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Gabon

Blue-bellied Roller Coracius cyanogaster ŠNigel Blake http://www.nigelblake.co.uk

You will notice that there is no introduction to this section yet.

I would like to fill this gap with an introduction from a local birder [or someone who is a frequent visitor] for every on of the geographical pages. The many thousands of birders now regularly using these pages prefer to read something written by someone who can see the place from an insider's point of view. They know the best spots, not just the ones that first time overseas visitors usually visit or that are on the normal birding trip itineraries.

Each introduction carries the e-mail address of the contributor so that birders can get in touch with them if, for example, they are planning a trip [unless the contributor is unable to do this].

Please get in touch if you feel you can contribute an introduction to this page - you don't have to be an expert; I'm not!

numbers

Number of bird species:777

useful reading

A Birders Checklist of the Birds of Gabon

D Sargeant 1994 ?5.95
ISBN: 25305
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Birds of Western Africa: An Identification Guide

Nik Borrow and Ron Demey Series: CHRISTOPHER HELM IDENTIFICATION GUIDE SERIES 832 pages, 147 col plates, 1100 dist maps. Christopher Helm
ISBN: 0713639598
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Coastal Waterbirds in Gabon

Edited by FJ Schepers and ECL Marteijn Series: WIWO REPORT SERIES 41 293 pages, maps, figs. Foundation Working Group International Wader Group
ISBN: 9090067760
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Field Guide to the Birds of Western Africa

Nik Borrow and Ron Demey Series: HELM FIELD GUIDES 496 pages, 150 col plates, 1300 maps. Christopher Helm See Fatbirder Review
ISBN: 0713666927
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Guide des Oiseaux de la R?serve de la Lop

Patrice Christy & William Clarke [c.400 species from this reserve in Gabon. In French but with English and scientific species names.] 1994 Paperback ?23.95
ISBN: 51627
Buy this book from NHBS.com

useful information

Proact

Coordinator: none (why not apply?) see http://www.proact-campaigns.net/coordinators
Members: None yet!
Join us at http://www.proact-campaigns.net/team

clubs

African Bird Club

http://www.africanbirdclub.org/countries/Gabon/introduction.html
Despite being politically stable, sparsely populated and possessing large tracts of undisturbed habitat, Gabon is far from realising its potential and deserved status as a premier birding and wildlife destination. Perhaps its three most prohibitive qualities are (i) the paucity of information on travelling in Gabon, (ii) the cost of travelling there - Gabon targets almost exclusively high-end tourism, with no official campsites in the entire country - and (iii) the fact that it is completely Francophone, a deterrent to many English-only speaking birders...

West African Ornithological Society

http://malimbus.free.fr/Country%20pages/Gabon.htm
The West African Ornithological Society grew out of the Nigerian Ornithologists Society, which was founded in February 1964. Its object is to promote scientific interest in the birds of West Africa and to further the regions ornithology, mainly by means of its journal Malimbus (formerly the Bulletin of the Nigerian Ornithologists Society). This journal is biannual and bilingual, a unique feature in Africa.The West African Ornithological Society grew out of the Nigerian Ornithologists Society, which was founded in February 1964. Its object is to promote scientific interest in the birds of West Africa and to further the regions ornithology, mainly by means of its journal Malimbus (formerly the Bulletin of the Nigerian Ornithologists Society). This journal is biannual and bilingual, a unique feature in Africa.

reserves

Important Bird Areas

http://www.africanbirdclub.org/countries/Gabon/ibas.html
The Cameroon and Gabon lowlands Endemic Bird Area (EBA) covers much of central Gabon. The distribution of Loango Weaver Ploceus subpersonatus defines the Gabon-Cabinda coast secondary EBA...

National Parks

http://www.gabonnationalparks.com/
Gabon`s National Parks are designed to be representative of its varied natural environments, representing biodiversity sanctuaries with great tourism potential...

trip reports

Travelling Birder
http://www.travellingbirder.com
The Travellingbirder.com birding trip report search engine guides you to 7,000+ birding trip reports on the Internet. You can search for trip reports from a specific country and time of year. Not all these reports are in English. So, if you cant find the trip report you want on this Fatbirder page give them a try!

1996 [July] Don Roberson & Rita Carratello

http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/Gabon1996.html
This is an account of a bird trip to Gabon in July 1996. As long as I have looked at geophysical maps of the African continent, I had wanted to visit Gabon. Here was an entire country shaded in dark green, meaning it was entirely tropical lowland forest! As my interest in travel and world birding grew in the 1980s, I learned that Gabon still had one of the highest percentages of forest cover left in the world, with over 90% pristine jungle still intact...

1998 [February] - Don Taylor

http://www.kentos.org.uk/Trip%20Reports/Gabon%20itinerary.htm
It was extremely hot and humid, the temperature being in the low 30s C, so the onshore breeze was very welcome as we sat and ate breakfast on the beach. A few ROYAL TERNS flew S and there were GREY-HEADED SPARROWS and COMMON BULBULS - with a white vent - present, along with a variety of colourful Agami Lizards...

1998 [June]

http://www.snaffles.demon.co.uk/video/africa/part1.html
It would have been a shame to have missed this chance to visit a part of equatorial Africa...

2001 [September] Nik Borrow - Gabon, Săo Tomé & Príncipe

http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/gabon/gabon1/gab-sept2001.htm
Over the years the Gabon tour has often felt like a battle of wits waged against all the gremlins that leap in its path. However, this time, apart from a few minor irritations, things went remarkably smoothly and for once we could concentrate on the birds unhindered. We set off joined by local expert Patrice Christy on a trip that was to lead us through kilometre after kilometre of beautiful scenery and marvellous rainforest but first, we stopped to break our journey at a small roadside pool that held not only African Finfoot but also three marvellous Hartlaub`s Ducks...

2002 [March] - Brian Schmidt

http://www.geocities.com/brdemkr/gabonhome.html
A photographic records...

2004 [March] - Tropical Birding

http://www.tropicalbirding.com/
This was a magical trip combining several of Africas great zones of endemicity, including Africas mini Galapagos Săo Tomé & Príncipe. The team managed an impressive clean-up of all the endemic species and sub-species of the islands (26 species according to Clements, 27 according to BirdLife International and 29 according to Sinclair & Ryan). We made sure we saw all species for all taxonomies! Unfortunately only Keith (the leader) saw the rare and enigmatic Săo Tomé Grosbeak, thought to be extinct until 1990. Everybody got great looks at the other Critically Threatened endemics the Dwarf Olive Ibis and Newtons Fiscal. Other bizarre oddities included the tree-marching Săo Tomé Shorttail and Dohrns Thrush-babbler as well as the magnificent Giant Sunbird and Giant Weaver...

2004 [September] - Michael Mills & Callan Cohen

http://www.birdingafrica.com/africa_tours/trip_reports/tr_gab04.htm
Our Gabon tour kicked off at the countries showcase wildlife park, Lope, a vast area savannas, rivers and, most notably, forests. Located some 300km east of Libreville, we covered the drive with numerous stops, not all planned. A flat tyre gave us only just enough time to find our first Swamp Palm Bulbuls and Black-and-white Flycatchers before the ever-ready Jean Pierre had the show on the road again. Whilst awaiting the arrival of fuel in Ndjole (it never did arrive) we notched up Rock and Grey Pratincole, African Skimmer, Orange Weaver, Superb Sunbird and Black-headed Waxbill...

2006 [August] - Nik Borrow

http://www.birdquest.co.uk/tripreports.cfm?trip=502
...President Omar Bongo declared that ten percent of the country was to be transformed into thirteen national parks covering some three million hectares. Significant developments are now being made to facilitate the ease with which its national wonders of gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants and buffalo and, of course a fantastic wealth of bird-life might be shown to a prospective stream of tourists. Birdquest first visited Gabon in 1995 and this was our ninth tour to the country and our tenth visit to the far-flung islands of Săo Tomé and Príncipe. Of the 413 species recorded on the tour 402 of these were seen...

2006 [June] - Adam Riley

http://www.rockjumper.co.za/02_destination_b_reports_gabon_2006_june.htm
Just a species list

2006 [October] - Michael Mills

http://www.birdingafrica.com/africa_tours/trip_reports/tr_gab06.htm
This comprehensive 25-day tour combines the endemic rich islands of Sao Tome e Principe with excellent forest and savannah birding of Gabon. We visited both of Gulf of Guinea Islands, Lope National Park, the Bateke Plateau at Lekoni, Ivindo River basin at Makokou and Gamba Area Complex for breeding Black-headed and Rosy Bee-eaters and African River Martin. Although diversity was good (about 420 species), it was the quality of birds that was more impressive...

local guides

Mistral Voyages

http://www.ecotourisme-gabon.com/en/english.htm
Discover tourism and ecotourism in the National Parks of Gabon...

Patrice Christy

BP 2240 Libreville, Gabon. Fax + 241 775534 / 732345 / 747780

Trawling a number of trip reports etc. I found the address above for Patrice Christy who seems to be an authority on birds in Gabon and has guided visitos... I do not know if the address is current.

Tropical Birding

http://www.tropicalbirding.com/gabon.html
Occassionally run trips to Gabon...

Checklist

http://www.bsc-eoc.org/avibase/avibase.jsp?region=ga&pg=checklist&list=clements

Filednotes on Gabon Birds

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/TropicalEcosystems/BiodiversityGabon/downloads/Fieldnotes10Gabon.pdf
In a landmark act, President El Hadj Omar Bongo and the government of Gabon recently dedicated 10% (30,000 km2) of the country`s land area in 13 national parks to preserve Gabon`s natural richness and heritage. Loango National Park, created from the former reserve of Petit Loango (established in 1956) and parts of the Sette Cama and Iguela hunting areas, comprises 1550 km2of coastal plains and forest edged by a strip of timeless beach. Set aside to protect old forests running with elephants, savannas of grazing buffalo, lagoons with Nile crocodiles, and the dynamic coastal interface between the Atlantic and fresh waters, Loango`s beauty, variety and intactness alone render it worth preserving.

Gabon Birding - on Worldtwitch

http://worldtwitch.com/gabon_cassidy.htm
The coast of Gabon is characterized by a Maze - huge lagoons and rivers. Access is limited to flying in and boat travel and accommodations are very basic. In the 5 days I had there I had little time for extensive birding. However, I still managed to tally more than 100 species of bird, 15 species of mammal and 3 species of crocodile.