Birds

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

Savanna Zone

Forest Zone