CAMEROON
Sahel
to Central African Rainforests - Africa in a nutshell
4– 24 April 2004
There can be no doubt that Red-headed Picathartes takes pride of place on any triplist when it graces you with its presence. We were made to work for them this year, but scored a pair on the nest after considerable effort. (I. Campbell)
Introduction
There is no doubt that Cameroon is the finest
country in both Central and West Africa for birding. Not only is it the richest
destination for birds, but the long list of African MEGA-birds is impossible to ignore. Once again, our tour got an
amazing host of incredible birds headlined by great views of Red-headed Picathartes (although we
were made to sweat this year!). Other cracking stonkers included Quail Plover 1 metre away (!) with two fluffball chicks, White-crested Tiger Bittern, Congo Serpent Eagle, Long-tailed Hawk perched in a tree,
fleeting views of Schlegel’s Francolin,
the always gorgeous Egyptian Plover,
the highly localised Adamawa Turtle
Dove, Banded Wattle-eye and
Bannerman’s Turaco, good views of all three of Africa’s Trogon species; Narina, Bar-tailed and Bare-cheeked Trogons, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, White-throated Mountain Babbler, Thrush Babbler, Green-breasted Bush shrike, Emin’s
Shrike, Sudan Golden Sparrow, Woodhouse’s Antpecker, Yellow-winged Pytilia, Black-bellied Seedcracker and 19
Cameroon Mountain EBA birds (see our Feb 2004 trip
report for the dedicated customised Cameroon Mountain EBA clean-up).
Other spectacular quarry included Hartlaub’s Duck, five African Finfoots, Scissor-tailed Kite,
Bronze-winged Courser, Grey Pratincole, Forbes’ Plover, African Skimmer,
eight species of Turaco, Black-throated
Coucal, Shining-blue and Dwarf
Kingfisher, the eclectic Blue-bellied
Roller, 10 species of hornbill, 13 species of barbet and six species of
honeyguide, African Piculet, Grey-headed
and Rufous-sided Broadbill, Golden and
Yellow-necked Greenbuls a host of
cracking warblers including Cricket
Longtail, Banded Prinia, Oriole Warbler, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Sennar and
Yellow Penduline Tit, Tit Hylia,
Red-faced Crimsonwing, Dybowski’s and Brown
Twinspots.
The nocturnal birding was incredibly
rewarding with the magnificent Vermiculated
Fishing Owl headlining proceedings. However, we also managed another seven
species of owl including Fraser’s and
Greyish Eagle Owls, Northern White-faced
Owl and the playful Sjostedt’s Owlet.
Africa’s three most impressive nighjar’s: Standard-winged,
Pennant-winged and Long-tailed were
all seen well. This trip was also our best ever mammal trip to Cameroon, seeing
41 species of mammal. Highlights were Serval,
African Civet, several families of Sand
Fox and Crested Porcupine.
Ornithologically, Cameroon remains little known
despite being the most accessible and richest country in West Africa for
birds. Lying at the junction between
West and Central Africa, and forming a key part of the Lower Guinea Endemic
Bird Area (EBA), Cameroon and its highland chain supports over 850 bird species.
Cameroon is highly diverse with typical lowland tropical rainforests in the
south and west to the Pro-Sahelian savanna in the north, and from rolling
plains to volcanic beaches and mangrove swamps.
Two
vital Endemic Bird Areas form part of Cameroon, (1) Cameroon and Gabon lowlands
(EBA 085) and the (2) Cameroon Mountains (EBA 086). This tour was exceptionally
successful. However, it was not just the great diversity of birds that was seen
that was impressive, but the rarity of many of them. The lowland forest at
Korup is a primal and magical place. Our undoubted trip highlight came in the
form of a group of two Red-headed
Picathartes, hissing and leaping about their theatre-like cavern. A narrow
second place goes to the White-crested
Tiger Bittern that flushed so obligingly off a small river in the forest
and third to the family of Bouvier’s
(Vermiculated) Fishing Owl that we located in Korup. There is no doubt that
Cameroon offers the most exceptional birding in West Africa, and definitely is
one of the top three destinations in the whole continent.
If you have not yet
been click here to see the programme for Tropical Birding’s 2005 birding tour
to Cameroon or arrange a customised trip for you and your friends by e-mailing tropicalbirding@telkomsa.net
Tour leaders and participants
K - Keith Barnes
B-Bob Angier
Al-Alan van Norman
S-Sonia Jupp
N-Noel Mann
K-Keith Morrell
BB-Bill
Barnes
Trip report
3 April: Douala.
It was a rather convoluted pick-up pattern, but
participants slowly started assembling and it became clear that instead of
resting up on the 4th April as planned, most people would rather go
birding. As a result Keith arranged to go down to the Sanaga River for the
morning of the 4th, an excellent patch of forest and river only 50-odd
km from Douala. Birding around the hotel yielded several flocks of Bronze Manikins, Northern Grey-headed
Sparrow, Yellow Wagtail, Yellow-billed Kites and hundreds of Pied Crows. A walk around the hotel in
the afternoon produced the heavily marked maxima
form of Lesser Striped Swallow. An
active breeding colony of Village
Weavers allowed us to study at close range the handsome chestnut collaring
of the cucullatus form. On the
telephone wires African Thrush and Woodland Kingfisher perched whilst Little, European and Palm Swifts whistled down the alleys.
Overgrown courtyards were full of Red-eyed
and Blue-spotted Wood Doves and
the white-vented inornatus form of Common Bulbul. Bob and Sonia headed to
the Sawa where they caught up with Reichenbach’s
Sunbird and Common Wattle-eye.
From the bar we watched scores of Flying Foxes leaving their roosts in unison
cruising over Douala’s skyline. Supper was scrumptious, beer was cold and a
shower before bed…utter bliss.
April 4: Sanaga River.
At 05h30, the driver had his taxi idling at the
hotel’s door ready to go. Dawn views of ubiquitous Yellow-billed Kites sailing
in downtown Douala. Barely 30 kms south of Douala we came across some
reasonable patches of swamp forest and several flocks of Pied and Piping Hornbills crossing
the road. African Grey Parrots were
pinging and meowing from almost every tree-top. A Lizard Buzzard happened to be perched next to where we stopped. A
flock of African Green Pigeons occupied
a treetop.
A few kilometres farther on we
stopped next to a forest pond immediately finding an African Finfoot sneaking off into thick cover. Quite pleased, it
was a sign of things to come with another 4 finfoots being seen during the
trip. Thorough scanning with the scope produced an immaculate pair of Hartlaub’s Ducks in the morning light,
which we relished for a good 15 minutes. During this time a Black-casqued Wattled Hornbill flew
over and White-thighed Hornbills perched
nearby allowing great views. The pond below yielded a Dabchick and an African Jacana.
Some trees next to the road produced Green
Sunbird, Spotted Greenbul, African
Shrike Flycatcher, Large-billed Puffback and our first stunning Blue-billed Malimbe.
A
bridge nearby yielded great views of Bates’s
Swifts and curious Sabine’s
Spinetails stooped past. A colony of Viellot’s
Weavers commuted frantically from the emergence to their hanging
condominiums. We reached the Sanaga at 09h00 veering west and down-stream along
the northern bank of the river. Driving past several settlements we recorded Olive-bellied Sunbird, Pygmy Kingfisher and
our first flocks of the stunning White-throated
Bee-eater, hundreds of Preuss’ Cliff
Swallows flitted over the river.
On scanning the first sand bank we
effortlessly bagged our main quarry, Grey
Pratincole, of which we saw plenty more throughout the day, stretching
their stunning wings, chasing each other along sand banks at neck-breaking
speeds and indulging in colourful twists, breaks and turns. Their dullish grey
appearance when sitting certainly does not do justice to their pied
magnificence in flight. We noted too
that they were highly territorial, viciously chasing any other waders landing
on their sandy realms.
Also present along the river were
large flocks of African Skimmers,
many of which delighted us with their water-skimming prowess. Vegetated sandy
banks hosted White-headed Lapwings.
A lonely Woolly-necked Stork, Great
White, Little and Cattle Egrets were
also recorded. During our constant search for paths to the river-edge we came
across a host of other species such as Common
Wattle-eye, Little Bee-eater, Blue-headed Coucal, Palm-nut Vulture,
Long-crested Eagle, Senegal Thick-knee, Speckled and Yellow-throated Tinkerbirds, Yellow-throated Leaflove, White-chinned
Prinia and Olive-green Camaroptera.
Unfortunately
we had to turn around by 11h30 and indulged the world’s longest lunch (it took
1 hr and 45 minutes for the food to get to the table!!). We had to return to
Douala to collect Alan from the airport while the others scored Long-legged Pipit. Once everyone was
together we nabbed Royal Tern and Chattering Cisticola in Douala for the
newcomers.
We were
lucky with African Finfoot on this trip, with no less than 3 sightings of 5
individuals (K. Gessell).
April
5: Douala – Maroua –Campment du Waza
Despite a horrendous set of rumours to the
contrary our flight to Maroua left only an hour late and we had been picked up
by Victor, our guide, and whisked to lunch in town on time. Although warm, the
temperature was much more comfortable than in previous years. Our lunch venue
yielded the first lifers for the group including Brown Babbler. With several hours of slow road ahead of us we had
no choice but to plod on. The going was slow with new birds coming fast, Abyssinian Roller, Grasshopper Buzzard, Blue-naped
Mousebird and Black-headed Lapwing were
first. Before long we had reached the Quail
Plover spot and although it was searingly hot in the middle of the day we
thought we’d try our luck. Cricket
Warbler was our first biggie, which darted towards us perching on a flimsy
twig barely 5m away. This dainty little warbler is covered in the most
immaculate scales on the wing coverts and crown. The soft hues of tan and slate
grey combine to make it exceptionally attractive.
The immaculate Scissor-tailed Kite drew the first serious “oooh’s and aaah’s” for
the day. Black and Rufous Scrub Robin, Green Bee-eater,
Chestnut-bellied Starling and Chestnut-crowned
Sparrow-weaver slowed progress. Eventually Keith tugged a bush and a Quail Plover exploded from beneath him,
fluttering off in its characteristic butterfly-flight. The group was elated,
but more was to come. Slow approaches yielded more flight views, but eventually
we all had the bird on the ground. The bizarre thing is that it just kept
coming closer and closer to us. Perplexed by its strange behaviour, it
eventually began giving low piping calls and about two feet away a pair of
fluffballs (the chicks!!) moved from behind a rock. The female eventually
approached to within a metre and no-one could focus neither bins nor video
cameras anymore!! Delighted we pressed on, seeing Black-bellied Bustard just before dark.
After
a slow and safe drive we reached Campment du Waza, nestled atop a granite dome
resembling a local settlement, criss-crossed by winding narrow allies, but in
actual fact designed for tourists in what was a very eco-sensitive effort. Barn Owls were seen overhead. A rest by
the swimming pool brought in a delightful Long-tailed
Nightjar that drank while we sipped our beers! Fresh bread, a green salad,
roast chicken and loads of cold beer and grapefruit juice set us up for the
night.
The
major highlight of the far north was a pair of Quail Plover with chicks…simply
sensational (R. Hoff)
April
6: Waza N.P.
We had breakfast with a few African Silverbills nesting on the palm
roof. The campment yielded all the regular seedeaters including Red-cheeked Cordon-blue, Black-rumped
Waxbill and White-rumped Seedeaters.
Before entering the park we visited the roadside scrub south of Waza. The drive
was slow due to excellent birding in the cool early hours… coveys of Clapperton’s Francolin scurried around
us, Pygmy and Beautiful Sunbirds harvested nectar from every Nicotiana plant, Little
Green Bee-eaters sallying next to the road, flocks of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse cruising overhead, a pair of Long-tailed Glossy Starlings. In the
background a troop of the exquisite Patas Monkeys foraged in earnest.
The
waterholes were dry and not as active as in previous years. Several River Prinias responded well to tape
and came in close. A Montagu’s Harrier sailed
past. We decided to head for the park, where the extravaganza began. The
waterhole was teeming with birdlife, both around it, in it and over it and soon
yielded up to a thousand Black Crowned
Crane. The scope was also helpful
to study the mixed seedeater flocks of White-rumped
Seedeaters, Sahel Paradise Whydah, Red-billed Quelea and Chestnut-backed Finchlark. The
waterhole was visited by trickling hordes of Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, a pair of Spurwing Plover and
a large flock of Openbilled Storks.
The scrub around the waterhole produced Clapperton’s
Francolin, Red-billed (T.e.erythrorhynchus)
and Grey Hornbill, Eurasian Hoopoe,
White-billed Buffalo Weaver and Grey
Woodpecker. Raptors abound at these waterholes and we recorded Bateleur, Fish Eagle, Gymnogene, Hooded and
White-backed Vulture, Yellow-billed
Kite, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Gabar Goshawk (including many melanistic
morphs), and a few more Grasshopper
Buzzards. A super quick stoop by a Lanner
Falcon was enjoyed. Coming in to drink were hundreds of doves (Vinaceous, Collared, Namaqua and the
odd Black-billed Wood Dove), dozens
of Abyssinian Rollers and Brown-throated and Common Sand Martins hawking insects above the water. Strutting the water’s edge were White-faced Whistling Ducks, Abdim’s and
later a flock of Openbilled Storks.
The bushes around the water had
become a stop over for clouds of mixed seedeaters, especially Red-billed Queleas, hence the raptor
activity. Sitting in the shadow of one of these hubs of activity we scored a
superb Sudan Golden Sparrow as well
as Bush Petronia, Olivaceous Warbler,
Common Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and a stealthy Senegal Coucal weaving its way between the branches in search of a
quick bite. Ruppell’s and Lappet-faced Vulture lounged in the
shade. On the mammal front we saw Topi, Roan Antelope, Warthog, Golden Jackal
and Bouffon’s Kob. We returned to the first waterhole where we added Yellow-billed Oxpecker and Northern Carmine Bee-eater to the
morning list as well as a pair of Cut-throat
Finches and Red-throated Pipit.
By now the heat was unbearable and
activity dying down fast, so we opted for a fast retreat to the camp for a dip,
lunch and a short siesta before tackling the remains of the day. The pool at
the camp is a great spot to admire at close range a whole suite of camp
specials attracted to any water. Ethiopian
and Barn Swallows perch in the
shadow under the awnings, Abyssinian
Roller and Viellot’s Barbet carrying
food back and forth. Bread-crumbs and a dripping tap were enough to attract White-rumped Seed-eaters, African
Silverbills, Green-winged Pytilias, Black-rumped Waxbills, Red-cheeked
Cordon-blues, Greater Blue-eared Starlings and an immaculate Beautiful Sunbird.
The
afternoon was dedicated in large to finding dry grassland species (mostly Arabian Bustard which we missed) and we
soon latched on to a feeding flock of Four-banded
Sandgrouse. Likewise we picked up a family of Spotted Thick-knees roosting in the shady undergrowth and a pair of
Abyssinian Ground Hornbill. A
pleasant surprise was provided by a juvenile Egyptian Vulture in the shade at a waterhole. The lure of what our
guide thought were lions turned out to be good for owling with both Northern White-faced Owl and Greyish Eagle Owl being found
fortuitously. After a shower we gathered to catch up with the trip list and
travel notes. An after dinner nightdrive proved to be excellent. We saw Golden
Jackal, Red-fronted Gazelle, Nubian Giraffe, Kob, Topi, a beautiful nearby view
of a Serval, several families of Sand Fox, Spotted Genet, several African Wild
Cats, Senegal Galago and Bush Duiker and many Long-tailed Nightjars.
April
7: Waza-Mora-Garoua
After a short drive we picked up Sennar Penduline Tit, and started
looking for a handful of other select specials including our only Barbary Gonolek, first Senegal Eremomela and handsome Stone Partridge crowing and dancing
about on the rocks, as well as our only Rock-loving
Cisticola and Rufous-crowned Roller of
the trip. A few hours further down the road we picked up a pair of Fox Kestrels in a riverbed. Arrival at
Garoua and a drive to the Benoue River yielded the bird of the day, the magical
Egyptian Plover!! Another bird that
defies description, this is one of the world’s neatest waders, especially in
flight!
Neither the commotion of fishermen,
bathers nor birders seemed to bother the group of immaculate and exquisite Egyptian Plovers right in front of us.
But then I guess we are talking about a bird with nerves of steel, which
happily dines amidst the jagged teeth and jaws of African crocodiles. The
river’s edge produced Quail Finch and
Winding Cisticola. A Fox Kestrel perched on the ground
allowing us to admire it in all its glory. The river however also gave a suite
of other waterbirds including Greater
Painted Snipe, Ruff, Collared Pratincole, White-winged Tern, Black Egret
(Heron) and Black-crowned Night
Heron.
The wonderful Egyptian
Plover never disappoints (C.Boix)
April
8: Garoua –Benoue N.P
We drove back to the river before a brisk breakfast.
Although the birds were much the same we did add Sun Lark on our way back to the car. The drive to Benoue NP was
easy and short. We scored a fabulous group of Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Violet Turaco and Fine-spotted Woodpecker at a small river en-route. On the mammal
front we encountered a troop of Olive Baboons in the bush and many coveys of Double-spurred Francolin scurrying into
the bush ahead of us. We reached Benoue NP gates shortly after noon, birding
down the main road towards Buffle Noir Camp we located a several handsome Brown-backed Woodpeckers, Scarlet-chested
Sunbird, Senegal Batis, Yellow-eyed Canaries and at the camp Familiar Chat and a flock of Red-throated Bee-eaters.
We had lunch at Buffle Noir and soon
after, birded the camp’s grounds until the sun was low enough to tackle the
Hippo Pools woodland downstream. The viewpoint and woodland around the camp
proved to be the most productive. From the river in front the restaurant we saw
Red-throated Bee-eaters perching, Purple Glossy Starling drinking, Red-necked Buzzard soaring, and a pair
of White-cheeked Olivebacks. A troop
of Guereza Colobus Monkeys paraded in the trees on the opposite bank. A few
Western Kobs had gathered at a water pool below. The deciduous woodland around
the huts produced Violet-backed
Starling, African Golden Oriole, Brubru and Northern Black Flycatcher. The
fluke of an Adamawa Turtle Dove perched
in a tree right next to the main camp was fantastic as it proved to be the only
one of the trip.
At 15h30 we headed downstream
towards hippo pools. En route we came across many Western Kob. A pair of White-shouldered Black Tits gave away
the arrival of a party, from where we teased out Northern Puffback and Grey-backed
Camaroptera. At the river we encountered a laager of Hippos placidly
resting in the water. Our birding was concentrated on the scrub covering the
river’s edge. We enticed out a striking Black-headed
Gonolek and another set of Egyptian
Plovers. We called in a handsome pair of White-crowned Robin Chats. As it was getting dark we slowly ambled
back to the car. Spotlighting after
dinner revealed a Crested Porcupine, Bushbuck, Western Kob and Oribi.
April
9: Benoue NP – Ngaoundaba Ranch
Breakfast-birding around camp was exquisite,
nearby tapings lured us into a Grey,
a Cardinal and a Golden-tailed Woodpecker. A fruiting
fig at the lower end of camp hosted a mixed flock of the immaculate White-crested Turaco and outrageous Violet Turacos feasting on ripe figs,
surrounded by Western Plantain Eaters,
Violet-backed and Purple Glossy
Starling and several African
Thrushes. Having two of Africa’s most spectacular turacos in a single tree
is a serious treat. Both Viellot’s and Bearded Barbet joined them eventually.
The remainder of the morning was spent birding some more riverine forest and
scrub. We came across a series of flocks and saw Black-faced and Black-bellied
Firefinches, a pair of Ashy
Flycatchers, Pearl-spotted Owlet,
Spotted Creeper, Greater Honeyguide, Streaky-headed (sometimes
split as West African) Seedeater and
a noisy gaggle of Red-billed Woodhoopoes.
We also encountered Yellow Penduline Tit
and a priceless Emin’s Shrike perched
on a twig very confidingly.
Back
at camp Wire-tailed Swallows jet-streamed
the waters surface feasting on mosquitoes, whilst African Pied Wagtails flitted up and down from logs and rocks. In a
large tree below the camp we found Red-winged
Grey Warbler foraging. The drive to Ngaoundere and Ngaoundaba Ranch was
only interrupted by a brief visit to a large marsh where we watched Yellow-throated Longclaws and loads of African Jacanas. By now we had moved up the Adamawa Plateau
and temperatures had cooled considerably.
We reconfirmed our flights back to
Yaounde. Stocked up with water we hit the road for the short drive to
Ngaoundaba Ranch. On route Alan broke the silence with a deafening “Pia-piac, Pia-piac!!”. The group of
mostly immature corvids foraged around a herd of cows. Later we found a Grey
Kestrel perched obligingly alongside our car. We arrived at the lodge at
dusk and checked out the local crater lake replete with sundowners, bagging Brown Twinspot in the process enjoying
the view over the lake and gallery forest and the thought we could unpack and
make this our home for the next three days. Cattle, Intermediate and Great
Egrets slowly gathered at a roost across the lake, at dusk we watched Black-crowned Night Herons set off into
the night. The evening progressed with a huge dinner, copious quantities of
Bordeaux red wine in the hunting lounge, and a hilarious checklist session, which
ranks as one of the most tear-inducing memories on any birdtour I have taken. I
can’t remember details but there was a lot of nonsense going down!
The spectacular Violet
Turaco was one of eight species we saw on this tour (K. Barnes)
April 10: Ngaoundaba
Ranch
Pre-breakfast birding gathered the group at a
section of gallery forest below the rooms. Bunched up in the undergrowth we
blasted out a few calls of Spotted
Thrush Babbler and got an immediate response. The birds however shied away
and could not be brought out! Compensation came in the form a pair of Blue-breasted Kingfishers.
Breakfast appeared on tables in the
gardens outside, a marvellous setting that allowed us to continue our birding
unabated, croissant in one hand and bins at the ready in the other. The Klaas’s Cuckoos were everywhere and
shortly after breakfast we added Gambaga
Flycatcher to the growing list.
We spent most of the morning birding
the woodlands and gallery forests near the main entrance of the ranch. En-route
we encountered the spectacular White-collared
Starling. One of our first birds was a magical male Standard-winged Nightjar, which was extremely photogenic and
allowed very close study. On the forest edge a Red-faced (Yellow-winged) Pytilia spiced up proceedings. A cacophony
of calls from a skittish group of Leafloves
drove us into the forest where we eventually had views of the species as it
flew amongst tangles, whilst Grey-winged
Robin Chat obliged by coming in to tape. An inquisitive Yellowbill peered at us from a tangle.
A spectacular Narina Trogon surprised
everyone, including itself, landing only a few metres away from Bill, although
he was the only one who got decent looks at the bird as it took flight almost
immediately. A beautiful pair of Red-shouldered
Cuckoo-shrikes were discovered in a party on the forests’ edge along with a
very cooperative pair of Bamenda Apalis.
Walking back to the ranch through
the sparse woodland we came across Pied
Flycatcher, truckloads of Whinchats and
several Tree Pipits. A great find
was a Willcox’s Honeyguide near the
ranch. A Red-necked Buzzard soared
in a thermal above with some Abdim’s
Storks. Lunch was light, followed by a short rest. The afternoon walk
delivered a much-wanted bird for several members of the group, a pair of Bronze-winged Courser. Later we
encountered a pair of stunning Ross’
Turaco that showed exceptionally well. Just before dark we had good looks
at Bronze-tailed Glossy Starling.
Some pre-dusk birding at the wetland yielded Little Bittern and African
Spoonbill. At the ranch we sat doing the day’s birdlist over some
well-deserved beer. For supper we were treated to a usual Ngoundaba feast, with
some scrumptious soup and home baked fresh caught river Perch.
Those with energy to spare joined
the night drive, the drive started on a pleasant note as we came across a
Senegal Lesser Bushbaby on a tree, Crayshaw’s Hare on the road. We were eventually rewarded with unbeatable
views of a male Standard-winged Nightjar
perched on a rock, at a lek, right next to the car. His standards were bent
backwards and flopped alongside him in a spectacular fashion! A single Black-shouldered Nightjar was flushed
and a pennant-less male Pennant-winged
Nightjar was also flushed further along the road. Just before getting back
to the ranch we were able to enjoy an African
Scops Owl near the road.
Another
spectacular species around Ngoundaba was the localized White-collared Starling
(R. Hoff)
April 11: Ngaoundaba Ranch.
Back down at the gallery forest in front of the
house, this time we were lucky, the Spotted
Thrush Babblers did not respond to the tape, but sitting alongside the
river resulted in a pair coming in barely 2 m away from us, their white legs,
chest and pale eyes in the undergrowth gave them a somewhat ghostly, fleeting
but most welcome, appearance. We lucked onto a White-spotted Flufftail that everyone saw crossing a path. Walking
down some gallery forest near the ranch we found both Whistling Cisticola and Sun
Lark. After some playback the gallery forest yielded our first Moho (or Oriole Warbler). This
long-billed skulker started belting out a loud song to try repel the invisible
invader in his territory. The tape allowed us to pull it out onto an open snag
and we literally feasted on the iridescence of the silver tinted black shingles
that covered the little bird’s head. A short while later, and with some effort,
we were able to enjoy views of the Black-capped
Babblers that seemed determined to remain “undercover”. On our way back to
the ranch for lunch, we encountered both Green-backed
Woodpecker and a Red-chested Goshawk.
In the afternoon we visited some flooded grassland near the ranch, adding Booted Eagle, Wattled Lapwing,
Yellow-shouldered and Marsh
Widowbird to the list. A late afternoon walk through the woodland yielded Red-footed Falcon and for Sonia and
Keith, Schlegel’s Francolin, which
scuttled off at high speed and were not seen again. Our final success was the
pair of Blue-bellied Rollers.
April
12: Ngaoundaba Ranch – Yaounde
We devoted this morning to trying for a repeat
view of Schlegel’s Francolin, failing to relocate it, but enjoying some other
nice things nevertheless. A beautiful Shikra
was teed up nicely in gorgeous early morning sunlight and Alan located a Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting. We
returned to the ranch for breakfast and to pack up. Once packed and fed we left
for Ngaoundere. The drive to Ngaoundere was painless and amazingly, the plane
(chartered from Dubai) left on time. We waved goodbye to Victor, whom we
thought had performed beyond the call of duty, professionally, friendly and
utterly organized. The flight left on time and we arrived in Yaounde with a
little bit of time to bird in the forest surrounding the city. We chose a spot
and ventured there for the afternoon adding a gamut of exciting new goodies as
we arrived in the “rainforest” including Tambourine
Dove, Grey-throated Barbet,
Brown-eared Woodpecker, Simple Greenbul, Yellow-necked Greenbul, Buff-throated
Apalis, Tiny Sunbird, Superb Sunbird, Narrow-tailed Starling, White-breasted and
Pale-fronted Negrofinches.
April
13: Yaounde – Bamenda
The morning started oddly with Alan and Noel
again bemoaning their fate at having missed out Hartlaub’s Duck by not going down to the Sanaga River on the first
day. Then amazingly, in central Yaouande, a pair of Hartlaub’s Ducks dropped from the sky and landed on the
lily-infested pond in front of us. Amazing and unexpected to say the least!
After breakfast we drove North from Yaounde to Bamenda, stopping en route for
lunch and for a selected few birds. A pair of magnificent Cassin’s Hawk Eagle perched obligingly next to the road.
We crossed the Sanaga River and
walked along the bridge where we saw White-throated
Blue Swallow, African Hobby and Rock
Pratincole. A small pond further on yielded Forbes’ Plover and Zebra
Waxbill. At a village called Bafia we watched hundreds of Preuss’ Cliff Swallows congregating at
a water puddle to gather mud for nest building, quite a sight!! Another stop
was highly productive yielding a great variety of seedeaters including more Brown and Dybowski’s Twinspots. African
Yellow Warbler was also added. We spent the late afternoon at the
Bafut-Nguemba FR, locating Mountain
Wagtail, Dusky Flycatcher, Northern Double-collared Sunbird and Mackinnon’s Shrike although precious
little was calling. As we were driving down from Bafut-Nguemba FR we flushed a
magical Greyish Eagle Owl that
perched where we all could see it.
April
14: Bafut – Nguemba
After an early morning breakfast we made for
Lake Edib and birded the remaining patches of forest around it. It must be said
that the area is in bad shape, and protecting it appears to be an impossible
mission. As we wound our way up the valley we came across a pair of Bannerman’s Weavers. Next to the road a
Cameroon Sunbird worked a flowering
mistletoe. Yellow-breasted Boubou came
in inquisitively to playback. Bannerman’s
Turacos were calling from further up the valley and we eventually had
magnificent views of these scarce and special creatures. The metallic gratings
of a wattle-eye on the opposite side of the road made us abandon the mixed
species party. We were duly rewarded with the arrival of a pair of Banded Wattle-eyes. Little Grey Flycatchers and a noisy
pair of Brown-backed Cisticolas flitted
low across the road. Mackinnon’s Shrike approached
and perched in front of us attracted by our spishing, which also managed to
yield a brief but more than adequate view of the richly coloured Bangwa Forest Scrub Warbler.
During the day we encountered many
parties producing Western Montane Greenbul,
African Dusky Flycatcher, Northern Double Collared Sunbird, Grey Apalis,
Black-collared Apalis, Brown-capped Weaver, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher,
White-bellied Tit, African Hill Babbler, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, Oriole Finch and
Grey Cuckooshrike. Our lunch spot
yielded two fun birds, a Bannerman’s
(Long-billed) Pipit and Pectoral-patch
Cisticola. The afternoon added several species before we made our way back
to the hotel we were had supper, enjoyed a meal and called it a day.
April 15: Bamenda –
Nyasoso
After breakfast we birded the hotel grounds
adding Lanner Falcon, Fox Kestrel, 2
young Common Kestrels, Neumann’s
Starling, Splendid Sunbird and Black-capped
Waxbill. The drive to Nyasoso took most of the day, the only highlight
being roadside specials for sale such as a Forest Rat, a Cane Rat and a massive
Rock Hyrax hanging by their tails.
On the way we stocked up with food
for the following days in Mt Kupe, and enjoyed the lively bustle and bubbling
deals that went on at the market stalls. A lunchtime stop near Loum yielded Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Red-rumped
Tinkerbird and Spotted Greenbul.
We arrived in Nyasoso with enough time to unpack and do a quick down-the-road
foray. Although we did not cover much ground we did manage to see several
interesting species namely: a Naked
Faced Barbet colony in a snag, African
Piculet, Forest Swallow, Western Olive, Black-shouldered Puffback and White-breasted Negrofinches. Back at
the Women’s Community Centre, we were warmly welcomed and treated to a delicious
carefully prepared meal. We did the day’s list after dinner and opted to visit
Kodmin the following day.
April
16: Bakossi Mountains
After a good sleep and a brisk breakfast we
crammed into the 4x4 and headed up to the small village of Kodmin in the
Bakossi Mountains. The climb was rather exciting, slipping ’n sliding on near
vertical gradients but nothing like a weathered bush taxi driver to conquer the
road and get us to the spot safe and sound. By 07h00 we were at the chief’s
palace, with a bunch of sleepy faces draped in blankets known as the elder
council ready to start the proceedings. Our interpreter explained our
intentions to the chief to spend the day in the forest, birdwatching and trying
to track down the critically endangered Mt Kupe Bush-shrike as well as other
specials. The chief granted permission and consensus was reached by the counsel
of elders. The presentation of a bottle of whisky (the chiefs favourite
mouthwash) was a pre-requisite to the whole process. Six bottles of beer were
then purchased and Keith and the Chief joined in prayer and salute to the
rising sun requesting safe passage and good fortune in our endeavour to the
ancestral spirits. Once the beer was finished and a nominal forest fee had been
settled, we were all freed and allowed to walk into the forest.
The day was a fairly long and
frustrating one and although we found many of the specialities, the Mt Kupe Bush Shrike that had been here
in February 2004 (see Feb 2004 Trip report) that our first group had seen was
absent. We tried all day long and did not get a single vocal response from the
bird! Nevertheless we managed a good haul of other specialities including a
magical Bar-tailed Trogon, a
gorgeous Black-faced Rufous Warbler,
Ursula’s Sunbird, Elliot’s Woodpecker, Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike, Cameroon Olive and
Grey-headed Greenbul, Mackinnon’s Shrike,
a probable overflying Cameroon Olive
Pigeon, White-tailed Warbler, Black-billed Weavers, Northern Double Collared
Sunbird and a calling Yellow
Longbill foraging in a thick tangle. We also managed to see the Green-breasted Bush Shrike,
a scarce and vulnerable endemic. After a series of calls the birds crossed
the path into the canopy above us where they showed briefly, jumping into the
open for a short time before disappearing back into the tangle.
We
were able to bird along trails and forest paths, sheltering from periodic
showers under thick tangles and venturing to the forest edge when it stopped.
During these interludes we enjoyed several Green
Longtail, Dark-backed Weaver, a flock of White-throated Mountain Babblers, Fork-tailed (Velvet-mantled) Drongo,
Black-throated Apalis, White-throated Bee-eater and Mountain Sooty Boubou. The birding ended on a high when as we were
leaving the forest a magnificent Congo
Serpent Eagle flew from above us. We ended the day with a superb meal and a
well-deserved rest.
April 17: Mt Kupe
(Max’s Trail- up to Max’s Camp)
At 06h30 our guide, and a porter collected us
at the Women’s Centre and we set off towards Max’s Trail. The farmbush was
extremely productive as it always is and we had soon enjoyed a Cassin’s Honeybird. Not far up we were
wheeling in some mixed-species flocks that included Woodhouse’s Antpecker. A Red-chested
Goshawk was chirping away in display flight. Unsurprisingly, we spent most
of the morning ambling back and forth between forest patches in a kaleidoscope
of Yam, Plantain, Coffee and Cocoa plantations but it was worth it as we
managed to bag the following: Luhder’s
Bush-shrike, Speckled Tinkerbird, African Piculet, Golden Greenbul, Swamp Palm
Greenbul, Black-capped Apalis, Olive-green Camaroptera, Rufous-crowned
Eremomela, Black-capped Woodland Warbler, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher,
Naked-faced Barbet, Western Black-headed Oriole, Pink-footed Puffback and Many-coloured Bushshrike.
On reaching Zenker’s camp at 1100m,
we encountered a small flock with Grey-headed
Broadbill and White-tailed
Ant-thrush being the highlights. A little later we encountered a Yellow-footed Flycatcher. Further up,
after some effort, we taped in a stunning male Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye. We also located Black-winged Oriole and Keith Morrell lucked onto a Red-faced Crimsonwing. The forest was
quieter, but yielded White-tailed
Warbler, Cameroon Olive Greenbul and Red-bellied
Paradise Flycaytcher. After an arduous climb we reached the famous yet
unimpressive Max’s camp. Although it was the middle of the day and activity was
poor we managed to see a White-throated
Mountain Babbler flying over and White-bellied
Robin-chat. On the way back to the centre we came across several bird
parties with much the same as we saw on the way up. Back near the farmbush we
encountered a (Fraser’s) Rufous
Flycatcher Thrush and a stunning male and female Black-and-white (Vanga) Shrike-flycatcher.
The lure
of Mt Kupe’
April 18: Nyasoso –
Kumba
Our final morning at Nyasoso was spent in the
farmbush. Here we located a few new birds for the trip including the (until
now) infuriatingly and inexplicably elusive Yellow-billed Turaco and Banded
Prinia. Other highlights included Honeyguide
Greenbul and Grey Longbill,
Yellow-billed Barbet, Masked Apalis, Greater Swamp Warbler, Dusky-blue
Flycatcher, Dusky Crested Flycatcher and Tit Hylia. We bade Bill a fond farewell as he decided to stay a few
extra days in Nyasoso. He ended up adding Dwarf Kingfisher, Gabon
Woodpecker, Square-tailed Saw-wing, Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike,
Grey Greenbul, Plain Greenbul, Sooty Flycatcher, African
Shrike Flycatcher, Fernando Po Batis, Bates’ Paradise Flycatcher,
Grey-chested Illadopsis and Bates’ Sunbird to his list. The drive
to Kumba yielded another African Finfoot
that showed extremely well. Fortunately Sonia (who was leaving us in Kumba)
saw it this time as she had missed it on day one! Once in Kumba the rest of the
day was spent doing logistics and making arrangements for Korup.
A Speckled Tinkerbird was located in the farmbush
(K. Barnes)
April 19: Kumba -
Mundemba (Korup NP Headquarters)
After some early morning logistics in Kumba we
headed out at 09h00. Stopping briefly at a lake Alan picked up a Shining Blue Kingfisher! The drive to
Mundemba yielded less than hoped for, but nice sightings included a perched Crowned Hawk Eagle and a couple of
flyby views of Black-throated Coucal swooping
into the swamp-forest adjacent to the road. We reached Mundemba, dropped our
luggage and participants at the hotel and organized a contingent of porters,
guides, cook, mattresses and anything else we needed for the forest. This left
a little time for afternoon birding and we headed into some nearby forest where
we enjoyed great views of Great Blue
Turaco, Yellow-casqued Hornbill,
Cassin’s Flycatcher and Chestnut-winged Forest Starling. Back
at the guesthouse, we enjoyed a shower and an early sitting for some beer and
pomelo juice, we feasted on world class Cameroonian racing chicken.
April 20: Korup N.P –
Rengo Camp
We packed our bags and after breakfast headed
for the bridge over the Mana River. The magical façade that greeted us was a
wall of rainforest over a suspension bridge. It was like entering the lost
world! Here we birded for a couple of hours whilst the porters, cook, all our
materials and food gathered, bundled up and were eventually ready to march into
Rengo Camp. The sheer wall of 30-meter tall trees across the wide Mana River
leaves nothing to the imagination and expectations of a tropical birder or a
tropical rainforest for that matter. Rising clouds of steam wafting off a
shining lush canopy, a long sturdy suspension bridge over a rushing river with
flocks of Grey Parrots pinging and
screeching ahead got us all hyped up and excited.
Once inside the forest, the
environment was dark and birding tough. It takes a little while to get used to
the conditions and eventually we started picking up species as our eyes
acclimatised to the light and movement of birds in the under storey, our ears
tuned into the canopy dome acoustics. One of our first rewards was an
immaculate Forest Robin singing away
in the nearby undergrowth. A Blue-headed
Wood Dove showed well near the trail edge and we were able to scope it.
Alan cottoned onto a Dwarf Kingfisher and
we got our first looks at a lot of forest greenbuls including Icterine, White-bearded and Eastern Bearded Greenbuls as well as Lesser (Green-tailed) Bristlebill. A
fantastic antswarm yielded Shining
Drongo, Fire-crested Alethe, White-tailed and Red-tailed Ant-thrushes as well as Rufous Flycatcher Thrush. An African
Forest Flycatcher in a flock was to be our only one of the trip. Lunch at
Rengo was followed by a brief rest and a march to the famous Picathartes Knoll,
where we arrived at 16h00. Since my last visit in February there had been one
small change at the knoll. The honeybees were swarming, and investigating any
creature that even thought about sweating. To say that this day was one of the
least enjoyable and at times unnerving waits for my favourite bird is an
understatement. One Picathartes made a mock appearance, Keith detecting the
bird slinking past the outside of the cave; but the beast never made another
show, and only Keith (the leader) had seen anything worth shouting about.
Whether the bees or the troop of rowdy Preuss’ Red Colobus Monkeys, which
showed very nicely distracted them it was hard to tell, but the birds never
re-appeared and eventually the bees drove us from the cave. Frustrated, we
trudged home in the dark.
At the camp we heard the Nkulengu Rail making its guttural call,
and a Sjostedt’s Barred Owl called
through an impenetrable multi-layered canopy. The bath in the river under the
dim lighting of a torch was utterly refreshing and idyllic. Falling asleep with
a chorus of crickets and frogs stridulating and croaking away was a challenge.
Tree Hyraxes sounded their eerie screams, fortunately a few kilometres away.
Our
first skulking Forest Robin was a great find (K. Barnes)
April 21: Korup NP.
We
enjoyed a lot of flock birding today, but the new highlights included a magical
displaying Rufous-sided Broadbill while
tracking down a Black-capped Illadopsis.
One great flock yielded both Red-billed
Dwarf Hornbill and Purple-headed
Glossy Starling. Later on we spent considerable time chasing down Bare-cheeked Trogon for everyone in the
group to see and were successful with great views for all. We were also able to
add to our greenbul tally with Xavier’s
Greenbul and Common Bristlebill making
welcome appearances throughout the day. Chestnut
and Yellow-bellied Wattle-eyes were
also gracious attendees at a few bird parties. Just before dusk we set off for
the rockfowl ritual again. This time all strategies were employed, bathe to get
rid of sweat, add Deet and repellent, the works to try and keep the annoying
bees at bay. Kennedy made us dispose and conceal any shiny, rustling or bright
coloured clothing, torches were switched off and everyone cautioned to watch
their stepping, no snaps, cracks or whispering allowed, single line and
watching out for darting shadows in the undergrowth. To say he got us all
psyched up is a gross understatement. We crept stealthily up and around the
knoll, hugging the rock and entering the hall from a completely different
angle…Kennedy wedged us at the base of the rock facing a vegetated entrance to
the hall immediately opposite the colonies nests. We waited for several hours but once again the birds did not appear.
The bees were less annoying, but still managed to drive Alan out of the cave.
The walk back to camp was again gloomy, and I was left cursing the bird that
made a brief appearance but did not enter the cave the night before…..oh lots
of things to think about. Dinner and whiskey was good, we played some owl
tapes, but nothing responded after dark. As I went to bed I suggested that if
anyone heard owls close to camp they wake me up..
Both
male and female Chestnut Wattle-eye were seen well today (K. Barnes)
April
22: Korup N.P
The night was short. Alan was banging on my
door at about 02h15. There was something “hooting” nearby in the forest. It
took me a while to get my act together. After a few blasts on the tape of Vermiculated (Bouvier’s) Fishing Owl a
ghostly shape came sailing over the campsite. I knew it was time to get
everyone out of bed. My favourite memory was of Bob leaping out into the
clearing in his nightshorts but without torch or bins….not sure what he was
planning to look at the bird with, but soon enough, after a few orders we were
all assembled and ready. At first the birds flew over and we were able to enjoy
fly-by views, but eventually the adults perched near the top of a tree for us
to see in all their glory and splendour. We lifted the torch to see its dark
black eyes peering back at us. This ginger, lightly streaked beast boomed back
at us once or twice as we traded spontaneous expletives in whispers whilst we
feasted our eyes on it! We had it comfortably sitting in the spotlight for a
few minutes in two occasions. Sensational! Although we were well pleased with
this Mega-tick, the uncomfortable feeling of sleeping Picathartes-less left
room for wanting more! We awoke with the rain pelting down….little did I know
that the 22nd April would turn out to be my single best day birding
in African rainforest. Not so much for the number of birds we saw, but for
sheer quality…the owl was the first, and we reflected on what a great bird it
was….but there was more to come. The rain persisted and in a half-joke Noel
suggested we go and sit in the Picathartes-less bee-infested cave. Keith jumped
at the idea and soon the team had assembled for a march through the dripping
wet forest (it isn’t called rainforest for nothing!). The walk was uneventful,
and fortunately the bees were not as persistent as the last two days. This time
the wait was short (20mins) before Kennedy and Keith spotted a bird slinking
past one of the entrances. A gentle telegraph nudge made its way down the line
of birders and binoculars rose slowly and expectantly. Then the pre-historic
“hissss” sounded once or twice before the Grey-necked
Picathartes dropped from the cave roof onto some nearby vegetation. Then,
eventually, it hopped to the rock face in front of the nests exposing its
stunning red dome, its grey-blue frontal shield, the silky grey of its back and
the immaculate cream of its chest. At least a pair and maybe three individuals
were present, and we enjoyed them, with much relief at not missing THE bird
that everyone comes to Cameroon to see. After 10 minutes we decided to leave
them alone and we walked back for breakfast with renewed spring in our step and
much relief that the bees were a “thing of the past”! On our way a few people
got to see a Sjostedt’s Barred Owlet that
was calling close to the path. A short while later Keith located a Long-tailed Hawk calling in the canopy
and we all enjoyed prolonged views of this seldom-seen raptor. After breakfast
we decided to walk slowly towards Rengo Rock, a massive granite dome that
bulges out in the middle of the forest creating a structure large enough to
build an observation platform and watch any hornbills moving over the canopy.
On route, Keith got his surprise lifer of the trip as he approached one of the
many streams, a White-crested Tiger
Bittern shot up out of the stream and flew away showing the strong striped
pattern and white-trailing edges to its wings. Noel and Bob got views but the
others were too far behind. We tried to relocate it but it moved deeper into an
impenetrable thicket. Flocks contained Blue-headed
Crested Flycatcher and Pale-breasted
Illadopsis. Once at the rock we had no trouble bagging Chocolate-backed Kingfisher and also had good views of Sabine’s Spinetails, Pied and Piping Hornbills. We returned to camp
and headed straight for a refreshing swim in the river.
April
23: Korup N.P.
We birded around Rengo early on and then walked
the longer route via Hunter’s Camp back to the Mana Bridge. We added Thick-billed Honeyguide, Gabon Woodpecker,
Blue Cuckooshrike, Woodhouse’s Antpecker, Rachel’s and Crested Malimbe and Cassin’s
Spinetail to the birdlist and enjoyed a final clean up at Mundemba. The
rain that afternoon was heavy, threatening to turn the roads to sludge, making
Keith duly nervous.
April
24: Mundemba - Douala
After an early breakfast we birded some scrub
adding several species including our final Cracking Stonker for the trip, a
beautiful pair of Black-bellied
Seedcrackers! Several other stops on our way back to Mundemba added Red-vented Malimbe and Swamp Palm Greenbul (best views for
most of the group) as well as Tit Hylia (for
most of the group) and both Black-and-white
and White-thighed Hornbills.
Nearer to Douala we lucked onto a great spot that held African Pygmy Goose and three African
Finfoot! A delightful final bird for the trip. We headed back to the Ibis
for a change and a final meal before we headed off to our respective flights
home. Another wonderful and highly successful Cameroon trip in the bag!
Cameroon
Bird Triplist
(Based on Clements)
Species Scientific name
Ostrich Struthio
camelus
Little
Grebe Tachybaptus
ruficollis
Long-tailed
Cormorant Phalacrocorax
africanus
Darter Anhinga
melanogaster
Gray
Heron Ardea
cinerea
Black-headed
Heron Ardea
melanocephala
Purple
Heron Ardea
purpurea
Great
Egret Ardea
alba
Black
Egret (Heron) Egretta
ardesiaca
Intermediate
Egret Egretta
intermedia
Little
Egret Egretta
garzetta
Western
Reef Heron Egretta
gularis
Squacco
Heron Ardeola
ralloides
Cattle
Egret Bubulcus
ibis
Striated
Heron Butorides
striatus
Black-crowned
Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
White-crested
Tiger Bittern Tigriornis
leucolophus
Little
Bittern Ixobrychus
minutus
Hamerkop Scopus
umbretta
African
Openbill Anastomus
lamelligerus
Abdim's
Stork Ciconia
abdimii
Woolly-necked
Stork Ciconia episcopus
Sacred
Ibis Threskiornis
aethiopicus
Hadada
Ibis Bostrychia
hagedash
African
Spoonbill Platalea
alba
White-faced
Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna viduata
Spur-winged
Goose Plectropterus
gambensis
Comb
Duck Sarkidiornis
melanotis
Hartlaub's
Duck Pteronetta
hartlaubii
African
Pygmy Goose Nettapus
auritus
Osprey Pandion
haliaetus
Honey
Buzzard Pernis
apivorus
Black-shouldered
Kite Elanus caeruleus
Scissor-tailed
Kite Chelictinia
riocourii
Black
Kite Milvus
migrans
African
Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus
vocifer
Palm-nut
Vulture Gypohierax
angolensis
Hooded
Vulture Necrosyrtes
monachus
Egyptian
Vulture Neophron
percnopterus
White-backed
Vulture Gyps africanus
Rueppell's
Griffon Gyps
rueppellii
Lappet-faced
Vulture Torgos
tracheliotus
White-headed
Vulture Trigonoceps
occipitalis
Bateleur Terathopius
ecaudatus
Congo
Serpent-Eagle Dryotriorchis
spectabilis
Western
Marsh-Harrier Circus
aeruginosus
Montagu's
Harrier Circus
pygargus
African
Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides
typus
Lizard
Buzzard Kaupifalco
monogrammicus
Dark
Chanting-Goshawk Melierax
metabates
Gabar
Goshawk Micronisus
gabar
Red-chested
Goshawk Accipiter
toussenelii
Shikra Accipiter
badius
Long-tailed
Hawk Urotriorchis
macrourus
Grasshopper
Buzzard Butastur
rufipennis
Red-necked
Buzzard Buteo auguralis
Lesser
Spotted Eagle Aquila
pomarina
Tawny
Eagle Aquila
rapax
Wahlberg's
Eagle Aquila
wahlbergi
Booted
Eagle Hieraaetus
pennatus
Long-crested
Eagle Lophaetus
occipitalis
Cassin's
Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus
africanus
Crowned
Hawk Eagle Stephanoetus
coronatus
Eurasian
Kestrel Falco
tinnunculus
Fox
Kestrel Falco
alopex
Gray
Kestrel Falco
ardosiaceus
African
Hobby Falco
cuvierii
Lanner
Falcon Falco
biarmicus
Schlegel's
Francolin Francolinus
schlegelii
H Forest Francolin Francolinus lathami
H Scaly Francolin Francolinus squamatus
Double-spurred
Francolin Francolinus
bicalcaratus
Clapperton's
Francolin Francolinus
clappertoni
Stone
Partridge Ptilopachus
petrosus
Helmeted
Guineafowl Numida
meleagris
Quail-plover Ortyxelos
meiffrenii
Black
Crowned-Crane Balearica
pavonina
White-spotted
Flufftail Sarothrura
pulchra
H Nkulengu Rail Himantornis haematopus
H African Rail Rallus
caerulescens
Black
Crake Amaurornis
flavirostris