Ghana's Highlights

Home to over 750 species of birds, and some of the region’s healthiest populations of mammals, Ghana is rapidly becoming West Africa's premier wildlife destination.  This small tropical country — known in the past as the 'Gold Coast' — is now widely recognised as a friendly and safe destination to visit and is blessed with a diverse range of exciting habitats, from the lush tropical rainforest of the south to the more classically African bushveld of the north. This 14-day tour, focusing primarily on birds, as well as mammals and other wildlife, will take you through the best of these habitats, concentrating on the rich Upper Guinea forests of Ghana’s south-west, and the savannahs of the vast Mole National Park in the north.

After the direct flight to Accra and an overnight stay in the capital, we will visit Shai Hills Reserve, a small stretch of grassland savannah more commonly found in the north of the country. Here we will have our first taste of Ghana's diverse wildlife, with Blue-bellied Rollers and Senegal Parrot a possibility and various species of swordtail butterfly mud-puddling on the tracks. We then head westwards for three nights in Kakum National Park, renowned for its 40-metre-high rainforest canopy walkway. We will visit the walkway early one morning to see and hear the rainforest come alive, and then spend the rest of the time at ground level in the forest and on its fringes looking for birdlife which may include Rosy Bee-eater, Congo Serpent Eagle, Black Dwarf Hornbill, White-spotted Flufftail and the little-known 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 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. 

Ankasa Forest, near the border with Ivory Coast, is Ghana's only wet evergreen Upper Guinea forest and is our destination for the next three nights. Ankasa supports an exciting range of wildlife, including some of West Africa’s most sought-after rainforest birds, including Hartlaub’s Duck, White-bellied Kingfisher, Great Blue Turaco, Nkulengu Rail (which was only photographed for the first time in 2011) and the elusive African Pitta. The reserve is also home to a wide variety of mammals, although many are nocturnal and so best seen on the optional night walks. These include West African Potto, Demidoff's Galago, Western Tree Hyrax, African Brush-tailed Porcupine and Hammer-headed Fruit Bat. For the quiet and patient observer, there is even the chance of a rare African Dwarf Crocodile which can sometimes be seen at the forest waterholes. 

We then retrace our steps, and after a further night in Kakum National Park, we head north to Bonkro Forest for one night. Here we will be looking for the bizarre and elusive Yellow-headed Picathartes (White-necked Rockfowl). This remarkable bird — one of the world’s most sought-after species — was only discovered breeding in Ghana in 2005, but the country, and this forest in particular, is now the best place in the world to see it. In the mid-afternoon we will set off along a forest trail, aiming to arrive at one of its nesting sites in time to see the birds arrive to roost. The local communities here have embraced the visiting birders and are now actively protecting the forest — an excellent example of the many benefits of eco-tourism! The forests here have also become one of the most reliable places to see both White-bellied (Tree) and Black-bellied (Long-tailed) Pangolin. Although elusive and difficult to find, night walks here offer a good chance of finding one of these iconic mammals.

After a long drive north, we arrive at the final location on this tour, Mole National Park for a 3-night stay. Clothed in dry broadleaf woodland, grassy savannah, low hills and rocky escarpments, Mole is Ghana's largest national park and protects over 330 species of birds and almost 100 species of mammals. It is home to West Africa’s largest mammal herds and the more open habitats here make a welcome change from the dense rainforests of the south. Kob, Defassa Waterbuck, Hippo and African Elephant can be seen, along with Roan, Bushbuck and Red Duiker. Olive Baboons are common and there is an abundance of birds to enjoy including Martial Eagle, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Abyssinian Roller, Standard-winged Nightjar and the sought-after Forbes’s Plover. Nearby, the White Volta River supports a population of Egyptian Plover, another of Africa’s most desirable birds. This beautiful wader will be a fitting finale to our time in Ghana, after which we take an internal flight from Tamale to Accra and then connect with our international flight home.

Focus

Primarily birds, but mammals as well and the fascinating general natural history of Ghana