News

The following are largely unconfirmed records which have been published in Bulletins of the African Bird Club for information only.

In early February 2007, a White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis was claimed near Elmina (apparently only the second for Ghana, if accepted) and several Arctic Skuas Stercorarius parasiticus were observed off Cape Coast. In Atewa Range Forest Reserve, the presence of Nimba Flycatcher Melaenornis annamarulae, which was heard singing briefly on 18 June 2006, was confirmed by excellent views of two individuals in the canopy on 27 May; this remarkable find constitutes a new species for Ghana and the easternmost record to date, extending the known range by c.500 km, the previous easternmost locality being Mopri Forest Reserve in Côte d’Ivoire. Apart from the latter country, this local forest resident was previously known only from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Noteworthy records from August 2006 include a Brown Nightjar Caprimulgus binotatus at Kakum on 12th, a Yellow-footed Honeyguide Melignomon eisentrauti also there on two consecutive mornings on 9–10th, a Forest Scrub Robin Cercotrichas leucosticta at Atewa on 20th, and an adult and juvenile Emin’s Shrike Lanius gubernator in Mole National Park on 16th.

Records from March 2006 include a pair of African Piculets Sasia africana seen well at Aboabo, near Kakum National Park, on 18th, and a pair of Forest Penduline Tits Anthoscopus flavifrons at Antikwaa, also near Kakum, 20th. An Ortolan Bunting Embriza hortulana was claimed from Mole National Park on 23rd; this would be a new species for Ghana, if accepted.

Two American Golden Plovers Pluvialis dominica were in rice fields c.50 km east of Accra on 12-13 November 2005. A Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus was at the Panbros Salt Works, outside Accra, on 15 January 2006. At Sakumo Lagoon, a Black Noddy Anous minutus was discovered in a roost of a few thousand terns Sterna spp. and three African Skimmers Rynchops flavirostris on 9 July 2005, and was still there on 11th. A Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita was seen in Mole National Park on 16 January 2006 and three Common Waxbills Estrilda astrild were observed in Accra on 9th.

A belated and intriguing report was received of an adult male Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea in non-breeding plumage, seen at Dansoman, Accra, from a distance of 15-20 m, around 1 July 2003.

There have been few reports of pelagic trips starting from the Ghanaian coast so the following information from 24th April 2005 is of great interest. The trip on a fishing boat started from Ada Foah on the Volta river and headed south-west towards the shelf and preferred fishing grounds. Black Tern Chlidonias niger were seen about 4 km from the coast, a possible Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro at 10km and the first Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea at 15 km.

Birds seen in deeper water included more Black Terns Chlidonias niger and Cory's Shearwaters Calonectris diomedea, Common Terns Sterna hirundo, single Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus, Brown Noddy Anous stolidus, dark phase Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus, Sabine's Gull Larus sabini, Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis, Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus, a pair of Red Phalaropes Phalaropus fulicarius and small numbers of Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea and Royal Terns S. maxima.

Records from July 2004-May 2005 include the following. On 20 February, Common Shelducks Tadorna tadorna were sighted at Panbros salt works, Densu Delta (one) and Sakumo Lagoon (five); there are apparently only two or three previous records for Ghana, also near Accra. A Bat Hawk Macheiramphus alcinus was seen from the canopy walkway, Kakum National Park, on 11 December. A Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus was at Pram Estuary on 20 July, with a Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus also there that day and on 22 February, and another two at the Densu Delta on 3 April; this species is usually reported as a vagrant, but may well occur annually in small numbers. A Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus at Sakumo Lagoon, on 5 December, constitutes the second for the country; the first was at the same locality on 22 July. Two Thick-billed Cuckoos Pachycoccyx audeberti were seen on Mt Afadjato, Volta Region, on 20 November, with another calling there on 2 May. Brown Nightjar Caprimulgus binotatus was recorded at Kakum NP's main entrance gate on 12 November. An Akun Eagle Owl Bubo leucostictus was flushed in secondary forest at Atewa Forest on 17 April; this is a new species for the Atewa Hills Important Bird Area, where a Green-tailed Bristlebill Bleda eximius was also noted on 21 February.

^top

Fourteen weeks of field work, from December 2004 until March 2005, surveying all wildlife reserves and some forest reserves of Ghana, produced numerous new distribution records. African Reed Warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus, previously unknown from the country, was found breeding on the shores of Lake Volta in Digya NP, where several were mist-netted in January, with many Eurasian Reed Warblers A. scirpaceus. The first Little Rush-Warbler Bradypterus baboecala for Ghana was heard in a Typha marsh on the edge of the lake at Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumasi (an earlier tape-recording supposedly from Ghana is actually from Cameroon: L. G. Grimes in litt.). African Barred Owlet Glaucidium capense, reported for the first time in Ghana, at Kyabobo, in 2004 (Bull. ABC 12: 67) was found in transition woodland or riparian thickets and forest in a further six localities, from Shai Hills near Accra north to Bui and Digya NP. Verreaux's Eagle Owl Bubo lacteus, previously known from just two records in the north, has been found at a further three localities, from the White Volta at Gambaga south to Bui and Digya NP. Black-shouldered Nightjar Caprimulgus nigriscapularis, almost unknown previously, now appears widespread, from Kakum (outside forest) and Shai Hills northwards. Plain Nightjar C. inornatus, whose status in Ghana is unclear, was well seen by day and heard singing in Bui NP, the first indication that it might breed in the country. Freckled Nightjar C. tristigma, previously known only from the north, including Mole, was found to be common around rocks much further south, including Bui, Kyabobo NP and even Shai Hills, near Accra. Red-billed Hornbill Tockus erythrorhynchus, previously known only from the far north, was common in the Acacia woodlands of Bui NP, with fewer in Mole and even Shai Hills in the far south. Golden-tailed Woodpecker Campethera abingoni, previously known only from Mole, has been found at four new localities, north to Gambaga, south to Bui, Kogyae and Digya NP. Other notable range extensions of savanna species include Fox Kestrel Falco alopex (south to Kogyae); Sun Lark Galerida modesta (south to Digya); White-crowned Robin-Chat Cossypha albicapillus (from Gbele in the north-west south to Digya and Kogyae); Rufous and Dorst's Cisticolas Cisticola rufus and C. dorsti (from Gbele south to Bui, Rufous also in Digya). The normally rare Yellow Penduline Tit Anthoscopus parvulus was found to be common around flowering Vitellaria paradoxa in Gbele reserve and Gambaga scarp, singing and nest-building in late February to early March.

^top

Many of the forest species have also seen their known range extended: the rare Lagden's Bush Shrike Malaconotus lagdeni was discovered in the hill forests of Kyabobo on the Togo border, the first observation in Ghana since the type was collected, near Kumasi, in the 19th century. Congo Serpent Eagle Dryotriorchis spectabilis, very noisy in the dry season, saw its range extended from Bia NP, where it is particularly common, north and east to Kogyae (Afram River), Kalakpa and Kyabobo. Willcocks's Honeyguide Indicator willcocksi was seen and heard at several new localities, including riparian thicket or forest in the far north (Gbele on the Kulpawn River, Konkori scarp in Mole), which might seem an unusual habitat except that it was first tape-recorded in this vegetation type in Chad by C. Chappuis. The Data Deficient Baumann's Greenbul Phyllastrephus baumanni, found commonly in Kyabobo (Bull. ABC 12: 67), was also confirmed from forest clearings and Chromolaena farmbush in Bia and Digya NP and below Atewa Range. Puvel's Illadopsis Illadopsis puveli, previously under-recorded as confused with the much rarer Rufous-winged Illadopsis I. rufescens, appears to be the most widespread of the genus in Ghana, found all the way from coastal thickets (Cape Three Points and Shai Hills) north to Bui and Kyabobo. Brown Sunbird Anthreptes gabonicus was found nest building on 22 March in thickets on the edge of the Black Volta in Bui (08°37'N). Fraser's Eagle Owl Bubo poensis, Spotted Honeyguide Indicator maculatus, Pale-fronted Negrofinch Nigrita luteifrons and many others saw their range extended north to Kyabobo (08°20'–08°25'N).

Interesting new records from Bia NP and adjacent Krokosua Hills Forest Reserve include Akun Eagle Owl Bubo leucostictus, Brown Nightjar Caprimulgus binotatus, Tessmann's Flycatcher Muscicapa tessmanni (several in song in open forest), Bioko Batis Batis poensis and Forest Penduline Tit Anthoscopus flavifrons. Bates's Sunbird Cinnyris batesi, previously known from only two sites, was discovered in Bia NP and Atewa Range. A visit to Atewa Range in early February also produced many other new records, including Congo Serpent Eagle Dryotriorchis spectabilis, Yellow-throated Cuckoo Chrysococcyx flavigularis, Brown Nightjar, the near-threatened Brown-cheeked Hornbill Bycanistes cylindricus, Lowland Akalat Sheppardia cyornithopsis (a female mist-netted in breeding condition; an earlier specimen from here, erroneously claimed as Equatorial Akalat S. aequatorialis was undoubtedly this species) and Bioko Batis; whilst a Yellow-footed Honeyguide Melignomon eisentrauti (cf. Bull. ABC 10: 59) was in song and well seen. The near-threatened Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata was discovered in Bomfobiri Wildlife Sanctuary, next to the much rarer (in Ghana) Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill Bycanistes subcylindricus. Cape Three Points was a new locality for Spot-breasted Ibis Bostrychia rara and Ansorge's Greenbul Andropadus ansorgei, among others. Of Palearctic species, large numbers of Alpine Swifts Tachymarptis melba were seen over the Kyabobo hills in February, associating with numerous Mottled Swifts T. aequatorialis.

^top

Noteworthy records from March 2004 include Yellow-footed Honeyguide Melignomon eisentrauti seen on four occasions at various sites in Kakum National Park on 12–15th, and Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita, found at Tono Dam on 20th. In July, the first Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus for Ghana, a female in almost full breeding condition, was found at the Sakumo Lagoon near Accra on 22nd.

A visit to the proposed Kyabobo National Park on the Togo border in July 2004 produced many interesting records, amongst which over 50 (near-)endemic Guineo-Congolian forest species, which at 08°20–08°30'N all represent northward range extensions. These included White-crested Tiger Heron Tigriornis  leucolopha, Cassin's Hawk Eagle Spizaetus africanus, Blue-throated Roller Eurystomus gularis (adult feeding a fledgling), Sharpe's Apalis Apalis sharpii, White-browed Forest-Flycatcher Fraseria cinerascens, Shrike-Flycatcher Megabyas flammulatus and Puvel's Illadopsis Illadopsis puveli. The Data Deficient Baumann's Greenbul Phyllastrephus baumanni was found commonly in large forest clearings and especially in farmbush; it appeared remarkably tolerant of the invasive exotic Chromolaena odorata and one singing male was even in a field of maize. Also of interest were Thick-billed Cuckoo Pachycoccyx audeberti (one in song near Koue; only the 4th locality for Ghana), several African Barred Owlets Glaucidium capense heard in forest in several locations (a new species for Ghana, but to be expected), and Black-shouldered Nightjars Caprimulgus nigriscapularis (the first record of this species away from the coast and the first tape-recorded proof for Ghana).

A month long visit to Mole National Park in August–September 2004 also produced a new species for the country – Horus Swift Apus horus, a considerable extension westwards – and yet another record of Black-shouldered Nightjar Caprimulgus nigriscapularis. Other species of interest included Red-chested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius (common, and yet these are the first records north of the forest zone), Thick-billed Cuckoo Pachycoccyx audeberti (5th locality), Yellowbill Ceuthmochares aereus (local; northward extension), Narina's Trogon Apaloderma narina (five localities; the first records north of the forest zone), Black-faced Quailfinch Ortygospiza atricollis (small southward extension). Of nine Cisticola species, Rufous Cisticola C. rufus was common throughout dry woodland, whereas Dorst's Cisticola C. dorsti was locally common in open, short woodland especially in water-logged areas. Yellow-breasted Apalis Apalis flavida was confirmed as quite common in all riparian forest and thicket (contra Grimes 1987, Birds of Ghana). Forbes's Plovers Charadrius forbesi and Sun Larks Galerida modesta were common on laterite bowals; the latter had previously been confused with Crested Lark G. cristata (which thus does not occur in Ghana). Black-headed Weavers Ploceus melanocephalus were found at three localities; there is only one previous record, and this remains the only known site in Ghana. Small groups of displaying Barka Indigobirds Vidua larvaticola imitating Black-faced Firefinch Lagonosticta larvata were found in three places; Wilson's Indigobirds V. wilsoni were associating with Bar-breasted Firefinches L. rufopicta at Mognori, and a group of displaying Cameroon Indigobirds V. camerunensis imitating Black-bellied Firefinch L. rara were found near Kananto. Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah Vidua interjecta and its host Red-winged Pytilia Pytilia phoenicoptera were quite widespread whereas only one Togo Paradise-Whydah V. togoensis and one Yellow-winged Pytilia P. hypogrammica, its host, were recorded.

A Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo was at Tono Dam on 3 March. In Mole National Park, a Black Stork Ciconia nigra and an adult Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis with two juveniles were seen on 27 February. A melanistic Ovambo Sparrowhawk Accipiter ovampensis, also there on 16 March, is one of very few records from Ghana. Single Red-necked Falcons Falco chicquera were seen at Tono Dam on 2 March and in Mole National Park on 16 March. At Tono Dam, rare inland records were obtained of Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa (one in breeding plumage on 17 March) and Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica (one during the period 2 to 17 March). Four African Mourning Doves Streptopelia decipiens were seen in riparian woodland near Tono Dam on 3 March; there are few records of this species in Ghana. Yellow-throated Cuckoo Chrysococcyx flavigularis was heard and seen at Aboabo, Kakum National Park on 12 March, at the same location as in May 2002. Brown Nightjar Caprimulgus binotatus was not uncommon at several sites in Kakum National Park, being vocal and tape-responsive in February and March; it was also heard at Bobiri Nature Reserve on 25 February. A Black-shouldered Nightjar C. nigriscapularis was seen at Brimsu Reservoir, near Cape Coast, on 9 March. Flocks of Bates’s Swifts Apus batesi were seen over several locations in Kakum National Park in February and March. A Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita was seen well at Tono Dam on 18 March. Puvel’s Illadopsis Illadopsis puveli was recorded on 26 February at Baobeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, a considerable distance from the other known site at Abokobi. Speckle-fronted Weavers Sporopipes frontalis were not uncommon in the vicinity of Tono Dam during February and March; it now seems to be resident in the far north.

Last page update 6th December 2007

^top