14 Days Ghana Birding and Wildlife Tour Itinerary

 
Day 1… Arrival
Akwaaba - (Welcome) to Ghana
I will welcome you and transfer you to bird friend hotel for good night rest and worm up for our 14 days search.

 

 

Day 2… Shai hills – Sakumono lagoon – Winniba plains
Your tour will kick start today morning, After early breakfast we shall depart to Shai-hills an open Grassland with Rock forming good environment for Birding and provides different kind of species before we make our way to Cape Coast.

 

 

Day 3 - 5… Kakum NP (Canopy walkway), Sushen forest, Antwikwaa forest, Twifo Praso, Brenu beach road.
We shall depart for the world famous canopy walkway at Kakum National Park after an early breakfast. Kakum is the leading destination for birdwatching in Ghana. A wonderful World of amazing canopy species awaits you out there. Kakum has different entrances like the Canopy walkway, Antwikwaa, Sushen, Aboabo road, Jawari road, Brimso water works which your days will allow you to visit these sites. We aim to get there early morning to spend the most critical bird viewing hours on the canopy walkway trying to see and photograph many mouthwatering species here.

 

 

Day 5 - 6 = Nsuta forest
An excellent forest about an hour drive from our guesthouse, this secondary semi deciduous forest protects a plethora of quality species that will enhance our list and overall experience. Species we hope to see and photograph here includes Red billed helmetshrike, Dwarf bittern, Bristle nosed barbet, White crested bittern, Spot breasted ibis, Western bronze napped pigeon, Afep pigeon, Bates`s swift, Blue headed coucal, Pale breasted illadopsis, White tailed rufous thrush, White headed wood hoopoe, African wood owl, Yellow bearded greenbul, Bat hawk, Narrow tailed starling, Bates`s sunbird, Blackcap illadopsis, Tessmann`s flycatcher, Green hylia, Lemon bellied crombec, Fire crested alethe, Spotted greenbul, Purple throated cuckooshrike, Spotted honeyguide, Black collared lovebird, Brown necked parrot, Red tailed greenbul, Black dwarf hornbill, African piculet, Naked faced barbet, Kemp`s longbill, Black bee-eater, Forest wood hoopoe, Piping hornbill, Akun eagle owl, Western bearded greenbul, Yellow billed barbet, Black spinetail, Blue headed crested flycatcher, Pale breasted illadopsis, Common swift, Congo serpent eagle, Western nicator, Icterine greenbul, White spotted flufftail, Western bluebill, Long tailed hawk, Black throated cuocal among others will be encountered here.

 

 

Day 7… Ankasa forest
We will be going out to locate rare species in the early morning hours. We will be searching for many Upper Guinea Endemics such as White breasted guineafowl, Yellow casqued hornbil, African finfoot, Shining blue kingfisher, Hartlaub`s duck, White bellied kingfisher, Cassin`s flycatcher, Red billed dwarf hornbill, Olive long tailed cuckoo, Dusky long tailed cuckoo, Great blue turaco, White throated greenbul, Rufous winged illadopsis, Rufous sided broadbill, Shining drongo, Forest robin, African darter, Red fronted antpecker, Red headed quelea, Carmelite sunbird, Reichenbach`s sunbird, White browed forest flycatcher, Red chested owlet, Common cuckoo, Grey throated rail, Crested guineafowl, Yellow bearded greenbul, Western bearded greenbul, African pygmy goose, Blackcap illadopsis, Congo serpent eagle, European honey buzzard, Red billed helmetshrike, Buff spotted woodpecker, Fire bellied woodpecker, African emerald cuckoo, Cassin`s spinetail, Square taile sawwing, White tailed rufous thrush, Finsch`s flycatcher thrush just to mention few.

 
Day 8… Ankasa forest – Cape coast
We will search for species we missed or had only brief views around this site such as White spotted flufftail, African pygmy ,Chocolate backed ,African dwarf and Giant kingfisher, Red rumped tinkerbird, Blue breasted kingfisher, yellow throated tinkerbird, Little green, Fire bellied and Buff spotted woodpecker, Pin tailed whydah, Red headed, Red vented, Crested and Blue billed malimbe, Preuss`s and Yellow mantled weaver, Red tailed greenbul, White breasted, Grey headed and Chestnut breasted nigrita, Peregrine falcon, Piping hornbill, Whistling cisticola, Great spotted, Black, Levaillant`s and African emerald cuckoo, Common swift, Didric and Klass`s cuckoo.

 

 

Day 9… Sushen forest – Picathartes site – Kumasi
The big day is today. We will be visiting the White Necked Rock-fowl nesting site, please make sure that you have enough memory card. We will check out of our hotel after an early breakfast
and set off for Sushen forest where we will be targeting some key species we missed during our days at Kakum National park and get better views of species we just had brief views of. After Sushen in the morning we will make our way to Bonkro village the famous species and pre-historic bird (Picathartes) is located. It is hard to contain your excitement as these legendary prehistoric looking birds hop and jump on the rocks whilst preening themselves just meters from your eyes giving photographers amongst you a busy time of the day. We will then continue our journey to Kumasi after we have enjoyed our target bird for the day.

 

 

Day 10… Opuro forest – Egyptian plover site
Today is dedicated for Opuro forest. It is again a very important site for us being a well-known habitat for much sought after Long tailed hawk and many species that we have missed in other areas like Superb sunbird, Lesser morehen, Grey headed bristlebill, Fiery breasted bush shrike, Black sparrowhawk, Norther puffback, Northern red bishop, Little grey flycatcher, Wood warbler, Common chiffchaff, Broad billed roller, Lesser honeyguide, Scarlet chested sunbird, Pied flycatcher, Yellow rumped tinkerbird, Village indigobird, Common house martin, Cassin`s spinetail, Northern crombec, Lizard buzzard, Black and white flycatcher, African thrush, Velvet mantled drongo, White spotted flufftail, Black crake, Village weaver, Vieillot`s weaver, Copper sunbird, Pin tailed whydah, Bearded barbet, Black cuckoo, Red fronted parrot, African hobby, African moustached warbler, Red billed firefinch, Purple roller, Blue bellied roller, Gabar goshawk, Purple glossy starling, Mosque swallow, Yellow billed kite and more before we proceed to Mole National Park.

 

 

Day 11 - 12… Mole National park
After an early breakfast we set off for an interesting forest in a transitional zone between the southern wetter forest and northern drier woodland habitats where we will find some quality species. It will be one of the difficult birding sorties you may take in this tour, but you will be happy with the walk when you get to see many regional specialities within close ranges and get clean photographs. Species possible to see here include Abyssinian ground hornbill, Denham`s bustard, Forbes`s plover, Four banded sandgrouse, Banded snake eagle, Brown snake eagle, Egyptian vulture, Martial eagle, White headed vulture, African scops owl, White faced owl, White backed vulture, Beaudouin`s snake eagle, Pearl spotted owlet, Violet turaco, Oriole warbler, Abyssinian roller, Red necked falcon, Northern carmine bee-eater, Marabou stork, Saddle billed stork, Bruce`s green pigeon, Yellow billed stork, Rufous rumped lark, Wooly necked stork, White fronted black chat, White stork, African hawk eagle, African cuckoo, Black bellied bustard, Common redstart, Familia chat, Yellow crowned gonolek, Bearded barbet, Double toothed barbet, Wire tailed swallow, Grey headed kingfisher, Long tailed starling, African fish eagle, Tawny eagle, Booted eagle, wahlberg`s eagle, African blue flycatcher, Tree pipit, Pel`s fishing owl, Northern red billed hornbill, Peregrine falcon, Red shouldered cuckooshrike, Rose ringed parakeet, Red headed lovebird, Brubru, Golden tailed woodpecker, Spotted creeper, Fine spotted woodpecker, Black billed wood dove, Stone partridge, Double spurred francolin, White throated francolin, Fork tailed drongo, Yellow billed oxpecker, Eurasian Hoopoe, Black scimitarbill, Beautiful sunbird, Pygmy sunbird just to mention few of the numerous species here.

 

Day 13… Mole – Kumasi
A final mornings birding at Mole where we aim to pick up species still needed and to also get better views of birds we only had glimpses of previously. Birds we could add before leaving Mole include Woodchat Shrike, Bush petronia, Familia chat, Bateleur, Northern Red Bishop, Pearl spotted Owlet, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Senegal Parrot, Black-billed Wood dove, Vinaceous Dove, Woolly necked, Saddle-billed and Black Storks, Yellow-throated Leaflove and Red-headed Lovebird to mention a few before we set off to Kumasi.

 

 

Day 14… Bobiri forest – Atewa
Bobiri is well known of its significant forest species of Birds like Grey parrot, Narina`s trogon, Long tailed hawk, Dusky tit, Black dwarf hornbill, Forest wood hoopoe, Fraser`s eagle and African wood owl, Black sparrowhawk, Black coucal, Violet backed hyliota, Little grey flycatcher, Narrow tailed starling, Blue cuckooshrike, Melancoly woodpecker, Red billed helmetshrike, Copper tailed starling, Red chested goshawk, Bronze mannikin, Black and white mannikin, Magpie mannikin, Ashy flycatcher, Collared sunbird, Buff throated sunbird, Western bronze naped pigeon, Olive bellied sunbird, Grey longbill, Yellow browed camaroptera, Congo serpent eagle, European honey buzzard, Buff spotted woodpecker, Fire bellied woodpecker, African emerald cuckoo, Cassin`s spinetail, Tambourine, Blue headed wood dove, Blue spotted wood dove, African green pigeon and more which you will discover at this site including large number of butterflies.

 

 

Day 15… Atewa forest – Accra – To Airport
An early start as we head back into the Upper Guinea Rainforest habitat where so many of Ghana’s sought after special species are found. This morning we hope to see Blue moustached bee-eater, Red chested cuckoo, Crowned hawk eagle, Narina`s trogon, Yellow throated cuckoo, Yellow billed turaco, Shrike flycatcher, Chocolate backed kingfisher, Nimba flycatcher, Western nicator, Black capped apalis, Congo serpent eagle, Forest robin, Blue shouldered robin chat, Shining drongo, Chestnut capped flycatcher, African emerald cuckoo, Square tailed sawwing, Olive green camaroptera, Blue throated brown sunbird, Buff throated sunbird, Yellow billed barbet, Bates`s sunbird, Green twinspot, Red fronted antpecker, Western bearded, Yellow bearded and Icterine greenbul, Maxwell`s black weaver, Vieillot`s weaver, African cuckoo hawk, Long tailed hawk, Afep pigeon, Tambourine, Blue spotted and Blue headed wood dove, Blackcap illadopsis, Black bellied seedcracker, Little grey greenbul, Finsch`s flycatcher thrush, Grey throated flycatcher, Little greenbul, Dusky blue flycatcher, Blue billed malimbe, Baumann`s greenbul, Puvel`s illadopsisi, Blue malkoha, Grey headed bristlebill, Black throated coucal, Palmnut vulture, Ansorge`s greenbul, Grey kestrel, Crested malimbe, Plain greenbul, Red tailed bristlebill, African hobby, Red tailed greenbul, Grosbeak weaver, Red vented malimbe will be recorded.
After an incredible scan this day at Atewa we will then go to our hotel to shower, have lunch and find our way to the Airport.

 

Departure

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