West Africa

The green coast and golden savannas of West Africa.

ClimateHot and humid by the coast, drier toward the Sahel.

LandscapeCoastal rainforest fading into savanna and dry Sahel.

Species recorded317

Written profiles0

Groups present8

Coordinates8.0°, -3.0°

About West Africa

West Africa runs from the coastal rainforests of the Guinean belt north through savanna to the Sahel, and it holds the westernmost surviving populations of several animals more usually associated with the east and centre of the continent — including forest elephants, chimpanzees and a small remnant of lions genetically distinct from those further east. The Upper Guinean forest is a recognised biodiversity hotspot with a great many endemic species, and it has been reduced to fragments by logging, cocoa and oil palm. The region carries some of the highest human population densities in Africa, which makes bushmeat hunting a structural pressure rather than an occasional one. Coastal wetlands and mangroves along the shoreline are internationally important stopovers for migratory shorebirds.

Most-recorded wild species here

Photographed and identified by iNaturalist contributors in this region, ordered by number of records.

Olive Baboon

Papio anubis

Mammals

White-necked Rockfowl

Picathartes gymnocephalus

Birds

Yellow-billed Oxpecker

Buphagus africanus

Birds

Western Cattle-Egret

Ardea ibis

Birds

Giant Tiger Land Snail

Achatina achatina

Mollusks

Double-spurred Spurfowl

Pternistis bicalcaratus

Birds

West African Crocodile

Crocodylus suchus

Reptiles

Eudaemonia argus

Insects

Spur-winged Lapwing

Vanellus spinosus

Birds

Blue-moustached Bee-eater

Merops mentalis

Birds

African Giant Snail

Lissachatina fulica

Mollusks

Featherleg Baboon Spider

Stromatopelma calceatum

Arachnids

Periscyphops variabilis

Other animals

African Silverbill

Euodice cantans

Birds

Stigmatomma santschii

Insects

Western Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Insects

Northern Bushbuck

Tragelaphus scriptus

Mammals

Chromacilla venus

Insects

Full species checklist

A further 299 species recorded in West Africa.

Common name	Scientific name	Group	Records
African Cuckoo-Hawk	Aviceda cuculoides	Birds	193
Forest Elephant	Loxodonta cyclotis	Mammals	193
Aardvark	Orycteropus afer	Mammals	193
Lucia Widow	Palpopleura lucia	Insects	193
Home's Hingeback Tortoise	Kinixys homeana	Reptiles	192
Western Barn Owl	Tyto alba	Birds	191
Western Black Tree Snake	Thrasops occidentalis	Reptiles	191
Defassa Waterbuck	Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa	Mammals	191
Black Kite	Milvus migrans	Birds	190
Blue-spot Pansy	Junonia oenone oenone	Insects	190
Tragelaphus scriptus scriptus	Tragelaphus scriptus scriptus	Mammals	190
Polyptychus niloticus	Polyptychus niloticus	Insects	190
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark	Eremopterix leucotis	Birds	190
Speckled Pigeon	Columba guinea	Birds	189
Rock Scarlet	Crocothemis divisa	Insects	189
Cigaritis menelas	Cigaritis menelas	Insects	189
Pied Crow	Corvus albus	Birds	188
Nile Monitor	Varanus niloticus	Reptiles	188
Lowe's Monkey	Cercopithecus lowei	Mammals	188
Lesser Blue-eared Starling	Lamprotornis chloropterus	Birds	188
Euphaedra edwardsii edwardsii	Euphaedra edwardsii edwardsii	Insects	187
Red-billed Firefinch	Lagonosticta senegala	Birds	186
Northern Warthog	Phacochoerus africanus africanus	Mammals	186
Chamanthedon auronitens	Chamanthedon auronitens	Insects	186
Psalidomyrmex foveolatus	Psalidomyrmex foveolatus	Insects	185
Tantalus Monkey	Chlorocebus tantalus	Mammals	185
Gray Parrot	Psittacus erithacus	Birds	185
Red-veined Dropwing	Trithemis arteriosa	Insects	184
Yellow-billed Kite	Milvus migrans parasitus	Birds	184
Laughing Dove	Spilopelia senegalensis	Birds	183
Variegated grasshopper	Zonocerus variegatus	Insects	183
Palm-nut Vulture	Gypohierax angolensis	Birds	183
Brown House Snake	Boaedon fuliginosus	Reptiles	183
Cercidocerus albicollis	Cercidocerus albicollis	Insects	183
Bruce's Green-Pigeon	Treron waalia	Birds	183
Green Sandpiper	Tringa ochropus	Birds	182
Bateleur	Terathopius ecaudatus	Birds	182
Quailfinch	Ortygospiza atricollis	Birds	182
White-billed Buffalo-Weaver	Bubalornis albirostris	Birds	181
Hooded Vulture	Necrosyrtes monachus	Birds	180
Guinea Turaco	Tauraco persa	Birds	180
White-tailed Mongoose	Ichneumia albicauda	Mammals	179
West African Large-spotted Genet	Genetta pardina	Mammals	178
Pachnoda tridentata moseri	Pachnoda tridentata moseri	Insects	178
Gasteracantha curvispina	Gasteracantha curvispina	Arachnids	177
Buffon's Kob	Kobus kob kob	Mammals	177
West African Potto	Perodicticus potto	Mammals	177
Dwarf Crocodile	Osteolaemus tetraspis	Reptiles	176
Broad-winged Sparklewing	Umma cincta	Insects	175
Violet Turaco	Tauraco violaceus	Birds	173
Hallowell's House Snake	Boaedon virgatus	Reptiles	172
Black-backed Cisticola	Cisticola eximius	Birds	172
West African slender-snouted crocodile	Mecistops cataphractus	Reptiles	171
West African Pied Hornbill	Lophoceros semifasciatus	Birds	170
Standard-winged Nightjar	Caprimulgus longipennis	Birds	169
Euphaedra phaethusa phaethusa	Euphaedra phaethusa phaethusa	Insects	168
Mesotopus tarandus	Mesotopus tarandus	Insects	168
Anilina plebeja	Anilina plebeja	Insects	167
Northern Red Bishop	Euplectes franciscanus	Birds	165
Chamaeleo gracilis gracilis	Chamaeleo gracilis gracilis	Reptiles	165
Incipient False Acraea	Pseudacraea warburgi	Insects	164
Pied Kingfisher	Ceryle rudis	Birds	163
Western Roan Antelope	Hippotragus equinus koba	Mammals	163
Polyptychus orthographus	Polyptychus orthographus	Insects	163
Grasshopper Buzzard	Butastur rufipennis	Birds	162
Basker	Euchromia lethe	Insects	162
Fashion Commodore	Precis pelarga	Insects	161
Egyptian Plover	Pluvianus aegyptius	Birds	160
Maekistocera filipes	Maekistocera filipes	Insects	159
Western Black-headed Oriole	Oriolus brachyrynchus	Birds	159
Northern White-faced Owl	Ptilopsis leucotis	Birds	158
Coast River Frog	Phrynobatrachus plicatus	Amphibians	157
African Giant Skipper	Coeliades iphis	Insects	156
Pearl-spotted Owlet	Glaucidium perlatum	Birds	156
Widespread Forester	Euphaedra medon medon	Insects	156
Black-rumped Waxbill	Estrilda troglodytes	Birds	156
White-fronted Black-Chat	Oenanthe albifrons	Birds	155
Senegal Agama	Agama sankaranica	Reptiles	155
Greater Painted-Snipe	Rostratula benghalensis	Birds	155
Striped Ground Squirrel	Euxerus erythropus	Mammals	154
Verdant Hawkmoth	Euchloron megaera	Insects	154
Willow Warbler	Phylloscopus trochilus	Birds	153
African Green-Pigeon	Treron calvus	Birds	153
African Thrush	Turdus pelios	Birds	153
Western Plantain-eater	Crinifer piscator	Birds	153
Pygmy Sunbird	Hedydipna platura	Birds	152
Rhynocoris albopilosus	Rhynocoris albopilosus	Insects	151
Senegal Chameleon	Chamaeleo senegalensis	Reptiles	151
Purple Roller	Coracias naevius	Birds	150
Sahel Bush Sparrow	Gymnoris dentata	Birds	149
Common Swift	Apus apus	Birds	149
White-backed Vulture	Gyps africanus	Birds	148
Olive Grass Racer	Psammophis phillipsii	Reptiles	148
Camponotus orthodoxus	Camponotus orthodoxus	Insects	146
Common Bulbul	Pycnonotus barbatus	Birds	145
White-headed Vulture	Trigonoceps occipitalis	Birds	145
Aulacosphodrus leucocephalus	Aulacosphodrus leucocephalus	Insects	145
Squacco Heron	Ardeola ralloides	Birds	144
West African Helmeted Guineafowl	Numida meleagris galeatus	Birds	144
Melierax metabates metabates	Melierax metabates metabates	Birds	144
Rusty-spotted Genet	Genetta fieldiana	Mammals	143
Great Blue Turaco	Corythaeola cristata	Birds	143
Eulophonotus hyalinipennis	Eulophonotus hyalinipennis	Insects	143
Cucumber Moth	Diaphania indica	Insects	142
Whitebar Acraea	Telchinia encedon	Insects	142
Danaid Eggfly	Hypolimnas misippus	Insects	142
Black Bee-eater	Merops gularis	Birds	141
White-rumped Seedeater	Crithagra leucopygia	Birds	141
Scarlet-chested Sunbird	Chalcomitra senegalensis	Birds	140
Red-necked Buzzard	Buteo auguralis	Birds	140
Yellow-billed Shrike	Corvinella corvina	Birds	140
Black-kneed Duskhawker	Gynacantha bullata	Insects	139
African Woolly-necked Stork	Ciconia microscelis	Birds	137
Ayres's Hawk-Eagle	Hieraaetus ayresii	Birds	137
Homoderus mellyi	Homoderus mellyi	Insects	137
Black-headed Lapwing	Vanellus tectus	Birds	137
European Pied Flycatcher	Ficedula hypoleuca	Birds	135
Blood-red Glider	Cymothoe sangaris	Insects	135
Long-tailed Nightjar	Caprimulgus climacurus	Birds	134
Olive House Snake	Boaedon olivaceus	Reptiles	134
Cameroon Dwarf Gecko	Lygodactylus conraui	Reptiles	133
Orange-breasted Waxbill	Amandava subflava	Birds	133
Peters's Rock Agama	Agama picticauda	Reptiles	132
Polyptychus anochus	Polyptychus anochus	Insects	132
Kob	Kobus kob	Mammals	131
Fox Kestrel	Falco alopex	Birds	131
Green-backed Camaroptera	Camaroptera brachyura	Birds	130
Northern Black-Flycatcher	Melaenornis edolioides	Birds	130
White-crested Helmetshrike	Prionops plumatus	Birds	128
Neopolyptychus spurrelli	Neopolyptychus spurrelli	Insects	128
Green Monkey	Chlorocebus sabaeus	Mammals	128
Abyssinian Roller	Coracias abyssinicus	Birds	127
Double-toothed Barbet	Pogonornis bidentatus	Birds	127
Purple Starling	Lamprotornis purpureus	Birds	127
African Harrier-Hawk	Polyboroides typus	Birds	126
Blue-breasted Kingfisher	Halcyon malimbica	Birds	126
West African Fiddler Crab	Afruca tangeri	Other animals	125
Bearded Barbet	Pogonornis dubius	Birds	124
sun beetle	Pachnoda marginata	Insects	124
Convolvulus Hawkmoth	Agrius convolvuli	Insects	123
African leaf butterfly	Kallimoides rumia	Insects	123
Spotted Thick-knee	Burhinus capensis	Birds	122
Gosling's Bunting	Emberiza goslingi	Birds	122
Northern Red-billed Hornbill	Tockus erythrorhynchus	Birds	121
Eurasian Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus	Birds	120
Piapiac	Ptilostomus afer	Birds	120
Guinean Hamerkop	Scopus umbretta minor	Birds	120
Yellow-fronted Canary	Crithagra mozambica	Birds	119
Golden-tailed Woodpecker	Campethera abingoni	Birds	119
African Burrowing Python	Calabaria reinhardtii	Reptiles	119
African Green Bee-eater	Merops viridissimus	Birds	119
Red-eyed Dove	Streptopelia semitorquata	Birds	118
Stout Pintail	Acisoma inflatum	Insects	118
Black Goshawk	Astur melanoleucus	Birds	118
Four-banded Sandgrouse	Pterocles quadricinctus	Birds	118
Turritella ungulina	Turritella ungulina	Mollusks	117
Eastern Lesser Spot-nosed Monkey	Cercopithecus petaurista petaurista	Mammals	116
African Fish-Eagle	Icthyophaga vocifer	Birds	115
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu	Uraeginthus bengalus	Birds	115
Latoia nana	Latoia nana	Insects	114
Broad Scarlet	Crocothemis erythraea	Insects	113
Woodland Kingfisher	Halcyon senegalensis	Birds	113
Mung Bean Moth	Maruca vitrata	Insects	112
Chestnut-bellied Starling	Lamprotornis pulcher	Birds	112
Pternistis bicalcaratus bicalcaratus	Pternistis bicalcaratus bicalcaratus	Birds	110
Dancing Amber	Telchinia serena	Insects	110
Centromyrmex sellaris	Centromyrmex sellaris	Insects	109
Phrynobatrachus villiersi	Phrynobatrachus villiersi	Amphibians	109
Grayish Eagle-Owl	Bubo cinerascens	Birds	108
Euproctis pygmaea	Euproctis pygmaea	Insects	108
Ourebia ourebi quadriscopa	Ourebia ourebi quadriscopa	Mammals	108
Lesser Honeyguide	Indicator minor	Birds	107
Bobiri Reed Frog	Hyperolius sylvaticus	Amphibians	107
Gray-headed Kingfisher	Halcyon leucocephala	Birds	106
Brown-cheeked Hornbill	Bycanistes cylindricus	Birds	106
Physciolagria smithi	Physciolagria smithi	Insects	104
Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	Birds	103
African Five-lined Skink	Trachylepis quinquetaeniata	Reptiles	103
Glenea vigintiduomaculata	Glenea vigintiduomaculata	Insects	102
Yellow-crowned Bishop	Euplectes afer	Birds	102
African Pygmy Kingfisher	Ispidina picta	Birds	101
Dull Purple-glossed Snake	Amblyodipsas unicolor	Reptiles	100
Singing Cisticola	Cisticola cantans	Birds	99
Coeliades iphis iphis	Coeliades iphis iphis	Insects	99
Alligatorback Scorpion	Hottentotta hottentotta	Arachnids	99
African Migrant	Catopsilia florella	Insects	98
Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Birds	98
Wire-tailed Swallow	Hirundo smithii	Birds	98
Telchinia pseudepaea	Telchinia pseudepaea	Insects	98
Rock-loving Cisticola	Cisticola aberrans	Birds	98
Halcyon horseshoe bat	Rhinolophus alcyone	Mammals	97
Pea Blue	Lampides boeticus	Insects	96
Helmeted Guineafowl	Numida meleagris	Birds	96
White-bellied Pangolin	Phataginus tricuspis	Mammals	96
Blue Malkoha	Ceuthmochares aereus	Birds	95
West African House Gecko	Hemidactylus angulatus	Reptiles	94
Corus collaris	Corus collaris	Insects	92
Narthecusa perplexata	Narthecusa perplexata	Insects	90
Cut-throat Finch	Amadina fasciata	Birds	90
Aegocera rectilinea	Aegocera rectilinea	Insects	89
Yellow-crowned Gonolek	Laniarius barbarus	Birds	89
Guinea-fowl Butterfly	Hamanumida daedalus	Insects	88
Plistospilota nigerica	Plistospilota nigerica	Insects	87
Phileta tiger moth	Caryatis phileta	Insects	86
Euphaedra harpalyce harpalyce	Euphaedra harpalyce harpalyce	Insects	85
Red-throated Bee-eater	Merops bulocki	Birds	84
Euphaedra edwardsii	Euphaedra edwardsii	Insects	84
Tricholoba atriclathrata	Tricholoba atriclathrata	Insects	83
Greater Honeyguide	Indicator indicator	Birds	82
Darker Commodore	Precis antilope	Insects	81
Aterica galene galene	Aterica galene galene	Insects	81
Dark Palm Forester	Bebearia mardania	Insects	80
Oberthür’s Pathfinder	Evena oberthueri	Insects	79
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow	Passer griseus	Birds	78
African Jacana	Actophilornis africanus	Birds	78
Eurytela dryope dryope	Eurytela dryope dryope	Insects	78
Ubiquitous Footman	Brunia vicaria	Insects	77
Familiar Chat	Oenanthe familiaris	Birds	76
Temnora crenulata	Temnora crenulata	Insects	76
Malachite Kingfisher	Corythornis cristatus	Birds	74
Thyridorhoptrum carbonarium	Thyridorhoptrum carbonarium	Insects	74
Ulopeza flavicepsalis	Ulopeza flavicepsalis	Insects	73
White-faced Whistling-Duck	Dendrocygna viduata	Birds	72
Warlike Spiny Sugar ant	Polyrhachis militaris	Insects	72
Spotted Flycatcher	Muscicapa striata	Birds	71
Macrostemum capense	Macrostemum capense	Insects	71
Northern Puffback	Dryoscopus gambensis	Birds	70
Melinoessa stramineata	Melinoessa stramineata	Insects	70
Western Yellow Wagtail	Motacilla flava	Birds	69
Hyllus plexippoides	Hyllus plexippoides	Arachnids	68
Charaxes cynthia cynthia	Charaxes cynthia cynthia	Insects	67
Western Blacktail	Nesciothemis pujoli	Insects	66
Hamerkop	Scopus umbretta	Birds	65
Polyptychus carteri	Polyptychus carteri	Insects	65
White-thighed Colobus	Colobus vellerosus	Mammals	65
Ussher's Flycatcher	Artomyias ussheri	Birds	65
Pale Flycatcher	Agricola pallidus	Birds	62
African Hobby	Falco cuvierii	Birds	61
Forbes's Plover	Thinornis forbesi	Birds	60
Copper Sunbird	Cinnyris cupreus	Birds	60
Stone Partridge	Ptilopachus petrosus	Birds	59
Little Swift	Apus affinis	Birds	58
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird	Pogoniulus chrysoconus	Birds	57
Tawny-flanked Prinia	Prinia subflava	Birds	55
African Gray Hornbill	Lophoceros nasutus	Birds	53
Square-tailed Sawwing	Psalidoprocne nitens	Birds	53
Rose-ringed Parakeet	Psittacula krameri	Birds	52
Neptidopsis ophione ophione	Neptidopsis ophione ophione	Insects	52
Zenobia Swallowtail	Papilio zenobia	Insects	51
Nymph Wanderer	Bematistes alcinoe alcinoe	Insects	50
Tit-hylia	Pholidornis rushiae	Birds	49
Senegal Parrot	Poicephalus senegalus	Birds	48
Melodious Warbler	Hippolais polyglotta	Birds	47
Dysallacta negatalis	Dysallacta negatalis	Insects	46
Green Bush Viper	Atheris chlorechis	Reptiles	45
Western Patas Monkey	Erythrocebus patas patas	Mammals	44
Black-necked Spitting Cobra	Naja nigricollis	Reptiles	43
Red-chested Goshawk (Banded)	Aerospiza tachiro macroscelides	Birds	43
Vestula lineaticeps	Vestula lineaticeps	Insects	42
Orange-legged Yellowwing	Allocnemis elongata	Insects	41
Plain Tiger Butterfly	Danaus chrysippus	Insects	40
Citrus Swallowtail	Papilio demodocus demodocus	Insects	40
Green Woodhoopoe	Phoeniculus purpureus	Birds	39
Red-cheeked Wattle-eye	Platysteira blissetti	Birds	39
Specious Tiger	Asota speciosa	Insects	35
Eroded Hingeback Tortoise	Kinixys erosa	Reptiles	33
Savanna Spiny Sugar Ant	Polyrhachis schistacea	Insects	28
Common African Cuckoo-Hawk	Aviceda cuculoides cuculoides	Birds	26
Hawaiian Beet Webworm Moth	Spoladea recurvalis	Insects	25
Northern Fiscal	Lanius humeralis	Birds	24
Hadada Ibis	Bostrychia hagedash	Birds	23
Fork-tailed Drongo	Dicrurus adsimilis	Birds	22
Pirate	Catacroptera cloanthe	Insects	22
Black-billed Wood-Dove	Turtur abyssinicus	Birds	21
Delta bonellii	Delta bonellii	Insects	21
Cream Drab	Xanthodes albago	Insects	19
Long-tailed Glossy Starling	Lamprotornis caudatus	Birds	19
Senegal Coucal	Centropus senegalensis	Birds	19
Senegal Eremomela	Eremomela pusilla	Birds	18
Blue-spot Pansy	Junonia oenone	Insects	18
Junonia terea terea	Junonia terea terea	Insects	17
Black-crowned Tchagra	Tchagra senegalus	Birds	17
Oriole Warbler	Hypergerus atriceps	Birds	17
Little Heron	Butorides atricapilla	Birds	16
Bebearia cutteri	Bebearia cutteri	Insects	16
Anthene sylvanus	Anthene sylvanus	Insects	15
Eurasian Whimbrel (European)	Numenius phaeopus phaeopus	Birds	14
Sundowner moth	Sphingomorpha chlorea	Insects	13
Nimba Flycatcher	Melaenornis annamarulae	Birds	13
Blue-throated Roller	Eurystomus gularis	Birds	11
Saddle-billed Stork	Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis	Birds	8
Sixspot Bug	Probergrothius sexpunctatus	Insects	8
Domestic Goat	Capra hircus	Mammals	7
Banded Skimmer	Orthetrum brachiale	Insects	7
Common Yellow Glider	Cymothoe egesta	Insects	6
Ethiopian Swallow	Hirundo aethiopica	Birds	5
Speckled Tinkerbird	Pogoniulus scolopaceus	Birds	4
Common Emperor Scorpion	Pandinus imperator	Arachnids	3
African Cuckoo	Cuculus gularis	Birds	1

West Africa

About West Africa

Most-recorded wild species here

Full species checklist

Groups found here

Mammals

Birds

Reptiles

Amphibians

Insects

Arachnids

Mollusks

Other animals