Sierra Leone bird checklist

531 bird species in 93 families have been recorded in Sierra Leone, according to eBird; about 295 of them are seen regularly, and the rest are rarities, vagrants and escaped or introduced birds. Download the full list as a PDF, or tick birds off on your phone, with counts and notes, even without signal.

Species data: eBird.org, updated 13 Oct 2026 · How these lists are made

The most common birds in Sierra Leone right now

1Yellow-mantled Widowbird
2Pied Crow
3Pin-tailed Whydah
4Red-billed Firefinch
5African Harrier-Hawk
6Common Bulbul
7Bronze Mannikin
8African Red-rumped Swallow
9Rock Pigeon
10Western Cattle-Egret

The top 20, and how they are ranked

Sierra Leone bird checklist

531 species · loading the checklist tools…

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

White-faced Whistling-Duck
Knob-billed Duck
Hartlaub's Duck
Spur-winged Goose
African Pygmy-Goose
Garganey

Guineafowl

Helmeted Guineafowl
White-breasted Guineafowl
Western Crested Guineafowl

New World Quail

Stone Partridge

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Latham's Francolin
Ahanta Spurfowl
Double-spurred Spurfowl

Pigeons and Doves

Rock Pigeon
Speckled Pigeon
Afep Pigeon
Western Bronze-naped Pigeon
European Turtle-Dove
Red-eyed Dove
Vinaceous Dove
Laughing Dove
Blue-spotted Wood-Dove
Tambourine Dove
Blue-headed Wood-Dove
African Green-Pigeon

Turacos

Great Blue Turaco
Western Plantain-eater
Yellow-billed Turaco
Guinea Turaco

Cuckoos

Black-throated Coucal
Senegal Coucal
Blue-headed Coucal
Black Coucal
Blue Malkoha
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Levaillant's Cuckoo
Thick-billed Cuckoo
Dideric Cuckoo
Klaas's Cuckoo
Yellow-throated Cuckoo
African Emerald Cuckoo
Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo
Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo
Black Cuckoo
Red-chested Cuckoo
African Cuckoo
Common Cuckoo

Nightjars and Allies

Brown Nightjar
Standard-winged Nightjar
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Swamp Nightjar
Plain Nightjar
Freckled Nightjar
Long-tailed Nightjar

Swifts

Sabine's Spinetail
Mottled Swift
Common Swift
Little Swift
White-rumped Swift
African Palm Swift

Flufftails

White-spotted Flufftail
Buff-spotted Flufftail
Red-chested Flufftail

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

African Rail
Eurasian Moorhen
Allen's Gallinule
African Swamphen
Nkulengu Rail
Black Crake

Finfoots

African Finfoot

Cranes

Black Crowned-Crane

Thick-knees

Senegal Thick-knee

Egyptian Plover

Egyptian Plover

Stilts and Avocets

Black-winged Stilt

Oystercatchers

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Plovers and Lapwings

Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Common Ringed Plover
Forbes's Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Spur-winged Lapwing
White-crowned Lapwing
Wattled Lapwing
White-fronted Plover
Kentish Plover

Painted-Snipes

Greater Painted-Snipe

Jacanas

African Jacana

Sandpipers and Allies

Eurasian Whimbrel
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
Great Snipe
Common Snipe
Common Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Redshank
Common Greenshank
Ruddy Turnstone
Ruff
Curlew Sandpiper
Sanderling
Dunlin
Little Stint

Buttonquail

Small Buttonquail

Pratincoles and Coursers

Rock Pratincole
Collared Pratincole

Skuas and Jaegers

Long-tailed Jaeger
Pomarine Jaeger

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Gray-hooded Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
African Skimmer
Little Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Whiskered Tern
Black Tern
White-winged Tern
Common Tern
Roseate Tern
Sandwich Tern
Lesser Crested Tern
West African Crested Tern

Grebes

Little Grebe

Shearwaters and Petrels

Cory's Shearwater

Storks

African Openbill
Abdim's Stork
African Woolly-necked Stork
Saddle-billed Stork
Yellow-billed Stork

Anhingas

African Darter

Cormorants and Shags

Reed Cormorant

Ibises and Spoonbills

Olive Ibis
Hadada Ibis
African Spoonbill

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

White-crested Tiger-Heron
Dwarf Bittern
Little Bittern
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black Heron
Little Egret
Western Reef-Heron
White-backed Night Heron
Little Heron
Squacco Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Great Egret
Yellow-billed Egret
Gray Heron
Purple Heron
Black-headed Heron
Goliath Heron

Hamerkop

Hamerkop

Pelicans

Pink-backed Pelican

Osprey

Osprey

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Black-winged Kite
African Harrier-Hawk
Palm-nut Vulture
African Cuckoo-Hawk
European Honey-buzzard
Hooded Vulture
White-backed Vulture
Western Banded Snake-Eagle
Congo Snake-Eagle
Beaudouin's Snake-Eagle
Brown Snake-Eagle
Crowned Eagle
Martial Eagle
Long-crested Eagle
Wahlberg's Eagle
Ayres's Hawk-Eagle
Booted Eagle
Cassin's Hawk-Eagle
Bat Hawk
Long-tailed Hawk
Lizard Buzzard
African Goshawk
Red-thighed Sparrowhawk
Shikra
Black Goshawk
Western Marsh Harrier
Pallid Harrier
Montagu's Harrier
Black Kite
African Fish-Eagle
Grasshopper Buzzard
Red-necked Buzzard

Barn-Owls

Western Barn Owl

Owls

African Scops-Owl
Northern White-faced Owl
Grayish Eagle-Owl
Fraser's Eagle-Owl
Verreaux's Eagle-Owl
Pel's Fishing-Owl
Rufous Fishing-Owl
African Wood-Owl

Trogons

Narina Trogon

Hoopoes

Common Hoopoe

Woodhoopoes and Scimitarbills

Green Woodhoopoe
Black Scimitarbill

Hornbills

Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill
West African Pied Hornbill
African Gray Hornbill
Western Long-tailed Hornbill
Western Dwarf Hornbill
Yellow-casqued Hornbill
Black-casqued Hornbill
Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill
Brown-cheeked Hornbill
Piping Hornbill

Bee-eaters

Black Bee-eater
Blue-moustached Bee-eater
Little Bee-eater
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
White-throated Bee-eater
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
European Bee-eater
Northern Carmine Bee-eater

Kingfishers

Shining-blue Kingfisher
Malachite Kingfisher
White-bellied Kingfisher
African Pygmy Kingfisher
African Dwarf Kingfisher
Chocolate-backed Kingfisher
Gray-headed Kingfisher
Woodland Kingfisher
Blue-breasted Kingfisher
Striped Kingfisher
Giant Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher

Rollers

Abyssinian Roller
Blue-bellied Roller
Broad-billed Roller
Blue-throated Roller

African Barbets

Western Yellow-billed Barbet
Naked-faced Barbet
Speckled Tinkerbird
Red-rumped Tinkerbird
Yellow-throated Tinkerbird
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird
Yellow-spotted Barbet
Hairy-breasted Barbet
Vieillot's Barbet
Double-toothed Barbet

Honeyguides

Cassin's Honeybird
Yellow-footed Honeyguide
Willcocks's Honeyguide
Least Honeyguide
Lesser Honeyguide
Spotted Honeyguide
Greater Honeyguide

Woodpeckers

Eurasian Wryneck
Fire-bellied Woodpecker
Melancholy Woodpecker
Cardinal Woodpecker
Brown-backed Woodpecker
African Gray Woodpecker
Brown-eared Woodpecker
Buff-spotted Woodpecker
Green-backed Woodpecker
Fine-spotted Woodpecker

Falcons and Caracaras

Eurasian Kestrel
Fox Kestrel
Gray Kestrel
African Hobby
Lanner Falcon
Peregrine Falcon

Old World Parrots

Rose-ringed Parakeet
Black-collared Lovebird
Red-headed Lovebird

New World and African Parrots

Timneh Parrot
Senegal Parrot

African and Green Broadbills

Rufous-sided Broadbill

Pittas

African Pitta

Cuckooshrikes

White-breasted Cuckooshrike
Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike
Blue Cuckooshrike

Old World Orioles

Eurasian Golden Oriole
African Golden Oriole
Western Black-headed Oriole
Black-winged Oriole

Wattle-eyes and Batises

West African Wattle-eye
Brown-throated Wattle-eye
Red-cheeked Wattle-eye
Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye
Senegal Batis
West African Batis

Vangas, Helmetshrikes, and Allies

White-crested Helmetshrike
Red-billed Helmetshrike
African Shrike-flycatcher
Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher

Bushshrikes and Allies

Brubru
Northern Puffback
Sabine's Puffback
Marsh Tchagra
Black-crowned Tchagra
Brown-crowned Tchagra
Turati's Boubou
Tropical Boubou
Yellow-crowned Gonolek
Lowland Sooty Boubou
Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike
Many-colored Bushshrike
Fiery-breasted Bushshrike
Lagden's Bushshrike
Gray-headed Bushshrike

Drongos

Sharpe's Drongo
Shining Drongo
Fork-tailed Drongo
Velvet-mantled Drongo

Monarch Flycatchers

Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher
Black-headed Paradise-Flycatcher
African Paradise-Flycatcher

Shrikes

Yellow-billed Shrike
Northern Fiscal
Woodchat Shrike

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Piapiac
Pied Crow

Rockfowl

White-necked Rockfowl

Hyliotas

Yellow-bellied Hyliota

Fairy Flycatchers

African Blue Flycatcher
Dusky Crested Flycatcher

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

White-shouldered Black-Tit

Larks

Sun Lark

Nicators

Western Nicator

African Warblers

Green Crombec
Lemon-bellied Crombec
Northern Crombec
Moustached Grass-Warbler
Kemp's Longbill
Gray Longbill

Cisticolas and Allies

Senegal Eremomela
Rufous-crowned Eremomela
Sierra Leone Prinia
Green-backed Camaroptera
Yellow-browed Camaroptera
Olive-green Camaroptera
Black-capped Apalis
Yellow-breasted Apalis
Sharpe's Apalis
Tawny-flanked Prinia
Red-winged Prinia
Black-capped Rufous-Warbler
Oriole Warbler
Red-faced Cisticola
Singing Cisticola
Whistling Cisticola
Chattering Cisticola
Winding Cisticola
Croaking Cisticola
Siffling Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola
Black-backed Cisticola

Reed Warblers and Allies

Melodious Warbler
Sedge Warbler
Common Reed Warbler
Great Reed Warbler

Swallows

Square-tailed Sawwing
Fanti Sawwing
Bank Swallow
Red-throated Crag-Martin
Pied-winged Swallow
Barn Swallow
Red-chested Swallow
White-throated Blue Swallow
Wire-tailed Swallow
Western House-Martin
African Red-rumped Swallow
Lesser Striped Swallow
Rufous-chested Swallow
Preuss's Swallow

Bulbuls

Slender-billed Greenbul
Golden Greenbul
Red-tailed Bristlebill
Green-tailed Bristlebill
Gray-headed Bristlebill
Yellow-gorgeted Greenbul
Spotted Greenbul
Swamp Greenbul
Simple Greenbul
Honeyguide Greenbul
Western Bearded-Greenbul
Red-tailed Greenbul
Yellow-bearded Greenbul
Little Greenbul
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul
Plain Greenbul
Gray Greenbul
Ansorge's Greenbul
White-throated Greenbul
Icterine Greenbul
Leaf-love
Common Bulbul

Leaf Warblers

Wood Warbler
Willow Warbler

Hylias

Green Hylia
Tit-hylia

Yellow Flycatchers

Chestnut-capped Flycatcher

Sylviid Warblers and Allies

Eurasian Blackcap
Garden Warbler

White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies

Northern Yellow White-eye

Ground Babblers and Allies

Brown Illadopsis
Pale-breasted Illadopsis
Blackcap Illadopsis
Puvel's Illadopsis
Rufous-winged Illadopsis

Laughingthrushes and Allies

Capuchin Babbler
Brown Babbler
Blackcap Babbler

Spotted Creepers

African Spotted Creeper

Oxpeckers

Yellow-billed Oxpecker

Starlings

Violet-backed Starling
Chestnut-winged Starling
Copper-tailed Starling
Splendid Starling
Lesser Blue-eared Starling
Emerald Starling
Bronze-tailed Starling

Thrushes and Allies

Finsch's Flycatcher-Thrush
White-tailed Ant-Thrush
Gray Ground-Thrush
African Thrush

Old World Flycatchers

Spotted Flycatcher
Cassin's Flycatcher
Ussher's Flycatcher
Pale Flycatcher
White-browed Forest-Flycatcher
African Forest-Flycatcher
Gray Tit-Flycatcher
Northern Black-Flycatcher
White-tailed Alethe
Forest Scrub-Robin
Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat
White-crowned Robin-Chat
Brown-chested Alethe
Orange-breasted Forest Robin
Lowland Akalat
Common Nightingale
European Pied Flycatcher
Common Redstart
Whinchat
African Stonechat
Northern Wheatear
White-fronted Black-Chat

Sunbirds and Spiderhunters

Fraser's Sunbird
Mouse-brown Sunbird
Western Violet-backed Sunbird
Little Green Sunbird
Yellow-chinned Sunbird
Collared Sunbird
Pygmy Sunbird
Green-headed Sunbird
Blue-throated Brown Sunbird
Olive Sunbird
Buff-throated Sunbird
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Olive-bellied Sunbird
Beautiful Sunbird
Splendid Sunbird
Johanna's Sunbird
Superb Sunbird
Variable Sunbird
Copper Sunbird

Weavers and Allies

Gola Malimbe
Red-vented Malimbe
Blue-billed Malimbe
Crested Malimbe
Red-headed Malimbe
Olive-naped Weaver
Orange Weaver
Heuglin's Masked-Weaver
Chestnut-and-black Weaver
Village Weaver
Yellow-mantled Weaver
Maxwell's Black Weaver
Preuss's Weaver
Compact Weaver
Red-headed Quelea
Red-billed Quelea
Northern Red Bishop
Black-winged Bishop
Yellow-crowned Bishop
Yellow-mantled Widowbird
Red-collared Widowbird
Grosbeak Weaver

Waxbills and Allies

Bronze Mannikin
Magpie Mannikin
Black-and-white Mannikin
African Silverbill
Red-fronted Antpecker
White-breasted Nigrita
Chestnut-breasted Nigrita
Gray-headed Nigrita
Gray-headed Oliveback
Orange-cheeked Waxbill
Common Waxbill
Black-rumped Waxbill
Quailfinch
Zebra Waxbill
Western Bluebill
Crimson Seedcracker
Red-winged Pytilia
Red-faced Pytilia
Dybowski's Twinspot
Red-billed Firefinch
African Firefinch
Black-bellied Firefinch
Bar-breasted Firefinch

Whydahs and Indigobirds

Pin-tailed Whydah
Togo Paradise-Whydah
Village Indigobird
Jambandu Indigobird
Barka Indigobird
Cameroon Indigobird

Old World Sparrows

House Sparrow
Northern Gray-headed Sparrow
Sahel Bush Sparrow

Wagtails and Pipits

Western Yellow Wagtail
African Pied Wagtail
White Wagtail
Long-billed Pipit
Plain-backed Pipit
Tree Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Yellow-throated Longclaw

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

Yellow-fronted Canary
West African Seedeater

Old World Buntings

Brown-rumped Bunting
Cabanis's Bunting
Gosling's Bunting

Most common birds in Sierra Leone

Ranked by how recently and how widely each was reported to eBird in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, and whether it is one of Sierra Leone’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.

Yellow-mantled WidowbirdEuplectes macroura
Pied CrowCorvus albus
Pin-tailed WhydahVidua macroura
Red-billed FirefinchLagonosticta senegala
African Harrier-HawkPolyboroides typus
Common BulbulPycnonotus barbatus
Bronze MannikinSpermestes cucullata
African Red-rumped SwallowCecropis melanocrissus
Rock PigeonColumba livia
Western Cattle-EgretArdea ibis
Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
Great EgretArdea alba
Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
Common TernSterna hirundo
Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
Common SwiftApus apus
Little SwiftApus affinis
Black KiteMilvus migrans
Western Yellow WagtailMotacilla flava
Little EgretEgretta garzetta

Largest bird families in Sierra Leone

Among its regular birds.

Weavers and Allies19
Waxbills and Allies16
Bulbuls15
Swallows13
Sunbirds and Spiderhunters12
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers11
Sandpipers and Allies11
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns10

Reported in the last 30 days

8 species reported to eBird in Sierra Leone in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, most recent first:

Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Pied Crow, Pin-tailed Whydah, African Red-rumped Swallow, Red-billed Firefinch, African Harrier-Hawk, Common Bulbul, Bronze Mannikin.