Coastal preserve
Saloum Delta National Park
Senegal
More than 200 islands, brackish channels and mangrove forests make the Saloum Delta a haven for breeding and wintering birds on the West African coast.
Islands and mangroves
The Saloum Delta stretches about 72 km along Senegal's coast and 35 km inland. Brackish channels wind between more than 200 islands and islets, mangrove forest, dry woodland and open Atlantic shore.
Why it matters for birds
The delta supports important breeding colonies of royal terns, along with greater flamingos, Eurasian spoonbills and goliath herons. In winter, migrant waders from Europe and the Arctic, such as curlew sandpipers, ruddy turnstones and little stints, feed on its mudflats.
A cultural landscape
The delta was listed by UNESCO for its culture as well as its nature. More than 200 shellfish mounds, some containing burial sites, record thousands of years of human life in the delta.
Get involved
Visited, studied or worked at this site? Share your observations or photos with us.