This coastal wetland was recently described by Dave Gosney (author of finding birds in the Gambia) as the best birding site in the country; it lies at the southern tip of the Gambia, on the border with Senegal and within easy reach from the main hotel areas. Once a sand extraction quarry, it’s now comprises of shallow freshwater ponds with reed beds, coastal dunes, mudflats, sandy beaches, patches of woodland and scrub. The focal point is the rich, shallow freshwater ponds which provide refuges for a wide range of waterfowls and waders. But there is also a good range of woodland birds and raptors while the beach attracts a host of seabirds, Osprey and waders, many of which are seasonal migrants but some, such as the White Fronted Plover, nest on the dune fringe.

The Kartong Bird Observatory and its bird ringing activities have claimed an enviable list of very rare and elusive birds including Baillon’s Crake, Lesser Crake, Yellow Browned Warbler, and Dwarf Bittern to name a few, while vagrant Hudsonian Whimbrel, Northern Carmine Bee eater, African Pygmy Goose, Knob Billed Duck, and the declining Black Crowned Crane are among the regular visitor to the area.