GHANA TOUR REPORT 2025

by Nik Borrow

Ghana, once known as the ‘Gold Coast’ is situated in the very heart of West Africa and the country’s growing tourist industry has much to offer visitors through the country’s colourful and vibrant culture, turbulent history and a coast lined with beautiful beaches and numerous slave forts that are still left standing to remind visitors of a grim past. However, the aim of our ‘ultimate’ tour was to discover the cream of Ghana’s avian riches with our focus being placed on an exciting selection of Upper Guinea Forest endemic birds and one very special species in particular; the strange and bizarre White-necked Rockfowl (aka Yellow-headed Picathartes). Our success with this charismatic species was total and absolute with close views of up to five individuals and this event was surely the highlight of the trip! Our tour started at Shai Hills where we birded the thickets that surround the base of the rocky outcrops frequented by White-crowned Cliff Chats which were not easy to see but mostly we were successful with a gorgeous male. A brief visit to Winneba Lagoon produced the recently split West African Crested Tern and our first Western Reef Herons whilst a migrant Terek Sandpiper was an unusual find for Ghana. Our day ended hunting out a Slender-billed Weaver in amongst numerous Village Weavers in a busy town! Spending time at Kakum National Park both on its famous canopy walkway and in the surrounding forest and farmbush we were introduced to a mind-boggling array of forest zone species that included Upper Guinea endemics such as Melancholy and Fire-bellied Woodpeckers, Sharpe’s Apalis, Ussher’s Flycatcher, Buff-throated Sunbird and Copper-tailed Starling and other mouth-watering specialities included a tree full of Rosy Bee-eaters, Western Dwarf Hornbill and tiny Forest Penduline Tits low down at eye level as well as some good mammals with the wonderful and strange Pel’s Anomalure being the highlight. Rock Pratincoles and White-bibbed Swallows still showed well on the sadly polluted Pra River and then travelling westwards, stops along the coastal road gave us Greater Painted Snipe, Allen’s Gallinule, African Pygmy Geese and the much-wanted Hartlaub’s Duck. Mangrove Sunbird showed well but we only managed the briefest view of White-browed Forest Flycatcher. As usual, the superb evergreen forest at Ankasa was hard work and often frustrating but Upper Guinea endemics; Green-tailed Bristlebill, Yellow-bearded Greenbul, Finsch’s Rufous Thrush, Rufous-winged Illadopsis, Red-billed Helmetshrike and Red-fronted Antpecker as well as seldom-seen species such as Brown Nightjar, African Finfoot, Dwarf Bittern, White-crested Tiger Heron, Spot-breasted Ibis, Fraser’s and Akun Eagle-Owls, Shining-blue and White-bellied Kingfishers were seen plus a pair of Red-chested Owlets glaring down at us from the canopy whilst a terrific sighting of a pair of Nkulengu Rails at their roost site was a trip highlight. We stayed at Ashanti’s magnificent lodge at the very edge of the park where Reichenbach’s Sunbird was common in the garden, and we enjoyed comfortable accommodation and some very fine meals. At Bonkro we overnighted at Ashanti’s new lodge right by the Yellow-headed Picathartes site where we couldn’t fail to see this amazing bird at close range and also enjoyed spectacular views of Long-tailed Hawk, Congo Serpent Eagle and Yellow-throated Cuckoo during our visit. From Bonkro we paid an initial visit to Bobiri where a pair of Black-throated Coucal showed before dusk. From Kumasi we headed north where the visit to Mole National Park was a great experience with close up views of the desirable Forbes’s Plover, White-throated Francolin, Standard-winged Nightjar, several Rufous-rumped and Sun Larks and a surprising Singing Bush Lark. Nesting African Spotted Creepers and a male Brown-rumped Bunting were great finds although the highlight was a wonderful male Emin’s Shrike. An excursion outside of the park gave us Fox Kestrel and sublime Egyptian Plovers. Returning south we revisited the butterfly sanctuary at Bobiri where Red-thighed Sparrowhawk and the tiny African Piculet were seen. The threatened habitat that covers the Atewa Hills did not give up its treasures easily  and we only heard Blue-moustached Bee-eaters this year, but we scored big time with a family trio of the rare Nimba Flycatcher. Finally, we visited a ‘new’ area at Amedzofe in Volta region where we found the gorgeous Togo version of Western Yellow-billed Barbet which is likely to be split soon as a separate species as well as two male White-spotted Flufftails, an intensely coloured Fiery-breasted Bushshrike, Sharpe’s Drongo, Leaf-love and Baumann’s Greenbul. Night birding at Kalakpa produced Long-tailed, ‘Black-shouldered’ Fiery-necked and Plain Nightjars and a Northern White-faced Owl. Some difficult birding in the gallery forest proved to be deadly quiet and we only heard the ultra-skulking Capuchin Babbler but showy Marsh Tchagras in the savannah went some way to make up for this. Amongst the many other wonderful specialties (diamond birds) encountered during this tour were Stone Partridge, Latham’s Francolin (heard only), Ahanta Spurfowl (heard only), Black Spinetail, Violet Turaco, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo (heard only), Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Red-chested Goshawk, Forest Wood Hoopoe, West African Pied, Red-billed Dwarf, Piping, Brown-cheeked, Black-casqued, Yellow-casqued and Western Long-tailed (White-crested) Hornbills, Abyssinian and Blue-bellied Rollers, Western Yellow-billed Barbet, Bristle-nosed, Hairy-breasted, and Bearded Barbets, Least and Spotted Honeyguides, Fine-spotted and Little Green Woodpeckers, Brown-necked Parrot, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Senegal and West African Batises, West African and Red-cheeked Wattle-eyes, Sabine’s Puffback, Lowland Sooty Boubou (heard only), Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Red-billed Helmetshrike, Velvet-mantled (Fanti) Drongo, Golden Greenbul, Grey-headed Bristlebill, Western Bearded Greenbul, White-throated Greenbul, Fanti Saw-wing, Red-chested Swallow, Preuss’s Cliff Swallow, Kemp’s Longbill, Dorst’s and Rufous Cisticolas, Oriole Warbler, ‘Moloney’s’ Brown Illadopsis, Violet-backed Hyliota, White-tailed Alethe, Forest Scrub Robin, Olivaceous (heard only), Little Grey and Gambaga Flycatchers, Forest Robin, White-crowned Robin Chat, White-fronted Black Chat, Yellow-chinned, Pygmy and Johanna’s Sunbirds, Olive-naped, Orange, Chestnut-and-black, Maxwell’s Black and Preuss’s Weavers, Red-vented Malimbe, Magpie Mannikin, Lavender Waxbill, Red-winged Pytilia, Black-faced Firefinch, Exclamatory Paradise Whydah and Gosling’s Bunting.

As the group arrived in Accra in Ghana the main question on everyone’s lips (or at the very least that was in our minds) was “will we see it?” The ‘it’ in this case referred to the totally bizarre rockfowl but it was going to be some time before the chance of seeing this very special bird would arise. Our arrival was in the evening for an overnight stop and a short night’s sleep in an hotel near the airport for we were up early the next day at five for breakfast after which we drove the short distance to the Shai Hills Reserve, an area that comprises open grassland savannah and rocky inselbergs. Our visit was in the dry season, but heavy rains last season meant that the vegetation was still unburned and rather lush. As we drove into the park a selection of savannah species was seen that included our first Stone Partridges and Blue-bellied Roller. We were also pleased to gain incredible looks at the bizarre Oriole Warbler (or Moho, which is currently placed in the family Cisticolidae). Before us extended a range of wooded hills that were covered in thick shrubbery and emergent trees where shaggy-crested Western Plantain-eaters and Violet Turacos were feeding. The piping calls of African Grey Hornbills sounded out over the plains whilst Senegal Parrots screeched past. Our first major target here was the handsome White-crowned Cliff Chat which didn’t give itself up easily but most of us had a good view of a fine male. Elsewhere in the bush Yellow-fronted Tinkerbirds hammered away and colourful Double-toothed and Vieillot’s Barbets were found.

After lunch we headed back towards Accra where the heavy traffic in and around the capital consumed us and the only birds apparent were numerous Western Cattle Egrets, Red-eyed Doves, Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Little Swift, Barn Swallow, Village Weaver and the ubiquitous Pied Crow. Reaching Winneba in the late afternoon we headed to the lagoon where we found good numbers of the recently split West African Crested Tern with many in breeding plumage as well as both colour morphs of Western Reef Heron. The mud flats supported fair numbers of shorebirds, and we duly ticked off some common species, but a Terek Sandpiper (a rare bird in Ghana) was unexpected.

We had little daylight left to play with, but we opted to make a short stop in a busy town to look for a colony of the western African form of Slender-billed Weavers. There was no breeding activity, but we did manage to see a single female. As the sun set and our eventful first day drew to a close, we piled back into our bus and headed onwards for a stay near Kakum National Park for a three-night stay.

Our first day in the area was spent in the famous Kakum National Park. Although created in 1932, the park wasn’t officially opened to the public until 1994. Covering an area of 347 square kilometres, it is composed of semi-evergreen rain forest that in the recent past was ‘selectively’ logged so that anyone expecting to find pristine forest here would be sadly disappointed. Fortunately, the regenerating secondary growth can be extremely ‘birdy’! Kakum is perhaps most famous as being the site of Africa’s first and to date only rainforest canopy walkway. Constructed in 1995 it spans about 350 metres of bridges suspended between six tree platforms that reach a height of up to 40 metres above the forest floor. Officially, it opens at 8.30 a.m. to a seemingly constant stream of whooping and screaming tourists that treat the whole thing like a funfair ride but we had arranged early entry into the park from dawn onwards that meant we had the place more or less to ourselves during the most productive time of day.

In the early morning half-light, a Red-chested Goshawk was seen as we started climbing the steep stone steps that led us up the hillside to the start of the walkway itself where the rather drab Ussher’s Flycatcher (an Upper Guinea endemic) was there to greet us. As we passed along the rope cradle it bounced and swayed whilst the platforms around the boles of the enormous trees creaked and shifted. Resting on one of the platforms, it was a strange feeling to be suspended underneath the main canopy and amongst the boughs of the medium sized trees but high above the tops of the vine covered trunks and shrubbery below us. Here we waited for the activity to commence and eventually more Upper Guinea endemic specialties were encountered; West African Pied Hornbills were common, and we managed distant views of the strikingly patterned Brown-cheeked Hornbill. A pair of Fire-bellied Woodpecker showed pretty well, and a Melancholy Woodpecker frequented the area for most of the morning. Briefly split as a separate species, the Fanti Drongo is once again subsumed into Velvet-mantled Drongo, but they were still as easy to see as ever. Our only Fanti Saw-wings of the tour were seen overhead and Sharpe’s Apalis, Copper-tailed Starling, Finsch’s Rufous Thrush and Yellow-chinned and Buff-throated Sunbirds were all duly ticked off!

Speckled, Red-rumped and Yellow-throated Tinkerbirds and Hairy-breasted and Yellow-spotted Barbets pooped, hooted and trilled all around us but were not easy to see. Green Hylias piped out their disyllabic call from thick vegetation that provided wonderful hiding places for species and more ‘quality’ species during the day included Cassin’s Honeybird, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Violet-backed Hyliota, Little Grey Flycatcher and Preuss’s and Maxwell’s Black Weaver. In the afternoon we returned to the canopy walkway and waited for any evening activity. Particularly pleasing was a group of  Black-casqued Hornbills that allowed some excellent views and as dusk fell the astonishing Pel’s Anomalure showed and a Brown Nightjar started calling but remained out of sight.

The next morning, we kept our feet on terra firma and birded along the edge of the park in an area of farmbush. Our first African Cuckoo-Hawks were seen but we were to see many more during this tour unlike an immature Black Sparrowhawk which was only one of two birds seen during our time in Ghana. The bizarre Bristle-nosed Barbet was common, our first Red-fronted Parrots were seen and Olive-naped and Chestnut-and-black Weavers were confidently ticked along with some striking Red-vented Malimbes.

White-throated Bee-eaters are common non-breeding visitors in the forest zone, but they were still a delight to see although their beauty was to be eclipsed by several trees dripping with perched Rosy Bee-eaters! This amazing sight was quickly followed by the discovery of a trio of diminutive Forest Penduline Tits down at eye-level. Often way up in the canopy, it was a pleasure to see this admittedly rather dowdy but uncommon bird down so low.

As the day was getting hotter and the humidity was rising fast, we travelled further north to visit a river that gave us shining White-bibbed (or White-throated Blue) Swallows as well as Rock Pratincoles of the rufous-naped race liberiae. Nearby large numbers of Preuss’s Cliff Swallows were found breeding under one of the bridges.

Afternoons are always quiet in the forest but a walk along a logging trail produced a few bits and pieces and most notably a Black Spinetail was seen and our second Black Sparrowhawk (an adult this time). The Upper Guinea endemic Western Bearded Greenbul and West African Wattle-eye showed, Naked-faced Barbets were found as well as Sabine’s Puffback, Red-billed Helmetshrike and both Western and Black-winged Orioles. We stayed out till dark in the hope of nightjars or owls but apart from an invisible, calling Akun Eagle Owl our attempts drew a blank.

The next morning, we started soon after dawn birding the same logging track again checking out our first colourful Yellow-billed Turaco and African Emerald Cuckoo. A Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle was a good spot as were no less than three Western (Black) Dwarf Hornbills, a flock of wing-flicking Spotted Greenbuls and a pair of Chestnut-winged Starlings were seen. Our time was short though as we then headed down to Cape Coast where we had lunch next to the historic fort and watched the sea before embarking on a long drive west bound for Ankasa making two short stops en route. The first was very productive at a pool where we found some Orange Weavers. A family of Allen’s Gallinules here was a real bonus and there were also White-faced Whistling Duck, African Pygmy Geese, Common Moorhen and African Jacana. At the end of the day, we spent time at a river crossing where we found six Hartlaub’s Ducks, Mangrove (or Brown) Sunbird and a very brief White-browed Forest Flycatcher but as time was now pressing, we headed on to the Ankasa Conservation Area for a four nights stay. After a fine dinner and cold beer, we enjoyed great views of a superb Akun Eagle Owl. Although difficult to place at first, when we did luck on to it the views were quite remarkable!

Ankasa Conservation Area is a superb area of wet evergreen forest that between the years 1960 to 1974 only suffered relatively light logging. Fourteen years ago, we were the first organised birding group to visit this forest but since then visiting the forest has been made easier and this year we stayed in Ashanti’s amazing lodge, beautifully situated right on the edge of the park itself where Reichenbach’s Sunbird is easily seen. It must be stressed that West African forests are not easy places to go birding. The tall trees hide their avian treasures very well and bird densities are comparatively low and often there are long periods of inactivity between sightings and this tour proved to be no exception!

After a good breakfast we boarded the workhorse open-sided 4-wheel drive vehicles that ferried us into the interior of the forest stopping en route for a convenient Blue-headed Wood Dove on the track. The plan was to walk to a series of pools that had been formed by the construction of the road through the forest which is now in a state of disrepair and not driveable. The forest is always quiet and the birds came slowly but at the first pool, Blue-billed Malimbes were nesting and a group of Piping Hornbills graced the tall trees but trying to squeeze new species out of the forest was hard work. Perhaps because of the recent heavy rains, water was everywhere and the pools were not quite the magnet that they sometimes are in the dry season. Nonetheless we persevered and slowly we began to add species to our lists. A pair of Hartlaub’s Ducks quickly flushed off but left behind a male African Finfoot, a pair of White-bellied and a single Shining-blue Kingfisher and a Dwarf Bittern. Some Dwarf Crocodiles slid silently through the dark waters and impressively top-knotted Great Blue Turaco and Chestnut-breasted Nigrita put in the odd appearance but a pair of Upper Guinea endemic Red-fronted Antpecker was a definite highlight.

Elsewhere, Upper Guinea endemic Yellow-bearded Greenbuls proved relatively easy to see and we spent some time grappling with the rare Upper Guinea endemic Rufous-winged Illadopsis which showed reasonably well. A marvellous male Rufous-sided Broadbill was spotted in the tangles and we watched it as it twirled round on his perch.

At dusk we returned to one of the pools. A White-crested Tiger Heron flew in over our heads, but the Spot-breasted Ibis were only heard as they came into roost. The first site for Nkulengu Rail drew a blank but at another spot we got a vocal response from some roosting birds and our drivers and guard dashed off into the inky black forests to search them out. After a short wait they came back triumphant and we followed a series of broken, angled twigs to finally reach the spot where they had miraculously found a roosting pair. These strange chicken-like rallids shifted nervously on their perches in the spotlight but as is usual refused to ‘get out of bed’ and after we had got our views and photos we quietly turned and left them in peace returning once more to our lovely lodge for food and ice-cold beer! This species had in the past been one to dream about but never see, however the local guides and drivers have become adept at finding these peculiar birds on their roosts at night and although not guaranteed sightings have now become much more reliable.

The next day we followed a narrow trail into the forest and were either craning our necks upwards to peer up into the canopy for Red-billed Dwarf Hornbills and Chocolate-backed Kingfisher or peering into the dark undergrowth for a relatively showy Green-tailed Bristlebill, a species that can be very difficult to see. Perhaps the best sighting of the morning was of a pair of Red-chested Owlets that were watched (again up in the canopy) allopreening for as long as we wished.

At a clearing made for the powerlines that bisect the reserve, the Sabine’s and Cassin’s Spinetails and Square-tailed Saw-wings were easy enough to see over the forest and we were also lucky to see a trio of Yellow-casqued Hornbills, our first Grey Parrots and an obliging Spotted Honeyguide.

In the evening, we returned to the pools once again and this time a White-crested Tiger Heron chose to land in one of the trees in front of us. As darkness fell a pair of noisy Spot-breasted Ibis came winging in and one landed only a matter of metres away from us on an overhanging branch. Of course, it didn’t stay too long as multiple pairs of binoculars were raised and it clattered away never to be seen again. More night birding produced a spectacular Fraser’s Eagle-Owl and a somewhat skulking African Wood Owl.

A different trail was explored during our last morning in the forest where we had more chances to see both Green-tailed Bristlebill and Rufous-winged Illadopsis. Buff-spotted and Brown-eared Woodpeckers were added to the list and at dusk we successfully connected with a singing Brown Nightjar that landed in the palms above us.

Heading back to Kakum the following day we saw Magpie Mannikin at our lunch stop en route (!) And in the afternoon made a visit to an area of coastal scrub and although time was short, added a few excellent species; an elusive Marsh Tchagra teased us, Orange-breasted Bushshrike and Yellow-crowned Gonolek were colourful additions to the list and we managed great views of Tropical Boubou, Red-winged Prinia and Bar-breasted Firefinch.

In the morning, we had a few hours to spend in the farmbush surrounding Kakum. It wasn’t quite the area that we were hoping to visit due to a broken bridge hindering access, but we picked up a few species in disturbed habitat the most interesting of which was probably a Mottled Swift that was caught up in a movement of swifts and hirundines.

The time had now come for us to set off to a site where we all were hoping to find the main prize of the tour, namely the totally amazing Yellow-headed Picathartes. This species is rather unfortunately named White-necked Rockfowl in some lists, but the neck is certainly not ‘white’ as the yellow colouration of the skin shines through the feathers as if lit from within. This peculiar bird nests in the rainy season and makes swallow-like mud-cup nests which are attached beneath the dry overhangs of the large granitic boulders and inselbergs that are such a feature of the region. We arrived at the nearest villages that benefit from the proceeds raised by visiting birders donating to the community-based project and met up with the guides that were to accompany us to the rocks where the birds nest. The excitement and tension were certainly mounting as we embarked on 45 minutes relatively easy although undulating uphill walk with only the last few minutes being a climb up the steeper slope to the rocks where the nests are situated. We reached the colony in good time to settle into our seats. At 17:08 the first bird appeared sneaking in behind us but was soon followed by another almost at our feet! Although the views were good, we were eager for more so stayed on for the show to start in earnest. During our vigil up to five individuals were seen either visiting the nests or preening in front of us. The relief of finally setting our eyes on these incredible creatures was simply immense! Anyone who has ever seen the picathartes has always been overwhelmed by their beauty and oddness. Indeed, there is something mysterious and even spiritual about them and the sculpted rocks where they live and it is easy to see why they are revered rather than hunted in certain areas. We spent about an hour with them before leaving and letting them to go to roost.

Nowadays we do not have to drive a long distance to a hotel as Ashanti have built a new small lodge in the village of Bonkro and we were able to toast our successes more rapidly than in the past! It also meant that we could spend the following morning birding in the area and the forest proved to be very productive. The day started well with a wonderful Congo Serpent Eagle that allowed repeated viewings and it wasn’t too long after that we added the other ‘must-see’ raptor to our lists with a magnificent Long-tailed Hawk performing fly-bys and perched for all to see. On top of this a Yellow-throated Cuckoo posed nicely for us and a Yellow-browed Camaroptera amazed by demonstrating how it inflated two blue pouches on the sides of its neck whilst calling like some avian bullfrog. The tiny Tit Hylia, which lays claim to being the smallest African bird was found and at lunch we watched some dazzling Black Bee-eaters in the lodge grounds apparently attracted by the huge piles of builder’s sand as promising nest sites!

After lunch we drove to Bobiri Forest near Kumasi for our initial visit. Despite it being the afternoon and expectedly quiet we still found some quality species of which Forest Wood Hoopoe (which is actually a scimitarbill) was possibly the best. A few Grey Parrots came into roost, but our attentions were taken by a pair of Black-throated Coucal that hooted away at us in some nearby tangles and showed as well as they could in the failing light.

From Kumasi we spent most of the day travelling but a short stop at the Opro Teak plantation gave us Greater Honeyguide and our only Red-headed Queleas of the tour. The long journey took us northwards to Mole National Park and whilst travelling northwards along the main road we kept a close watch out for Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle and were very fortunate to find one sat atop a pylon. Pretty distant at first the bird took off and circled slowly our way, finally passing close overhead. Plenty of Grasshopper Buzzards were seen during the journey and some Dark Chanting Goshawks.

We had three full days to try to see the best of Mole’s birds and despite the very hot conditions and copious vegetation, we did well. Because of a heavy previous rainy season there was plenty of water about meaning that the bird flocks and gatherings had dispersed, as there was less need to be drawn to the more permanent water sources.

We began our first day birding the thickets around the large waterhole that lies below the hotel. Pigeons and doves are a feature of this dry bush country and the chorus of Vinaceous Doves was a constant soundtrack to the early mornings during our stay. The early morning was a tad cooler, but temperatures rose quickly. gorgeous Red-throated Bee-eaters nest in eroded banks around the waterholes and everywhere was a riot of colour with species like Grey-headed and Blue-breasted Kingfishers, African Paradise Flycatcher, African Blue Flycatcher, Snowy-crowned and White-crowned Robin-Chats, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu and Red-billed Firefinch all showing well. A pair of Golden-tailed Woodpecker was a good find and other thicket species included  dowdy Swamp Flycatchers hawked for insects, Senegal Batis, Northern Puffback, Yellow-breasted Apalis, African Blue Flycatcher, White-shouldered Black Tit, Senegal Eremomela, Blackcap Babbler, Northern Black Flycatcher, Pygmy and Scarlet-chested Sunbirds, Sahel Bush Sparrow (or Bush Petronia), Red-winged Pytilia, Village Indigobird and Gosling’s Bunting.

Around the main waterhole we enjoyed some extremely close encounters with some docile African Elephants that were also obviously very hot and enjoying spraying themselves with cooling mud. African Woolly-necked Storks were here and plenty of Bateleurs and Hooded Vultures with a few White-backed Vultures amongst them.

During the afternoon we searched the dry lateritic plains for the much-wanted Forbes’s Plover but with no success. During this quest, we were seriously plagued by the abundant sweat bees that endeavoured to enter our eyes, ears, noses and mouths. To appease our suffering, we found a few Sun Larks, Singing Bush Lark, a pair of Gambaga Flycatcher and White-fronted Black Chat. At another plain we found a pair of Rufous-rumped Larks. This is a mega bird of very unpredictable occurrence in Ghana and we watched them for as long as we wished. As it was getting dark a male Standard-winged Nightjar in full breeding regalia was seen looking like a nightjar being chased by two smaller birds and once night had well and truly descended so out came the tiny African Scops Owl and much larger Greyish Eagle-Owl.

The next morning, we made an excursion outside of the park to Daboya. Another close roadside Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle was a pleasure to see and Abyssinian and Purple (or Rufous-crowned) Rollers both put in an appearance. An exceedingly popular sighting was of a superb Fox Kestrel, first perched and then circling slowly above us until it drifted away into the haze. By mid-morning we had reached the White Volta itself where we had come for one very special bird in particular. This was the sublime Egyptian Plover and a trio was watched feeding on the sandbanks of this very busy river crossing. Despite the construction of a new bridge, huge numbers of women washing clothes and children playing the birds seemed generally unperturbed by the disturbance. It was by now really hot so, having had our fill, we headed back to Mole for lunch and a short siesta. In the late afternoon we headed out into the sweat-bee bush where we successfully lured in a pair of beautiful White-throated Francolins and found a Pearl-spotted Owlet. At the end of the day, we finally connected with a single Forbes’s Plover on the dry lateritic plains – they seemed to be quite tricky this year and so we were glad to have ultimately found one!

Our last day in the park found us in the Guinea savanna woodlands searching for a bird party and this honestly went far better than we could ever have imagined as we found some activity almost immediately and one of the first birds seen was a Brown-backed Woodpecker. This led us on to a Northern Carmine Bee-eater and then an African Spotted Creeper was found. This is a very uncommon bird in the park and so we were desperate not to lose it and therefore followed it closely until everyone had good views when it was discovered that there were two and that one was sitting on a nest! During the search the attractive Brown-rumped Bunting and then a Eurasian Wryneck was found and then as Nik and James were discussing the unlikely possibility of finding an Emin’s Shrike a male appeared right in front of them! Fortunately, it stuck around and everyone had incredible views of this mega and rarely seen bird. Following this, another Rufous-rumped Lark and both Dorst’s and Rufous Cisticolas were the cherries on the cake! At lunchtime we saw the endangered White-headed Vulture from the hotel grounds. Although the afternoon was relatively quiet, we added Moustached Grass Warbler, Black-faced Firefinch and Exclamatory Paradise Whydah, to the list. Dusk on the airstrip produced a calling Northern White-faced Owl but no sighting and it was a bit of a mystery where the nightjars were this year!

Also, during our time in Mole National Park, we also found a number of large mammals including Patas and Green (Callithrix) Monkeys, African Elephant, Common Warthog, ‘Central’ Bushbuck, ‘Buffon’s’ Kob and Red-flanked Duiker.

As we left Mole, we had a quick peek at some Red-chested Swallows and the ancient mosque at Larabanga, which is built with mud and reeds in the Sudanic-Sahelian architectural style and dates from 1421 but then it was back on the road and heading back south to Kumasi.

The next morning, we found ourselves back in Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary a place that is usually blessed with good birds as well and during our short time we scored a few goodies! New birds for the tour included the diminutive African Piculet at close range, Least Honeyguide, Little Green Woodpecker, Brown-necked Parrot, Blue Cuckooshrike, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Olive-green Camaroptera and just before we left managed excellent views of a dapper Red-thighed Sparrowhawk.

In the afternoon, we made our first visit to the Atewa range of hills that rise to a grand height of 770m and are classed as a Forest Reserve although there are plans to upgrade to National Park status. However, the site is under threat with mining activity for bauxite and gold whilst the buzzing sound of chainsaws often caused by the illegal logging is a familiar sound. During this first afternoon we had little time to venture far and so we settled for birding in the farmbush where a Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat showed pretty well.

The next day we devoted to climbing up the hill to an area normally favoured by the Blue-moustached Bee-eater but despite an all-day 20km hike to the ridge and back we struggled to find them. It wasn’t until the very end of the day, just before we made our descent that we heard a pair in amongst a large bird party, but they disappeared without a sighting. However, some of this loss was offset by a major success with the discovery of a family of the very special Nimba Flycatcher perched on the high boughs of one of the larger trees and although just a grey-black bird it was probably the rarest species of the day. We also witnessed its strange habit of running along the tree limbs. At lunchtime the enormous Crowned Eagle circled overhead calling and we also had views of Ayres’s and Cassin’s Hawk-Eagles. A perched Red-chested Goshawk was a treat, but a perched, close Yellow-footed Honeyguide was a worthy challenger to the Nimba Flycatcher as best bird of the day. It had been hard work climbing to the ridge and birding solidly all day, but the results were worth it.

Before we left the area the next day, we spent the morning at the start of the Atewa trail where we battled successfully to gain good views of both Red-cheeked Wattle-eye and Kemp’s Longbill and then it was time to set off for our final destination on the eastern side of the Volta River where the habitat looked and felt substantially different but sadly no cooler! In the late afternoon we paid an initial visit to Kalakpa Reserve and gained super views of African Cuckoos and Yellow-billed Shrike staying out till dark for some Long-tailed Nightjars on the road until a ferocious thunderstorm ended our activities.

The next morning, we visited a ‘new’ site for us in the hills at Amedzofe. Fortunately, we could drive up to altitude here and the visit was well and truly worth it with smashing views of the stunning ‘Togo’ Yellow-billed Barbet which will probably soon be split as a separate species. Keeping up a colourful trend a dazzling Fiery-breasted Bushshrike allowed great scope views and here the Red-billed Helmetshrikes were of the race harterti. Two male White-spotted Flufftails were seen exceptionally close and we also had fine views of Sharpe’s Drongo, Leaf-love and Baumann’s Greenbul. This is a highly productive site and will surely become a regular fixture of the BirdQuest Ghana tours.

Another storm threatened our afternoon at Kalakpa but fortunately held off until we had all obtained good looks at Marsh Tchagra, ‘Black-shouldered’ Fiery-necked Nightjar, Plain Nightjar and finally a smart little Northern White-faced Owl. Then the lightening flashed and the wind whipped up into a frenzy and we departed.

Our last morning was spent exploring the gallery forest in Kalakpa Reserve, but the birding pace was painfully slow and we only managed to hear a single skulking Capuchin Babbler. Brief views were obtained of the brown-throated form of Brown Illadopsis, which was historically treated as a separate species, Moloney’s Illadopsis, White-throated Greenbul finally surrendered itself and some of us got looks at a secretive Narina Trogon.

The time had passed all too rapidly and we had reached the end of our grand tour of Ghana, a friendly and stable country. The roads are sometimes good but usually they are getting a little too pot-holed for comfort these days. The food is definitely tasty and the accommodation generally quite comfortable. The Yellow-headed Picathartes is currently very reliable and most often seen extremely well and the sighting of a good number of the Upper Guinea regional endemics certainly made the visit more than worthwhile. With Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast perhaps still only for the adventurous, Ghana really does offer the visitor a chance to get to grips with one of the most charismatic of all West African birds in much more comfort and less time than anywhere else presently available. This tour is now a classic BirdQuest! A special thanks must be made to our wonderful guide James Ntakor, his assistant George and our excellent driver Francis who all worked so hard to make this tour a resounding success.

SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR

Species marked with the diamond symbol (◊) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered ‘special’ birds for some other reason (e.g., it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species).

The species names and taxonomy used in the bird list follows Gill, F., Donsker, D., & Rasmussen, P.(Eds). 2024. IOC World Bird List (v14.2).

Where the subspecies seen is/are known, these are often given in parentheses at the end of the species comment.

BIRDS

White-faced Whistling Duck  Dendrocygna viduata

Hartlaub’s Duck ◊  Pteronetta hartlaubii

African Pygmy Goose  Nettapus auritus

Helmeted Guineafowl  Numida meleagris

Stone Partridge ◊  Ptilopachus petrosus

Latham’s Francolin ◊ (L’s Forest F)  Peliperdix lathami  Heard-only.

White-throated Francolin ◊  Campocolinus albogularis

Ahanta Spurfowl ◊ (A Francolin)  Pternistis ahantensis  Heard-only.

Double-spurred Spurfowl (D-s Francolin)  Pternistis bicalcaratus

Brown Nightjar ◊  Veles binotatus

Fiery-necked Nightjar ◊ (Black-shouldered N)  Caprimulgus [pectoralis] nigriscapularis

Plain Nightjar ◊  Caprimulgus inornatus

Long-tailed Nightjar  Caprimulgus climacurus

Standard-winged Nightjar  Caprimulgus longipennis

Mottled Spinetail  Telacanthura ussheri

Black Spinetail ◊  Telacanthura melanopygia

Sabine’s Spinetail  Rhaphidura sabini

Cassin’s Spinetail  Neafrapus cassini

African Palm Swift  Cypsiurus parvus

Mottled Swift  Tachymarptis aequatorialis

Common Swift  Apus apus

Little Swift  Apus affinis

White-rumped Swift  Apus caffer

Great Blue Turaco  Corythaeola cristata

Western Plantain-eater  Crinifer piscator

Violet Turaco ◊  Tauraco violaceus

Yellow-billed Turaco  Tauraco macrorhynchus

Guinea Turaco (Green T)  Tauraco persa

Black-throated Coucal ◊  Centropus leucogaster

Senegal Coucal  Centropus senegalensis

Blue-headed Coucal  Centropus monachus

Blue Malkoha (B Yellowbill)  Ceuthmochares aereus

Levaillant’s Cuckoo  Clamator levaillantii

Diederik Cuckoo (Didric C)  Chrysococcyx caprius

Klaas’s Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx klaas

Yellow-throated Cuckoo ◊  Chrysococcyx flavigularis

African Emerald Cuckoo  Chrysococcyx cupreus

Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo ◊ (Whistling L-t C)  Cercococcyx mechowi  Heard-only.

Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo  Cercococcyx olivinus

Black Cuckoo  Cuculus clamosus

Red-chested Cuckoo  Cuculus solitarius

African Cuckoo  Cuculus gularis

Common Cuckoo  Cuculus canorus

Four-banded Sandgrouse  Pterocles quadricinctus  Heard-only.

Feral Pigeon (introduced)  Columba [livia] var_domestica

Speckled Pigeon  Columba guinea

Western Bronze-naped Pigeon  Columba iriditorques  Heard-only.

Red-eyed Dove  Streptopelia semitorquata

Vinaceous Dove  Streptopelia vinacea

Laughing Dove  Spilopelia senegalensis

Black-billed Wood Dove  Turtur abyssinicus

Blue-spotted Wood Dove  Turtur afer

Tambourine Dove  Turtur tympanistria

Blue-headed Wood Dove  Turtur brehmeri

Namaqua Dove  Oena capensis

Bruce’s Green Pigeon  Treron waalia

African Green Pigeon  Treron calvus

African Finfoot  Podica senegalensis

White-spotted Flufftail  Sarothrura pulchra

Common Moorhen  Gallinula chloropus

Allen’s Gallinule  Porphyrio alleni

Black Crake  Zapornia flavirostra

Nkulengu Rail ◊  Himantornis haematopus

Little Grebe  Tachybaptus ruficollis

Senegal Thick-knee  Burhinus senegalensis

Black-winged Stilt  Himantopus himantopus

Grey Plover (Black-bellied P)  Pluvialis squatarola

Common Ringed Plover  Charadrius hiaticula

Forbes’s Plover ◊  Charadrius forbesi

Spur-winged Lapwing (S-w Plover)  Vanellus spinosus

African Wattled Lapwing  Vanellus senegallus

Egyptian Plover ◊  Pluvianus aegyptius

Greater Painted-snipe  Rostratula benghalensis

African Jacana  Actophilornis africanus

Eurasian Whimbrel  Numenius phaeopus

Bar-tailed Godwit  Limosa lapponica

Terek Sandpiper  Xenus cinereus

Common Sandpiper  Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper  Tringa ochropus

Marsh Sandpiper  Tringa stagnatilis

Wood Sandpiper  Tringa glareola

Common Redshank  Tringa totanus

Common Greenshank  Tringa nebularia

Ruddy Turnstone  Arenaria interpres

Curlew Sandpiper  Calidris ferruginea

Sanderling  Calidris alba

Little Stint  Calidris minuta

Rock Pratincole  Glareola nuchalis

Little Tern  Sternula albifrons

Black Tern  Chlidonias niger

Common Tern  Sterna hirundo

Sandwich Tern  Thalasseus sandvicensis

West African Crested Tern (A Royal T)  Thalasseus albididorsalis

African Woolly-necked Stork  Ciconia microscelis

Reed Cormorant (Long-tailed C)  Microcarbo africanus

Spot-breasted Ibis ◊  Bostrychia rara

Hadada Ibis  Bostrychia hagedash

White-crested Tiger Heron ◊  Tigriornis leucolopha

Dwarf Bittern  Botaurus sturmii

Black-crowned Night Heron  Nycticorax nycticorax

Little Egret  Egretta garzetta

Western Reef Heron (W R Egret)  Egretta gularis

Striated Heron (Green-backed H)  Butorides striata

Squacco Heron  Ardeola ralloides

Great Egret (African G E)  Ardea [alba] melanorhynchos

Yellow-billed Egret  Ardea brachyrhyncha

Western Cattle Egret  Ardea ibis

Grey Heron  Ardea cinerea

Purple Heron  Ardea purpurea

Black-headed Heron  Ardea melanocephala

Hamerkop  Scopus umbretta

Black-winged Kite  Elanus caeruleus

African Harrier-Hawk (Gymnogene)  Polyboroides typus

Palm-nut Vulture  Gypohierax angolensis

European Honey Buzzard  Pernis apivorus

African Cuckoo-Hawk  Aviceda cuculoides

Hooded Vulture  Necrosyrtes monachus

White-backed Vulture (African W-b V)  Gyps africanus

White-headed Vulture  Trigonoceps occipitalis

Beaudouin’s Snake Eagle ◊  Circaetus beaudouini

Congo Serpent Eagle ◊  Dryotriorchis spectabilis

Bateleur  Terathopius ecaudatus

Crowned Eagle  Stephanoaetus coronatus

Wahlberg’s Eagle  Hieraaetus wahlbergi  Non-leader.

Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle  Hieraaetus ayresii

Booted Eagle  Hieraaetus pennatus

Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle ◊  Aquila africana

Lizard Buzzard  Kaupifalco monogrammicus

Dark Chanting Goshawk  Melierax metabates

Long-tailed Hawk ◊  Urotriorchis macrourus

Red-chested Goshawk ◊ (African G)  Aerospiza [tachiro] toussenelii

Shikra  Tachyspiza badia

Red-thighed Sparrowhawk ◊ (R-legged S)  Tachyspiza erythropus

Black Sparrowhawk (Great S)  Astur melanoleucus

Western Marsh Harrier  Circus aeruginosus

Yellow-billed Kite  Milvus aegyptius

African Fish Eagle  Icthyophaga vocifer  Non-leader.

Grasshopper Buzzard  Butastur rufipennis

Red-necked Buzzard  Buteo auguralis

Pearl-spotted Owlet  Glaucidium perlatum

Red-chested Owlet  Glaucidium tephronotum

African Scops Owl  Otus senegalensis

Northern White-faced Owl  Ptilopsis leucotis

Greyish Eagle-Owl  Bubo cinerascens

Fraser’s Eagle-Owl ◊  Ketupa poensis

Akun Eagle-Owl ◊  Ketupa leucosticta

African Wood Owl  Strix woodfordii

Narina Trogon  Apaloderma narina

Forest Wood Hoopoe  ◊ (F Scimitarbill)  Phoeniculus castaneiceps

Green Wood Hoopoe  Phoeniculus purpureus

Black Scimitarbill  Rhinopomastus aterrimus

Northern Red-billed Hornbill  Tockus erythrorhynchus

West African Pied Hornbill ◊  Lophoceros semifasciatus

African Grey Hornbill  Lophoceros nasutus

Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill  Lophoceros camurus

Piping Hornbill ◊ (Western P H)  Bycanistes [fistulator] fistulator

Brown-cheeked Hornbill ◊  Bycanistes cylindricus

Black-casqued Hornbill (B-c Wattled H)  Ceratogymna atrata

Yellow-casqued Hornbill ◊ (Y-c Wattled H)  Ceratogymna elata

Western Dwarf Hornbill ◊ (Black D H)  Horizocerus hartlaubi

Western Long-tailed Hornbill ◊ (White-crested H)  Horizocerus albocristatus

Purple Roller (Rufous-crowned R)  Coracias naevius

Abyssinian Roller ◊  Coracias abyssinicus

Blue-bellied Roller ◊  Coracias cyanogaster

Blue-throated Roller  Eurystomus gularis

Broad-billed Roller  Eurystomus glaucurus

Chocolate-backed Kingfisher  Halcyon badia

Grey-headed Kingfisher  Halcyon leucocephala

Striped Kingfisher  Halcyon chelicuti

Blue-breasted Kingfisher  Halcyon malimbica

Woodland Kingfisher  Halcyon senegalensis

African Pygmy Kingfisher  Ispidina picta

White-bellied Kingfisher ◊  Corythornis leucogaster

Malachite Kingfisher  Corythornis cristatus

Shining-blue Kingfisher  Alcedo quadribrachys

Pied Kingfisher  Ceryle rudis

Blue-moustached Bee-eater ◊  Merops mentalis  Heard-only.

Black Bee-eater  Merops gularis

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater  Merops hirundineus

Little Bee-eater  Merops pusillus

Red-throated Bee-eater  Merops bulocki

White-throated Bee-eater  Merops albicollis

Rosy Bee-eater ◊  Merops malimbicus

Northern Carmine Bee-eater  Merops nubicus

Western Yellow-billed Barbet ◊  Trachyphonus [g.] goffinii

Togo [Western] Yellow-billed Barbet ◊  Trachyphonus [goffinii] togoensis

Bristle-nosed Barbet ◊  Gymnobucco peli

Naked-faced Barbet  Gymnobucco calvus

Speckled Tinkerbird  Pogoniulus scolopaceus

Red-rumped Tinkerbird ◊  Pogoniulus atroflavus

Yellow-throated Tinkerbird  Pogoniulus subsulphureus

Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird  Pogoniulus bilineatus

Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird  Pogoniulus chrysoconus

Yellow-spotted Barbet  Buccanodon duchaillui

Hairy-breasted Barbet  Tricholaema hirsuta

Vieillot’s Barbet  Lybius vieilloti

Double-toothed Barbet  Pogonornis bidentatus

Bearded Barbet ◊  Pogonornis dubius

Cassin’s Honeybird (C Honeyguide)  Prodotiscus insignis

Yellow-footed Honeyguide ◊  Melignomon eisentrauti

Least Honeyguide ◊  Indicator exilis

Lesser Honeyguide  Indicator minor  Heard-only.

Spotted Honeyguide ◊  Indicator maculatus

Greater Honeyguide  Indicator indicator

Eurasian Wryneck  Jynx torquilla

African Piculet ◊  Verreauxia africana

Buff-spotted Woodpecker  Pardipicus nivosus

Brown-eared Woodpecker  Pardipicus caroli

Fine-spotted Woodpecker ◊  Campethera punctuligera

Golden-tailed Woodpecker  Campethera abingoni

Little Green Woodpecker ◊  Campethera maculosa

Fire-bellied Woodpecker ◊  Chloropicus pyrrhogaster

Cardinal Woodpecker  Dendropicos fuscescens

Melancholy Woodpecker ◊  Dendropicos lugubris

African Grey Woodpecker (Grey W)  Dendropicos goertae

Brown-backed Woodpecker  Dendropicos obsoletus

Common Kestrel  Falco tinnunculus

Fox Kestrel ◊  Falco alopex

Grey Kestrel  Falco ardosiaceus

African Hobby  Falco cuvierii

Lanner Falcon  Falco biarmicus

Grey Parrot  Psittacus erithacus

Red-fronted Parrot  Poicephalus gulielmi

Brown-necked Parrot ◊  Poicephalus fuscicollis

Senegal Parrot  Poicephalus senegalus

Rose-ringed Parakeet  Psittacula krameri

Rufous-sided Broadbill ◊  Smithornis rufolateralis

Senegal Batis ◊  Batis senegalensis

West African Batis ◊  Batis occulta

West African Wattle-eye ◊  Platysteira hormophora

Brown-throated Wattle-eye (Common W-e)  Platysteira cyanea

Red-cheeked Wattle-eye ◊  Platysteira blissetti

Fiery-breasted Bushshrike ◊  Malaconotus cruentus

Grey-headed Bushshrike  Malaconotus blanchoti  Heard-only.

Many-colored Bushshrike  Chlorophoneus multicolor  Heard-only.

Orange-breasted Bushshrike (Sulphur-b B-s)  Chlorophoneus sulfureopectus

Marsh Tchagra  Bocagia minuta

Brown-crowned Tchagra  Tchagra australis

Black-crowned Tchagra  Tchagra senegalus

Sabine’s Puffback ◊ (Large-billed P)  Dryoscopus sabini

Northern Puffback  Dryoscopus gambensis

Lowland Sooty Boubou ◊  Laniarius leucorhynchus  Heard-only.

Tropical Boubou  Laniarius major

Yellow-crowned Gonolek ◊  Laniarius barbarus

Brubru  Nilaus afer

White-crested Helmetshrike (White H)  Prionops plumatus

Red-billed Helmetshrike ◊ (Chestnut-bellied H-s)  Prionops caniceps

Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher (Vanga F, B-a-W F)  Bias musicus

White-breasted Cuckooshrike  Ceblepyris pectoralis

Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike  Campephaga phoenicea

Purple-throated Cuckooshrike  Campephaga quiscalina

Blue Cuckooshrike  Cyanograucalus azureus

Western Oriole (W Black-headed O)  Oriolus brachyrynchus

Black-winged Oriole  Oriolus nigripennis

African Golden Oriole  Oriolus auratus

Velvet-mantled Drongo ◊ (Fanti D)  Dicrurus [modestus] atactus

Fork-tailed Drongo (Glossy-backed D)  Dicrurus [adsimilis] divaricatus

Shining Drongo  Dicrurus atripennis

Sharpe’s Drongo ◊ (Western Square-tailed D)  Dicrurus [sharpei] occidentalis

Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher  Trochocercus nitens

Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher (Black-headed P F)  Terpsiphone rufiventer

African Paradise Flycatcher  Terpsiphone viridis

Yellow-billed Shrike  Lanius corvinus

Northern Fiscal  Lanius humeralis

Emin’s Shrike ◊  Lanius gubernator

Piapiac  Ptilostomus afer

Pied Crow  Corvus albus

White-necked Rockfowl ◊ (Yellow-headed Picathartes)  Picathartes gymnocephalus

African Blue Flycatcher  Elminia longicauda

White-shouldered Black Tit  Melaniparus guineensis

Forest Penduline Tit ◊  Anthoscopus flavifrons

Western Nicator (Yellow-spotted N)  Nicator chloris

Rufous-rumped Lark ◊  Pinarocorys erythropygia

Singing Bush Lark  Mirafra javanica

Flappet Lark  Amirafra rufocinnamomea

Sun Lark ◊  Galerida modesta

Slender-billed Greenbul  Stelgidillas gracilirostris

Golden Greenbul  Calyptocichla serinus

Red-tailed Bristlebill (Common B)  Bleda syndactylus

Green-tailed Bristlebill ◊  Bleda eximius

Grey-headed Bristlebill ◊  Bleda canicapillus

Spotted Greenbul  Ixonotus guttatus

Swamp Palm Bulbul  Thescelocichla leucopleura

Simple Greenbul (S Leaflove)  Chlorocichla simplex

Honeyguide Greenbul  Baeopogon indicator

Western Bearded Greenbul ◊  Criniger barbatus

Red-tailed Greenbul  Criniger calurus

Yellow-bearded Greenbul ◊ (Y-throated Olive G)  Criniger olivaceus

Little Greenbul  Eurillas virens

Yellow-whiskered Greenbul  Eurillas latirostris

Plain Greenbul (Cameroon Sombre G)  Eurillas curvirostris

Little Grey Greenbul (Grey G)  Eurillas gracilis

Ansorge’s Greenbul  Eurillas ansorgei

White-throated Greenbul ◊  Phyllastrephus albigularis

Icterine Greenbul  Phyllastrephus icterinus

Leaf-love ◊ (Red-tailed Leaflove)  Phyllastrephus scandens

Baumann’s Olive Greenbul ◊  Phyllastrephus baumanni

Common Bulbul  Pycnonotus barbatus

Square-tailed Saw-wing  Psalidoprocne nitens

Fanti Saw-wing ◊  Psalidoprocne obscura

Red-throated Rock Martin  Ptyonoprogne rufigula  Non-leader.

Barn Swallow  Hirundo rustica

Red-chested Swallow ◊  Hirundo lucida

Ethiopian Swallow  Hirundo aethiopica

White-bibbed Swallow (W-throated Blue S)  Hirundo nigrita

Wire-tailed Swallow  Hirundo smithii

Western House Martin  Delichon urbicum

Lesser Striped Swallow  Cecropis abyssinica

Red-breasted Swallow (Rufous-chested S)  Cecropis semirufa

Mosque Swallow  Cecropis senegalensis

Preuss’s Cliff Swallow ◊  Petrochelidon preussi

Moustached Grass Warbler (African M W)  Melocichla mentalis

Kemp’s Longbill ◊  Macrosphenus kempi

Grey Longbill  Macrosphenus concolor

Northern Crombec  Sylvietta brachyura

Green Crombec  Sylvietta virens

Lemon-bellied Crombec  Sylvietta denti

Chestnut-capped Flycatcher  Erythrocercus mccallii

Green Hylia  Hylia prasina

Tit Hylia  Pholidornis rushiae

Wood Warbler  Phylloscopus sibilatrix

Willow Warbler  Phylloscopus trochilus

Red-faced Cisticola  Cisticola erythrops

Singing Cisticola  Cisticola cantans

Whistling Cisticola  Cisticola lateralis

Rock-loving Cisticola  Cisticola aberrans  Heard-only.

Winding Cisticola  Cisticola marginatus

Croaking Cisticola  Cisticola natalensis

Dorst’s Cisticola ◊  Cisticola guinea

Short-winged Cisticola (Siffling C)  Cisticola brachypterus

Rufous Cisticola ◊  Cisticola rufus

Tawny-flanked Prinia  Prinia subflava

Red-winged Prinia (R-w Warbler)  Prinia erythroptera

Yellow-breasted Apalis  Apalis flavida

Black-capped Apalis  Apalis nigriceps

Sharpe’s Apalis ◊  Apalis sharpii

Oriole Warbler ◊  Hypergerus atriceps

Grey-backed Camaroptera  Camaroptera brevicaudata

Yellow-browed Camaroptera  Camaroptera superciliaris

Olive-green Camaroptera  Camaroptera chloronota

Senegal Eremomela  Eremomela pusilla

Rufous-crowned Eremomela  Eremomela badiceps

Northern Yellow White-eye  Zosterops senegalensis

Brown Illadopsis  Illadopsis fulvescens

Brown Illadopsis ◊ (Moloney’s I)  Illadopsis [fulvescens] moloneyana

Pale-breasted Illadopsis  Illadopsis rufipennis

Blackcap Illadopsis  Illadopsis cleaveri

Rufous-winged Illadopsis ◊  Illadopsis rufescens

Capuchin Babbler ◊ (Black-capped C B)  Turdoides [atripennis] rubiginosus  Heard-only.

Brown Babbler  Turdoides plebejus

Blackcap Babbler  Turdoides reinwardtii

Violet-backed Hyliota ◊  Hyliota violacea

African Spotted Creeper  Salpornis salvadori

Copper-tailed Starling ◊ (C-t Glossy S)  Hylopsar cupreocauda

Greater Blue-eared Starling  Lamprotornis chalybaeus

Bronze-tailed Starling (B-t Glossy S)  Lamprotornis chalcurus

Splendid Starling (S Glossy S)  Lamprotornis splendidus

Purple Starling (P Glossy S)  Lamprotornis purpureus

Long-tailed Glossy Starling  Lamprotornis caudatus

Violet-backed Starling  Cinnyricinclus leucogaster

Chestnut-winged Starling (Forest C-w S)  Onychognathus [fulgidus] hartlaubii

Yellow-billed Oxpecker  Buphagus africanus

Finsch’s Rufous Thrush ◊  Stizorhina finschi

White-tailed Ant Thrush  Neocossyphus poensis

African Thrush  Turdus pelios

White-tailed Alethe ◊  Alethe diademata

Forest Scrub Robin ◊  Cercotrichas leucosticta

Pale Flycatcher  Agricola pallidus

White-browed Forest Flycatcher ◊  Fraseria cinerascens

Fraser’s Forest Flycatcher  Fraseria ocreata

Grey-throated Tit-Flycatcher (G-t F)  Fraseria griseigularis

Grey Tit-Flycatcher (Lead-coloured F)  Fraseria plumbea  Heard-only.

Olivaceous Flycatcher ◊  Fraseria olivascens  Heard-only.

Ashy Flycatcher  Fraseria caerulescens

Nimba Flycatcher ◊  Melaenornis annamarulae

Northern Black Flycatcher  Melaenornis edolioides

Dusky-blue Flycatcher  Bradornis comitatus

Ussher’s Flycatcher ◊  Bradornis ussheri

Little Grey Flycatcher ◊ (Little F)  Muscicapa epulata

Spotted Flycatcher  Muscicapa striata

Gambaga Flycatcher ◊  Muscicapa gambagae

Cassin’s Flycatcher  Muscicapa cassini

Swamp Flycatcher  Muscicapa aquatica

Forest Robin ◊ (Western F R)  Stiphrornis [erythrothorax] erythrothorax  Heard-only.

Forest Robin ◊ (Dahomey F R)  Stiphrornis [erythrothorax] dahomeyensis

Forest Robin ◊ (Ghana F R)  Stiphrornis [erythrothorax] inexpectatus  Endemic

White-crowned Robin-Chat ◊  Cossypha albicapillus

Snowy-crowned Robin-Chat  Cossypha niveicapilla

Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat  Cossypha cyanocampter

European Pied Flycatcher  Ficedula hypoleuca

Whinchat  Saxicola rubetra

White-crowned Cliff Chat ◊ (Cliff Chat)  Thamnolaea [cinnamomeiventris] coronata

White-fronted Black Chat ◊  Oenanthe albifrons

Familiar Chat  Oenanthe familiaris

Fraser’s Sunbird (Scarlet-tufted S)  Deleornis fraseri

Mangrove Sunbird ◊ (Brown S)  Anthreptes gabonicus

Western Violet-backed Sunbird  Anthreptes longuemarei  Non-leader.

Little Green Sunbird  Anthreptes seimundi

Yellow-chinned Sunbird ◊  Anthreptes rectirostris

Collared Sunbird  Hedydipna collaris

Pygmy Sunbird ◊  Hedydipna platura

Reichenbach’s Sunbird ◊  Anabathmis reichenbachii

Green-headed Sunbird (Olive-backed S)  Cyanomitra verticalis

Blue-throated Brown Sunbird  Cyanomitra cyanolaema

Olive Sunbird  Cyanomitra olivacea

Buff-throated Sunbird ◊  Chalcomitra adelberti

Scarlet-chested Sunbird  Chalcomitra senegalensis

Olive-bellied Sunbird  Cinnyris chloropygius

Tiny Sunbird  Cinnyris minullus

Beautiful Sunbird  Cinnyris pulchellus

Splendid Sunbird  Cinnyris coccinigastrus

Johanna’s Sunbird ◊  Cinnyris johannae

Superb Sunbird  Cinnyris superbus

Copper Sunbird  Cinnyris cupreus

Sahel Bush Sparrow (Bush Petronia)  Gymnoris dentata

Northern Grey-headed Sparrow  Passer griseus

House Sparrow (introduced)  Passer domesticus

Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver  Plocepasser superciliosus

Thick-billed Weaver (Grosbeak W)  Amblyospiza albifrons

Slender-billed Weaver  Ploceus pelzelni

Little Weaver  Ploceus luteolus

Olive-naped Weaver ◊  Ploceus brachypterus

Orange Weaver ◊  Ploceus aurantius

Village Weaver  Ploceus cucullatus

Chestnut-and-black Weaver ◊  Ploceus castaneofuscus

Black-headed Weaver (Yellow-backed W)  Ploceus melanocephalus

Yellow-mantled Weaver  Ploceus tricolor

Maxwell’s Black Weaver ◊  Ploceus albinucha

Preuss’s Weaver ◊  Ploceus preussi

Red-vented Malimbe ◊  Malimbus scutatus

Blue-billed Malimbe  Malimbus nitens

Red-headed Malimbe  Malimbus rubricollis

Crested Malimbe  Malimbus malimbicus

Red-headed Quelea  Quelea erythrops

Red-billed Quelea  Quelea quelea

Black-winged Red Bishop (B-w Bishop)  Euplectes hordeaceus

Northern Red Bishop (Orange B)  Euplectes franciscanus

Yellow-mantled Widowbird (Y-shouldered W)  Euplectes [macroura] macroura

Bronze Mannikin  Spermestes cucullata

Magpie Mannikin ◊  Spermestes fringilloides

Black-and-white Mannikin  Spermestes bicolor

African Silverbill  Euodice cantans

Red-fronted Antpecker ◊  Parmoptila rubrifrons

White-breasted Nigrita (W-b Negrofinch)  Nigrita fusconotus

Chestnut-breasted Nigrita (C-b Negrofinch)  Nigrita bicolor

Grey-headed Nigrita (G-crowned Negrofinch)  Nigrita canicapillus

Lavender Waxbill ◊  Glaucestrilda caerulescens

Orange-cheeked Waxbill  Estrilda melpoda

Black-rumped Waxbill  Estrilda troglodytes

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu  Uraeginthus bengalus

Western Bluebill  Spermophaga haematina

Black-bellied Seedcracker  Pyrenestes ostrinus

Red-winged Pytilia ◊  Pytilia phoenicoptera

Red-billed Firefinch  Lagonosticta senegala

African Firefinch (Blue-billed F)  Lagonosticta rubricata

Bar-breasted Firefinch  Lagonosticta rufopicta

Black-faced Firefinch ◊  Lagonosticta larvata

Village Indigobird  Vidua chalybeata

Pin-tailed Whydah  Vidua macroura

Exclamatory Paradise Whydah ◊  Vidua interjecta

Western Yellow Wagtail (Blue-headed W)  Motacilla [flava] flava

African Pied Wagtail  Motacilla aguimp

Plain-backed Pipit  Anthus leucophrys

Tree Pipit  Anthus trivialis

Yellow-fronted Canary  Crithagra mozambica

Gosling’s Bunting ◊  Emberiza goslingi

Brown-rumped Bunting  Emberiza affinis

 MAMMALS

Western Tree Hyrax  Dendrohyrax dorsalis  Heard-only.

Benin Tree Hyrax  Dendrohyrax interfluvialis  Heard-only.

African Savanna Elephant  Loxodonta africana

Gambian Mongoose  Mungos gambianus

Common Warthog  Phacochoerus africanus

Red-flanked Duiker  Cephalophus rufilatus

Waterbuck (Defassa W)  Kobus [ellipsiprymnus] defassa

Buffon’s Kob  Kobus [k.] kob

Maxwell’s Duiker  Philantomba maxwellii  Heard-only.

Common (Grey) Duiker  Sylvicapra grimmia

Common Bushbuck  Tragelaphus scriptus

Yellow-winged False-vampire  Lavia frons

African Straw-colored Fruit Bat  Eidolon helvum

Hammer-headed Fruit Bat  Hypsignathus monstrosus

Northern Lesser Galago (Senegal G)  Galago senegalensis

Demidoff’s Dwarf Galago  Galagoides demidoff

Thomas’s Dwarf Galago  Galagoides thomasi

West African Potto  Perodicticus potto

Lowe’s Monkey  Cercopithecus lowei

Spot-nosed Monkey  Cercopithecus petaurista  Heard-only.

Green Monkey (Callithrix M)  Chlorocebus sabaeus

Common Patas Monkey  Erythrocebus patas

Olive Baboon  Papio anubis

Fire-footed Rope Squirrel  Funisciurus pyrropus

Kintampo Rope Squirrel  Funisciurus substriatus

Gambian Sun Squirrel  Heliosciurus gambianus

Small Sun Squirrel  Heliosciurus punctatus

Red-legged Sun Squirrel  Heliosciurus rufobrachium

Green Bush Squirrel  Paraxerus poensis

Forest Giant Squirrel (African G S)  Protoxerus stangeri

Striped Ground Squirrel  Xerus erythropus

Pel’s Anomalure (P’s Anomalure, P’s Scaly-tailed Squirrel)  Anomalurus pelii

Forest Giant Pouched Rat (Emin’s G P R)  Cricetomys emini

Northern Giant Pouched Rat (Gambian G P R)  Cricetomys gambianus