I have a feeling some of these species aren't British or Moroccan:
BIRDS:
227 - Pied crow, Corvus albus
228 - Western plantain-eater, Crinifer piscator
229 - Yellow-billed kite, Milvus aegyptius
230 - Long-tailed cormorant, Microcarbo africanus
231 - Long-tailed glossy starling, Lamprotornis caudatus
232 - Senegal thick-knee, Burhinus senegalensis
233 - Yellow-crowned gonolek, Laniarius barbarus
234 - Pied kingfisher, Ceryle rudis
235 - African jacana, Actophilornis africanus
236 - Senegal lapwing, Vanellus lugubris
237 - Spur-winged lapwing, Vanellus spinosus
238 - Woodland kingfisher, Halcyon senegalensis
239 - Intermediate egret, Ardea intermedia
240 - Grey-backed camaroptera, Camaroptera brevicaudata
241 - Purple starling, Lamprotornis purpureus
242 - Wattled lapwing, Vanellus senegallus
243 - Senegal eremomela, Eremomela pusilla
244 - Senegal coucal, Centropus senegalensis
245 - African thrush, Turdus pelios
246 - African grey hornbill, Lophoceros nasutus
247 - African grey woodpecker, Dendropicos goertae
248 - Double-spurred francolin, Pternistis bicalcaratus
249 - Northern crombec, Sylvietta brachyura
250 - Red-eyed dove, Streptopelia semitorquata
251 - Yellow-billed shrike, Corvinella corvina
252 - Ethiopian swallow, Hirundo aethiopica
253 - Black heron, Egretta ardesiaca
254 - Little rush warbler, Bradypterus baboecala
255 - Winding cisticola, Cisticola marginatus
256 - Collared pratincole, Glareola pratincola
257 - Little bee-eater, Merops pusillus
258 - Double-toothed barbet, Lybius bidentatus
259 - Marsh sandpiper, Tringa stagnatilis
260 - Black crake, Zapornia flavirostra
261 - Red-faced cisticola, Cisticola erythrops
262 - Village weaver, Ploceus cucullatus
263 - Preuss' cliff swallow, Petrochelidon preussi
264 - Plain-backed pipit, Anthus leucophrys
265 - Vinaceous dove, Streptopelia vinacea
266 - Bronze mannikin, Spermestes cucullata
267 - Copper sunbird, Cinnyris cupreus
268 - Shikra, Accipiter badius
269 - Fine-spotted woodpecker, Campethera punctuligera
270 - Senegal parrot, Poicephalus senegalus
271 - Brown babbler, Turdoides plebejus
272 - Green woodhoopoe, Phoeniculus purpureus
273 - Levaillant's cuckoo, Clamator levaillantii
274 - Malachite kingfisher, Corythornis cristatus
275 - Northern grey-headed sparrow, Passer griseus
276 - African palm swift, Cypsiurus parvus
277 - White-rumped swift, Apus caffer
278 - African pied wagtail, Motacilla aguimp
279 - Western reef heron, Egretta gularis
280 - White-throated bee-eater, Merops albicollis
281 - Mosque swallow, Cecropis senegalensis
282 - Hamerkop, Scopus umbretta
283 - Singing cisticola, Cisticola cantans
284 - Splendid sunbird, Cinnyris coccinigastrus
285 - African hobby, Falco cuvierii
286 - Black-necked weaver, Ploceus nigricollis
287 - Vieillot's barbet, Lybius vieilloti
288 - Blue-spotted wood-dove, Turtur afer
289 - Lizard buzzard, Kaupifalco monogrammicus
290 - Northern fiscal, Lanius humeralis
291 - African pied hornbill, Lophoceros fasciatus
292 - Splendid starling, Lamprotornis splendidus
293 - Vieillot's black weaver, Ploceus nigerrimus
294 - Mottled spinetail, Telacanthura ussheri
295 - Hooded vulture, Necrosyrtes monachus
296 - Northern yellow white-eye, Zosterops senegalensis
297 - Bar-breasted firefinch, Lagonosticta rufopicta
298 - Green-headed sunbird, Cyanomitra verticalis
299 - Black-winged red bishop, Euplectes hordeaceus
300 - Tawny-flanked prinia, Prinia subflava
301 - Simple leaflove, Chlorocichla simplex
302 - Yellow-rumped tinkerbird, Pogoniulus bilineatus
303 - Piping hornbill, Bycanistes fistulator
304 - Shining-blue kingfisher, Alcedo quadribrachys
305 - Grosbeak weaver, Amblyospiza albifrons
306 - African finfoot, Podica senegalensis
307 - Little greenbul, Eurillas virens
308 - Red-bellied paradise flycatcher, Terpsiphone rufiventer
309 - Olive-green camaroptera, Camaroptera chloronota
310 - Western nicator, Nicator chloris
311 - Black-and-white mannikin, Spermestes bicolor
312 - African firefinch, Lagonosticta rubricata
313 - Guinea turaco, Tauraco persa
314 - Marsh tchagra, Bocagia minuta
315 - Ahanta spurfowl, Pternistis ahantensis
316 - Latham's francolin, Peliperdix lathami
317 - Long-tailed nightjar, Caprimulgus climacurus
318 - Black-shouldered nightjar, Caprimulgus nigriscapularis
319 - Little green sunbird, Anthreptes seimundi
320 - African green pigeon, Treron calvus
321 - White-tailed antthrush, Neocossyphus poensis
322 - Yellow-billed barbet, Trachyphonus purpuratus
323 - Red-headed malimbe, Malimbus rubricollis
324 - Blue-headed wood-dove, Turtur brehmeri
325 - Yellow-billed turaco, Tauraco macrorhynchus
326 - Blue-billed malimbe, Malimbus nitens
327 - Sabine's puffback, Dryoscopus sabini
328 - Collared sunbird, Hedydipna collaris
329 - Wood warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix
330 - Violet-backed starling, Cinnyricinclus leucogaster
331 - Grey-headed nigrita, Nigrita canicapillus
332 - Violet-backed hyliota, Hyliota violacea
333 - Ussher's flycatcher, Muscicapa ussheri
334 - Rufous-crowned eremomela, Eremomela badiceps
335 - Palm-nut vulture, Gypohierax angolensis
336 - Little grey greenbul, Eurillas gracilis
337 - Chestnut-breasted nigrita, Nigrita bicolor
338 - Slender-billed greenbul, Stelgidillas gracilirostris
339 - Speckled tinkerbird, Pogoniulus scolopaceus
340 - Yellow-mantled weaver, Ploceus tricolor
341 - Black-winged oriole, Oriolus nigripennis
342 - Johanna's sunbird, Cinnyris johannae
343 - Superb sunbird, Cinnyris superbus
344 - Purple-throated cuckooshrike, Campephaga quiscalina
345 - Golden greenbul, Calyptocichla serinus
346 - Blue cuckooshrike, Cyanograucalus azureus
347 - African emerald cuckoo, Chrysococcyx cupreus
348 - Honeyguide greenbul, Baeopogon indicator
349 - Tit hylia, Pholidornis rushiae
350 - Swamp palm bulbul, Thescelocichla leucopleura
351 - Yellow-throated tinkerbird, Pogoniulus subsulphureus
352 - Sharpe's apalis, Apalis sharpii
353 - Green crombec, Sylvietta virens
354 - White-crested hornbill, Horizocerus albocristatus
355 - White-breasted nigrita, Nigrita fusconotus
356 - Fanti saw-wing, Psalidoprocne obscura
357 - Blue-throated roller, Eurystomus gularis
358 - Red-rumped tinkerbird, Pogoniulus atroflavus
359 - Yellow-chinned sunbird, Anthreptes rectirostris
360 - Green hylia, Hylia prasina
361 - Cameroon greenbul, Arizelocichla montana
362 - Orange weaver, Ploceus aurantius
363 - Striated heron, Butorides striata
364 - Klaas's cuckoo, Chrysococcyx klaas
365 - Olive-bellied sunbird, Cinnyris chloropygius
366 - White-spotted flufftail, Sarothrura pulchra
367 - West African wattle-eye, Platysteira hormophora
368 - Fraser's eagle-owl, Bubo poensis
369 - African harrier-hawk, Polyboroides typus
370 - Black-casqued hornbill, Ceratogymna atrata
371 - Chocolate-backed kingfisher, Halcyon badia
372 - Rufous-sided broadbill, Smithornis rufolateralis
373 - Brown nightjar, Veles binotatus
374 - Bat hawk, Macheiramphus alcinus
375 - Puvel's illadopsis, lladopsis puveli
376 - Grey-headed bristlebill, Bleda canicapillus
377 - Red-tailed greenbul, Criniger calurus
378 - Red-cheeked wattle-eye, Platysteira blissetti
379 - Crested malimbe, Malimbus malimbicus
380 - Brown-crowned tchagra, Tchagra australis
381 - African pygmy kingfisher, Ispidina picta
382 - Yellow-browed camaroptera, Camaroptera superciliaris
383 - Red-chested goshawk, Accipiter toussenelii
384 - Lowland sooty boubou, Laniarius leucorhynchus
385 - White-tailed alethe, Alethe diademata
386 - Yellow-whiskered greenbul, Eurillas latirostris
387 - Magpie mannikin, Spermestes fringilloides
388 - African cuckoo-hawk, Aviceda cuculoides
389 - Fanti drongo, Dicrurus atactus
390 - Black sparrowhawk, Accipiter melanoleucus
391 - Blue-throated brown sunbird, Cyanomitra cyanolaema
392 - Grey longbill, Macrosphenus concolor
393 - Grey kestrel, Falco ardosiaceus
394 - Blue malkoha, Ceuthmochares aereus
395 - Yellow-spotted barbet, Buccanodon duchaillui
396 - Red-necked buzzard, Buteo auguralis
397 - Broad-billed roller, Eurystomus glaucurus
398 - Bristle-nosed barbet, Gymnobucco peli
399 - Buff-spotted woodpecker, Pardipicus nivosus
400 - Icterine greenbul, Phyllastrephus icterinus
401 - Red-capped flycatcher, Erythrocercus mccallii
402 - Western bearded greenbul, Criniger barbatus
403 - Shining drongo, Dicrurus atripennis
404 - Fraser's sunbird, Deleornis fraseri
405 - Red-tailed bristlebill, Bleda syndactylus
406 - Fire-bellied woodpecker, Chloropicus pyrrhogaster
407 - Red-billed helmetshrike, Prionops caniceps
408 - Tambourine dove, Turtur tympanistria
409 - Whistling cisticola, Cisticola lateralis
410 - Rosy bee-eater, Merops malimbicus
411 - Black-throated coucal, Centropus leucogaster
412 - Maxwell's black weaver, Ploceus albinucha
413 - Great blue turaco, Corythaeola cristata
414 - Brown-cheeked hornbill, Cycanistes cylindricus
415 - African wood owl, Strix woodfordii
416 - Red-billed dwarf hornbill, Lophoceros camurus
417 - Black bee-eater, Merops gularis
418 - Forest penduline tit, Anthoscopus flavifrons
419 - Black dwarf hornbill, Horizocerus hartlaubi
420 - Naked-faced barbet, Gymnobucco calvus
421 - Sabine's spinetail, Rhaphidura sabini
422 - Blue-headed crested flycatcher, Trochocercus nitens
423 - Brown-necked parrot, Phataginus tetradactyla
424 - Finsch's rufous thrush, Stizorhina finschi
425 - African pygmy goose, Nettapus auritus
426 - Orange-cheeked waxbill, Estrilda melpoda
427 - African darter, Anhinga rufa
428 - Mangrove sunbird, Anthreptes gabonicus
429 - White-bibbed swallow, Hirundo nigrita
430 - Hartlaub's duck, Pteronetta hartlaubii
431 - Reichenbach's sunbird, Anabathmis reichenbachii
432 - Red-vented malimbe, Malimbus scutatus
433 - Cassin's flycatcher, Muscicapa cassini
434 - Dusky-blue flycatcher, Muscicapa comitata
435 - Western bronze-naped pigeon, Columba iriditorques
436 - Black spinetail, Telacanthura melanopygia
437 - Forest robin, Stiphrornis erythrothorax
438 - Grey parrot, Psittacus erithacus
439 - Brown-chested alethe, Chamaetylas poliocephala
440 - Hairy-breasted barbet, Tricholaema hirsuta
441 - Green-tailed bristlebill, Bleda eximius
442 - Bates's swift, Apus batesi
443 - Blackcap illadopsis, Illadopsis cleaveri
444 - Olive long-tailed cuckoo, Cercococcyx olivinus
445 - Black-capped apalis, Apalis nigriceps
446 - Copper-tailed starling, Hylopsar cupreocauda
447 - Least honeyguide, Indicator exilis
448 - Western oriole, Oriolus brachyrynchus
449 - Olive sunbird, Cyanomitra olivacea
450 - Crowned eagle, Stephanoaetus coronatus
451 - Yellow-bearded greenbul, Criniger olivaceus
452 - Lemon-bellied crombec, Sylvietta denti
453 - Red-fronted antpecker, Parmoptila rubrifrons
454 - Square-tailed saw-wing, Psalidoprocne nitens
455 - Red-chested owlet, Glaucidium tephronotum
456 - Nkulengu rail, Himantornis haematopus
457 - Grey tit-flycatcher, Myioparus plumbeus
458 - Diederik cuckoo, Chrysococcyx caprius
459 - Akun eagle-owl, Bubo leucostictus
460 - Rufous-winged illadopsis, Illadopsis rufescens
461 - Buff-throated sunbird, Chalcomitra adelberti
462 - Cassin's spinetail, Neafrapus cassini
463 - Blue-breasted kingfisher, Halcyon malimbica
464 - White-bellied kingfisher, Corythornis leucogaster
465 - Dwarf bittern, Ixobrychus sturmii
466 - Tiny sunbird, Cinnyris minullus
467 - African dwarf kingfisher, Ispidina lecontei
468 - Allen's gallinule, Porphyrio alleni
469 - White-faced whistling duck, Dendrocygna viduata
470 - Wire-tailed swallow, Hirundo smithii
471 - Blue-shouldered robin-chat, Cossypha cyanocampter
472 - Plain nightjar, Caprimulgus inornatus
473 - Rock pratincole, Glareola nuchalis
474 - Pied-winged swallow, Hirundo leucosoma
475 - Dusky tit, Melaniparus funereus
476 - Cassin's hawk-eagle, Aquila africana
477 - White-necked picathartes, Picathartes gymnocephalus
478 - Red-fronted parrot, Poicephalus gulielmi
479 - Melodious warbler, Hippolais polyglotta
480 - Western bluebill, Spermophaga haematina
481 - Northern puffback, Dryoscopus gambensis
482 - Red-winged prinia, Prinia erythroptera
483 - Yellow-billed oxpecker, Buphagus africanus
484 - Grasshopper buzzard, Butastur rufipennis
485 - Piapiac, Ptilostomus afer
486 - Speckled pigeon, Columba guinea
487 - Northern red-billed hornbill, Tockus erythrorhynchus
488 - Abyssinian roller, Coracias abyssinicus
489 - Red-throated bee-eater, Merops bulocki
490 - Orange-breasted bushshrike, Chlorophoneus sulfureopectus
491 - Bearded barbet, Lybius dubius
492 - Blue-bellied roller, Coracias cyanogaster
493 - Black-headed heron, Ardea melanocephala
494 - Egyptian plover, Pluvianus aegyptius
495 - Stone partridge, Ptilopachus petrosus
496 - Violet turaco, Tauraco violaceus
497 - Familiar chat, Oenanthe familiaris
498 - Striped kingfisher, Halcyon chelicuti
499 - Red-cheeked cordon-bleu, Uraeginthus bengalus
500 - Chestnut-crowned sparrow-weaver, Plocepasser superciliosus
501 - Red-billed firefinch, Lagonosticta senegala
502 - Pale flycatcher, Melaenornis pallidus
503 - Hadada ibis, Bostrychia hagedash
505 - Beautiful sunbird, Cinnyris pulchellus
505 - Senegal batis, Batis senegalensis
506 - Scarlet-chested sunbird, Chalcomitra senegalensis
507 - African fish eagle, Haliaeetus vocifer
508 - Tawny eagle, Aquila rapax
509 - Giant kingfisher, Megaceryle maxima
510 - Lavender waxbill, Glaucestrilda caerulescens
511 - Pygmy sunbird, Hedydipna platura
512 - Brubru, Nilaus afer
513 - Spur-winged goose, Plectropterus gambensis
514 - Helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris
515 - Bruce's green pigeon, Treron waalia
516 - Sahel bush sparrow, Gymnoris dentata
517 - Black-billed wood dove, Turtur abyssinicus
518 - Grey-headed kingfisher, Halcyon leucocephala
519 - Black scimitarbill, Rhinopomastus aterrimus
520 - Gosling's bunting, Emberiza goslingi
521 - Pin-tailed whydah, Vidua macroura
522 - Oriole warbler, Hypergerus atriceps
523 - Blackcap babbler, Turdoides reinwardtii
524 - Northern black flycatcher, Melaenornis edolioides
525 - Swamp flycatcher, Muscicapa aquatica
526 - Cardinal woodpecker, Dendropicos fuscescens
527 - Little weaver, Ploceus luteolus
528 - White-crowned robin-chat, Cossypha albicapillus
529 - Black-headed weaver, Ploceus melanocephalus
530 - Bateleur, Terathopius ecaudatus
531 - African paradise-flycatcher, Terpsiphone viridis
532 - Black-faced firefinch, Lagonosticta larvata
533 - White-backed vulture, Gyps africanus
534 - Wilson's indigobird, Vidua wilsoni
535 - Yellow-breasted apalis, Apalis flavida
536 - Yellow-throated greenbul, Arizelocichla chlorigula
537 - Brown-throated wattle-eye, Platysteira cyanea
538 - African blue flycatcher, Elminia longicauda
539 - African golden oriole, Oriolus auratus
540 - Yellow-fronted tinkerbird, Pogoniulus chrysoconus
541 - Pearl-spotted owlet, Glaucidium perlatum
542 - Beaudouin's snake-eagle, Circaetus beaudouini
543 - Woolly-necked stork, Ciconia episcopus
544 - Yellow-fronted canary, Crithagra mozambica
545 - Exclamatory paradise whydah, Vidua interjecta
546 - Rufous cisticola, Cisticola rufus
547 - Western banded snake eagle, Circaetus cinerascens
548 - White-fronted black chat, Oenanthe albifrons
549 - Chestnut-backed sparrow-lark, Eremopterix leucotis
550 - Forbes's plover, Charadrius forbesi
551 - Standard-winged nightjar, Caprimulgus longipennis
552 - Sun lark, Galerida modesta
553 - African scops owl, Otus senegalensis
554 - Four-banded sandgrouse, Pterocles quadricinctus
555 - Greyish eagle-owl, Bubo cinerascens
MAMMALS:
12 - Green bush squirrel, Paraxerus poensis
13 - Lowe's mona monkey, Cercopithecus lowei
14 - Red-legged sun squirrel, Heliosciurus rufobrachium
15 - Lesser spot-nosed guenon, Cercopithecus petaurista
16 - Demidoff's dwarf galago, Galagoides demidovii
17 - Western tree hyrax, Dendrohyrax dorsalis
18 - Emin's pouched rat, Cricetomys emini
19 - Forest giant squirrel, Protoxerus stangeri
20 - Pel's pouched bat, Saccolaimus peli
21 - Black-bellied pangolin, Phataginus tetradactyla
22 - Small sun squirrel, Heliosciurus punctatus
23 - Hammer-headed bat, Hypsignathus monstrosus
24 - Common cusimanse, Crossarchus obscurus
25 - Pel's anomalure, Anomalurus pelii
26 - African forest elephant, Loxodonta cyclotis
27 - West African potto, Perodicticus potto
28 - Kintampo rope squirrel, Funisciurus substriatus
29 - Guinea baboon, Papio papio
30 - Kob, Kobus kob
31 - Common warthog, Phacochoerus africanus
32 - Northern bushbuck, Tragelaphus scriptus
33 - Green monkey, Chlorocebus sabaeus
34 - Gambian mongoose, Mungos gambianus
35 - African savanna elephant, Loxodonta africana
36 - Common patas, Erythrocebus patas
37 - Senegal galago, Galago senegalensis
38 - Roan antelope, Hippotragus equinus
39 - Spotted hyena, Crocuta crocuta
40 - White-tailed mongoose, Ichneumia albicauda
On the 21st of December, I went on my first ever international trip focused solely on birding (and wildlife-watching in general). I've always had a particular affection for Afrotropical birds so I decided to go to Ghana, one of the most accessible countries to see the Upper Guinea endemics and African birds in general.
Right as I arrived and birded at the Sakumono lagoons in Accra on the first day, I was blown away by the sheer number of birds and the amount of really good species! There's no way for me to highlight all of them as I've had 329 additions on this trip of which all but 6 were lifers but to list some:
- Seeing White-necked picathartes obviously, THE bird people come to Ghana for
- The gorgeous Egyptian plover on the banks of the White Volta at Daboya
- The sheer amount of species seen from certain families like barbets and tinkerbirds (13 species), the bee-eaters (6 species), the kingfishers (12 species), the hornbills (8 including some very rare ones like Black-casqued hornbill) etc...
- Seeing some rare species that seldom get reported from Ghana like Bates's swift, Dwarf bittern, Dusky tit, Forest penduline-tit etc...
- The last day of the year spent at Mole National Park with probably my best birding day ever: 133 species seen (by far a record for me) and the joy of birding Guinean woodland savannas and all the gorgeous birds that come with it (including some common species here that I've been wanting to see for forever like Brubru or Senegal eremomela)
The mammals were mostly a by-catch of birding even though spotlighting was very much done to see both night birds and mammals. The uncontested highlight in this category was seeing a Long-tailed pangolin right by the side of the road at the very logged Nsuta forest! The poor chap was trying to cross the road and many passer-by asked us if we were going to eat it (sadly pangolin is readily consumed in Ghana). We managed to put it in a spot inside the forest deep enough where it hopefully won't be caught...
Apart from the pangolin, species like Pel's anomalure, West African potto, Lesser spot-nosed guenon, African forest elephant, Gambian mongoose, Common cusimanse etc... were obviously fantastic, as was observing species that are more common elsewhere but particularly hard in Ghana (like White-tailed mongoose, Spotted hyena and Roan antelope on the last day at Mole). I'm also happy I got to see some very range-restricted species such as Kintampo rope squirrel and Small sun squirrel (the squirrel diversity here in general is impressive).
The other groups of animals were also fun to observe but I haven't identified everything and I don't think I'll be able to do so in time with how little wifi I get here. The highlight from those were West African crocodile and seeing multiple Dwarf crocodiles at the pools at Ankasa NP.
I've got 8 more days before I head back to Morocco so hopefully the start of 2023 wildlife-wise will be just as good
