Waxbill, Black-rumped Waxbill, Cut-throat Finch, Orange-breasted Waxbill, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Black-bellied Firefinch, Bar-breasted Firefinch, Barka Indigobird, Wilson’s Indigobird, Cameroon Indigobird, Exclamatory Paradise Whydah, Togo Paradise Whydah, West African Seedeater, Yellow-fronted Canary, Gosling’s Bunting, Brown-rumped Bunting and Cabanis’s Bunting
Îles Ehotilé NP, Grand-Bassam Ramsar Site, N’Guéchié CF, Kokoh CF, Irobo CF, Azagny NP, Île de Lahou-Kpanda, Port-Gauthier and Dassioko CFs, Complexe Sassandra-Dagbégo, Grand Béréby Marine Protected Area and Cavally River Mouth for waterbirds, as well as coastal species including Swamp Nightjar, Black Coucal, Zitting Cisticola, Reichenbach’s Sunbird, Carmelite Sunbird, Slender-billed Weaver and Orange Weaver

TIMING (Jan–Mar)
Best in the dry season (Nov–Apr) when access is easy and most forest birds breed
Avoid the main rains (May–Sep)

RESOURCES
Apps
Birds of Africa (iOS or Android)

Field guides
Birds of Western Africa by Nik Borrow & Ron Demey (2014)

Sounds
African Bird Sounds Vol 2: West and Central Africa by Claude Chappuis

Site guides
Birding Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast by Volker Salewski (1999)

Further reading
Côte d’Ivoire by Lincoln Fishpool in Important Bird Areas in Africa and Associated Islands: Priority Sites for Conservation edited by Lincoln D C Fishpool & Michael I Evans (2001)
Forest Birds in Côte d’Ivoire: a Survey of Taï National Park and Other Forests and Forestry Plantations, 1989-1991 by Mary E Gartshore, Philip D Taylor & Ian S Francis (1995)
The Status and Conservation of Threatened Birds in the Upper Guinea Forest by Gary Allport (1991)
L’Inventaire de l’Avifaune du Parc National du Taï, Côte d’Ivoire by Mary E Gartshore (1989)
The Birds of Ivory Coast: Status and Distribution by Jean-Marc Thiollay (1985)
Le Peuplement Animal du Mont Nimba: Guinée, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia edited by Maxime Lamotte & Roger Roy (2003)
Birding the Ivory Coast by Frank E Rheindt & Minnattallah Boutros (2000)
Articles in Malimbus, Bull. ABC, etc.

Websites
UNESCO World Heritage List: Comoé National Park, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve and Taï National Park
Biodiversité de Côte d’Ivoire

Facebook groups
Les Oiseaux de Côte d’Ivoire

ORGANISATIONS

The BirdLife Partner in Côte d’Ivoire is SOS-Forêts

Other bird or conservation organisations active in Côte d’Ivoire include –
Action pour la Conservation de la Biodiversité en Côte d’Ivoire (ACB-CI)
Conservation des Espèces Marines (CEM), formerly SOS Dassioko
Notre Forêt Notre Avenir (NOFNA)
ONG Internationale Sauvons L’environnement
ONG Conservation Taï
NABU