More than 350 bird species have been recorded in W National Park, making it one of the richest birdwatching sites in West Africa. The mix of habitats — gallery forest, open savanna, laterite plateaus, and river margins — supports an extraordinary range.
Abyssinian rollers and northern carmine bee-eaters are abundant and easy to spot from the tracks. Secretary birds stalk the open savanna with improbable dignity. Along the rivers, African fish eagles, saddle-billed storks, and various kingfishers are resident year-round. During the European winter, Palearctic migrants boost the count considerably.
The best birdwatching is in the early morning, especially in the gallery forest along the Niger and Tapoa rivers. A pair of binoculars and a West African field guide will serve you well. Non-birders regularly find the sheer diversity here a surprise.