BIRDING THE AFRICA SPECIALISTS Upper Special and Tour Leaflet 2023

Rufous Fishing © Tertius Gous 5 – 12 January 2023 (Liberia) 12 – 20 January 2023 (Sierra Leone) Upper Guinea Special 2023 BIRDING Tour leader: Michael Mills AFRICA THE AFRICA SPECIALISTS Birding Africa Tour Summary Tour Africa Birding Summary Tour Africa Birding

Specials in comfort • Numerous Upper Guinea Specials: Black-headed Rufous Warbler, Yellow-bearded Greenbul, Rufous Fishing Owl, Emerald , Gola Malimbe • Easy access to Sierra Leone Prinia Yellow-bearded Greenbul © Tertius Gous • No camping required Our Upper Guinea Special tour is one of several White-crested Tiger Heron, African Pitta, Yellow- African tours that we have pioneered, and puts the headed Picathartes, Emerald Starling, Crimson comfort back into birding this little-known region. Seedcracker, Turati's Boubou and Paradise Emerald Starling © Tertius Gous Michael’s incredible focus, dedication and ability Gone are the tough hikes and rough camping Whydah. to locate and show Africa's toughest is required on other tours to Sierra Leone, without probably unequalled. He has led dozens of tours compromising on the birds. across the continent and his experience in locating Tour Focus birds on just the soft est of calls or briefest of views Our tour, uniquely, combines the best of Liberia impresses those who travelled with him. and Sierra Leone, in reasonable comfort. Sturdy Th is tour will provide a good chance to see most of 4x4s are used throughout and all nights are the Upper Guinea specials. It is heavily Dates (2023) accommodated in hotels or guest houses, with no focused although we may see several of camping required. It will be only the second-ever monkey and squirrel. Liberia 5 – 12 Jan birding tour to Liberia following our successful Sierra Leone 12 – 20 Jan A bird species list will be handed out to you as part fi rst tour in 2020. of your tour booklet at the start of the tour and is In Liberia our entire focus will be on the rich available beforehand upon request. Pro�isional Prices + Single of the Mount Nimba area. Highlights here Th e tour coincides with the main dry season, may include Sierra Leone Prinia, Black-headed when getting around is easier. Many birds will be Liberia (8 days) $3150 + $240 Rufous Warbler, Nimba Flycatcher, Gola Malimbe Sierra Leone (9 days) $3150 + $250 breeding or just have fi nished breeding during our and Yellow-bearded Greenbul, among many other visit. Both (16 days) $5990 + $490 forest species. Days will typically be warm and humid, although Th is is complemented by our abbreviated Sierra more pleasant at Mount Nimba. We are unlikely to Book online Leone tour that cuts out all camping and tough encounter any rain. hikes. Birding in Sierra Leone will be more Visit www.birdingafrica.com mixed with gallery habitats accessed at Tiwai Travel conditions are generally reasonable (we Deposit ($150) by credit card Island, lowland rainforest at Tiwai and Gola, and avoid long drives on bad roads), although service Email [email protected] moist savanna at Bumbuna. Top birds we will in hotels is oft en slow and water/electricity supply be searching for include Rufous Fishing Owl, unreliable.

2 | Upper Guinea Special 2023 Upper Guinea Special 2023 | 3 INTRODUCTION

The Upper Guinea region holds the westernmost black Weaver, Olive-naped Weaver and Red-vented extent of Africa's lowland rainforests, separated Malimbe. from the main Congo Basin forests by the In recent times has become the country Dahomey gap. These forests stretch from central most people visit to see these birds. However, Ivory Ghana west across southern and Coast and Liberia hold the greatest number of

Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Liberia to eastern Sierra Leone. They are home Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Upper Guinea endemics (both countries hold all to more than fifteen bird endemics, namely species), and specials such as Black-headed Rufous White-breasted Guineafowl, Rufous Fishing Owl, Warbler and Sierra Leone Prinia do not occur in Brown-cheeked Hornbill, Timneh Parrot, Rufous- Ghana. bellied Wattle-eye, Western Wattled Cuckooshrike, Green-tailed Bristlebill, Yellow-bearded Greenbul, Several birds are also mostly confined to the moist Little Green Woodpecker, Rufous-winged savanna and forest transition zone bordering these Illadopsis, Yellow-headed Picathartes, Sierra Leone forests, such as Turati's Boubou and Emerald Prinia, Red-fronted Antpecker, Sharpe's Apalis, Starling, and it is these species that are the main Black-headed Rufous Warbler, Nimba Flycatcher, focus of our Upper Guinea Special tour. Crimson Seedcracker, Gola Malimbe and Copper- tailed Starling. One of the challenges of birding the region is the generally poor infrastructure and bad roads, Another suite of forest species are confined to a necessitating long drives on bumpy roads and long slightly wider zone, from far western hikes combined with camping. We have researched Black-headed Rufous Warbler © Tertius Gous to Gambia, including Red-billed Helmetshrike, and explored the area to find the most comfortable Buff-throated Sunbird, Melancholy Woodpecker, way of seeing these birds, offering a tour that Accommodation and meals International flights Fire-bellied Woodpecker, Kemp's Longbill, Ahanta brings access to the region in a significantly more Francolin, Yellow-casqued Hornbill, Western comfortable way, suitable to a wider range of Accommodation is fairly basic, but generally Participants are required to make their own Piping Hornbill, Western Pied Hornbill, Western travellers and bird enthusiast. Although some comfortable; no camping is required! At Tiwai international flight reservations. White-crested Hornbill, Blue-moustached Bee- of the Upper Guinea endemics are very rare Island participants may be required to share rooms The Liberia tour starts with dinner and eater, Red-cheeked Wattle-eye, Western Yellow- at sites visited (White-breasted Guineafowl, (depending on group size) and all rooms have accommodation in Monrovia on 5 January 2023, billed Barbet, West African Wattle-eye, Fanti Western Wattled Cuckooshrike and Red-fronted shared (within the group) ablutions. At Gola North and the Sierra Leone tour starts with dinner and , Grey-headed Bristlebill, Baumann's Olive Antpecker), we visit sites on this tour at which all ablutions are also shared. Running water is not accommodation in Liberia (if on the Liberia Greenbul, Fanti Saw-wing, Grey-hooded Capuchin Upper Guinea endemics have been found. always available and electricity often unreliable. segment) and Freetown (if only on the the Sierra Babbler, Yellow-chinned Sunbird, Chestnut-and- Meals are generally simple. Most lunches will be Leone segment) on 12 January 2023. Sharpe's Apalis © Tertius Gous taken in the field. The Liberia segments ends in Monrovia on Water is not safe to drink so we supply free bottled the evening of 12 January 2023 (excluding water in the vehicle that you can take to your accommodation or dinner) and the Sierra Leone rooms for drinking and brushing teeth. Beers and segment on the evening of 20 January (excluding soft drinks are widely available. dinner and accommodation). Participants can depart any time after 16h00 on the Walking day that the tour ends. This tour requires only a moderate degree of fitness. Most walks will last less than five hours and Group size be conducted at a manageable pace. Terrain where we walk is generally flat, except at Mount Nimba Maximum 8 participants in three 4x4s. where it is quite rocky on top. Some river crossings may be made on basic, local bridges or by wading through shallow water.

4 | Upper Guinea Special 2023 Upper Guinea Special 2023 | 5 ITINERARY AND MAP Liberia Tour Itinerary Day L1 5 Jan 2023 Arrive in Liberia. Overnight near Monrovia. Day L2 6 Jan 2023 Monrovia to Mount Nimba. Overnight in Yekepa.

Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Day L3 7 Jan 2023 Full day at Mount Nimba. Overnight in Yekepa. Leaflet Tour Africa Birding

Day L4 8 Jan 2023 Full day at Mount Nimba. Overnight in Yekepa. S7 Day L5 9 Jan 2023 Full day at Mount Nimba. Overnight in Yekepa. Bumbuna Day L6 10 Jan 2023 Full day at Mount Nimba. Overnight in Yekepa. S1 + S9 Day L7 11 Jan 2023 Full day at Mount Nimba. Overnight in Yekepa. Freetown Day L8 12 Jan 2023 Mount Nimba to Monrovia. Tour ends. S8 S6 L3 – L7 Sierra Leone Tour Itinerary S2 Yekepa & Mount Nimba Day S1 12 Jan 2023 Arrive. Overnight in Monrovia (if on Liberia Tour) or Freetown. S4 Gola North S5 Day S2 13 Jan 2023 Travel to Tiwai Island. Overnight on Tiwai Island. Tiwai Island S3 Day S3 14 Jan 2023 Full day at Tiwai Island. Overnight on Tiwai Island. S2 Day S4 15 Jan 2023 Tiwai Island to Gola North. Overnight at Lalehun. L2 L8 Day S5 16 Jan 2023 Full day at Gola North. Overnight at Lalehun. Day S6 17 Jan 2023 Gola North to Bumbuna area via Kanema. Overnight at Makeni. Monrovia Day S7 18 Jan 2023 Full day in Bumbuna area. Overnight at Makeni. L1 + L8 Day S8 19 Jan 2023 Makeni to Freetown. Overnight in Freetown. Day S9 20 Jan 2023 Most of day in Freetown area. Tour ends.

Standard-winged Nightjar © Tertius Gous

6 | Upper Guinea Special 2023 Upper Guinea Special 2023 | 7 DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY

------Liberia ------Unfortunately most of the surrounding lowland forest falls outside of the reserve and is being Day L1: Arrive Monrovia hacked away, and many of the early, mouth- watering finds come from these forests that are no

Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Welcome to Liberia, a place few other birders longer pristine. Leaflet Tour Africa Birding have been to or explored! We stay overnight not Still, Nimba offers spectacular birding with easy far from the airport. Watch out for Chestnut-and- access to the habitats at the top of the mountain, black Weaver in the garden. and must rank as the place in the world requiring the least effort to see the localised Sierra Leone Day L2: Monrovia to Yekepa/Mt Nimba Prinia. Based out of our air-conditioned hotel A new tar road leads northwards out of Monrovia at the foot of Mount Nimba we will make daily and takes us almost all the way to Yekepa town at forays to the surrounding areas in search of various the foot of Mount Nimba. We will make several special birds. Most significantly, we can drive to the stops along the way to look for our first specials, top of Mount Nimba allowing easy access to the and will bird in the afternoon as we approach localised and rare Sierra Leone Prinia. Yekepa. We already stand a chance of seeing Black- Here too we hope to find Long-billed Pipit headed Rufous Warbler and Crimson Seedcracker. (bannermani; Bannerman's Pipit), Red-tailed Overnight in Yekepa. Leaflove, the local race of African Stonechat, Western Square-tailed Drongo and Grey-winged Day L3–L7: Mount Nimba Robin-Chat. Lowland forest and swamps are home to Gola Malimbe, Black-headed Rufous Mount Nimba, sub-Saharan Africa's highest Warbler and Rufous-bellied Wattle-eye. A long mountain west of Mount Cameroon, holds some list of other birds will be on our radars, including of the richest forests on the continent. This area Ahanta Francolin, Grey-headed Bristlebill, was the subject of an intensive ornithological study Square-tailed Saw-wing, Red-shouldered 50 years ago before iron-ore mining wrecked the Cuckooshrike, Purple-throated Cuckooshrike, top of the mountain. Mining operations ceased Blue Cuckooshrike, Shining Drongo, Red-billed some time back and moved to nearby mountains, Helmetshrike, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, and since then the habitat on Mount Nimba has Dusky Tit, Black-capped Apalis, Sharpe's Apalis, recovered somewhat and the East Nimba Nature Golden Greenbul, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Yellow- Reserve was proclaimed to protect the habitat. bearded Greenbul, Kemp's Longbill, Grey Longbill, Gola Malimbe © Tertius Gous Sierra Leone Prinia © Tertius Gous Finsch's Flycatcher Thrush, White-tailed Alethe, Wattle-eye, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, and Forest Scrub Robin, Little Grey Flycatcher, Ussher's many others. We will search for Nimba Flycatcher Flycatcher, Buff-throated Sunbird, Tiny Sunbird, in the mid-altitude forests. After dark we hope to Lemon-bellied Crombec, West African Batis, find Standard-winged Nightjar and Plain Nightjar. Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Tit Hylia, Blue- There is also and a chance of some exciting , moustached Bee-eater, Black Bee-eater, Hairy- such as Sandy . breasted Barbet, Many-coloured , Red- billed Helmetshrike, Little Green Woodpecker, Day L8: Yekepa to Monrovia Melancholy Woodpecker, Fire-bellied Woodpecker, Lowland Sooty Boubou, Western Bearded After some final birding at Nimba we return to Greenbul, Rufous-winged Illadopsis, Guinea Monrovia. The Liberia Tour ends this evening on Turaco, Black-throated Coucal, Blue-throated arrival in Monrovia. Those continuing on to Sierra Roller, Red-cheeked Wattle-eye, West African Leone overnight in Monrovia.

8 | Upper Guinea Special 2023 Upper Guinea Special 2023 | 9 ------Sierra Leone ------Day S3: Tiwai Island Tiwai Island protects a stretch of primary forest Day S1: Arrive Freetown surrounded by the picturesque Moa River. The river itself, accessed on canoes and a boat, is the Those joining only the Sierra Leone part of the main attraction of our visit, and two very special tour arrive in Freetown today, where they spend birds will be the focus of our time, namely Rufous the night. Fishing Owl and White-crested Tiger Heron. Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Day S2: To Tiwai Island Our camp is located in a clearing in the forest, with good birding in the immediate surrounds. Today we say farewell to Liberia, making the easy There are also a good number of primate species drive west to the Sierra Leone border and looking to be seen. Other bird species that we have a out for Preuss's Cliff Swallow en route. The small, chance to see here include Brown Nightjar, African fairly organised border crossing is not hard to Pitta (at night, roosting), Spotted Honeyguide, negotiate. We plan to arrive at Tiwai Island in the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Rock Pratincole, mid afternoon. Egyptian Plover, Hartlaub's Duck, White-browed Those coming only on the Sierra Leone segment Forest Flycatcher, African Finfoot, Nkulengu of the tour make the easy drive from Freetown to Rail, Cassin's Flycatcher, Western White-crested Tiwai Island, where they meet up with the rest of Hornbill, Fanti Drongo, Maxwell's Black Weaver, the group. White-throated Blue Swallow, Western Pied Hornbill and Fire-bellied Woodpecker. Night on Tiwai Island.

White-crested Tiger Heron © Tertius Gous

Emerald Starling © Tertius Gous

Day S4: Tiwai Island to Gola North Day S5: Gola North After some final birding at Tiwai we make the While we won't enter the remote primary forest 3.5 hour long drive to Gola North. En route we at Gola North, a good array of birds can be found will stop in some farmbush to search for Puvel's during easy walks around our accommodation. Illadopsis and Capuchin Babbler. We plan to arrive Birds we could find include Latham's Forest at Lalehun by the early afternoon, as there are Francolin, Black-shouldered Nightjar, Sabine's two colonies of Yellow-headed Picathartes that we Spinetail, Cassin’s' Spinetail, Yellow-billed Turaco, could visit this evening. Overnight at Gola North. Long-tailed Hawk, Western Piping Hornbill,

10 | Upper Guinea Special 2023 Upper Guinea Special 2023 | 11 Brown-cheeked Hornbill, Yellow-casqued Hornbill, Greenbul will be other major targets of our visit, Timneh Parrot, Pale-breasted Illadopsis and found alongside a wide range of moist savanna Copper-tailed Starling. Overnight at Gola North. birds such as Senegal Eremomela, Moustached Grass Warbler, Violet Turaco, Senegal Batis, Day S6: Gola North to Bumbuna area Yellow-winged Pytilia, African Firefinch, Red- headed Quelea and Grasshopper Buzzard. After some final birding at Gola we drive west to Bumbuna, breaking the journey in Kanema where Day S8: Bambuna to Freetown Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding we will look for Forbes's Plover in some rice fields. Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Black-backed Cisticola occurs nearby. Night in After some final birding in the Makeni-Bumbuna Makeni town. area we make the shortish drive to Freetown, planning to arrive in the early afternoon. If we have Day S7: Bumbuna area not seen Yellow-headed Picathartes by now we will visit a colony on the nearby Western Peninsula in With all the forest birding done over the past days, the evening. some easy, open country birding will be welcome. Togo Paradise Whydah (above) and Plain Nightjar (below) © Tertius Gous The Bumbuna areas is famous for being one of the Day S9: Freetown area most accessible sites where the localised Emerald Starling can be found, and finding some of these Our final day of birding will be spent in the greater beautiful birds will be a major target of our time Freetown area. Main targets include Pied-winged here. Turati's Boubou, Togo Paradise Whydah, Swallow and Crimson Seedcracker. The tour ends Cameroon Indigobird and Baumann’s Olive in the evening.

Yellow-headed Picathartes © Tasso Leventis

Turati's Boubou (below) © Tertius Gous

12 | Upper Guinea Special 2023 Upper Guinea Special 2023 | 13 African Pitta © Tertius Gous

INCLUDED • Expert Birding Africa tour leader • Entry fees and activities as per itinerary • Accommodation throughout (no camping) Birding Africa Tour Leafl et Leafl Tour Africa Birding et Leafl Tour Africa Birding • Airport transfers on arrival/departure • Bottled water in the vehicle • One soft drink at each sit-down meal • General tips

QUESTIONS? Please email the office, [email protected], to reserve a place or ask questions (you can also cc [email protected] and callan@birdingafrica. com who are both involved in the planning of this tour.

BOOKLET AND CHECKLIST Birding Africa provides: 1. this tour leaflet with detailed itinerary 2. the tour information pack, emailed to you 3. the tour booklet with checklists, on the tour

HOW TO BOOK 1. Complete our easy online booking form. 2. Secure your booking deposit by credit card on our 3D secure online payment site ($150). 3. Settle the balance by bank transfer 150 days before the tour. We will email you a reminder and the banking details.

14 | Upper Guinea Special 2023 Upper Guinea Special 2023 | 15