Djoudj National Park

Djoudj National Park covers approximately 16,000 hectares of floodplain, river channels, dune formations and inland lakes on the southeastern bank of the Senegal River, in the Sahel zone near the Mauritanian border. Established in 1971 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, it was Senegal's first national park and remains its most significant wetland ecosystem, providing a crucial staging point for migratory birds travelling between Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.

The park's central feature is the Djoudj萧, a group of small islands that provide nesting grounds for an extraordinary concentration of water birds. The white pelican colony is the largest in the world, with approximately 40,000 breeding pairs nesting on the islands during the dry season from November to April. Other significant species include the African spoonbill, great egret, Goliath heron, pink-backed pelican and the African darter, along with thousands of flamingos that feed in the shallows and give the lagoon a pale pink colour in certain light.

During the Northern Hemisphere winter, migratory birds from Europe including various species of geese, ducks and waders join the resident population, swelling the total bird count to over 1.5 million individuals. The park is considered one of the most reliable and spectacular birdwatching destinations in Africa, and guided boat tours through the river channels offer close views of colonies that are impossible to access by land.

The park also supports populations of West African manatees, Nile crocodiles, baboons, warthogs and several species of antelope adapted to the Sahelian environment, including the endangered scimitar-horned oryx. The landscape ranges from open water and papyrus reed beds to semi-arid scrubland dotted with acacia trees, and the seasonal flood pulse that feeds the wetlands typically occurs between August and October.

Access is by 4WD vehicle via a rough track from the town of Dagana, and visitors are required to hire a local guide at the park entrance. The park is closed during the rainy season from July to October due to flooding, and the best time for birdwatching is between December and February when the migratory populations are at their peak. An observation tower near the main lagoon provides unobstructed views across the wetland and the pelican colonies without disturbing the birds.

The park faces ongoing pressure from upstream dam development on the Senegal River, which has altered the natural flood pulse that sustains the wetland ecosystem. Climate change has shortened the rainy season in the Sahel, further affecting the timing and volume of the flood that replenishes the park's channels and shallows.

It hosts the world's largest breeding colony of white pelicans and an extraordinary density of water birds in a relatively accessible Sahelian wetland setting.

The combination of river channels, floodplain, reed beds and acacia scrubland creates a landscape of considerable variety within a compact area.

The park is one of the most accessible major birdwatching destinations in West Africa for visitors based in Dakar or travelling from Morocco or Mauritania.