KBO is located overlooking a former sand mine. Since mining stopped these areas have filled with water during each rainy season and created one of the best birding sites along the coast of The Gambia. Bird ringing began at Kartong in 1996 with the pioneering work of Mike King and John High. To carry this work forward a team of ringers from the UK established a permanent ringing station at Kartong in 2010. In the last five years 12,000 birds of 160 species have been ringed.