[Ghana in the World]

Home Page

http://www.hotelbiriwabeach.com

 

Birds in Ghana

 

Ghana is a paradise for birds. 722 different different species have been sighted and catalogued but surely there may be many which have not been recorded yet. Some of these birds are stationary in Ghana but many are also continental migratory birds. Some have their preferred habitat, some have a restricted range whiles others are intra - Ghana or Africa migratory according to the seasonal changes in rainfall. They migrate from north to south during the dry season and vice versa during the rainy season.

We have divided their habitat into three zones namely the Coastal Zone covering an area of 13.400 sq. km, the Savanna Zone with an area of 148.700 sq. km and the Forest Zone covering 82.300 sq. km. 

The Coastal Zone comprises Wetlands and Plain Lands with the Wetlands making up 500 -1000 sq. km of  lagoons, beaches, river estuaries, marshes and swamps as well as man made salt pans. dams and pools. The Plain Lands cover 12.500 sq. km of thickets, plains and open grass land. 

The Savanna Zone is made up of three main habitat areas: Wetlands, Sudan Savanna and Guinea Savanna Woodland. Wetlands include large rivers, lakes, swamps and marshes, man made pools, dams and irrigation waterways. The Volta Lake and its rivers cover more than 9.000 sq. km of this area. Sudan Savanna is the Upper East Region of Ghana the close to the Sahel Zone. It covers an area of 2.700 sq. km of sparse vegetation such as short grass, scrubs and scattered trees. It has a dry climate dominated by the warm sand laden harmattan winds during the dry season. The Guinea Savanna Woodland covers an area of 146.000 sq. km and comprises woodland with high trees, dense thickets with shrubs, small gallery forests, dry fire zone forest outliners, inselbergs on plains and tall moist grasslands.

The Forest Zone is divided into four habitat types: Wetlands, Closed Rain Forest, Dry Open Forest and Upland Forest. Wetlands include large rivers, revering forests, lakes, swamps and water pools. The Closed Rain Forest is found in the south western corner of Ghana and include Wet and Moist Evergreen Forest. Vast areas are still untouched and contain old secondary forest. The Dry Open Forest is made up of Moist and Dry Semi Deciduous Forest as well as Marginal Forest. The area is dominated by  industrial tree plantations and cocoa farms interspersed with forest remnants and young secondary forest. The Upland Forest is made up of forested hills and mountains higher than 500 meters above sea level. Upland Forest is very scarce in Ghana and totals only 300 sq. km. It occurs in the Ashanti and Eastern Regions with a small area in the Volta Region with the highest point being Mount Amedzofe being 920 meters above sea level.

The Coastal Zone

Cory's Shearwater           Sooty Tern   Dunlin   Little Bee eater
Southern Greater Shearwater Common Tern Knot Ethopian Swallow
Manx Shearwater Whiskered Tern Curlew Sandpiper Rufous breasted Swallow
Madeira Petrel         Black Winged Tern White rumped Sandpiper Plain Backed Pipit
Leach's Petrel Royal Tern Little Stint Richard's Pipit
Storm Petrel Gull billed Tern Buff breasted Sandpiper Yellow throated Long Claw
Wilson's Petrel Arctic Tern Spotted Redshank Yellow Wagtails
White tailed Tropic Bird         Sandwich Tern Lesser Yellow Legs Barbary Shrike ( Gonolek )
White Pelican         Caspian Tern Greenshank Orange breasted Bush Shrike
Grey (Pink Backed) Pelican         Scissors billed Tern Marsh Sandpiper Brown Crowned Tchagra
Cape Gannet         Lesser Flamingo Terek Sandpiper Little Blackcap Tchagra
Brown Booby         Fulvous Tree Duck Redshank Black Crowned Tchagra
Long tailed Cormorant         Shelduck Pied Kingfisher Fiscal Shrike
White breasted Cormorant         European Teal Red throated Pipit Snowy Crowned Robin Chat
Little Bittern         Pochard Mouse brown Sunbird Nightingale
Goliath Heron         Lesser Moorhen Reichenbach's Sunbird Brown Akalat (Illadopsis)
Squacco Heron         Allen's Gallinule  Orange Weaver Pied Crow
Green backed Heron         King Reed Hen ( Purple Gallinule Little Weaver Singing Cisticola
Striated Heron Stiped Crake Bar breasted Fire Finch Black backed Cisticola
Great White Egret         Finfoot Bronze Mannikin Common Fantail Warbler
Black Heron         Painted Snipe Quail Finch Splendid Sunbird
Little Egret         Oyster Catcher Wilson's Indigo Finch Copper Sunbird
Reef Heron         Black winged Stilt Cattle Egret Carmelite Sunbird
Yellow Billed Egret         Avocet Hooded Vulture Olive Backed Sunbird
Open Bill         Black winged Pratincole Three banded Plover Red Bishop
Glossy Ibis Common Pratincole  Senegal Plover Village Weaver
African Spoonbill         Kentish Plover Temminck's Courser Compact Weaver
Richardson's (Artic) Skua         Little Ringed Plover Shikra Pin tailed Whydah
Pomarine Skua         Ringed Plover Long legged Buzzard African Blue Quail
Great Skua ( Bonxie ) White fronted Sand Plover Black Kite European Common Quail
Grey headed Gull Kittlitz's Sand Plover Lanner Falcon Harlequin Quail
Lesser Black backed Gull Lesser Golden Plover Peregrine Falcon Quail Plover
Little Gull Bar tailed Godwit Hobby Button Quail
Black headed Gull Black tailed Godwit Kestrel European Corn Crake
Sabine's Gull Grey Plover Long tailed Nightjar African Crake
Noddy Curlew European Nightjar Black bellied Bustard
White capped Noddy Whimbrel White tailed Nightjar Laughing Dove
Little Tern Turnstone Mottled Swift Barn Owl
Bridles Tern Short billed Dowitcher Alpine Swift
Damara Tern Sanderling European Bee eater
Lesser Crested Tern
Roseate Tern

 

Savanna Zone

Dabchick ( Little Grebe )   Wood Sandpiper   Steppe Buzzard   Nuthatch Warbler (Crombec)
Darter ( Snake Bird ) Common Sandpiper Martial Eagle Pale Flycatcher
Common Bittern Green Sandpiper Swallow tailed Kite White collard Flycatcher
Dwarf Bittern Common Snipe Secretary Bird Ussher's Flycatcher
Black Crowned Night Heron Great (Double) Snipe Fox Kestrel Pied Flycatcher
White backed Night Heron Jack Snipe Red Necked Kestrel Black Flycatcher
Grey Heron Temminck's Stint Stone Partridge Little Gray Flycatcher
Black Headed Heron Ruff (&Reff) Senegal Bustard White eye (Ashy ) Flycatcher
Purple Heron Black Tern Sudan Bustard Gambaga Dusky Flycatcher
Hammerkop Black Coucal Spotted Thick knee Spotted Flycatcher
White Stork Giant Kingfisher Bronze wing Courser Dusky Blue Flycatcher
White necked (Bishop) Stork  Malachite Kingfisher Black headed Plover Grey Tit Babbler
Black Stork Pigmy Kingfisher Four banded Sand Grouse West African Batis
Saddlebill Stork (Jaribu) Preuss's Cliff Swallow Speckled Pigeon Senegal Puff back Flycatcher
Hadad Ibis Banded Martin Rock Pigeon Scarlet Spectacled wattle eye
Sacred Ibis African Sand Martin Long tailed Dove Brown throated wattle eye
White Faced Tree Duck Great Reed Warbler Mourning Dove Black & White Shrike Flycatcher
Egyptian Goose Rufous Cane Warbler European Turtle Dove Yellow bellied Flycatcher
Pigmy Goose Sedge Warbler Plain Nightjar Paradise Flycatcher
Spur winged Goose Reed Warbler Red necked Nightjar African Shrike Flycatcher
Knb billed Goose Rufous Grass Warbler West African Freckled Nightjar African Blue Flycatcher

Pintail

 Savi's Warbler Standard winged Nightjar Blue Fairy Flycatcher
Cape Wigeon Moustached Scrub Warbler Ussher's Spinetailed Swift White shouldered Black Tit
Shoveler Swamp Flycatcher Mouse Colored Swift Spotted Creeper
Wigeon Zebra Waxbill Blue cheeked Bee eater Western Olive Sunbird
Garganey White Cheeked Olive Weaver European Hoopoe Beautiful Sunbird
White eyed Pochard White fronted Grosbeak Red beaked Hornbill Violet backed Sunbird
Osprey Yellow crowned Bishop Golden tailed Woodpecker Pigmy long tailed Sunbird
Marsh Harrier Yellow mantled Whydah Chestnut backed Finch Lark Scarlet breasted Sunbird
West African River Eagle Black headed Weaver Crested Lark Yellow bellied Sunbird
Crowned Crane Adbim's White bellied Stork Sun Lark Yellow White eye
Moorhen Wooly necked Stork Rufous rumped Bush Lark Cabanis Yellow Bunting
White spotted Flufftail Marabou Stork Tawny Pipit Streaky headed Seed eater
Black Crake Egyptian Vulture Long billed Pipit Yellow fronted Canary
Lilly Trotter (Jacana) White headed Vulture European White Wagtail Common Waxbill
Senegal Thick knee Banded Harrier Eagle Great grey Shrike Red Cheeked Cordon Bleu
Water Thick knee Pallied Harrier Emin's Red backed Shrike Togo Paradise Whydah
Crocodile Bird Montagu's Harrier Red tailed Chat Nigerian Indigo Finch
Grey Pratincole African Harrier Hawk Bluethroat Grey headed Sparrow
Black winged Stilt Ovampo Sparrow Hawk Rock Thrush Crested Malimbe
Forbes Banded Plover Gabar Goshawk Blue Rock Thrush Red winged Malimbe
White headed Plover Chanting (Dark) Goshawk Green backed Ermomela Striped (Croaking) Cisticola
Senegal Wattled Plover Grasshopper Buzzard Olivaceus Warbler Red pate Cisticola
Black headed Lapwing Red necked Buzzard European Whitethroat Green backed Eremomela
Spur winged Plover Long tailed Glossy Starling West African Penduline Tit Greater Swamp Warbler
White fronted Black Chat Blue eared Glossy Starling Beautiful Long tailed Sunbird Icterine Warbler
White crowned Cliff Chat Chestnut bellied Starling Brown rumped Bunting Melodious Warbler
Red breasted Chat Rock Loving Cisticola Rock Bunting Moho (Oriole Warbler)
Wheater Rufous Cisticola Grey ( White rumped ) Canary Chiffchaff
Whinchat Black rumped Waxbill Cut Throat Weaver Wood Warbler
Scaly Fronted Weaver Senegal (Red billed) Fire Finch Lavender Fire Finch Willow Warbler
Vitelline Masked Weaver Warbling Silverbill Senegal Indigo Finch Red winged Warbler
Black faced Dioch Buffalo Weaver West African Prinia Garden Warbler
Wood Ibis Bush Sparrow Grey headed Kingfisher African Forest Flycatcher
White backed Vulture Rose Grey Dove Senegal Kingfisher Grey Woodpecker
Ruppell's Griffon Vulture Red eyed Dove White throated Bee eater Flappet  Lark
Beaudouin's Harrier Eagle Vinaceous Dove Little Bee eater European House Martin
Brown Harrier Eagle African green Pigeon Red throated Bee eater Lesser Striped Swallow
Short toed Eagle Yellow bellied Fruit Pigeon Swallow tailed Bee eater Red rumped Swallow
Bateleur Black billed Wood Dove Abyssinian Roller Red chested Swallow
Red tailed Buzzard Namaqua Dove Blue bellied Roller African Rock Martin
Lizard Buzzard Red headed Lovebird European Roller Grey rumped Swallow
Tawny Eagle Brown necked Parrot Blue throated Roller Pied winged Swallow
Wahlberg's Eagle Senegal Parrot Rufous crowned Roller Mosque Swallow
Booted Eagle Rose ringed Parakeet Broad billed Roller Wire tailed Swallow
African Hawk Eagle Senegal long tailed Parrakeet   Black Wood Hoopoe European Sand Martin
Long Crested Hawk Eagle Grey Plantain eater African Wood Hoopoe Tree Pipit
Cuckoo Falcon Violet Plantain eater White headed Wood Hoopoe Red shpuldered Cuckoo Shrike
Black Shouldered Kite Guinea Turaco Senegal Wood Hoopoe White breasted Cuckoo Shrike
Yellow billed Kite Didric Cuckoo Ground Hornbill Yellow throated Leaf Love
Bat Hawk Great Spotted Cuckoo Black Scimitar Bill Common Garden Bulbul
Grey Kestrel Pied Crested Cuckoo Grey Hornbill Long Crested Helmet Shrike
African Hobby Levaillant's Cuckoo Tooth billed Barbet Gambian Puff back Shrike
Lesser Kestrel Common Cuckoo Bearded Barbet Bell Shrike (Tropical Boubou)
White Throated Francoline African Cuckoo Naked faced Barbet Grey headed Bush Shrike
Double Spurred Francoline Senegal Coucal Vieillot's Barbet Brubru Shrike
Common Helmet Guinea Fowl Barn Owl Lemon rumped Tinker Bird Long tailed Shrike
Black rumped Button Quail Milky Eagle Owl Western Bluebill Woodchat Shrike
Denham's Bustard Northern White faced Owl Yellow fronted Tinker Bird White crowned Robin Chat
Brown Chested Wattle Plover Grayish Eagle Owl Black throated Honey Guide Redstart
Orange cheeked Waxbill African Wood Owl Lesser Honey Guide West African Thrush
Black bellied Fire Finch Spotted Eagle Owl Wryneck Brown Babbler
Red billed Fire Finch Pearl Spotted Owlet Fine spotted Woodpecker Blackcap Babbler
Red collard Widow Finch White faced Owl Cardinal Woodpecker Black Magpie (Piapiac)
White breasted Negro Finch Scops Owl Lesser White spotted Woodpecker Square Tailed Drongo
African Quail Finch Pennant winged Nightjar Black faced Fire Finch Amethyst (Violet Backed )Starling
African Silverbill Common Swift Heuglin's Masked Weaver Short tailed Glossy Starling
Yellow winged Pytelia Bar breasted Mousebird Slender billed (little) Weaver Lesser Blue eared Glossy Starling
Red winged Pytelia Striped Kingfisher Village Weaver Purple Glossy Starling
Red headed Dioch (Quelea) Sparrow Weaver Long tailed Black Whydah Yellow billed Oxpecker
Cameroon Indigo Finch Parasitic Weaver Orange Bishop African Golden Oriole
Preuss Weaver Fire crowned Bishop Grey backed Carmaroptera
Broad tailed Paradise Whydah Winding Cisticola
Shortwing (siffling) Cisticola
Red faced Cisticola

 

Forest Zone

Tiger (White crested) Bittern   West African Little Sparrowhawk   Golden backed Woodpecker   Glossy backed Drongo
Olive (Green) Ibis Long tailed Hawk Rufous sided Broadbill Splendid Glossy Starling
Spotted breasted Ibis Cassin's Hawk Eagle Blue Cuckoo Shrike Forest Chestnut winged Starling
Hartlaubs Duck Crowned Hawk Eagle Yellow whiskered Greenbull Black winged Oriole
Palm Nut Vulture Forest Francoline Green tailed Bristle Bill Yellow chested Apalis
Grey thraoted Rail White breasted Guinea Fowl Bristle bill Green backed Carmaroptera
Nkulengu Rail Creasted Guinea Fowl Serine Greenbull Yellow brown Carmaroptera
Buff spotted Pigmy Rail Gabon Bronze napped Pigeon Bearded Greenbull Whistling Cisticola
Grey Phalarope Blue headed Dove White bearded Greenbull Rufous crowned Eremomela
Callared Pratincole Black Collard Lovebird Yellow throated Olive Greenbull Kemp's Longbill
Pel's Fishing Owl Red headed Parrot Spotted Greenbull Yellow Longbill
Ussher's Rufous Fishing Owl Grey Parrot West African Nicatot Tit - Hylia
White bellied Kingfisher Great Blue Touraco Icterine Greenbull Yellow bellied Hyliota
Shining blue Kingfisher Verraux's Touraco Red billed Shrike Violet backed Hyliota
Black headed Bee eater Dusky Long tailed Cuckoo Many colored Bush Shrike Blackcap
White throated Blue Swallow Olive Long tailed Cuckoo Fire crest Alethe Lemon bellied Crombec
African Pied Wagtail Emerald Cuckoo Forest Scrub Robin Green Crombec
Swamp Palm Bulbul Yellow throated Green Cuckoo Finsch's Flycatcher Thrush Ussher's Flycatcher
White Browed Forest Flycatcher Red chested ( Solitary) Cuckoo African Thrush Dusky Blue Flycatcher
Cassin's Grey Flycatcher Black throated Coucal White tailed Ant Thrush Little Grey Flycatcher
Blue billed Malimbe Akun Eagle Owl Fraser's Rusty Thrush Black & White Flycatcher
Brown Nightjar Shelly's Banded eagle owl Grey Ground Thrush Shrike Flycatcher
Narina's Trogon African Wood Owl Rufous winged Akalat (Illadopsis) Blissett's Wattle eye
Red headed Dwarf Kingfisher Yellow legged Owlet Pale breasted Akalat (Illadopsis) Chastnut Wattle eye
White bellied Kingfisher Maned (Akun Scops) Owl Shining Drongo Violet backed Flycatcher
Shining Blue Kingfisher Sandy Scops Owl Velvet Mantled Drongo Red bellied Paradise Flycatcher
Chocolate backed Kingfisher Bristle nosed Barbet Copper tailed Glossy Starling Yellow fronted Penduline Tit
Blue headed Bee eater Yellow throated Tinker Bird Violet Backed Starling Collard Sunbird
Forest Wood Hopoe Spotted Honey Guide Narrow tailed Starling Yellow chinned Sunbird
Brown cheeked Hornbill Serle's Honey Guide Black headed Oriole Buff throated Sunbird
Piping Hornbill Thick billed Honey Guide Black capped Yellow warbler Olive bellied Sunbird
Black casqued Hornbill Cassin's Honey Guide Sharpe's Apalis Bate's Sunbird
Red billed Dwarf Hornbill Brown eared Woodpecker Stream Warbler Johanna's Sunbird
Black Dwarf Hornbill Serpent Eagle Green Hylia Tiny Sunbird
Mottled Spinetail Harrier Hawk Olive ( Grey ) Longbill Olive Sunbird
Black Spinetail African Goshawk Forest Flycatcher Superb Sunbird
Sabine's Spinetail Great Sparrowhawk Grey throated Tit Flycatcher Green backed Twin spot
Little African Swift Ayre's Hawk Eagle Olivaceous Flycatcher Blue bellied Fire Finch
Bate's Black Swift Honey Buzzard Tessmann's Flycatcher Black & White mannikin
Palm Swift Ahanta Francoline Grey headed Puff back Flycatcher Magpie Mannikin
Blue breasted Kingfisher Grey Wood Pigeon Golden bellied Wattle - eye Chestnut bellied Negro Finch
Black Bee eater Green Fruit Pigeon Chestnut capped Flycatcher Grey crowned Negro Finch
Rosy Bee eater Red billed Wood Dove Dusky crested Flycatcher White breasted Negro Finch
Blue throated Roller Tambourine Dove Blue headed Crested Flycatcher Black bekkied Seed Cracker
Buff headed Wood hoopoe Green crested Touraco Dusky Tit Blue bellied Weaver
Black & White Casqued Hornbill Klaa's Cuckoo Fraser's Scarlet tufted Sunbird Black throated Malimbe
Yellow Casqued Hornbill Black Cuckoo Blue throated Brown Sunbird Red headed Malimbe
Pied Hornbill Yellowbill Coucal Little Green Sunbird Red vented Malimbe
White crested Hornbill Blue headed Coucal Flower pecker Weaver Finch Vieillot's Black Weaver
Duchaillu's Yellow spotted Barbet Fraser's Eagle Owl Crested Malimbe Spectacled Weaver
Naked faced Barbet Black shouldered Nightjar Maxwell's Black Weaver Yellow mantled Weaver
Hairy Breasted Barbet Cassin's Spine tailed Swift Golden backed Weaver Thick billed Cuckoo
Red rumped Tinker Bird Chapin's Spine tailed Swift Lesser Honey Guide Wattled Cuckoo Shrike
Speckled Tinker B ird Purple throated Cuckoo Shrike Willcock's Honey Guide Lagden's Bush Shrike
Yellow billed Barbet Ansorge's Greenbull Cassin's Sharp billed Honey Guide Yellow headed Rock Fowl
African Piculet Cameroon Sombre Greenbull Leaf love Pale fronted Negro Finch
Green backed Woodpecker Slender billed Greenbull White Helmetshrike
Melancholy Woodpecker Little Grey Greenbull Sabine's Puff backed Shrike
Gray Woodpecker Little Greenbull Sooty Boubou
Buff spotted Woodpecker Honey Guide Bulbul Familiar Chat
Gabon Woodpecker Grey headed Bristle bill Forest Robin
Fire bellied Woodpecker Simple Leaf love Many colored Bush Shrike
Black capped Broadbill White throated Greenbull Sulphur breasted Bush Shrike
Angola Pitta Golden Greenbull Fiery breasted Bush Shrike
European Swallow Yellow Whiskered Greenbull Blue should