John Ballinger
New member
The following report briefly outlines a 3 week independent birding trip to Ghana with my wife. It comes with the following caveats:
1) This wasn't a dedicated birding trip, with birding just one of a variety of activities we did - we aren't 'hard core' birders!
2) This was my first time to Africa so most birds we saw were lifers. We weren't chasing rarities;
3) We only counted birds that we physically saw. We didn't count birds if we heard them and we didn't use sound recordings as lures.
4) Apart from Mole and Kakum where you had to have local guides, we birded independently.
5) We used public transport to get around, and stayed in cheap to moderately priced accommodation.
Our holiday included birding at Sakumo Lagoon (Accra), Mole National Park (near Tamale), Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary (Kumasi), Lake Bosumtwi (Kumasi), Kakum National Park (Cape Coast); Hans Cottage Botel (Cape Coast); Busua Beach (near Cape Coast).
Sakumo Lagoon - Accra
We caught a taxi from Accra and birded here late morning. A great site with a series of pools and grassland to check out. We were struggling with the heat so finished early. We missed a few birds - great potential here:
Northern Pintail - Anas acuta
Long-tailed Cormorant - Microcarbo africanus
Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea
Great Egret - Ardea alba
Little Egret - Egretta garzetta
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides
Eurasian Marsh-Harrier - Circus aeruginosus
Shikra - Accipiter badius
Spur-winged Lapwing - Vanellus spinosus
Wattled Lapwing - Vanellus senegallus
African Jacana - Actophilornis africanus
Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia
Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola
Collared Pratincole - Glareola pratincola
Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis
Senegal Coucal - Centropus senegalensis
Grey-headed Kingfisher - Halcyon leucocephala
Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis
Little Bee-eater - Merops pusillus
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
Plain-backed Pipit - Anthus leucophrys
Mole National Park - near Tamale
This was our favourite part of the trip. You have to have a guide to bird within the park (for safety reasons), but are free to bird by yourself in the hotel grounds and on the roads leading into the park. For birders, the Bradt guide recommends the ranger Zechariah Wareh, but when we asked for him we were told he doesn't work there anymore. We actually met Zechariah later ourselves when we were birding along the road into the park and he told us that he tended to be sent to the expensive lodge to guide the higher paying guests. From the little time we spent with him it was clear he knows his birds! Despite missing out on Zeachariah, we were still well served by another ranger called Robert Geli Tindana. Robert knows his birds and where to find them, but didn't have a pair of binoculars so we needed to verify some of his sightings using our scope and binoculars. Make sure you have a copy of "Birds of Ghana" handy.
We did two early morning bird watching walking safaris which were great as we were up and gone before anyone else (6am start), with a guide to ourselves. We saw more than those on a normal walking safari as we were quieter and away early. We also did a driving safari in the afternoon which was great for picking up additional birds and seeing more of the park. The hotel grounds and viewing platform are also great for birding. Check the trees after dark for eagle owls and cervals. We also saw warthogs, baboons, patas monkeys, and of course elephants. We saw about 72 species of bird in Mole, but definatley failed to ID a few.
Helmeted Guineafowl - Numida meleagris
Double-spurred Francolin - Pternistis bicalcaratus
Woolly-necked Stork - Ciconia episcopus
Hamerkop - Scopus umbretta
Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea
Intermediate Egret - Mesophoyx intermedia
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides
Striated Heron - Butorides striata
Hadada Ibis - Bostrychia hagedash
Hooded Vulture - Necrosyrtes monachus
White-backed Vulture - Gyps africanus
African Hawk-Eagle - Aquila spilogaster
Senegal Thick-knee - Burhinus senegalensis
Wattled Lapwing - Vanellus senegallus
Vinaceous Dove - Streptopelia vinacea
Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis
Black-billed Wood-Dove - Turtur abyssinicus
Senegal Coucal - Centropus senegalensis
Greyish Eagle-Owl - Bubo cinerascens
Pearl-spotted Owlet - Glaucidium perlatum
Green Woodhoopoe - Phoeniculus purpureus
African Grey Hornbill - Lophoceros nasutus
African Pygmy-Kingfisher - Ispidina picta
Grey-headed Kingfisher - Halcyon leucocephala
Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis
Red-throated Bee-eater - Merops bulocki
Abyssinian Roller - Coracias abyssinicus
Rufous-crowned Roller - Coracias naevius
Bearded Barbet - Lybius dubius
Ring-necked Parakeet - Psittacula krameri
Senegal Parrot - Poicephalus senegalus
Brown-throated Wattle-eye - Platysteira cyanea
Senegal Batis - Batis senegalensis
Northern Puffback - Dryoscopus gambensis
Yellow-crowned Gonolek - Laniarius barbarus
Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike - Telophorus sulfureopectus
African Golden Oriole - Oriolus auratus
Square-tailed Drongo - Dicrurus ludwigii
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
White-shouldered Black-Tit - Melaniparus guineensis
Common Bulbul - Pycnonotus barbatus
Yellow-breasted Apalis - Apalis flavida
Senegal Eremomela - Eremomela pusilla
Brown Babbler - Turdoides plebejus
Pale Flycatcher - Agricola pallidus
Northern Black-Flycatcher - Melaenornis edolioides
White-crowned Robin-Chat - Cossypha albicapillus
Western Violet-backed Sunbird - Anthreptes longuemarei
Pygmy Sunbird - Hedydipna platura
Scarlet-chested Sunbird - Chalcomitra senegalensis
Beautiful Sunbird - Cinnyris pulchellus
Splendid Sunbird - Cinnyris coccinigastrus
Yellow-fronted Canary - Serinus mozambicus
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow - Passer griseus
Bush Petronia - Petronia dentata
Little Weaver - Ploceus luteolus
Yellow-crowned Bishop - Euplectes afer
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu - Uraeginthus bengalus
Red-billed Firefinch - Lagonosticta senegala
Bronze Mannikin - Spermestes cucullata
Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah - Vidua interjecta
Stone Partridge - Ptilopachus petrosus
Red-eyed Dove - Streptopelia semitorquata
Western Plantain-eater - Crinifer piscator
Abyssinian Roller - Coracias abyssinicus
Grey Kestrel - Falco ardosiaceus
Black-crowned Tchagra - Tchagra senegalus
Fork-tailed Drongo - Dicrurus adsimilis
Sun Lark - Galerida modesta
Northern Black-Flycatcher - Melaenornis edolioides
White-fronted Black-Chat - Myrmecocichla albifrons
Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary - near Kumasi
Bobirri is a beautiful piece of tropical forest near Kumasi. Sadly, parts of it are still being logged and it was heart breaking to see the massive hardwood trunks stacked on the back of forestry trucks as we walked into the forestry lodge in the middle of the forest. The lodge was basic but good, and we enjoyed the food there. However, a word of warning - don't eat the chicken bought from the local village as we got sick from it! Spent 2 mornings walking along the forestry road which is right through the middle of the park, with some good views of canopy species. We also had great fun birding the road in from the village, which had nice scrubby farmland habitat. We saw about 30 species here.
Lizard Buzzard - Kaupifalco monogrammicus
Red-eyed Dove - Streptopelia semitorquata
Tambourine Dove - Turtur tympanistria
African Green-Pigeon - Treron calvus
Senegal Coucal - Centropus senegalensis
African Pied Hornbill - Lophoceros fasciatus
White-throated Bee-eater - Merops albicollis
African Hobby - Falco cuvierii
Red-fronted Parrot - Poicephalus gulielmi
Red-billed Helmetshrike - Prionops caniceps
Fork-tailed Drongo - Dicrurus adsimilis
Velvet-mantled Drongo - Dicrurus modestus
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica
Slender-billed Greenbul - Stelgidillas gracilirostris
Common Bulbul - Pycnonotus barbatus
Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata
Splendid Starling - Lamprotornis splendidus
Buff-throated Sunbird - Chalcomitra adelberti
Olive-bellied Sunbird - Cinnyris chloropygius
Tiny Sunbird - Cinnyris minullus
Superb Sunbird - Cinnyris superbus
African Pied Wagtail - Motacilla aguimp
Plain-backed Pipit - Anthus leucophrys
Black-necked Weaver - Ploceus nigricollis
Village Weaver - Ploceus cucullatus
Yellow-mantled Weaver - Ploceus tricolor
Orange-cheeked Waxbill - Estrilda melpoda
Bronze Mannikin - Spermestes cucullata
Black-and-white Mannikin - Spermestes bicolor
Lake Bosumtwi - near Kumasi
We caught a taxi from Bobirri to the lake (about an hours drive). This isn't a known birding location but we found it good for common birds. We stayed at an excellent value lodge called Lake Point Guesthouse which has a lovely garden. Unfortunately, we only spent a couple of days here and came down with upset stomachs from the chicken we ate back in Bobirri, so the only birding we did was from the garden of our guesthouse in between vomiting and diarrhoea sessions! Despite this, we still identified 23 species.
Long-tailed Cormorant - Microcarbo africanus
Intermediate Egret - Mesophoyx intermedia
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
Black Kite - Milvus migrans
Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus
Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos
Red-eyed Dove - Streptopelia semitorquata
African Grey Hornbill - Lophoceros nasutus
Little Bee-eater - Merops pusillus
White-throated Bee-eater - Merops albicollis
Brown-throated Wattle-eye - Platysteira cyanea
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
Common House-Martin - Delichon urbicum
Common Bulbul - Pycnonotus barbatus
Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata
Olive-bellied Sunbird - Cinnyris chloropygius
Western Yellow Wagtail - Motacilla flava
African Pied Wagtail - Motacilla aguimp
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow - Passer griseus
Black-necked Weaver - Ploceus nigricollis
Orange-cheeked Waxbill - Estrilda melpoda
Bronze Mannikin - Spermestes cucullata
Pin-tailed Whydah - Vidua macroura
Kakum National Park - near Cape Coast
It's hard to see birds in the dense rainforest so an early morning birding session from the canopy walkway is a must do for any birder in Ghana. As recommended in the Bradt guide, we got park guide James Biney who was excellent. My only regret is we didn't do two mornings on the walkway, instead spending our second night at a tree house, thus missing the second morning on the walkway.
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
African Green-Pigeon - Treron calvus
Yellow-billed Turaco - Tauraco macrorhynchus
Blue Malkoha - Ceuthmochares aereus
African Emerald Cuckoo - Chrysococcyx cupreus
Common Swift - Apus apus
African Pied Hornbill - Lophoceros fasciatus
Black Bee-eater - Merops gularis
Naked-faced Barbet - Gymnobucco calvus
Yellow-spotted Barbet - Buccanodon duchaillui
Fire-bellied Woodpecker - Dendropicos pyrrhogaster
Sabine's Puffback - Dryoscopus sabini
Blue Cuckooshrike - Cyanograucalus azureus
Western Black-headed Oriole - Oriolus brachyrynchus
Velvet-mantled Drongo - Dicrurus modestus
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
Slender-billed Greenbul - Stelgidillas gracilirostris
Spotted Greenbul - Ixonotus guttatus
Yellow-bearded Greenbul - Criniger olivaceus
Plain Greenbul - Eurillas curvirostris
Common Bulbul - Pycnonotus barbatus
Green Crombec - Sylvietta virens
Green Hylia - Hylia prasina
Willow Warbler - Phylloscopus trochilus
Sharpe's Apalis - Apalis sharpii
Ussher's Flycatcher - Bradornis ussheri
Dusky-blue Flycatcher - Bradornis comitatus
Collared Sunbird - Hedydipna collaris
Splendid Sunbird - Cinnyris coccinigastrus
African Pied Wagtail - Motacilla aguimp
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow - Passer griseus
Red-headed Malimbe - Malimbus rubricollis
Yellow-mantled Weaver - Ploceus tricolor
African Firefinch - Lagonosticta rubricata
Hans Cottage Botel - Cape Coast
Han's Cottage is an interesting, if slightly strange place with a series of pools which offers some pretty good birding. It's good for kingfishers, weavers, and there's a large roost of cormorants. With a bit of patience you could get some awesome photos of birds, all while sipping on a beer from the restaurant roof. happy days
Long-tailed Cormorant - Microcarbo africanus
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
Striated Heron - Butorides striata
Black Kite - Milvus migrans
African Jacana - Actophilornis africanus
Vinaceous Dove - Streptopelia vinacea
Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis
Western Plantain-eater - Crinifer piscator
Little Swift - Apus affinis
African Pied Hornbill - Lophoceros fasciatus
Woodland Kingfisher - Halcyon senegalensis
Giant Kingfisher - Megaceryle maxima
Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
Splendid Starling - Lamprotornis splendidus
African Pied Wagtail - Motacilla aguimp
Vieillot's Weaver - Ploceus nigerrimus
Village Weaver - Ploceus cucullatus
Bronze Mannikin - Spermestes cucullata
Busua Beach - near Cape Coast
Busua beach is the home of surfing in Ghana. We did a 7 day surf camp and did a wee bit of birding while chilling on the beach. We stayed at Busia Inn situated right on the beach. To the west there is a huge tree which is a roost site for a large number of yellow billed kites. To the east there is some excellent scrubby farmland in behind the dunes where you can see a good variety of birds. It's also worth while doing the canoe trip up the Butre estuary situated about 1km to the east. There was an awesome place to stay called hideout Lodge on Butre where we had lunch, but wish we'd spent a few days there.
As part of our surf camp package we took a trip to the Nzulezo Stilt Village, about 1.4 hr from Busua by car. The canoe trip to the village has great potential for waterbirds, but sadly we did it mid-day as we were part of a larger group visiting the village. An early morning birding specific canoe trip could provide some excellent results.
African Pygmy-Goose - Nettapus auritus
Striated Heron - Butorides striata
Black Kite - Milvus migrans
Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus
Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos
Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia
Red-eyed Dove - Streptopelia semitorquata
African Pied Hornbill - Lophoceros fasciatus
Malachite Kingfisher - Corythornis cristatus
Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis
Black Kite - Milvus migrans
Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos
Royal Tern - Thalasseus maximus
Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis
Blue-spotted Wood-Dove - Turtur afer
Western Plantain-eater - Crinifer piscator
Senegal Coucal - Centropus senegalensis
Levaillant's Cuckoo - Clamator levaillantii
Dideric Cuckoo - Chrysococcyx caprius
Little Swift - Apus affinis
African Palm-Swift - Cypsiurus parvus
African Pied Hornbill - Lophoceros fasciatus
Woodland Kingfisher - Halcyon senegalensis
Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis
Little Bee-eater - Merops pusillus
White-throated Bee-eater - Merops albicollis
Black-crowned Tchagra - Tchagra senegalus
Northern Fiscal - Lanius humeralis
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica
Lesser Striped-Swallow - Cecropis abyssinica
Leaf-love - Phyllastrephus scandens
Common Bulbul - Pycnonotus barbatus
Splendid Starling - Lamprotornis splendidus
Mouse-brown Sunbird - Anthreptes gabonicus
Collared Sunbird - Hedydipna collaris
Olive-bellied Sunbird - Cinnyris chloropygius
Tiny Sunbird - Cinnyris minullus
Copper Sunbird - Cinnyris cupreus
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow - Passer griseus
Red-vented Malimbe - Malimbus scutatus
Black-necked Weaver - Ploceus nigricollis
Vieillot's Weaver - Ploceus nigerrimus
Village Weaver - Ploceus cucullatus
Orange-cheeked Waxbill - Estrilda melpoda
Bronze Mannikin - Spermestes cucullata
We had an amazing time in Ghana. It's a very safe country with friendly people who speak English, with good infrastructure and ease of travel which makes it a great option for the independent traveller. My only regret is we didn't make the effort to see picathartes! However, anyone interested in seeing picathartes independently can click on this link to a blog which details how to go about it. The blog also provides excellent information on a number of other sites in Ghana: https://www.cloudbirders.com/tripreport/repository/PERON_Ghana_09_2016.pdf
1) This wasn't a dedicated birding trip, with birding just one of a variety of activities we did - we aren't 'hard core' birders!
2) This was my first time to Africa so most birds we saw were lifers. We weren't chasing rarities;
3) We only counted birds that we physically saw. We didn't count birds if we heard them and we didn't use sound recordings as lures.
4) Apart from Mole and Kakum where you had to have local guides, we birded independently.
5) We used public transport to get around, and stayed in cheap to moderately priced accommodation.
Our holiday included birding at Sakumo Lagoon (Accra), Mole National Park (near Tamale), Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary (Kumasi), Lake Bosumtwi (Kumasi), Kakum National Park (Cape Coast); Hans Cottage Botel (Cape Coast); Busua Beach (near Cape Coast).
Sakumo Lagoon - Accra
We caught a taxi from Accra and birded here late morning. A great site with a series of pools and grassland to check out. We were struggling with the heat so finished early. We missed a few birds - great potential here:
Northern Pintail - Anas acuta
Long-tailed Cormorant - Microcarbo africanus
Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea
Great Egret - Ardea alba
Little Egret - Egretta garzetta
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides
Eurasian Marsh-Harrier - Circus aeruginosus
Shikra - Accipiter badius
Spur-winged Lapwing - Vanellus spinosus
Wattled Lapwing - Vanellus senegallus
African Jacana - Actophilornis africanus
Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia
Wood Sandpiper - Tringa glareola
Collared Pratincole - Glareola pratincola
Black Tern - Chlidonias niger
Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis
Senegal Coucal - Centropus senegalensis
Grey-headed Kingfisher - Halcyon leucocephala
Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis
Little Bee-eater - Merops pusillus
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
Plain-backed Pipit - Anthus leucophrys
Mole National Park - near Tamale
This was our favourite part of the trip. You have to have a guide to bird within the park (for safety reasons), but are free to bird by yourself in the hotel grounds and on the roads leading into the park. For birders, the Bradt guide recommends the ranger Zechariah Wareh, but when we asked for him we were told he doesn't work there anymore. We actually met Zechariah later ourselves when we were birding along the road into the park and he told us that he tended to be sent to the expensive lodge to guide the higher paying guests. From the little time we spent with him it was clear he knows his birds! Despite missing out on Zeachariah, we were still well served by another ranger called Robert Geli Tindana. Robert knows his birds and where to find them, but didn't have a pair of binoculars so we needed to verify some of his sightings using our scope and binoculars. Make sure you have a copy of "Birds of Ghana" handy.
We did two early morning bird watching walking safaris which were great as we were up and gone before anyone else (6am start), with a guide to ourselves. We saw more than those on a normal walking safari as we were quieter and away early. We also did a driving safari in the afternoon which was great for picking up additional birds and seeing more of the park. The hotel grounds and viewing platform are also great for birding. Check the trees after dark for eagle owls and cervals. We also saw warthogs, baboons, patas monkeys, and of course elephants. We saw about 72 species of bird in Mole, but definatley failed to ID a few.
Helmeted Guineafowl - Numida meleagris
Double-spurred Francolin - Pternistis bicalcaratus
Woolly-necked Stork - Ciconia episcopus
Hamerkop - Scopus umbretta
Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea
Intermediate Egret - Mesophoyx intermedia
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
Squacco Heron - Ardeola ralloides
Striated Heron - Butorides striata
Hadada Ibis - Bostrychia hagedash
Hooded Vulture - Necrosyrtes monachus
White-backed Vulture - Gyps africanus
African Hawk-Eagle - Aquila spilogaster
Senegal Thick-knee - Burhinus senegalensis
Wattled Lapwing - Vanellus senegallus
Vinaceous Dove - Streptopelia vinacea
Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis
Black-billed Wood-Dove - Turtur abyssinicus
Senegal Coucal - Centropus senegalensis
Greyish Eagle-Owl - Bubo cinerascens
Pearl-spotted Owlet - Glaucidium perlatum
Green Woodhoopoe - Phoeniculus purpureus
African Grey Hornbill - Lophoceros nasutus
African Pygmy-Kingfisher - Ispidina picta
Grey-headed Kingfisher - Halcyon leucocephala
Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis
Red-throated Bee-eater - Merops bulocki
Abyssinian Roller - Coracias abyssinicus
Rufous-crowned Roller - Coracias naevius
Bearded Barbet - Lybius dubius
Ring-necked Parakeet - Psittacula krameri
Senegal Parrot - Poicephalus senegalus
Brown-throated Wattle-eye - Platysteira cyanea
Senegal Batis - Batis senegalensis
Northern Puffback - Dryoscopus gambensis
Yellow-crowned Gonolek - Laniarius barbarus
Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike - Telophorus sulfureopectus
African Golden Oriole - Oriolus auratus
Square-tailed Drongo - Dicrurus ludwigii
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
White-shouldered Black-Tit - Melaniparus guineensis
Common Bulbul - Pycnonotus barbatus
Yellow-breasted Apalis - Apalis flavida
Senegal Eremomela - Eremomela pusilla
Brown Babbler - Turdoides plebejus
Pale Flycatcher - Agricola pallidus
Northern Black-Flycatcher - Melaenornis edolioides
White-crowned Robin-Chat - Cossypha albicapillus
Western Violet-backed Sunbird - Anthreptes longuemarei
Pygmy Sunbird - Hedydipna platura
Scarlet-chested Sunbird - Chalcomitra senegalensis
Beautiful Sunbird - Cinnyris pulchellus
Splendid Sunbird - Cinnyris coccinigastrus
Yellow-fronted Canary - Serinus mozambicus
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow - Passer griseus
Bush Petronia - Petronia dentata
Little Weaver - Ploceus luteolus
Yellow-crowned Bishop - Euplectes afer
Red-cheeked Cordonbleu - Uraeginthus bengalus
Red-billed Firefinch - Lagonosticta senegala
Bronze Mannikin - Spermestes cucullata
Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah - Vidua interjecta
Stone Partridge - Ptilopachus petrosus
Red-eyed Dove - Streptopelia semitorquata
Western Plantain-eater - Crinifer piscator
Abyssinian Roller - Coracias abyssinicus
Grey Kestrel - Falco ardosiaceus
Black-crowned Tchagra - Tchagra senegalus
Fork-tailed Drongo - Dicrurus adsimilis
Sun Lark - Galerida modesta
Northern Black-Flycatcher - Melaenornis edolioides
White-fronted Black-Chat - Myrmecocichla albifrons
Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary - near Kumasi
Bobirri is a beautiful piece of tropical forest near Kumasi. Sadly, parts of it are still being logged and it was heart breaking to see the massive hardwood trunks stacked on the back of forestry trucks as we walked into the forestry lodge in the middle of the forest. The lodge was basic but good, and we enjoyed the food there. However, a word of warning - don't eat the chicken bought from the local village as we got sick from it! Spent 2 mornings walking along the forestry road which is right through the middle of the park, with some good views of canopy species. We also had great fun birding the road in from the village, which had nice scrubby farmland habitat. We saw about 30 species here.
Lizard Buzzard - Kaupifalco monogrammicus
Red-eyed Dove - Streptopelia semitorquata
Tambourine Dove - Turtur tympanistria
African Green-Pigeon - Treron calvus
Senegal Coucal - Centropus senegalensis
African Pied Hornbill - Lophoceros fasciatus
White-throated Bee-eater - Merops albicollis
African Hobby - Falco cuvierii
Red-fronted Parrot - Poicephalus gulielmi
Red-billed Helmetshrike - Prionops caniceps
Fork-tailed Drongo - Dicrurus adsimilis
Velvet-mantled Drongo - Dicrurus modestus
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica
Slender-billed Greenbul - Stelgidillas gracilirostris
Common Bulbul - Pycnonotus barbatus
Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata
Splendid Starling - Lamprotornis splendidus
Buff-throated Sunbird - Chalcomitra adelberti
Olive-bellied Sunbird - Cinnyris chloropygius
Tiny Sunbird - Cinnyris minullus
Superb Sunbird - Cinnyris superbus
African Pied Wagtail - Motacilla aguimp
Plain-backed Pipit - Anthus leucophrys
Black-necked Weaver - Ploceus nigricollis
Village Weaver - Ploceus cucullatus
Yellow-mantled Weaver - Ploceus tricolor
Orange-cheeked Waxbill - Estrilda melpoda
Bronze Mannikin - Spermestes cucullata
Black-and-white Mannikin - Spermestes bicolor
Lake Bosumtwi - near Kumasi
We caught a taxi from Bobirri to the lake (about an hours drive). This isn't a known birding location but we found it good for common birds. We stayed at an excellent value lodge called Lake Point Guesthouse which has a lovely garden. Unfortunately, we only spent a couple of days here and came down with upset stomachs from the chicken we ate back in Bobirri, so the only birding we did was from the garden of our guesthouse in between vomiting and diarrhoea sessions! Despite this, we still identified 23 species.
Long-tailed Cormorant - Microcarbo africanus
Intermediate Egret - Mesophoyx intermedia
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
Black Kite - Milvus migrans
Common Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus
Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos
Red-eyed Dove - Streptopelia semitorquata
African Grey Hornbill - Lophoceros nasutus
Little Bee-eater - Merops pusillus
White-throated Bee-eater - Merops albicollis
Brown-throated Wattle-eye - Platysteira cyanea
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
Common House-Martin - Delichon urbicum
Common Bulbul - Pycnonotus barbatus
Spotted Flycatcher - Muscicapa striata
Olive-bellied Sunbird - Cinnyris chloropygius
Western Yellow Wagtail - Motacilla flava
African Pied Wagtail - Motacilla aguimp
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow - Passer griseus
Black-necked Weaver - Ploceus nigricollis
Orange-cheeked Waxbill - Estrilda melpoda
Bronze Mannikin - Spermestes cucullata
Pin-tailed Whydah - Vidua macroura
Kakum National Park - near Cape Coast
It's hard to see birds in the dense rainforest so an early morning birding session from the canopy walkway is a must do for any birder in Ghana. As recommended in the Bradt guide, we got park guide James Biney who was excellent. My only regret is we didn't do two mornings on the walkway, instead spending our second night at a tree house, thus missing the second morning on the walkway.
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
African Green-Pigeon - Treron calvus
Yellow-billed Turaco - Tauraco macrorhynchus
Blue Malkoha - Ceuthmochares aereus
African Emerald Cuckoo - Chrysococcyx cupreus
Common Swift - Apus apus
African Pied Hornbill - Lophoceros fasciatus
Black Bee-eater - Merops gularis
Naked-faced Barbet - Gymnobucco calvus
Yellow-spotted Barbet - Buccanodon duchaillui
Fire-bellied Woodpecker - Dendropicos pyrrhogaster
Sabine's Puffback - Dryoscopus sabini
Blue Cuckooshrike - Cyanograucalus azureus
Western Black-headed Oriole - Oriolus brachyrynchus
Velvet-mantled Drongo - Dicrurus modestus
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
Slender-billed Greenbul - Stelgidillas gracilirostris
Spotted Greenbul - Ixonotus guttatus
Yellow-bearded Greenbul - Criniger olivaceus
Plain Greenbul - Eurillas curvirostris
Common Bulbul - Pycnonotus barbatus
Green Crombec - Sylvietta virens
Green Hylia - Hylia prasina
Willow Warbler - Phylloscopus trochilus
Sharpe's Apalis - Apalis sharpii
Ussher's Flycatcher - Bradornis ussheri
Dusky-blue Flycatcher - Bradornis comitatus
Collared Sunbird - Hedydipna collaris
Splendid Sunbird - Cinnyris coccinigastrus
African Pied Wagtail - Motacilla aguimp
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow - Passer griseus
Red-headed Malimbe - Malimbus rubricollis
Yellow-mantled Weaver - Ploceus tricolor
African Firefinch - Lagonosticta rubricata
Hans Cottage Botel - Cape Coast
Han's Cottage is an interesting, if slightly strange place with a series of pools which offers some pretty good birding. It's good for kingfishers, weavers, and there's a large roost of cormorants. With a bit of patience you could get some awesome photos of birds, all while sipping on a beer from the restaurant roof. happy days
Long-tailed Cormorant - Microcarbo africanus
Cattle Egret - Bubulcus ibis
Striated Heron - Butorides striata
Black Kite - Milvus migrans
African Jacana - Actophilornis africanus
Vinaceous Dove - Streptopelia vinacea
Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis
Western Plantain-eater - Crinifer piscator
Little Swift - Apus affinis
African Pied Hornbill - Lophoceros fasciatus
Woodland Kingfisher - Halcyon senegalensis
Giant Kingfisher - Megaceryle maxima
Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
Splendid Starling - Lamprotornis splendidus
African Pied Wagtail - Motacilla aguimp
Vieillot's Weaver - Ploceus nigerrimus
Village Weaver - Ploceus cucullatus
Bronze Mannikin - Spermestes cucullata
Busua Beach - near Cape Coast
Busua beach is the home of surfing in Ghana. We did a 7 day surf camp and did a wee bit of birding while chilling on the beach. We stayed at Busia Inn situated right on the beach. To the west there is a huge tree which is a roost site for a large number of yellow billed kites. To the east there is some excellent scrubby farmland in behind the dunes where you can see a good variety of birds. It's also worth while doing the canoe trip up the Butre estuary situated about 1km to the east. There was an awesome place to stay called hideout Lodge on Butre where we had lunch, but wish we'd spent a few days there.
As part of our surf camp package we took a trip to the Nzulezo Stilt Village, about 1.4 hr from Busua by car. The canoe trip to the village has great potential for waterbirds, but sadly we did it mid-day as we were part of a larger group visiting the village. An early morning birding specific canoe trip could provide some excellent results.
African Pygmy-Goose - Nettapus auritus
Striated Heron - Butorides striata
Black Kite - Milvus migrans
Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus
Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos
Common Greenshank - Tringa nebularia
Red-eyed Dove - Streptopelia semitorquata
African Pied Hornbill - Lophoceros fasciatus
Malachite Kingfisher - Corythornis cristatus
Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis
Black Kite - Milvus migrans
Common Sandpiper - Actitis hypoleucos
Royal Tern - Thalasseus maximus
Laughing Dove - Streptopelia senegalensis
Blue-spotted Wood-Dove - Turtur afer
Western Plantain-eater - Crinifer piscator
Senegal Coucal - Centropus senegalensis
Levaillant's Cuckoo - Clamator levaillantii
Dideric Cuckoo - Chrysococcyx caprius
Little Swift - Apus affinis
African Palm-Swift - Cypsiurus parvus
African Pied Hornbill - Lophoceros fasciatus
Woodland Kingfisher - Halcyon senegalensis
Pied Kingfisher - Ceryle rudis
Little Bee-eater - Merops pusillus
White-throated Bee-eater - Merops albicollis
Black-crowned Tchagra - Tchagra senegalus
Northern Fiscal - Lanius humeralis
Pied Crow - Corvus albus
Barn Swallow - Hirundo rustica
Lesser Striped-Swallow - Cecropis abyssinica
Leaf-love - Phyllastrephus scandens
Common Bulbul - Pycnonotus barbatus
Splendid Starling - Lamprotornis splendidus
Mouse-brown Sunbird - Anthreptes gabonicus
Collared Sunbird - Hedydipna collaris
Olive-bellied Sunbird - Cinnyris chloropygius
Tiny Sunbird - Cinnyris minullus
Copper Sunbird - Cinnyris cupreus
House Sparrow - Passer domesticus
Northern Grey-headed Sparrow - Passer griseus
Red-vented Malimbe - Malimbus scutatus
Black-necked Weaver - Ploceus nigricollis
Vieillot's Weaver - Ploceus nigerrimus
Village Weaver - Ploceus cucullatus
Orange-cheeked Waxbill - Estrilda melpoda
Bronze Mannikin - Spermestes cucullata
We had an amazing time in Ghana. It's a very safe country with friendly people who speak English, with good infrastructure and ease of travel which makes it a great option for the independent traveller. My only regret is we didn't make the effort to see picathartes! However, anyone interested in seeing picathartes independently can click on this link to a blog which details how to go about it. The blog also provides excellent information on a number of other sites in Ghana: https://www.cloudbirders.com/tripreport/repository/PERON_Ghana_09_2016.pdf
