Tailormade Holidays in Ghana

Approximately one hour’s drive from Accra, the fabulous 48-square-kilometre Shai Hills Production Reserve offers an excellent introduction to birding in Ghana. Although located within the south of the country, it lies within a small band of open grassland savannah, with the reserve’s hills predominantly covered with dry woodland. Such habitats are more reminiscent of those found in Ghana’s northern regions; this, therefore, provides the opportunity for some added species variety, perhaps particularly attractive for those who may not have time to venture to the likes of Mole National Park.

Visitors will be greeted by a troop of inquisitive baboons at the park gates: an excellent opportunity for photography. Inside the reserve, highlights include an array of mammals, such as Kob, Olive Baboon and Tantalus Monkey, and birds one might hope to see include Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, African Pygmy Kingfisher, Rock Martin, Stone Partridge, Senegal Parrot, Northern Crombec, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, the vibrant Blue-bellied Roller, White-crowned Cliff Chat, the intriguing Violet Turaco with its iconic red pigmentation, and both Lizard and Red-necked Buzzards. Thirteen species of reptile can also be seen in the park, including Monitor Lizard, African Helmeted Turtle and both African and Royal Pythons.

Two of the hills within the reserve, Hioweyo and Savu, hold an intriguing cave network, in use historically by the Shai king as a defence stronghold. The caves can be visited today, and support a large, chattering colony of the rare Egyptian Tomb Bat.

The nearby Sakamona Lagoon further enhances a visit to this region, offering a different array of birds to those seen in the grasslands of Shai Hills. Highlights often include Black-winged Stilt, Senegal Thick-knee, Grey and Spur-winged Plovers, Collared Pratincole, Intermediate Egrets and an array of other waterbirds, some of which will be familiar to birders visiting from the UK!

Mole National Park, with its tracts of vast broadleaf dry woodland, grassy savanna, low hills and escarpments, represents Ghana’s largest national park, and West Africa’s premier game reserve. Protecting over 330 species of bird and almost 100 species of mammal, this 4847-square-kilometre park is a real naturalist’s paradise. Indeed, the more open habitats here make a welcome change from the dense rainforests of the south, with many species providing much more obliging views.

An abundance of birds can be expected at Mole – far too many to mention here! Just a few of the many local specialities include Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Bearded Barbet, Northern White-faced Owl, Spotted Creeper, Rufous-rumped Lark, Lavender Waxbill, Red-throated Bee-eater, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Greyish Eagle-Owl, the bizarre-looking Standard-winged Nightjar, the sought-after Forbes’s Plover and the spectacular Violet Turaco. Raptors are particularly common in Mole, including Martial, Booted, Long-crested and Tawny Eagles, White-backed, Hooded and White-headed Vultures, Lizard Buzzard, Gabar and Dark Chanting Goshawk, Western Marsh Harrier, African Fish and Wahlberg’s Eagles, Brown and Short-toed Snake Eagles, Osprey and Lanner Falcon to mention a few. Nearby, the White Volta River supports a thriving population of very accommodating Egyptian Plover, another of Africa’s most desirable birds.

Mammals, too, are abundant here, and highlights one might hope to see include Kob, Bushbuck, Waterbuck, Hartebeest, Red-flanked Duiker and the beautiful Roan, while there are sometimes opportunities to get within a few metres on foot of African Bush Elephants, which are very tolerant of people here. Primates at Mole include Olive Baboon, Patas and Green Monkey. Nocturnal spotlighting may reveal some of the park’s more elusive mammals, such as Pardine and Hausa Genet, Senegal Galago, African Civet, Crested Porcupine or, for the very fortunate, even a Leopard or Aardvark, as well as the beautiful Yellow-winged Bat and a plethora of rodents.

Although a fair distance from the more southern parks, Mole is a superb addition to a Ghanaian itinerary and can, unusually for African savannah reserves, be explored on foot. It is possible to fly between nearby Tamale and Accra, making this wonderful park more accessible or, for those with time on their hands, the drive is beautiful and allows one to experience a wonderful range of habitats en route.

The incredibly beautiful Kakum National Park is located along the palm-fringed Cape Coast, approximately three to four hours’ drive from Accra. This is perhaps Ghana’s most famous rainforest reserve, comprising 360 square kilometres of critically endangered primary Upper Guinea tropical rainforest. The forest is home to nearly 600 species of butterfly and a spectacular array of forest birds including Green Hylia, Violet-backed Hyliota, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Little Grey Flycatcher, Grey-headed, White-breasted and Chestnut-breasted Nigrita, West African Batis, Sharpe’s Apalis and the beautiful Preuss’s Weaver, alongside a wonderful array of hornbills including Brown-cheeked, Yellow-casqued, Black-casqued, Piping and Black Dwarf Hornbills, and the Upper Guinea endemic species Copper-tailed Glossy Starling and Little Green Woodpecker to name a mere few! Raptors may include Red-necked Buzzard, Palm-nut Vulture, African Cuckoo Hawk, Cassin's Hawk-Eagle, Long-tailed Hawk and the legendary Congo Serpent Eagle

Kakum offers a world-famous canopy walkway; best visited in the cool of the early morning, this is an experience not to be missed. Suspended some 40 metres up, the walkway makes for incredible birding. Troops of monkeys are sometimes observed here too, including Lowe’s and Lesser Spot-nosed Monkeys and Olive Colobus, alongside a wonderful array of squirrels, with the walkway offering intimate eye-level views. For the very fortunate, Long-tailed Pangolins can occasionally be seen, sunning themselves amongst the canopy. Indeed, Kakum is one of the best places in the world to see this bizarre and highly threatened diurnal species. A dusk visit to the walkway could also produce sightings of the amazing Pel’s Anomalure – a large, strikingly patterned flying squirrel – or perhaps the elusive Brown Nightjar. Other possible nocturnal creatures include several owls – Fraser’s Eagle-Owl, African Wood Owl, and the near-mythical Akun Eagle-Owl, which is, excitingly, seen with some regularity here – alongside secretive mammals such as West African Potto, Emin’s Giant Pouched Rat and the Western Tree Hyrax, whose repetitive shrieking call penetrates the night.

The walkway extends into the canopy from a hillside, so there are no ladders to climb, but for those with an aversion for heights, there are also many fantastic ground-level trails. A particularly productive area is the Antwikwaa section, a transitional zone between primary forest and disturbed open areas; meanwhile, a nearby river offers Rock Pratincole and the stunning White-throated Blue Swallow, with the elusive African Finfoot also possible.

Kalakpa Reserve, in the foothills of the Toho Mountains of Ghana approximately 120 kilometres from Accra, was designated in 1975 to protect its important Guinean bush savannah. This less-visited reserve is simply beautiful, and supports an exciting complexity of wildlife, its diversity attributable to the matrix of rolling hills, dry forest and open, short grassland habitats. The Kalakpa River, too, flows through the reserve, flanked by narrow bands of closed-canopy riverine forest, adding further ecological interest. Mammals include Buffalo, Oribi, Waterbuck, Kob, the increasingly rare Red River Hog and a range of primates. Butterflies, too, are well represented. Birding targets include Yellow-throated Green and Thick-billed Cuckoos, Congo Serpent Eagle, Red-cheeked Wattle-eye, Capuchin Babbler, Nkulengu Rail, Rosy Bee-eater and Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, amongst a plethora of other exciting species. The reserve includes a network of walking trails, allowing for excellent wildlife viewing opportunities.

The exceptionally beautiful Ankasa Forest Reserve, near the Ivory Coast border, protects some of West Africa’s most exciting rainforest birds. The reserve comprises Ghana’s largest primary wet lowland evergreen rainforest, and for those with a little more time on their hands a visit to this remote forest will certainly be a tour highlight. The area supports an exciting range of wildlife that are largely confined to the largest pristine tracts of rainforest.

Some of the target bird species here include Upper Guinea endemics such as Yellow-bearded Greenbul, Rufous-winged Illadopsis and Green-tailed Bristlebill, alongside Dwarf Bittern, African Finfoot, Great Blue and Yellow-billed Turacos, Ansorge’s, Icterine, Red-tailed and Western Bearded Greenbuls, Pale-breasted and Blackcap Illadopsis, Tiny Sunbird, Blue-headed Wood Dove (which are easier to hear than see) and Red-fronted Antpecker. The much sought-after African Pitta has been recorded here on a couple of occasions, causing quite some excitement! A series of ponds deep within the forest even offer – with good luck on one’s side – some particularly rare and sought-after species including Hartlaub’s Duck, Spot-breasted Ibis, White-crested Tiger Heron, Grey-throated Rail, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo and Forest Scrub Robin, as well as a wonderful array of forest kingfishers such as White-bellied, Blue-breasted and African Dwarf Kingfishers. Night walks offer hopes of Fraser’s and Akun Eagle-Owls and Red-chested Owlet, and you will also be looking (and listening) for the bizarre and legendary Nkulengu Rail, a species that was only photographed for the first time in 2011. Fortunately, thanks to the expertise of the local guides, it is now seen with some regularity in the reserve.

Ankasa also supports some spectacular mammals. Most mammals can be quite difficult to locate due to the dense forest, with the possible exception of some of the monkeys and squirrels. Evening and nocturnal mammals could include Demidoff’s Galago, Western Tree Hyrax, Common Cusimane, African Palm Civet, African Brush-tailed Porcupine, Hammer-headed Fruit Bat – with its exceptional call - or even a Tree (or White-bellied) Pangolin, while large numbers of Straw-coloured Flying Foxes typically pour overhead at dusk. The rare Dwarf Crocodile can sometimes be seen at the forest waterholes, with quiet and patient watching. 

The remote village of Bonkro sits in the shadow of some imposing, rainforest-clad hills, which are home to one of the most sought-after species in West Africa, if not the world: the Yellow-headed Picathartes (White-necked Rockfowl)! The area supports more nesting sites of this peculiar species than anywhere else in Ghana. The forest is part of a community reserve, rather than a formally protected area; however, a thriving conservation venture here sees visitors paying into a community fund, which helps to protect the birds (alongside the many other species that call the area home) and their habitat from illegal hunting and logging activities, allowing this ever-growing population to thrive. Funds also feed into the local community and a school: a remarkable ecotourism success story.

There are 13 nesting sites within this remote forest, with the largest comprising approximately 30 nests (although the birds roost at these nest sites year-round). Two of these sites can be visited by tourists: one is an hour’s walk from the village, and the second is a little closer. As one walks out from the village, the forest gradually becomes denser and more mysterious, an experience which adds to the birds’ mythical reputation. The majority of the walks are on even ground, although the final stretches are across slightly steeper terrain with some rocky inclines. Eventually, the trails reach large rocky caves and boulders, where one can quietly await the arrival of the birds. As dusk approaches, the Yellow-headed Picathartes return from a day spent foraging for snails and insects, and before long, the entrance to the cave comes alive with these primeval birds as they hop around the rocks.

Seeing this wonderful bird is certainly amongst the most memorable of Ghana’s highlights; however, this forest has much more to offer besides. Although as elusive here as across Africa, both Long-tailed and White-bellied Pangolins are possible - with numbers increasing thanks to conservation efforts aimed at the Picathartes - particularly with the help of local villagers, who know the forests better than anyone. Butterflies are abundant in the forest, with several hundred species recorded, alongside a plethora of other forest birds, including the beautiful Wattled Golden Cuckooshrike and Fire-bellied Woodpecker.

Running on a north-south axis within south-eastern Ghana, the Atewa Range is dominated by steep-sided hills with relatively flat summits, with ancient soils rich in minerals such as Bauxite. The forest feeds into the Birim, Ayensu and Densu Rivers, which supply drinking water for a significant number of local communities. Interestingly, the River Birim is an important source of diamonds in Ghana, although this resource is beginning to decline, so one is unlikely to strike lucky during a wildlife tour of the region! Approximately 17,400 hectares of the range falls within the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, comprising a significantly important ecosystem of upland evergreen forest. Such altitudes as those found within the Range are unusual across the rest of Ghana, resulting in an excitingly unique and enthralling array of flora and fauna.

Birding here is excellent, with a number of species that are unlikely to be seen elsewhere in Ghana. Highlights might include Rufous-sided Broadbill, Spotted Honeyguide, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, Ahanta and Latham's Francolins, Hooded Vulture and the beautiful Long-tailed Cuckoo. Mammals, too, provide an exciting draw: both Olive and Wight-thighed Colobus have been recorded here, as well as the highly endangered White-naped Mangabey. Butterflies abound, with approximately 570 species found in the reserve - including two that are endemic to this area alone. Many unusual plant species can also be seen, including numerous rare epiphytes. Indeed, a portion of the reserve has been designated a Globally Significant Biodiversity Area due to its significant botanical interest, with over 1100 plant species recorded. The forests also represent the key habitat of the critically endangered Togo Slippery Frog.

As one approaches the Tongo Hills the landscape opens out from broad-leaved woodland to vast, boulder-strewn savannah. Here, travellers will be rewarded with chances of species found nowhere else in Ghana! Target species will include Rock-loving Cisticola, Chestnut-bellied and Purple Glossy Starlings, Zebra Waxbill, African Mourning Dove, Buffalo Weaver, Brown-rumped Bunting, White-crowned Chiff Chat, the wonderful Fox Kestrel and – with luck on one’s side – Yellow-winged Pytillia. To the delight of keen birders, the majestic Egyptian Plover has recently settled along the White Volta River and, due to dedicated conservation efforts by locals, chances of sighting this species are high. The iconic Tono Dam, near the border with Burkina Faso, is one of the largest agricultural dams in western Africa. Its associated reservoir and adjacent scrub offer some exceptional birding, as well as great conditions for photography, and an afternoon scanning the water will certainly stay in one’s mind long after returning home.

Those with an interest in culture and history might like to take a detour en route to Tongo Hills to visit the Larabanga mud-and-stick Mosque, founded in the 15th Century (but restored) and holding what is believed to be one of the earliest copies of the Koran.