Republic of Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea is a country on the west coast of Central Africa, with an area of 28,000 km² (11,000 square miles). Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name refers to its location near both the Equator and in the African region of Guinea although almost all of the country is actually north of the equator. It is the third smallest country in continental Africa in terms of population, with c.1,8 million people.  Its official language is Spanish.

The country consists of a mainland territory, Río Muni, which is bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the east and south, and five small islands, Bioko, Corisco, Annobón, Elobey Chico (Small Elobey), and Elobey Grande (Great Elobey). Bioko, the site of the capital, Malabo, lies about 40 kilometres off the coast of Cameroon. A new capital in the heart of the mainland, Ciudad de la Paz is under construction with government offices already moved there. It is expected to soon became the largest city. Annobón Island is about 350 kilometres west-south-west of Cape Lopez in Gabon. Corisco and the two Elobey islands are in Corisco Bay, on the border of Río Muni and Gabon. The largest river is the Benito known locally as the Mbini River, which flows in its westerly part through the Monte Alen National Park, where it is known as the Uoro River. It river rises in Gabon and crosses into Equatorial Guinea where it divides the country roughly along the middle, running east to west. At the mouth to the Atlantic Ocean lies the town of Mbini, as well as large mangrove stands that extend 20 kilometres inland.

Mbeni River – ©Blitz1980 CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Equatorial Guinea has a tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. From June to August, Río Muni is dry and Bioko wet; from December to February, the reverse occurs. In between it, there is a gradual transition. Rain or mist occurs daily on Annobón, where a cloudless day has never been registered. The temperature at Malabo, Bioko, ranges from 16 °C to 33 °C, although on the southern Moka Plateau, normal high temperatures are only 21 °C. In Río Muni, the average temperature is about 27 °C. Annual rainfall varies from 76 inches at Malabo to 430 inches at Ureka, Bioko, but Río Muni is somewhat drier.

The discovery of sizeable petroleum reserves in recent years is altering the economic and political status of the country as hydrocarbons make up 97% of its exports!

Birding Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea spans several eco-regions. Río Muni region lies within the Atlantic Equatorial coastal forests ecoregion except for patches of Central African mangroves on the coast, especially in the Muni River estuary. The Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests ecoregion covers most of Bioko and the adjacent portions of Cameroon and Nigeria on the African mainland, and the Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests ecoregion covers the highlands of Bioko and nearby Mount Cameroon. The São Tomé, Príncipe, and Annobón moist lowland forests ecoregion covers all of Annobón, as well as São Tomé and Príncipe.

The country is home to gorillas, chimpanzees, various monkeys. Other mammals include Leopard, buffalo, antelope, elephants, hippopotamuses, and various reptiles and amphibians, including crocodiles and nesting turtles.

Altos de Nsork National Park – ©Mehlauge CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Equatorial Guinea is one of the least surveyed ornithologically, so bird records are limited. A survey in 2014 recorded 246 species which included six species never recorded there before including Pel’s Fishing Owl Scotopelia peli, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide Melichneutes robustus and Yellow-throated Leaflove Atimastillas flavicollis. More have been reported since. That survey was also able to extend the distribution maps for a number of birds. In the past most work had been done on Biko and, to a lesser extent Annobón. Given that even the most recent surveys have been confined to small areas much may still be left to be discovered. Few birdwatchers have ever visited this small country, but, since oil revenues and the building of the new capital more people are visiting for work or tourism. This will inevitably lead to more discoveries, but will also have negative impact as remote areas are opened up. It remains a country of riches and abject poverty with 65% of the population earning a dollar a day! Hunting for ‘bushmeat’ is common and poaching is rife even in the protected national parks and reserves.

Bioko Island – ©ColleBlanche CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Hope lies with active NGOs such as the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program, the Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Forestal y Manejo del Sistema de Áreas Protegidas (INDEFOR-AP), the Amigos de la Naturaleza y del Desarrollo de Guinea Ecuatorial (ANDEGE) and others.

Protected areas cover 5,228 km2, or 19% of the country’s land area. Pico Basilé National Park was designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of Cameroon Olive-pigeons, Green Longtails, White-tailed Warblers, Mountain Saw-wings, Western Mountain Greenbuls, Cameroon Olive Greenbuls, Black-capped Woodland-warblers, the endemic Bioko Speirop, Cameroon Sunbirds, Ursula’s Sunbirds and Shelley’s Olivebacks. Altos de Nsork National Park is also an IBA.

Bioko Speirops Zosterops brunneus – ©Dubi Shapiro

Monte Alén National Park holds populations of Goliath Frog, the world’s biggest frog, and is also an IBA. Some of its prominent species are Grey Cuckooshrike, Pink-footed Puffback and Black-capped Woodland-warbler; Uganda Woodland-warbler, Grey-necked Rockfowl, Zenker’s Honeyguide, Tessmann’s Flycatcher and Gabon Batis.