The Birds of Western Africa
Nik Borrow, Ron Demey: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

• A major new fieldguide, and a classic from the "Helm" stable that will set the standard for Western Africa for years to come. It covers all the 1282 species expected to be seen in the c.20 nations inside a triangle enclosing The Congo, Chad and Mauritania. For the Ivory Coast it is the only single guide that covers all of the nations birds in one book. Nicely illustrated with over 3000 drawings on 142 colour plates which cover all the species described apart from a few vagrants. Distribution maps are provided for the majority of species. As the first comprehensive guide to the region in over 25 years this is a "must buy" for any serious birder visiting Western Africa.

A Field Guide to the Birds of the Gambia and Senegal
Clive Barlow, Tony Disley: Buy from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

• This field guide covers the area of the Gambia, a country which is very popular with a large number of birders. The Gambia shelters many migrants from the Western Palaearctic, from September to April, as well as having a significant list of resident West African birds. The guide also covers Senegal, which almost entirely surrounds The Gambia...

Where to Watch Birds in Africa
Nigel Wheatley: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

• One of a series of guides devoted to birdwatching, this book contains site accounts, plans, maps, lists of birds in the regions and advice on planning bird-watching trips. It deals with over 200 sites in detail, and mentions many others. Each country is covered alphabetically, including archipelagos and isolated islands off the African mainland, for example, the Azores. Bird lists are included under the headings "Endemics", "Specialities", "Others" and also "Other Wildlife", if relevant. Access details are given, often with detailed site maps. The emphasis of the book is "bird finding", that is, where to go for the "best" species.

Birds of Africa
Chris Stuart, Tilde Stuart: Buy from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

• A comprehensive account of the birds of Africa. The text covers all the avifaunal families that occur in Africa, discusses the species that occur within each family, and provides representative examples of each family in depth. Also included is a general introduction to the major avifaunal regions of Africa.

• Superb, concise and compact enough to use in the field. All the mammals you are ever likely to encounter on a trip to africa. For anyone with an interest in African mammals, there really is no substitute. More than 700 illustrations by the authoritive and acclaimed Jonathon Kingdon.

The Rough Guide to West Africa
Richard Trillo, Jim Hudgens: Buy from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

• This is a marvellous guide to the region, packed with hard-nosed advice and information, streets ahead of any other travel guide.