18 Day Ghana Birdwatching Tour in Mole National Park, Kakum National Park, Atewa Range Forest
Exciting Wildlife and Birding Tour in Ghana
This unique Ghana budget-friendly birding and photography tour is carefully packaged to cover interesting birding sites for a variety of Upper Guinea endemic species of birds and mammals in Ghana. If you are a nature lover, come and join this special tour!
Key information
- Starting point and ending point: Accra
- English-speaking guide
- Information on park fees
- All park fees are included
Highlights
- Canopy walkway at Kakum National Park
- Visit Ankasa Forest, Mole National Park, Bobiri Forest, and more
- See the White Necked Rockfowl nesting site
- Opportunity to see Fiery Breasted Bushshrike, Egyptian plover, Superb Sunbird, and more
- 17 nights accommodation
- Pick-up and drop-off at the airport
- Daily meals and drinking water while on safari
Styles
Accommodation
You will stay at various accommodations as outlined in the itinerary. Single room is available. Let Adventure Birding Tours Ghana if you are interested.
Program
Day 1: Arrival in Accra, Ghana
Akwaaba (welcome to Ghana)!
Upon arrival, you will be met by an Adventure Birding Tours guide who will welcome you and transport you to a bird friend hotel for a good night's rest and prepare for your 18 days - 17 nights bird and wildlife photography excursion in Ghana.
Overnight at Erata Hotel, a standard hotel in Accra.
Day 2: Shai Hills Reserve - Winneba Plains - Cape Coast
Your birding excursion in Ghana will kick start today in the morning with a visit to the open grassland savannah of Shai Hills, hoping to see and photograph some good savannah birds and birds that are associated with this site like White Crowned Cliff Chat, Stone Partridge, Blue Bellied Roller, Purple Roller, Violet Turaco, Senegal Parrot, Swallow Tailed Bee-eater, Red Necked Buzzard, Oriole Warbler, Long Crested Eagle, Black Bellied Bustard, Temminck’s Courser, Red Shouldered Cuckooshrike, Whinchat, Flappet Lark, African Crake, Ahanta Francolin, Blue Bellied Roller, Black Bellied Bustard, Swallow Tailed Bee-eater, Long Crested Eagle, Red Necked Buzzard, Winchat, Flapped Lark, Rock Martin, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, and Croaking Cisticola.
You will see Short Winged Cisticola, Lanner Falcon, Senegal Parrot, Brown Throated Wattle-eye, Yellow Winged Pytilia, Barn Owl, African Barred Owlet, Blackcap Babbler, Brown Babbler, Double Spurred Francolin, Splendid Sunbird, Yellow Mantled Widowbird, Black Scimitarbill, Green Wood Hoopoe, Swallow Tailed Bee-eater, Vieillot`s Barbet, Tawny Flanked Prinia, Yellow Fronted Tinkerbird, Yellow-Rumped Tinkerbird, African Paradise Flycatcher just to mention few of the guys around.
After an incredible morning at Shai Hills, you will scan Muni Lagoon to add residential and migratory shore birds to your list, before you make your way to Cape Coast.
Overnight at Hans Cottage Botel, a standard hotel in Cape Coast.
Days 3-6: Kakum National Park (canopy walkway), Abrafo Forest, Antwikwaa Forest, Jawari Road, Brenu Beach Road, and surroundings
After an early breakfast, you will set off for the world-famous canopy walkway at Kakum National Park which is the leading destination for bird watching in Ghana. A wonderful world of amazing canopy species awaits you out there. You hope to get there early hours to see the first light and record the first species that will fry out.
You aim to get there early morning to spend the most critical bird viewing hours on the canopy walkway trying to see and photograph many mouth-watering species like Black Dwarf Hornbill, Violet Backed Hyliota, White Crested Hornbill, Congo Serpent Eagle, CassinS Hawk Eagle, Long Tailed Hawk, Brown Cheeked Hornbill, Red Cheeked Wattle Eye, Tit Hylia, African Piculet, Forest Wood Hoopoe, Black Casqued Hornbill, Red Tailed Bristlebill, Green Tailed Bristlebill, Western Bearded Greenbul, Brown and Puvels Illadopsis, Buff Throated, Johannas, Tiny, and Olive Bellied Sunbird.
You will therefore see Usshers Flycatcher, Blue Cuckooshrike, Black and Rosy Bee-eater, Cassins and Willcockss Honeyguide, Sharps Apalis, Rufous Crowned Eremomerla, West African Batis, Hairy Breasted Barbet, Finschs Flycatcher Thrush, Western Nicator, Black Bellied Seedcracker, Orange Weaver, VieillotS Weaver, Maxwells Black Weaver, Icterine Greenbul, Frasers and Akun Eagle Owl, Red Chested Goshawk, African Cuckoo Hawk, Red Thighed Sparrowhawk, Black and White Flycatcher, Blue Throated Roller, Yellow Billed Turaco, Little and Little Grey Greenbul, Cassins and Sabines Spinetail, White Spotted Flufftail, Marsh Tchagra, Red Winged Prinia, African Pygmy, Chocolate Backed, African Dwarf and Giant Kingfisher, Red Rumped Tinkerbird, Blue Breasted Kingfisher, Yellow Throated Tinkerbird.
You will also see Little Green, Fire Bellied and Buff Spotted Woodpecker, Pin Tailed Whydah, Red Headed, Red Vented, Crested and Blue Billed Malimbe, Preusss and Yellow Mantled Weaver, Red Tailed Greenbul, White Breasted, Grey Headed and Chestnut Breasted Nigrita, Peregrine Falcon, Piping Hornbill, Whistling Cisticola, Great Spotted, Black, Levaillants and African Emerald Cuckoo, Common Swift, Didric and Klaass Cuckoo, Malachite Kingfisher, Rock Pratincole, White Bibbed Swallow, White Headed Lapwing, Tambourine, Blue Headed Wood And Blue Spotted Wood Dove, African Green Pigeon, Guinea Turaco, Preusss Cliff Swallow, Compact Weaver, Sulphur Breasted Bush Shrike, Simple, Plain and Ansorges Greenbul, Palmnut and Hooded Vulture, African Harrier Hawk, Velvet Mantled Drongo, Grey Throated, Dusky Blue.
Not forgetting Frasers Forest and Red-Bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Barn and Ethiopian Swallow, Green Headed Sunbird, Northern Fiscal, Lesser Striped Swallow, Green Crombec, KempS and Grey Longbill, Frsers Sunbird, Western Olive Sunbird, Swamp Greenbul, Western Bluebill, Black and White Mannikin, Orange Cheeked Waxbill, Black Winged Bishop, Copper Tailed Glossy Starling, Chestnut Winged Starling, Black Winged Oriole, Western Black Headed Oriole, Sooty Boubou, Sabines Puffback, Collared, Blue Throated Brown, Green and Little Green Sunbird, Forest Pendurine Tit.
As well as West African Wattle Eye, Shrike, Chestnut Capped and Blue Headed Crested Flycatcher, Yellow Browed and Olive Green Camaroptera, Honeyguide, Golden, Yellow Whiskered and Slender Billed Greenbul, Rufous Chested Swallow, Fanti And Square Tailed Sawwing, Melancoly Woodpecker, Brown Eared Woodpecker, Yellow Footed Honeyguide, Naked Faced, Yellow Billed and Yellow Spotted Barbet, Speckled Tingkerbird, Rufous Sided Broadbill, Red Billed Helmetshrike, Little Bee-Eater, Brown Nightjah, Black Throated Coucal, Blue Malkoha, Red Fronted Parrot, Lathams Forest Francolin, Ayress Hawk Eagle, European Honey Buzzard including others will be seen.
You will always break in the afternoon for lunch, and go back to the forest in the evening to see birds return from feeding grounds to roost as well as look for Owls and Nightjars.
Overnight at Hans Cottage Botel, a standard hotel in Cape Coast.
Days 7-8: Ankasa Rain Forest
The key target for the day is Nkulengu Rail. You will be going all out to locate this rare species in the early morning hours. You will be searching for many Upper Guinea Endemics such as Hartlaub's duck, White-breasted guineafowl, Yellow casqued hornbill, African finfoot, Shining blue kingfisher, White-bellied kingfisher, Cassins flycatcher, Red-billed dwarf hornbill, Olive long-tailed and Dusky long-tailed cuckoo, Great blue turaco, White-throated greenbul, Rufous-winged illadopsis, Rufous-sided broadbill, Shining drongo, Forest robin, Red-fronted antpecker, Reichenbach sunbird, White-browed forest flycatcher, Red-chested owlet, Common cuckoo, Grey-throated rail, Orage weaver, Narinas trogon, Yellow-billed turaco, White-tailed alethe, Western black-headed and Black-winged oriole Swamp greenbul, Green-headed sunbird.
Also see Golden greenbul, Yellow-spotted barbet, Yellow-throated tinkerbird, Red-fronted parrot, Little and Little Grey Greenbul, Cassins and Sabines Spinetail, White Spotted Flufftail, Marsh Tchagra, Red Winged Prinia, African Pygmy, Chocolate Backed, White Bellied, African Dwarf and Giant Kingfishers will await you.
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 will be available, Preusss and Yellow Mantled Weaver, Red Tailed Greenbul, White Breasted, Grey Headed and Chestnut Breasted Nigrita, Peregrine Falcon, Piping Hornbill, Whistling Cisticola, Great Spotted, Black, Levaillants and African Emerald Cuckoo, Common Swift, White Rumped Swift, Didric and Klaass Cuckoo will be seen well.
You will take a break in the afternoon for lunch, and go back to the forest in the evening to see birds return from feeding grounds to roost as well as look for Owls and Nightjars.
Overnight at Frenchman`s Lodge, a standard hotel in Ankasa National Park.
Day 9: Ankasa Forest - Brenu Beach Road - Cape Coast
A final morning at Ankasa Forest to search for species you have missed or had a brief look at and get better views and quality photos of species like Yellow-billed turaco, Little and Little grey greenbul, Cassins, and Sabine's spinetail, White-spotted flufftail, Marsh tchagra, Red-winged prinia, 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, Preusss and Yellow mantled weaver, Red-tailed greenbul, White-breasted, Grey-headed and Chestnut-breasted nigrita, Peregrine falcon, Piping hornbill, Whistling cisticola, Great Spotted, Black, Levaillants and African emerald cuckoo, Common swift, Didric, and Klaas`s cuckoo, before you make your way to Cape Coast, stopping at Brenu Beach Road to add some more birds to the list before you finally arrives at Hans Cottage.
Overnight at Hans Cottage Botel, a standard hotel in Cape Coast.
Day 10: Rock Pratincole Site - Picathartes site
The big day is today. You will be visiting the Yellow-Headed Picathartes (White Necked Rockfowl) nesting site for the most sought-after bird in West Africa, please make sure that you have enough memory cards.
You will check out of your hotel after an early breakfast, and drive to a remote village where the famous species and pre-historic bird (Yellow-Headed Picathartes) will follow with much excitement.
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 among you a busy time of the day. You will then continue your journey to Kumasi after you have fully enjoyed the target bird for the day.
Overnight at Excelsa Lodge, a standard hotel in Kumasi.
Day 11: Opuro Forest - Mole National Park
You will be scanning Opuro Forest for many species that you have missed out on in other areas including Fiery Breasted Bushshrike, one of the most sought-after birds in Ghana, Superb Sunbird, Lesser Morehen, Grey Headed Bristlebill, Black Sparrowhawk, Northern Puffback, Hamerkop just to mention few.
You will then find your way to Ghana`s Premier Wildlife National Park, Mole National Park after an incredible morning for this extraordinary bird.
Species expected to see here include Wire Tailed Swallow, Red Chested Swallow, African Moustached Warbler, Rufous Cisticola, Grey Rumped Swallow, Chestnut Backed Sparrow Lark, Red Billed Firefinch, White Headed Lapwing, White Helmetshrike, African Golden Oriole, Purple And Blue Bellied Roller, Lesser Blue Eared Starling, Gabar and Dark Chanting Goshawk, Purple Starling, Abyssinian Roller, Black Faced Quailfinch, Mosque Swallow, Yellow Billed Kite and more will be captured today.
Overnight at Mole Motel, a standard hotel in Mole National Park.
Days 12-14: Mole National Park
After an early breakfast, you set off for an interesting forest in a transitional zone between the Southern wetter forest and Northern drier woodland habitats where you will find some quality species.
Species possible to see and photograph here include Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Denhams Bustard, Forbess 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, Beaudouins Snake Eagle, Pearl Spotted Owlet, Violet Turaco, Oriole Warbler, Abyssinian Roller, Red Necked Falcon, Northern Carmine Bee-Eater, Marabou Stork, Saddle Billed Stork, Bruces 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.
You will see Bearded Barbet, Double Toothed Barbet, Wire Tailed Swallow, Grey Headed Kingfisher, Long Tailed Starling, African Fish Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Booted Eagle, Wahlbergs Eagle, African Blue Flycatcher, Tree Pipit, Pels 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, Scarlet Chested Sunbird, Red Billed, Black Faced and Black Bellied Firefinch, Lavender and Orange Cheeked Waxbill, Sulphur Breasted Bush Shrike, Blackcap Babbler, Brown Babbler.
Not forgetting White Crowned Robin-Chat, Snowy Crowned Robin-Chat, Black Crowned And White Backed Night Heron, Red Throated Bee-Eater, Bush Petronia, Yellow Fronted Canary, Little Weaver, Yellow Mantled Widowbird, White Breasted Cuckooshrike, Wilson Indigobird, Exclamatory Paradise Whydah, Togo Paradise Whydah, Spur Winged Goose, Green Woodhoopoe, Swamp Flycatcher, Standard Winged and Freckled Nightjah, Grey Headed Bush Shrike, Long Tailed Nightjah, Chestnut Crowned Sparrow Weaver, Long Crested Eagle, African Cuckoo Hawk, Brown Backed Woodpecker, Black Headed Heron, African Darter, Grasshopper Buzzard, Bateleur, Barka Indigobird, Cabaniss Bunting.
Furthermore, Red Cheeked Cordonblue, Red Winged Pytilia, Yellow Winged Pytilia, Northern Red Bishop, Red Headed Weaver, Red Headed Quelea, Violet Backed Starling, Tropical Boubou, White Helmetshrike, Western Violet Backed Sunbird, Gambaga Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Yellow Breasted Apalis, Rufous Cisticola, Melodious Warbler, Whinchat, Yellow Throated Leaflove, Sun Lark, Grey And Cardinal Woodpecker, Greater and Lesser Honeyguide, Yellow Fronted Tinkerbird, Swallow-Tailed Bee-Eater, Thick Billed Cuckoo, Helmeted Guineafowl including others will be captured here.
Overnight at Mole Motel, a standard hotel in Mole National Park.
Day 15: Egyptian Plover Site - Kumasi
Another important day for you is to see your second target species of the trip, a well-known habitat for the much sought-after Egyptian plover, which is a family by itself. You shall depart from Mole to Kumasi today. Along the way, you will stop a couple to add some special to your list before you get to Kumasi. Depending on the time you will get to Kumasi, you shall visit Bobiri forest if you still have time.
Overnight at Excelsa Lodge, a standard hotel in Kumasi.
Day 16: Bobiri Forest and Butterfly Sanctuary
Bobiri is well-known for its significant forest species of birds like Grey Parrot, Narinas 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, Western Bronze Napped Pigeon, Olive Bellied Sunbird, Grey Longbill, Yellow Browed Camaroptera, Congo Serpent Eagle, European Honey Buzzard, Buff Spotted, Little Grey, Gabon, Cardinal and Fire Bellied Woodpeckers are available, African Emerald Cuckoo, Cassin’s Spinetail, Tambourine, Blue Headed, and Blue Spotted Wood Dove, African Green Pigeon, Peregrine Falcon, Red Billed Helmetshrike, Western Nicator.
You will also see Didric and Klaass Cuckoo, African Green Pigeon, Guinea Turaco, Preusss Cliff Swallow, Compact Weaver, Grosbeak Weaver, Red Vented, Blue Billed, Crested and Red-headed malimbes will be present, Simple, Plain and Ansorges, White Throated, Red Tailed and Little Greenbul will entertain you, Palm-nut Vulture, Hooded Vulture, African Harrier Hawk, Velvet Mantled Drongo, Grey Throated, Dusky Blue, Fraser`s Forest and Red Bellied Paradise Flycatchers awaits you, Barn and Ethiopian swallow, Green Headed Sunbird, African Cuckoo Hawk, Black Throated Coucal, Little grey flycatcher, Blue Cuckooshrike, Black Winged Oriole, Moustached Grass Warbler, Red Headed Quelea and more will be ticked at this site including large number of butterflies.
Overnight at K-Archy Lodge, a standard hotel in Kyebi.
Days 17-18: Atewa Range Forest Reserve - to Accra - to the airport
An early start as you head into the Upper Guinea Rainforest habitat where so many of Ghana’s sought-after special species are found. This morning you hope to see Tit Hylia, Green Hylias, Magpie Mannikin, Narina’s Trogon, Red-billed Dwarf and Black Dwarf Hornbills, African Grey and Red-fronted Parrots, Purple-throated Cuckooshrike, Blue Moustached Bee-eater, Black Bee-eater, Black Throated Coucal, Golden Backed Weaver, Dusky Crested Flycatcher, Yellow Throated Cuckoo, Green Crombec, Kemps and Grey Longbill, Frasers Sunbird, Western Olive Sunbird, Swamp Greenbul, Western Bluebill, Black and White Mannikin, Orange Cheeked Waxbill, Black Winged Bishop, Copper Tailed Glossy Starling.
Moreover, Chestnut Winged Starling, Black Winged Oriole, Western Black Headed Oriole, Sooty Boubou, Sabines Puffback, Collared Sunbird, Blue Throated Brown Sunbirds, Green Sunbirds, Little Green Sunbird, Forest Penduline Tit, West African Wattle-eye, Shrike Flycatcher, Chesnut Capped Flycatcher, Yellow Browed and Olive Green Camaroptera, Blue Headed Crested Flycatcher, Yellow Billed Barbet, Grey Headed and Red Tailed Bristlebills and the much sought after Yellow Footed Honeyguide, Black Necked, Maxwells Black, Compact and Grosbeak Weavers will display for you, Whistling Cisticola, Black Crowned, Brown Crowned and Marsh Tchagra will be at your disposal, African Emerald Cuckoo, Klaas’s, Levaillants, and Didric Cuckoos, Red Bellied Paradise Flycatcher, White Throated Greenbul, Western Bluebill, Tessmann’s Flycatcher and if you are lucky Baumann’s Greenbul among others will be seen.
After an incredible final birding day at Atewa, you will head to the hotel to have a shower, enjoy a nice meal and beer and put your list together before making your way to the airport to say goodbye to Ghana.
Accommodation on day 17 is at K-Archy Lodge, a standard hotel in Kyebi.
Tour concludes.
Location
This birdwatching tour takes place in Ghana. Starting in Ghana, you will visit Kakum National Park, Ankasa Rain Forest, Mole National Park, and Bobiri Forest, and Rock Pratincole Site among others.
Food
All meals are included in the package. Complimentary drinking water is offered during the safari.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
What's included
- Airport pick-up and drop-off service (Kotoka International Airport, terminal 3)
- Assistance of a professional tour guide
- Transport services and fuel for the birding trips
- Safari at Mole National Park
- A visit to the Kakum National Park (canopy walkway)
- Visit to Ankasa, Atewa, and Bobiri Forest
- Complimentary water on the safari
- Discover the pre-historic Yellow-headed Picathartes
- 18 days birdwatching safari (park entrance fees)
- Meals (breakfasts, lunches, dinner)
- 17 nights' accommodation (standard shared rooms)
- Guide fees, accommodations, and meals
- All taxes
What's not included
- Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
- Airfares
- Visas
- Internet, laundry, phone calls, etc.
- Personal travel / medical insurance (Adventure Birding Tours Ghana highly recommends that you take travel insurance in case of any emergency)
- Gratuities (tips)
- Extra plate of meals, snacks
- Items for personal use
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Kotoka International Airport
6 km
Transfer included
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookAllSafaris.com. All major credit cards supported.