Lower River: Birdlife and Cultural Heritage
Accommodation in Lower River
Kiang West National Park: Birdlife and Mangroves
Kiang West National Park is located in Lower River Division and covers approximately 11,500 hectares (115 square kilometres). For nature enthusiasts, its birdlife is a particular highlight: a species list records more than 250 bird species. Species counts may change as new records are made.
The brown-necked parrot breeds in the park’s mangrove forests and is classified as a threatened species by the IUCN. In addition, twelve species found here are highly localized in The Gambia and difficult to observe elsewhere in the country. These figures provide a second perspective on the park’s birdlife alongside the total number of species on the list.
Twenty-one raptor species have been observed within the park’s boundaries, including vultures, martial eagles, hawks and falcons. The park is also home to all ten kingfisher species found in The Gambia. These figures use different measures: for raptors, they refer to observed species; for kingfishers, they refer to the entire group found in The Gambia. Population and observation figures may change as further records are made.
River areas and possible wildlife sightings
The Gambia River forms the park’s northern boundary. Humpback dolphins are occasionally sighted on the Jarin Bolon. At the confluence of the bolons, patient observers may be able to see a manatee or a sitatunga crossing the bolon towards Jali Island.
On the eastern edge of Kiang West National Park, the upper reaches of the Nganingkoi Bolon provide abundant food for various wading birds. Along the mangrove fringe, there is a chance of spotting marsh mongooses foraging.
At TubabKollon Point, an observation shelter overlooks a waterhole about two kilometres to the west. If you plan to include the point in your trip, check in advance whether the shelter is accessible and what condition it is in.
Cultural points of interest
The Genieri Community Museum is a community museum in Lower River. If you are considering a visit, check in advance whether access is possible.
The Gambia in a broader cultural and historical context
For a broader cultural perspective on The Gambia, the Gambia National Museum in Banjul is a point of reference. It opened in 1985, 15 years after the founding of the Friends of the National Museum Association. The museum is housed in an old colonial building that served as the Bathurst Club for European residents in the 1920s. The building later housed the British Council and, in the 1960s, the Legislative Assembly; from 1970 to 1985, it was used as the Gambia National Library. The museum’s main aims include collecting, preserving and presenting objects relating to the material culture of The Gambia, as well as communicating history and culture to visitors and residents.
The Gambian sites of the Stone Circles of Senegambia are Wassu and Kerbatch. The World Heritage site was inscribed in 2006 under criteria I and iii. The four major groups form a concentration of more than 1,000 monuments in a strip 100 kilometres wide, extending along about 350 kilometres of the Gambia River. Stone circles made of laterite pillars, together with their associated burial mounds, form a sacred landscape that developed over more than 1,500 years.
Discover more destinations: Jarra East, North Bank Region, West Coast Region, North Bank Division, Banjul.
Return to the main travel overview: The Gambia.
