SUB-REGION
West Africa
SIZE
1,240,190 km² (8th largest country in Africa)
BIRDS AND BIRDING
SPECIES
Diversity
Mostly Afrotropical avifauna, with a significant migratory Palaearctic element
Approximately 550 recorded species
Near-endemics (NE)
Mali Firefinch
Other taxa of interest, including endemic subspecies (ESS)
Golden Nightjar
Egyptian Plover
Cream-coloured Courser
Pharaoh Eagle-Owl | Desert Eagle-Owl
Western Red-billed Hornbill
Yellow-breasted Barbet
Little Grey Woodpecker
Fox Kestrel
Sennar Penduline Tit
Rusty Bush Lark
Rock-loving Cisticola
River Prinia
Cricket Warbler
Neumann’s Starling
White-crowned Cliff Chat (ESS cavernicola)
Desert Sparrow
Sudan Golden Sparrow
Lavender Waxbill
House Bunting
MAIN HABITATS
Arid savanna with rocky hills, desert, lakes and wetlands of the Niger River
BIRD AREAS
Upper Niger valley Secondary Area
18 Important Bird Areas
BIRDING SITES
Bamako area and Dogon country for Mali Firefinch
Timbuktu and Gao for arid-country birds
TIMING (Oct–Nov, Mar)
Being an arid area, breeding activity is stimulated by rain so it is best to visit immediately after the rains (Sep–Dec), or immediately before the rains (Mar–Apr)
RESOURCES
Apps
Birds of Africa (iOS or Android)
Field guides
Birds of Western Africa by Nik Borrow & Ron Demey (2014)
Oiseaux Observables à Teriya Bugu et dans ses Environs Proches by Bourama Coulibaly (2013)
Sounds
African Bird Sounds Vol 2: West and Central Africa by Claude Chappuis
Atlases
Atlas de Répartition des Oiseaux du Mali et de Mauritanie by B Lamarche (1993)
Further reading
Mali by Peter Robertson in Important Bird Areas in Africa and Associated Islands: Priority Sites for Conservation edited by Lincoln D C Fishpool & Michael I Evans (2001)
Articles in Malimbus, Bull. ABC, etc.
Facebook groups
Oiseaux du Mali
ORGANISATIONS
There is currently no BirdLife Partner in Mali
Bird or conservation organisations active in Mali include –
Association Malienne pour la Conservation de la Faune et de l’Environnement (AMCFE)
STOP-SAHEL: Association Malienne pour la Protection de l’Environnement