Yellow-headed Picathartes is perhaps the main ornithological prize. Photo: David Fisher
Lying on the Gulf of Guinea along Africa’s tropical western coast, Ghana is a country rich both in ancient tradition and in the history of Europe’s early colonial presence in West Africa. Today, Ghana is a vibrant and colorful country stretching from the blinding white beaches of the Atlantic through dense rainforest to the open savanna of the Sahel, and its vast range of habitats play host to over 750 bird species.
Our tour begins amid the lagoons of the Gold Coast, where migrant shorebirds from Europe swell the numbers of resident waterbirds. We then move inland to the primary tropical rainforests of Kakum National Park, home to a world-famous canopy walkway that places us at eye level with an array of rainforest species including numerous hornbills, parrots, and barbets. Our tour also includes an exciting stay at Ankasa, an area seldom visited by birders. We’ll make a trip to the far north in search of Egyptian Plover, and trek into the forest to the secret home of the cave-dwelling Yellow-headed Picathartes, one of Africa’s most elusive birds. Elsewhere we visit the wide-open spaces of Mole National Park, an essential part of any visit to Ghana, where Bateleurs float over golden grasslands and Red-throated Bee-eaters hawk for insects in the rich woodland.
Ghana has a well-deserved reputation as one of Africa’s friendliest and safest countries, qualities still enjoyed by just a few tourists each year.
Day 1: Our tour starts with a flight from London to Accra, where our ground crew will meet us for the transfer to our hotel. Night near Accra.
Day 2: After an early breakfast—essential if we are to avoid the heat of the day—we’ll head to the Shai Hills, where a mix of savanna scrub and rocky outcrops is home to several species unlikely to be seen elsewhere on the tour. Our main targets here are White-crowned Cliff-chat, Rock Martin, and Double-toothed Barbet, but there will be plenty more to distract us on this first morning in Ghana. The open landscape is good for raptors, and Blue-bellied Roller and both Vieillot’s and Bearded Barbets are also present. We’ll then make our way around Accra and west towards the famous forests of Kakum.
Along the way we’ll make a stop at Sukomona Lagoon, where wintering shorebirds from the north will include Curlew and Marsh Sandpipers, Collared Pratincole, and Ruff, all mingling with Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, Long-tailed Cormorant, and possibly Yellow-throated Longclaw. Herons and egrets abound, and we’ll see Black Egrets and hope to witness their “umbrella” feeding. We may also stop at Winneba Plains, where Black-bellied Bustard is possible, and where raptors could include our first Red-necked Buzzards, Black-shouldered Kite, or even an African Hobby. If time allows, we’ll stop near our hotel to search for African Finfoot. Night near Kakum.
Days 3-4: Our next two days will be devoted to Kakum National Park, part of a protected area of rainforest covering 375 square miles. Besides the fabulous forest, Kakum is perhaps best known for its amazing aerial walkway, stretching through the forest canopy 120 feet above the ground. The ever-changing mix of mouth-watering Upper Guinea forest specialties and superb African birds we could hope to see from the walkway include Congo Serpent Eagle, Red-thighed Sparrowhawk, Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, Blue-headed Wood Dove, African Gray and Red-fronted Parrots, Yellowbill, Gabon and Fire-bellied Woodpeckers, African Emerald Cuckoo, Yellow-billed and possibly Great Blue Turacos, and Bristle-nosed, Naked-faced and Hairy-breasted Barbets. Hornbills are well represented, and we may encounter Piping and White-crested Hornbill as well as Velvet-mantled Drongo, Black-winged and Western Black-headed Orioles, Blue Cuckoo-shrike, Violet-backed Hyliota, Ussher’s Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Sabine’s Puffback, Preuss’s Golden-backed Weaver, Red-headed and Grey’s Malimbes, and many species of sunbird including Fraser’s, Johanna’s, Buff-throated, Olive, Blue-throated Brown, Little Green, and Collared. Greenbuls could include Golden, White-throated, Western Bearded, Honeyguide, and Icterine.
On one afternoon we’ll return to the canopy to watch as the hornbills become more active before roosting; this will be our best chance at Brown-cheeked and both Black- and Yellow-casqued Hornbills. No two visits to the walkway are alike, and the atmosphere and the birds in the afternoon can be very different from the morning. If we stay until dark, we’ll hope to hear, and possibly to see, Brown Nightjar and maybe Fraser’s Eagle Owl.
We’ll also be birding other areas of the park in the search for such gems as African Cuckoo-hawk, Black Sparrowhawk, White-spotted Flufftail, Rock Pratincole, Black and Rosy Bee-eaters, Cassin’s, Sabine’s and maybe Black Spinetails, Red-billed and Black Dwarf Hornbills, Blue-throated Roller, Preuss’s and White-throated Blue Swallows, Western Nicator, Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike, Forest Robin, Forest and White-headed Wood-hoopoes, Yellow-billed and Yellow-nosed Barbets, Red-rumped and Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Red-billed Helmet-shrike, Green Crombec, Tit-hylia, and Copper-tailed and Forest Chestnut-winged Starlings. There is still much to discover in these areas, and if we are really lucky, we may run across such surprises as a Yellow-footed Honeyguide or African Piculet.
The heat of the day will be a chance to take a swim or relax at our hotel, which is ideal for birders. There is a Cattle Egret roost just yards away from where we’ll tally our evening checklists and a small nearby lake is home to Green-backed and Squacco Herons, with Nile Crocodiles lounging on the banks. A small vegetated island holds a Village Weaver colony; a few Vieillot’s Black Weavers are usually present. This concentration of food often attracts a Shikra or African Harrier Hawk, who specialize in delicately unwrapping weaver nests! There is also a small colony of Orange Weavers, and we may see African Jacana, Pied and Malachite Kingfishers, African Pied Wagtail, and Bar-breasted Firefinch while we’re eating lunch. Nights near Kakum.
Day 5: After a final morning around Kakum, we’ll continue our journey west and spend two nights near Ankasa, an area of pristine tropical rainforest on the border with Ivory Coast, said to be one of the last homes in Ghana of the rarely seen Chimpanzee. Our hotel is over an hour away from the forest, so we’ll make an early night of it in anticipation of the very long day to follow. Night near Axim.
Day 6: Only a few birding trips have ever been made to Ankasa, but among the mouth-watering possibilities here are a second chance at many of the species from Kakum, plus many new birds including African Finfoot, Crested Guineafowl, Shining Blue and Chocolate-backed Kingfishers, Rufous-sided Broadbill, White-tailed Alethe, Piping Hornbill, Square-tailed Saw-wing, Yellow-bearded Greenbul, Black-capped Apalis, White-tailed Ant-Shrike, Dusky Blue and Blue-headed Crested Flycatchers, Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch, and Pale-breasted and Blackcap Illadopsis. We’ll also hope for the added excitement of discovering something new in this poorly known area: Dwarf Bittern, Olive Ibis, and Hartlaub’s Duck have all been seen here, though none appears to be regular. This evening we’ll stay out for some night birding, with the very rare Akun Eagle Owl as the main prize; African Wood Owl, Shelley’s Eagle Owl, Brown Nightjar, and Nkulengu Rail are also possible, and we may get a sighting of an African Civet Cat. Night near Axim.
Day 7: We’ll return to Ankasa this morning to catch up on any missing species before we returning to Kakum. Our afternoon birding will depend on what we haven’t seen; we may make another try for African Finfoot, or perhaps visit the Brenu Beach road for open-country species. Night near Kakum.
Day 8: After a final morning’s birding around Kakum, attention will turn to the main target of our tour, the Yellow-headed Picathartes. We’ll make the long, hot walk up a forested hillside, then wait patiently and silently for the star to appear. Numbers vary, but we stand a very good chance of seeing this elusive, forest species as it returns to the rocky overhang where it roosts. We’ll then make our way back downhill and to the bus, arriving at our next hotel for a late dinner and (hopefully) a celebratory drink. Night in Kumasi.
Day 9: We’ll have a later breakfast this morning, then start out on the long journey north. The nearly ten-hour drive to Mole takes us towards drier country, with the birdlife changing noticeably as we go along. African Gray Hornbill will become the default hornbill, and new raptors should include Grasshopper Buzzard and perhaps Dark Chanting Goshawk. Once we reach our lodge, our ground crew will check us into our rooms while we head straight for the terrace, where we can enjoy a cold drink and have our first look at the waterhole as dusk approaches. Species here should include White-faced Whistling Duck, Hadada Ibis, Hamerkop, Helmeted Guineafowl, Black Crake, Broad-billed Roller, and Gray-headed Kingfisher. African Elephant is rare at this time of year, but we will see Kob, Bushbuck, Waterbuck, and Warthog. Olive Baboons and several species of monkey also inhabit the park. Night at Mole.
Days 10-11: We’ll have two full days to explore Mole National Park. The park hosts a good range of savanna species, including Stone Partridge, Violet Turaco, Blue-bellied and Abyssinian Rollers, Red-throated Bee-eater, Brubru, Scarlet-chested and Pygmy Sunbirds, and Striped Kingfisher. We can take advantage of the heat of the day for a swim in the pool, easily the best place to watch raptors drifting overhead—from Bateleur, Martial, Wahlberg’s and Tawny Eagles to White-headed and African White-backed Vultures. It’s also possible to sit in the shade and scan the watering hole, where there is a good chance of Spur-winged Goose or Saddle-billed or Woolly-necked Stork.
We’ll tailor our afternoon birding to search for missing species. All manner of birds are possible, including Western Banded Snake Eagle; Gabar Goshawk; Bruce’s and African Green Pigeons; Senegal Parrot; Levaillant’s Cuckoo; African Pygmy, Giant, and Blue-breasted Kingfishers; White-shouldered Black Tit; Yellow White-eye; Red-shouldered and White-breasted Cuckoo-Shrikes; Senegal Batis; Brubru; Yellow-crowned Gonolek; Oriole Warbler; African Paradise, Pale, and Lead-colored Flycatchers; Lavender and Orange-cheeked Waxbills; Square-tailed Drongo; Green Wood-hoopoe; Greater Honeyguide; Wilson’s Indigobird; Togo Paradise Whydah; and Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting. If we’re very lucky, we may also encounter Four-banded Sandgrouse, Red-headed Lovebird, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, or Spotted Creeper. Rarities seen in this area have included Rufous-rumped and Sun Larks and Forbes’s Plover.
In the evenings we’ll stay out until dark to look for Grayish Eagle Owl, African Scops Owl, and Northern White-faced Owl, as well as Long-tailed Nightjar. In some years Standard-winged Nightjars are also present. Feeding sites for Pel’s Fishing Owls are more restricted in this dry season, increasing our chances of finding this highly desired species. Nights at Mole.
Day 12: Today is dedicated to the long drive back to Kumasi; there will undoubtedly be birds along the road. We’ll hope to be at our hotel in time for dinner and an early night in preparation for our final few days of forest birding. Night in Kumasi.
Day 13: We’ll start the day with an early visit to Bobiri Butterfly Reserve, a bird-rich stretch of forest whose specialties may include Long-tailed Hawk, Fire-bellied Woodpecker, Fraser’s Forest and Chestnut-capped Flycatchers, Red-billed Dwarf and White-crested Hornbills, Tambourine Dove, Cassin’s Honeybird, Afep Pigeon, Purple-throated Cuckoo Shrike, and Crested and Red-headed Malimbes. After lunch in a roadside café, we’ll spend the afternoon at the base of the Atewa Hills, exploring lowland farmland and scrub. Klaas’s Cuckoo, Blue-headed Coucal, Yellow-billed Shrike, Common Fiscal, Simple Leaflove, Grosbeak Weaver, Black-and-white Mannikin, and White-breasted Negrofinch are all possible. Night at Koforidua
Day 14: We’ll make an early morning drive to the Atewa Hills, transfering to 4x4’s for the journey uphill. This site is home to one special bird, Blue-headed Bee-eater; though it is never present in large numbers, we’ll hope to see this species, along with Narina Trogon, Shining Drongo, Gray Longbill, Green-tailed Bristlebill, Bioko Batis, Shrike Flycatcher, Olive Green Camaroptera, Forest Scrub Robin, and Chocolate-backed Kingfisher. There is still much to be discovered in this area, and our recent visits have produced Ayre’s Hawk Eagle, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Yellow-footed Honeyguide, and Sharpe’s Apalis. After lunch we’ll head to a hotel to repack and shower, then make our way to the airport and our evening overnight flight to London.
Day 15: The tour ends on our arrival in London this morning.
Updated: 07 February 2012
Prices
- 2012 Tour Price : $5,450*
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $350
Notes
Maximum group size eight with two leaders. Both leaders will accompany the tour regardless of group size.
Participants who wish to join the tour in Accra should contact the WINGS office.
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.
* This tour is organized by our British company, Sunbird. Please review the explanation of our Sunbird pricing here.