Ghana is a country with great potentials as far as a tour destination and a haven for Birdwatching. Its advantages are that it is safe, politically stable, English Speaking and has arguably Africa’s friendliest people. These attributes of a good tour destination is complemented by a decent network of National and Regional Parks and Ecotourism facilities with the Kakum Canopy Walkway being the icing on the cake.
The two main climatic zones [dry north and wet south] spawn several distinct habitat biomes which includes the south western Guinea forest, Guinea savanna and far north eastern dry Sudan savanna.
Ghana’s premier birding region is its lowland forest, which falls within the upper Guinea forest block. This stretches from Guinea to Ghana and harbours 15 endemic species of which 14 are globally threatened. Ghana is currently the only safe country in which this internationally recognized endemic birding area can be visited. Kakum National Park provides superb opportunity for sampling these forest jewels.
Another excellent forest birding site is the Atewa Range which is situated on the South Volta scarp and is one of the only higher lying forests in Ghana. Birding is extremely productive here. It is the only site with the dazzling but elusive Blue-headed Bee-eater and a whole lot of other special species. In a broad belt across the center of Ghana lies the extensive tract of pristine, broad leaved Guinea woodland and in this zone the vast Mole National Park is a superb place to be. The lodge at the Mole National Park is a wonderful place for birds associated with the drier northern woodland. The moist woodland surrounding the swamp below the lodge is the home to some special birds, in particular the highly desirable Oriole Warbler one of West African most beautiful birds. Birding in Ghana received a big boost with the rediscovery of the White-necked Picathartes in fact in one of the hilly forest with rocky out crops, about 30 birds with their nest was discovered and this is a bonus for any birder visiting Ghana. A village in Ghana’s Central Region is renowned for being the best tourist site for the rarer of the two species of Picathartes; White-necked Rockfowl Picathartes &Yellow-headed Picathartes. gymnocephalus Vulnerable. Also found are Speckled Tinkerbird Pogoniulus scolopaceus, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus, Gray Greenbul Eurillas gracilis, Plain Greenbul Eurillas curvirostris, Little Greenbul Eurillas virens, Icterine Greenbul Phyllastrephus icterinus, Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus, Green-headed Sunbird Cyanomitra verticalis. Thess birds are among the most endangered species in the world.
Accra (Google Map)
Arrive in Accra Airport via
Meet, assist and transfer to your hotel.
Orientation by Sunseekers Tours staff
Dinner at your hotel. (on own account).
Overnight: 2*/3* Hotel in Accra
Sakumo Lagoon a Wetland serves two purposes; to retard the flow of flood waters into the Sea and protect fish and migratory birds it was designated a Ramsar Site in 1992. Sakumo Lagoon is a great birding destination despite its position in the heart of a sprawling metropolis. Lying about 30 km east of Accra and covering up to 350ha, the Lagoon is perfectly situated for birding from the city in either the morning or afternoon. The main attraction at Sakumo is the open shallow estuary and flooded reed beds which between September and April can support thousands of waders and an impressive list of estuarine related birds.
The surrounding savannah also hosts a number of dry country species and birds of prey. A few hours birding in the morning or afternoon at Sakumo between October and April should produce upwards of 80 species.
The Lagoon which is also home to migratory birds and rare plant and animal species, has been encroached to the extent that almost half of its designated area is gone. The Forestry Commission and other relevant authorities have plans to dredge and protect Sakumo Lagoon to enhance other uses such as water sports and butterfly watching as well as fish and crop farming which are more ecologically friendly activities.
Birds of Sakumo Lagoon with significant numbers are Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus, Common Redshank Tringa totanus, Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia, Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus, Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnitilis, Common Ringed Plover. Also, Sakumo is home to healthy numbers of larger water birds including Western Reef Heron Egretta gularis, Green-backed Heron Butorides striata, Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax, Little Egret Egretta garzetta, Black Egret Egretta ardesiaca, Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia, Great White Egret Egretta alba.
6.00am: Depart your hotel with packed breakfast for early morning Birdwatching at this lagoon sandwiched between the Accra and Tema Metropolitan areas.
10.00am: Continue to the unique casket making shops. Various designs of caskets are produced based on the African belief of life after death. Thus, caskets are designed to reflect the earthly profession of the deceased with the belief that they can continue to practice this profession in the other world. Hence a bus driver will be buried in a bus, a teacher in a book, a doctor in a syringe etc.
Our last stop on the Accra City tour will be the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, burial place of the first President of Ghana. This Mausoleum has been visited by many world dignitaries.
4.30pm: Return to Sakumo Lagoon for an evening birding experience. This may offer you the chance of viewing late afternoon birds. Explore a nice array of water birds such as Black Heron, African Spoonbill, Marsh Sandpiper and various other waders, always keeping an eye out for American vagrants as we have recorded Pectoral Sandpiper during the last two years, and American Golden Plover in 2010. Terns fly in to roost in large flocks containing Royal and Roseate Terns, whilst Yellow-throated Longclaws can be found in the accompanying grasslands.
Dinner (Extra Cost)
You may explore the city to experience nightlife around Osu, the ‘Community that never Sleeps’
Overnight: 2*/3* Hotel in Accra (B)
Highlights: Birdwatching, Unique Caskets & Nightlife
5.00am: Breakfast and Hotel check-out
6.00am: Depart Accra early with packed breakfast to visit Shai Hills Game Reserve, home to several animals such as antelopes, green monkeys and baboons. Savor the expansive savannah grassland and woodland and have a memorable experience bird watching the Senegal parrot, swallow-tailed bee-eater, Vieillot’s barbet, piapiac and the red-shouldered cuckoo shrike.
Shai Hills Reserve is the closest wildlife protected area to Accra and has large Rock formations and Caves. The rock formations attract good numbers of White Crowned Cliff Chat and Rock Martins in addition to Rock Loving Cisticolas. Guinea and Violet Turaco`s are common as are Puvels Illadopsis, Blue Bellied, Broad billed and Rufous Crowned Rollers, Senegal Parrot, Red Headed Lovebird, Black Cap and Brown Babblers, Stone Partridge, Grey Hornbill, Fork tailed Drongo, White crowned Robin Chat, Croaking Cisticola, Grey Kestrel, Rosy and Swallow tailed Bee-eaters and Rose Ringed Parakeets. The African Hobby is regularly seen and a large number of Olive Baboons greet you on your arrival to the park.
10.00am: Continue to Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary. Drive past the Adomi Bridge spanning the
Volta River through to the beautiful landscapes of the Volta Region. For the past 200 years, the endangered Mona monkeys inhabiting the tropical forest surrounding the small village of Tafi-Atome have been protected because it is believed they are messengers to the gods and therefore became their local deity. In 1996, the village began broader efforts to protect their forest and monkeys, as well as to offer tours for visitors. As a result of these efforts, the monkey population has increased to about 200 and the forest, with its many species of local forest bird and butterfly spices, have been preserved. The playful monkeys are in the wild but often come down very close to visitors. Revenue from this Community Initiated Tourism activity has brought improvement on the standard of living the provision of electricity to the village, as well as improvements to the school and a community clinic.
1.00pm: Arrive and visit the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary where the endangered but playful True Mona Monkeys are considered sacred and are therefore protected. Walk on well-cleared trails and view the monkeys in their natural habitat.
Lunch (Extra Cost)
Return and check into your hotel
Dinner (Extra Cost)
Overnight: 2*/3* Hotels in Akosombo (B)
Highlights: Birds, Baboons & Mona Monkeys
Breakfast and hotel checkout
9.00am: Depart Akosombo for Kumasi in the Ashanti Region. Drive across the scenic Akuapem Ridge into the undulating Hills and valleys of Koforidua in the Eastern Region and through cocoa farming communities and charming villages. Of interest are the several Bush Meat and Clay Pots stands along the route.
12.00 Noon: Lunch at a local restaurant (Extra Cost).
3.00pm: Make a detour to visit Bobiri Forest Reserve located just south of Kumasi. Birds in Bobiri include African Cuckoo Hawk Aviceda cuculoides, Red-thighed Sparrowhawk Accipiter erythropus, Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus, Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanistria, Red-fronted Parrot Poicephalus gulielmi, a range of cuckoos, Narina’s Trogon Apaloderma narina, Blue-throated Roller Eurystomus gularis, Black Dwarf Tockus hartlaubi and Red-billed Dwarf Hornbills T. camurus, Bristle-nosed Gymnobucco peli and Naked-faced Barbets G. calvus, Sharpe’s Apalis Apalis sharpii, Chestnut-capped Erythrocercus mccallii and Blue-headed Crested Flycatchers Trochocercus nitens, Dusky Tit Parus funereus and Red-billed Helmet-Shrike Prionops caniceps.
Arrive in Kumasi the cultural Capital on Ghana
Check into your hotel
Overnight: 2*/3* Hotel in Kumasi (B)
Highlights: Birds & Butterflies
5.00am: Depart to visit Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary which is the only inland convention Ramsar Site in Ghana. The Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary has a land area of 23km and an inner sanctuary of 7km. The inner sanctuary was formed during the damming of the Owabi River in 1928. During the construction of the Berekese Dam in 1971, the wildlife sanctuary was created to protect the species of birds and animals that hover around the riverine forest and aquatic vegetation surrounding the Owabi River. The Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary serves as a home for over 160 bird species. The wetland serves as a habitat for indigenous and migratory birds including the hornbill, pygmy goose, purple heron, jacanas and herons. The bird sanctuary provides amazing scenery for relaxation, pleasure and fun-making, bird watching, ecological tours and studies, events and picnics. Even though the sanctuary is smallest among the notable four wildlife protection centers in Ghana, it provides the best opportunity to explore nature.
Enjoy packed breakfast
10.00 am: After breakfast, depart for city tour of Kumasi visiting the Manhyia Palace and the Palace Museum which provides a good insight into Ashanti culture and traditions, and the history of the Ashanti Kingdom which is over 300 years old. It provides a good glimpse into the powerful ancient Ashanti Empire and its past kings.
Return to your hotel. Rest of day free for relaxation.
Enjoy nightlife in Kumasi by visiting a local pub to listen to live band music
Overnight: 2*/3* Hotel in Kumasi (B)
Highlights; Birds & Wildlife
Breakfast and hotel checkout
8.30am: Depart after breakfast for Elmina in the Central Region. Drive along several farming villages. Note the change in vegetation from forest to coastal savannah as you go south westwards. Stop enroute to visit a Bird watching site near Assin Fosu.
Stop enroute to visit a local village expert palm wine tapper’s hut to observe how they use age long practices carefully making a rectangular incision on the top trunk and bores a pencil hole at the bottom; this is fitted with a bamboo stick, the liquid drips through the bamboo and collected in a clay pot or a container. However, when palm wine is not consumed within 2 days it become fermented. The fermented palm wine is further distilled to obtain a very high alcohol beverage locally called “AKPETESHIE” with more than 70% alcohol content. The Akpeteshie is similar in content to the Russian Vodka.
Lunch (Extra Cost)
Check into your hotel
Rest of day is free to relax
Dinner (Extra Cost)
Overnight: Mid-range forest lodge near Kakum National Park (B)
Highlights: White-necked Rockfowl Picathartes &Yellow-headed Picathartes. gymnocephalus Vulnerable.
Breakfast
Kakum National Park is without doubt the site of the greatest interest in Ghana in terms of Birdwatching. Situated near Cape Coast, west of Accra, this park is a gem. It comprises of mainly an old secondary forest; its canopy walkway which gives stunning views and offers on what is arguably the best forest birding in West Africa.
5.00am: Depart early morning for Kakum National Park. Among the many species within the park are Red-thighed Sparrowhawk Accipiter erythropus, Long-tailed Hawk Urotriorchis macrourus, Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus, Black Bee-eater Merops gularis, Rosy Bee-eater M. malimbicus, Forest Wood-hoopoe Phoeniculus castaneiceps, White-headed Wood-hoopoe P. bollei, at least six species of hornbill including Brown-cheeked Bycanistes cylindricus, Fire-bellied Woodpecker Dendropicos pyrrhogaster, a range of greenbuls, Finsch’s Flycatcher-Thrush Neocossyphus finschii, Sharpe’s Apalis Apalis sharpii, Sabine’s Puffback Dryoscopus sabini, as well as a range of malimbes and barbets to name but a few. The general area has Cassin’s Hawk Eagle Spizaetus africanus, White-spotted Flufftail Sarothrura pulchra, Red-winged Warbler Heliolais erythroptera, Forest Penduline Tit Anthoscopus flavifrons, Viellot’s Black Weaver Ploceus nigerrimus and many more. On a recent trip (April 2013), the participants were lucky enough to hear and then see Nkulengu Rail Himantornis haematopus at its night time roost site.
10.00am: Breakfast at Hans Cottage Botel.
Return to your hotel for rest and relaxation.
3.00pm: Go on a late afternoon Birdwatching. Some species of birdlife include Shikra, Bronze & Magpie Mannikin, Vieillot’s Black & Orange Weaver, Green-headed Sunbird, Pied & Malachite Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper, African Jacana and Lesser-striped Swallow, nesting Village Weavers and roosting Long-tailed Cormorant and Cattle Egrets can be viewed in late afternoon.
Overnight: Mid-range forest lodge near Kakum National Park (B)
Breakfast
Check-out of your hotel forest hotel and move to a Beach Resort
Day free for relaxation on the beach
Overnight: 2*/3* Hotel in Elmina or Cape Coast (B)
Breakfast
Morning free for rest and relaxation on the beach.
Afternoon: Depart for Accra driving past several fishing communities and coconut lined beaches along Ghana’s coastal road. Make a detour to Muni-Pomadze wetland in the Central Region of Ghana is one of five internationally-recognised coastal wetlands (Ramsar sites) in Ghana under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.
The wetland is known for its rich variety of biodiversity and unpolluted ecosystem such as Marine Turtle. The Lagoon is fed by a main river called Pratu along with its tributaries (Ntakofa and Muni Rivers) that flows into the Muni-Pomadze Lagoon. However, the need to produce enough food to feed the ever-increasing population has led to the extensive use of land especially along the banks of the rivers that feed the wetland for farming activities. This disturbing issue coupled with other anthropogenic activities has led to an increasing level of pollution in the wetland resulting in water quality degradation in the river catchment. This has consequently diminished both the local and international significance of the wetland. In this light, this research sought to assess the impact of farming and other anthropogenic activities along the Pratu River and its tributaries and consequently the Muni lagoon in the wetland by determining the source, types and level of pollution existing in the river basin.
Here, depending on the season, we expect to see both resident and migrant shore birds such as, Collared Pratincole, Common Redshank, Greenshank, Sanderling, Senegal Thick-knee, Wattle Lapwing, African Jacana, various species of Terns, Western Reef Egret and other Herons and Egrets.
Arrive in Accra by evening and check into your hotel
Overnight: 2*/3* Hotel in Accra. (B)
Breakfast
Day free for last minute adventures and parking.
Hotel checkout is at 12.00Noon
Transfer to Airport for check in and departure. (B)
