Discover the beauty of birds on every trip.
Birding Tour
Our Tours
Ornithological Trip – Cameroon
– 15 days / 14 nights
Ornithological Trip its an exceptional birding trip, we can find an astronishing biodiversity density on a relatively small area. The humid equatorial climate in the south brings up extensive lowland forest to mountainside rainforests on an area of approximatively 200 000 km2 while the far north is dominated by dry sahel desert. Wild savannah plains in the north farm the link between the moist coastal region and the dry north. On the southwest coast of the country imposing the Mount Cameroon rises to an altitude of 4095 meters and is herewith the highest mountain in the west Africa. The highland region of Bamenda is characterized by a party still active and extremely fertile volcanic landscape and along the coasts can find mangrove forests.
This large variety of vegetation zones, some of which we will explore on our trip, lodges especially rare and endangered animals and more than 900 bird species. The Mount Cameroon have bush shrike (Telophorus kupeensis) of which only 25 individuals were counted in the region around Mount Cameroon, is on the 25 endemic species in Cameroon has to offer. Easier to spot, but equally attraction is the grey-necked rockfowl (picathartes areas), which we are going to search for both at the Mount Cameroon National Park and at the Campo Ma’an National Park on the border to Equatorial Guinea.
Itinerary
Day 1 : Douala – Buea
Arrival at Douala International airport, greeted by guide. We drive on to the southwest of Cameroon to Buea, located at an altitude of about 1 000 meters at the foot of Mount Cameroon. The occasionally active volcano whose slpes are covered by dense rainforest projet straight from the coast to an altitude of 4095 meters which is and due to its location, a home to unique birds with some mountain endemics. The town founded in 1900 by German immigrants as colonian city had been the capital city of the Anglophone dominated southwest for a long time. Now the tea farm and the only English speaking university in Cameroon, which attracts many students, are most important for town living. Dinner and night at Hotel Capitol – Buea.
Day 2 : Excursion at Mount Cameroon
Today we dedicate the whole day to an elaborate excursion on the slopes of Mount Cameroon, whose ascent requires no special mountaineering skills. Our path leads through the mountain rainforest along the lower parts from 1 000 leters to about 2 000 meters. Although the path is steep, it allows a leisurely walk on which we expect grey parrot, mount Cameroon francolin (francolinus Camerunensis), yellow-billed Turaco, shelley’s Oliveback, Yellow-breasted Boubou, evergreen forest warbler, mountain robin chat, mountain saw-wing, Cameroon olive pigeon, western green tinkerbird, oriole finch, northern double-collared sunbird, monch salcippe, brown-capped weaver, Cameroon montane greenbul (pycnonotus montanus). At the three line we are looking for the endemic mount Cameroon speirops ( speirops melonocephalus). In the afternoon descent and return to hotel for dinner and night.
Day 3 : Botanical Garden Limbé
In the morning, visit to the botanical garden in the coastal town of Limbé. Here Carmelite Sunbird and reichenbach’s sunbird, rufous-vented paradise flucatcher, palefronted negrofinch have found their refuge. We also hope to see Reef Heron, black goshawk (Accipiter melanoleucus). Giant kingfisher, blue-headed and brown sunbird, green-throated sunbird, and cassin’s grey flycatcher, western bluebill. Back to hotel for dinner and night.
Day 4 : Limbé – Mount Kupé (Nyasoso)
Today we leave Limbé and travel to the village of Nyasoso, our base from which we will explore Mount Kupé and the Bakossi Mountains. We may spend our spare time exploring some of the trails around the village, which could afford us to the opportunity of spotting great forest birds. Dinner and night at the guest house in Nyassoso.
Day 5 – 6 : Excursion at Bayang Mbo Nature Reserve
We devoted the entire day on an excursion through the nearby nature reserve Bayang Mbo reserve, which counts according to Birdlife International. To one of country’s important Birds areas (IBAS) 322 species have been recorded in the year 2000. White-throated mountain barber occurring in the territory are considered endangered. Threatened grey-necked rockflowl as endangered, grey parrot, yellow-casqued hornbill, Cameroon montane greenbul, grey-headed greenbul, white-toilet warbler, crossley, ground thrush and ursula’s sunbird. Here, again we will have a chance to discover the mount kupe bush shrike. In recent years, the nature reserve has been known for its chimpanzee’s conservation projects. Other primates that inhabit the reserve are a significant number of monkeys and some galogo species. Dinner and night in Nyassoso.
Day 7 : Nyassoso –Douala – domestic flight to Garoua
For early birds morning excursion at Mount Kupé, around noon, we leave for the return trip to Douala. Our domestic flight is expected to depart at 17h40 pm to Garoua in the northen Cameroon. Expected arrival at Garoua at 20h25 pm. Dinner and night at hotel.
Day 8 : Garoua – Ngaoudaba Ranch
After breakfast, we head immediately to the Ngaoundaba Ranch. Ngraoundaba Ranch are likely to be one of the highlight of tour. Here is truly remarkable. The area showcase stand of dry broad-leaved woodland, linear patches of verdant gallery forest and spectacular crater lake. We should arrive at Ngaoundaba and continue to Ngaoundaba Ranch. In the evening, we can enjoy a cooling drink at the lodge and observe the night-active bat hawk on his patrol. Dinner and night at Ngaoundaba Ranch.
Day 9 - 10 : Ngaoundaba Ranch
We have two day full to explore the various habitats of the ranch for beauty of areas special and endemics. Some of the star birds we hope to find include the scarce Brown-chested lapwing, beautiful red-headed lovebird, stunning Grey-winged and white-crownedrobin chats. The unusual spotted Thrush-babber, Heuglin’s wheater, the localize and endemic Bamenda apalis, Red-tailed leaflove, oriole warbler, uncommon Gambage flycatcher, striking white-collared starling. Dybwoski’s and Brown Twinspots and Yellow-winged and red-winged pytillias. More and more birds. Dinner and night at Ngaoundaba Ranch.
Day 11 : Ngaoundaba Ranch – Lake Lagdo – Maroua
On the way to Maroua, we pass through on of the most diverses areas of the entire sahel trip. We take a good time for birding at the boulders strewn hills in the vicinities of Maroua to look out for stone partridge, the beautiful mocking cliffchat (Thamnoloea cinnamomeiventris), little green bee eater, rock firefinch (logonosticta sanguinodorsalis. Dinner and night at Campement de waza.
Day 12-13 : Excursion at Waza National Park
In the early morning, we drive to the most visited park in Cameroon extends for the north of the country on an area of 1700 km2 to the bordaers to Chad and Nigeria and shows a very interesting and varied vegetation diversity of dry savannah, scrubland and wetlands. The mostly hot and dry region is flood occasionally and and attracts numerous African and paleartic migrant birds. At water holes, there is a constant coming and going. Gathering crowned cranes next to yellow-billet stork, abdim(s stork, saddle-billed stork, etc…. dinner and night at Campement de Waza.
Day 14 : Waza National Park – Maroua, Domestic flight to Douala – Edea
This is the primary travel day but depending of time of our flight. We may birding in Maroua. We expect to arrive in the early evening. Dinner and night at Hostellerie de la Sanaga.
Day 15 : Sanaga River – Douala
We will begin our day by traveling to an area of lowland forest near Sanaga River. Birds along the river itself could include white-crowned lapwing, the dainty grey prantincole, spectacular African Skimmer and white – bibbed. The lowland forest in this area is still rich in birdlife despite heavy logging. In the afternoon, we will then make our way to Douala and transfer to the airport and end of stay.