BIRDS OF MENDE

The Republic of Sierra Leone is located in coastal West Africa. Sierra Leone has a typical equatorial climate, with wet and dry seasons each lasting about six months. Due to condusive climate within the regions of the Mende's, they are blessed with a variety of birds diversifying these areas. Some of these birds include:

Grebes

Grebes are small to medium-large sized freshwater diving birds. Generally have lobed toes, and are excellent swimmers. They have their feet placed far back on the body, making them quite ungainly on land. Interestingly out of the 20 species worldwide, 1 only species is found in Sierra Leone and in the lands of the Mende.

Grebes

Shearwater petrel bird

These birds are generally characterized by united nostrils with a medium septum, and a long outer functional primary. There are 75 species worldwide and 4 species are found within the homelands of the Mende's.

shearwater petrel bird

Pelicans:

Large water birds with a distinctive pouch under the beak. As with other members of the order Pelecaniformes, they have webbed feet with four toes. There are 8 species worldwide and 1 species is found in the Mende regional lands.

pelican bird

The Phalacrocoracidae

The Phalacrocoracidae is a family of medium-to-large coastal, fish-eating sea-birds that includes cormorants and shags. Plumage coloration varies with the majority having mainly dark plumage, some species being black and white, and a few being colorful. There are 38 species worldwide and 1 species can be found in the main lands of Mende.

a phalacrocoracidae bird

References:

• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Podiceps_nigricollis_001.jpg/300px-Podiceps_nigricollis_001.jpg
• http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608028581684578648&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0
• http://www.birdsgallery.net/gallery/pelicans/pelican_3.jpg
• http://www.hat.net/photo/africa/30_birds/cormorants/070920121344_cormorant.jpg