Uncommon Birds in Sierra Leone
Our list for Sierra Leone has 19 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 6 passage migrants and 13 scarce visitors
All 19, most common first
Senegal Thick-kneeBurhinus senegalensisPassage migrantUncommon38–43 cmRegularly Feb
WhinchatSaxicola rubetraScarceUncommon12–14 cm
Willow WarblerPhylloscopus trochilusPassage migrantUncommon11–13 cmRegularly Nov–Feb
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaScarceUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Jan
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaScarceUncommon33–42 cm
Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaPassage migrantUncommon27–30 cmRegularly Dec
Common Reed-warblerAcrocephalus scirpaceusScarceUncommon13–14 cm
Tree PipitAnthus trivialisPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Apr
Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticulaPassage migrantUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Dec–Jan
SanderlingCalidris albaScarceUncommon18–20 cm
Green SandpiperTringa ochropusScarceUncommon21–24 cm
House MartinDelichon urbicumScarceUncommon13–15 cm
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoScarceUncommon25–27 cm
Spotted FlycatcherMuscicapa striataScarceUncommon14–16 cm
Purple HeronArdea purpureaPassage migrantUncommon78–90 cmRegularly Jan
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxScarceUncommon58–65 cmRegularly Jan
European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorusScarceUncommon52–60 cm
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusScarceUncommon34–58 cmRegularly Jan
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresScarceUncommon21–24 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Willow Warbler 11–13 cm
- Whinchat 12–14 cm
- Sand Martin 12–14 cm
- Common Reed-warbler 13–14 cm
- House Martin 13–15 cm
- Tree Pipit 14–16 cm
- Spotted Flycatcher 14–16 cm
- Ringed Plover 17–19 cm
- Sanderling 18–20 cm
- Green Sandpiper 21–24 cm
- Ruddy Turnstone 21–24 cm
- Common Snipe 25–27 cm
- Grey Plover 27–30 cm
- Gull-billed Tern 33–42 cm
- Senegal Thick-knee 38–43 cm
- Peregrine Falcon 34–58 cm
- European Honey-buzzard 52–60 cm
- Black-crowned Night-heron 58–65 cm
- Purple Heron 78–90 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made