Meet Yaya
Your guide to The Gambia's birdlife, with nearly three decades in the field.
Yaya Barry has been guiding birdwatchers across The Gambia since 1996. What began as fieldwork chasing sightings grew into a deep, practical knowledge of the country's habitats — mangrove creeks, gallery forest, savanna woodland — and the birds that call them home.
Over almost thirty years, Yaya has helped put The Gambia on the map as one of West Africa's best birdwatching destinations, welcoming visitors from around the world and training local guides along the way.
He's a familiar face at the Global Bird Fair, where he has spoken for years about the birdlife of The Gambia and Senegal — sharing what makes the region special with birders who haven't set foot here yet.
Yaya also serves as President of the Bird Watchers' Association, having previously been Vice President from 2013 to 2015. It's one part of a career built on conservation advocacy and community-led ecotourism, alongside the guiding work that remains his focus today.
