Overview

Sierra Leone is a core West African destination, offering visitors a diverse range of exciting Upper Guinea forest birds and mammals. Rockjumper pioneered this tour during reconnaissance trips in 2005 and then led three successful tours in the course of 2006; these being the first ever birding tours to the country. Sierra Leone’s biologically rich rainforests support no less than 15 of the 16 Upper Guinea endemic bird species, including the fabled White-necked Rockfowl that will form the basis of our tour. Forest specialties abound and we will focus on finding the rare Gola Malimbe, Hartlaub’s Duck, Brown-cheeked Hornbill, Sharpe’s Apalis, Kemp’s Longbill, White-breasted Guineafowl and Red-cheeked Wattle-eye, while the wooded savannas are home to the stunning Emerald Starling, Crimson Seedcracker and Turati’s Boubou, to name but a few. Our tour also offers brand new locations for two of the country's most enigmatic species - Sierra Leone Prinia and Black-headed Rufous Warbler.


*2024 Prices are estimated and dates may change*

Tour Facts Top Birds
White-necked Rockfowl; Gola Malimbe; Sierra Leone Prinia; Black-headed Rufous Warbler; Turati’s Boubou; Crimson Seedcracker; Western Wattled Cuckooshrike; White-breasted Guineafowl; Pel’s & Rufous Fishing Owls; Olive Ibis; Timneh Parrot; Emerald Starling; Green-tailed Bristlebill; Yellow-bearded Greenbul; Sharpe's Apalis, Copper-tailed Starling; Melancholy Woodpecker; Oriole Warbler; Congo Serpent Eagle; Red-thighed Sparrowhawk; Long-tailed Hawk; Yellow-casqued, Black-casqued, Brown-cheeked, Black Dwarf, Red-billed Dwarf & Piping Hornbills; Yellow-billed, Guinea & Great Blue Turacos; White-bibbed Swallow; Egyptian & Forbes's Plovers; Hartlaub’s Duck; Red-cheeked Wattle-eye; Preuss’s Weaver; Grey-throated Rail; White-tailed Ant Thrush; Shining-blue & Chocolate-backed Kingfishers; Mangrove, Buff-throated & Johanna’s Sunbirds; Fiery-breasted & Many-colored Bushshrikes; Forest Scrub Robin; Puvel's & Rufous-winged Illadopsis; Capuchin Babbler; Western Bluebill; Forest Francolin; Rufous-sided Broadbill; Black & Blue-moustached Bee-eaters; Violet-backed Hyliota; Dybowski’s Twinspot, Jambandu Indigobird and Togo Paradise Whydah.
Top Mammals
Pygmy Hippopotamus; Chimpanzee; King, Western Red, Western Pied & Olive Colobus; Sooty Mangabey; Campbell's, Diana, Lesser White-nosed & Callithrix Monkeys; Western Tree & Black-necked Rock Hyraxes; Striped Ground, Gambian Sun, Red-legged Sun, Forest Giant, Green Bush & Fire-footed Rope Squirrels.
Habitats Covered
primary and secondary Upper Guinea forest, broad-leafed woodland, grasslands, wetlands, rice paddies; mangrove swamps, gallery forest.
Expected Climate
mostly hot and humid in the rain-forest zone and surrounding lowlands. The moist woodlands and savannas will also be warm to hot, but not as humid.
Max Group Size
8 with 1 Rockjumer leader
Tour Pace & Walking
Our Mega tours are very fast-paced birding adventures designed for the dedicated lister and serious birder. The focus of the tour is to see as many of the endemics and area specials as possible in our given time. In order to cover the necessary route to maximise the species list we tend to spend a single night at most sites and travel large distances. There is very little down time aside from that spent driving from one site to the next. These tours are not suitable for dedicated or avid photographers; inexperienced or new birders; as well as anyone with serious mobility or health challenges.
Accommodation
variable between basic camping and comfortable hotels
Ease of Birding
moderate to tough with a number of difficult forest species
Number of Species Expected
>300
Photographic Opportunities
tricky, but definitely some worthwhile opportunities
Tour Route Map Route Map Client Testimonials
David Hoddinott
BA, Sierre Leone 2019

Overall, a great trip. David was an excellent tour leader, birder, guide and travel companion.

Dates, Leaders and Pricing
2024 DEPARTURES
Tour Enquiry

  • Your details

  • Contact permission

    We would love to send you Newsletters, Promotions, Discounts, Blog Articles, and other content that we think you would find interesting. If you are happy with this then please select your preferences below. If you would like to unsubscribe from previous subscriptions, or leave our mailing list entirely, then please do so by visiting the Preference Centre link at the bottom of these emails.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.