Red-billed tropicbird colony, Îles de la Madeleine
Red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus), bridled tern, white-breasted (great) cormorant, ospreys in winter. Parc National des Îles de la Madeleine, off Dakar, Senegal.
Best time: 1 Oct – 31 Mar (October to March). Where: Sarpan island (main island), Anse Bernard / Soumbédioune park office (Senegal). Time of day: Mornings when the park pirogues run (about 09:00–16:00).
- Guide, ranger or boat needed
- Entry fee
- No binoculars needed
- Sound 3/5
Open it in the interactive calendarSunrise and sunset listening times for the day you pick, and the map.
When is the best time?
Peak: 1 Oct – 31 Mar. Tropicbirds are present all year; nesting is concentrated in the dry season (roughly October to March — the exact peak isn't well documented). Bridled terns nest in the rains (June–September)
Active from 1 Jan to 31 Dec (all year) in a typical year.
Time of day
Mornings when the park pirogues run (about 09:00–16:00); displaying tropicbirds circle the cliffs through the day
- Park boat hours: 09:00 → 16:00
What will you hear?
Tropicbirds' rasping, ratcheting display screams as pairs circle the basalt cliffs of Sarpan island a few metres overhead, surf in the sea caves, and Dakar's hum across 4 km of water.
Binoculars?
No binoculars needed. Tropicbirds circle a few metres over the cliff path; naked eye.
Where to go
- Sarpan island (main island) — Landing at the small cove with the park guide; a path circles the island past the nesting ledges — stay on it. Map
- Anse Bernard / Soumbédioune park office — DPN office on the Corniche where entry is paid and the pirogue boards (weather permitting — the crossing is cancelled in swell). Map
How to go on your own, and what it costs
Island access is only by the park's own pirogue with a park guide (park rule). Go to the DPN office at Anse Bernard on the Corniche Ouest in the morning; boats run when there are enough people and the sea allows.
Cost: Park entry plus pirogue, a few thousand CFA per person (recent reports) — check current prices at the office.
Free or no-guide alternative: Tropicbirds commute past the Corniche and the Mamelles lighthouse headland; from the public cliff path below the Phare des Mamelles you can watch (and sometimes hear) them for free, but the colony itself is island-only.
Who runs access
- Parc National des Îles de la Madeleine – DPN pirogue (Anse Bernard) (park authority) — The only boat; guide included.
Field-recording notes
Smallest national park in the world, and a guide accompanies you on the island; visits are short (1–2 h), so a fast, hand-held approach — the birds fly within touching distance of the cliff path. Surf and wind are constant; the north-facing cave side is the loudest. No off-path walking, no drones; the cormorant and tern ledges are not to be approached.
Sources
Similar spectacles
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More: all spectacles in Senegal · seabird colonies · Senegal in January · Senegal in February · Senegal in March · Senegal in October · Senegal in November · Senegal in December