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their habitat in many countries around the world.
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Birdwatching in Cameroon
Cameroon situated in the heart of Africa is considered a bird watching destination in the Central African Sub-Region because of her geographical location. Cameroon has more than 900 bird species in 76 families, 20 specialty species and 18 endangered species. Cameroon is an Endemic Bird Area (EBA) with the mount Cameroon Region, the Bamenda highlands and the Northern part of the country making this endemism.
"Mt. Cameroon forest above Buea."
"© Tamas Nemes."
Bird watching in Cameroon has been developed by Birdlife International who trained most of the workers related to conservation projects in Cameroon like the Kilum Ijim mountain project and the mount Cameroon project who in turn trained others in conservation projects around the country and by so doing enhanced the conservation of biodiversity. The training of local guides in some eco-tourism sites in the country encouraged the guides to have interest in birding, thus these birds’ species can be protected and
as Cameroon have so many reserves and National parks in the country, these endangered and endemic bird species can not be extinct because there is the development of ecotourism and even more the creation of community forest that also sees into the sustainable
use of the natural resources hence the protection of biodiversity.
Today, many visitors will want to visit Cameroon not only for birding but also because of her rich cultural heritage and hospitality (Africa in miniature) and can be visited all year round.
I encourage birders to easily identify birding areas in Cameroon with no fear of insecurity and with an in-depth knowledge of the local people where birding is carried out by offering the various tours as below.
Cameroon birding tours.
"Trip map"
Electronic map of Cameroon
Tour I
12 days/11 nights
Itinerary
Expect 300+ species if trip conducted Nov/April and about 200+ species during other times.
Day 1.
Arrival at Douala international airport, reception by guide, brief description of Cameroon, proper explanation of tour, shoping and over-night in hotel.
"Fire-crowned Bishop"
"© Robert Horvath."
Day 2.
Early wake up, breakfast, drive to Buea for Mount Cameroon in 1:30minutes. We will spend the whole day birding and drive to Limbe at dusk for dinner and over-night in hotel.
Expected to see African Grey Parrots, Mount Cameroon Francolin, Yellow- billed Turaco, Fernandopo Oliveback, Mount Cameroon
Speirops, Yellow-Breasted Boubou, Mountain Robin-chat, Mountain Saw-wing and others.
Day 3 and 4.
Early wake up, visit the Limbe Botanic Garden and Wildlife Centre, break for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Bimbia Nature Trail and mangrove swamp, return at dusk, dinner at down beach fish market and over-night in hotel.
Expected to see Western Blue-bill, Giant Kingfisher, Long-tailed Cormorant, Carmelite Sunbird, Palm-nut Vulture, Violet-Tailed Sunbird, Yellow-casqued Wattled Hornbill, Green Turaco, Western Reef Heron and more.
Early morning birding and departure by boat from Idenau to Korup Park. Quite interesting with a variety of water birds to see (Pelicans, Ibis’s). We shall be received by a Korup Park guide at the Boulu beach and taken to the Mana foot bridge, where we will
do some birding in the evening and camp in the Iriba Inene.
Expected to see African Grey Parrot, Rock Pratincole, Hadada, Grey Heron, Great Blue Turaco and more.
Day 5 and 6.
Early wake up, breakfast and go birding up to Rengo camp, break for lunch, late in the afternoon visit the Picathartes knoll quietly to see if the Rock Fowl is there. Then return to the camp for dinner and over-night.
Expected to see; Green Hylia, Ictering Greenbul, Brown Illadopsis, Great Blue Turaco, Blue Cuckooshrike, Brown-chested Allethe, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Western Black-headed Oriole, Yellow-yellied Wattle-eye, Shinning Drongo, Black-casqued Hornbill, Yellow-throated Tinker Bird, Rufous Flycatcher Thrush and many more.
The next day we wake up, have breakfast and do birding on our way back to the Bridge by noon, where a stand by vehicle will take us back to the beach for our boat ride to Idenau and night in Limbe.
"Barombi Mbo crater lake."
"© Tamas Nemes."
Day 7, 8 and 9.
Early wake up, breakfast and drive to Kumba where we will do some birding at the Barombi Mbo Lake, lunch and continue to Nyassoso wher we will stay in the women’s centre. Evening birding at the foot of Mount Kupe, dinner and over-night.
Expected to see; Naked-faced Barbet, Spotted Greenbul, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Brown-Crowned Eremomela, White-Spotted Flufftail,
Emerald Cuckoo, Black-throated Apalis, African Harrier Hawk, Red-Eyed Puffback, Yellow Longbill, Red-Necked Buzzard, Mount Kupe Bush Shrike, Purple-throated Cuckoo-Shrike, Grey Parrot, Yellow-breasted Boubou, Grey-headed Broadbill, Bar-tailed Trogon and many more.
Early morning birding on Mount Kupe, lunch and if possible go to the Bakossi Mountain in the afternoon besides Lake Edip for birding,and return at dusk for dinner and over-night.
Early birding, breakfast, drive to Bamenda and if possible evening birding. Dinner and over-night in hotel.
Day 10 and 11.
Early breakfast, drive to Nguemba Forest Reserve in Bafut, bird watch and return in the evening for dinner and night in Bamenda.
Expectations Banded Wattle-eye, Bamenda Apalis, Bannerman’s Turaco and Weaver, Bate’s Weaver, Oriole Finch, Bangwa Scrub-Warbler, Mountain Boubou, Africa Green Pigeon, Yellow Bishop, Cameroon Mountain Greenbul, Chestnut-winged Starling, Petit’s Saw-wing, Short-toed Eagle, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Red-necked Buzzard, Brown-backed Cisticula and many more.
Early wake up and after breakfast, drive to Douala via Dschang and Santcho while birding. Arrive at the hotel at dusk for dinner and over-night.
"Bannerman's Turaco"
Day 12.
Early morning birding on the mud flats behind Foyer du Marine, River Wouri or Sanaga, return to the hotel for lunch, and go for shopping in the afternoon and final dinner.
Resume of tour, comments and suggestions for the future, escort guest to the airport and end of tour.
Note: This tour can be extended for an additional 7 days to the northern part of Cameroon.
12 Day tour price is: 2 pax US$3850 per person. 4 pax US$3625 per person.
Included:
"Banded Wattle-Eye"
Day 2.
"Northern Double-collared Sunbird"
Day 9.
14 Day tour price is: 2 pax US$3725 per person. 4 pax US$3430 per person.
Included:
I traveled through Cameroon with my friends, a group of five from Hungary, in November 2005. After a visit to the Eastern region we returned to Yaoundé and headed to the West: Douala and on to Limbe. We met Benji (Benjamin Jayin Jomi) at the reception of the Limbe Botanic Garden. We wanted to visit Mt Etinde, Mt Cameroon, the Korup forest and Mt Kupe and Benji gave us a rough calculation of all expenses (transport, accommodation, porters, entrance fees) as one package. The prices were reasonable so we agreed and spent the next two weeks together with Benji in a very rich programme. More facts about Cameroon. Need more information please email us.
Thank you for considering a local Birdingpal guide for your next trip.
Single supplement: US$120
Convert your tour cost into your currency of choice.
Vehicle (4wheel) incl. driver, entrance, porters and guide fees, all meals, water, hotels and camping.
Excluded:
International flight, other drinks, photo camera/video (At the Botanic Gardens and Wildlife Centre), tips at birders discretion, airport departure tax.
Tour II
14 days/13 nights
Itinerary
Expect 300+ species if trip conducted Nov/April and about 200+ species during other times.
Day 1.
Arrival at Douala international airport, reception by guide, brief description of Cameroon, proper explanation of tour, shoping and over-night in hotel.
Early wake up, breakfast and drive to Yaoundé by road to get an evening train for Ngaoundere. Along the Douala-Yaoundé road, we make stops at some ponds and river Sanaga in Edea where we will see Hartlaubs Ducks, Preuss's Cliff-Swallows, African Skimmers and Grey Pratincole.
We get to Yaoundé in four hours and book an overnight train, where we will have beddings provided. We take along our own food and drinks onboard.
Day 3, 4 and 5.
We arrive Ngaoundere and transfer to Ngaoundaba Ranch for three nights. The ranch is an old hunting lodge situated besides a dormant volcano overlooking a crater lake. We will bird in marsh land, open lake, woodland and gallery forest.
In all these habitats, we will expect to see the following; Marsh Tchagra, Blue-Breasted Kingfisher, Dybowski’s Twin-Spots, Brown Twin-Spots, Schlegels Francolin, Brown-Chested Lapwing, Western Violet-backed Sunbird, Black-capped Babbler, Ross’s Turaco, Grey-winged Robin-Chat, Puvell's Illadopsis and many more. This birding will be interspaced with breaks, where we will return to the ranch for lunch and get back in the evening for more birding.
Day 6, 7 and 8.
Early wake up, birding and drive to Benoue National Park while birding in the savannah woodland as well. We will expect to see
Lesser Blue-Eared Starling, Senegal Parrot, Black-bellied Firefinch and many others. At the Benoue Park, we will be at campement de Buffle Noir, which is enclosed by a Miombo-like forest. Here we will expect to see the Adamawa Turtle-Dove, White-crested and Violet Turaco, Egyptian Plover, White-throated Francolin, Grasshopper Buzzard, Emins Shrike and others.
Early morning birding and drive to Lagdo to enjoy the clear waters of the Lagdo Lake and expect the Fox Kestrels and other birds to fly pass.
Day 10, 11 and 12.
After an early morning birding, we will have breakfast and continue up north for the Waza National Park where we will spend three nights. On the way, we will expect to see Rock-loving Cisticula, White-crown Cliff-Chat, Red-tailed Lavender Waxbill, African
Swallow-tailed Kites and others.
While in the Waza National Park, the are possibilities for; Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Bedouin’s Snake-eagle, Little Green Bee-eater, Black Scrub-Robin, Viellot’s Barbet, Black-crowned Crane, River Prinia, Sahel Paradise Whydah and many more. A night drive may yield the Northern White-faced Owl, Long-tailed Nightjar and only discovered recently the Golden Nightjar.
Day 13.
Early breakfast and departure from Waza to Ngaoundere for an overnight train to Yaoundé.
Day 14.
Transfer to day rooms in Yaoundé, have a resume of the tour, comments and suggestions for the future, shopping, farewell dinner, escort birders to the Nsimalin airport and end of tour.
Note: This tour can be extended for an additional 7 days to the southern part of Cameroon.
Single supplement: US$225
Convert your tour cost into your currency of choice.
Vehicle (4wheel) incl. driver, entrance, porters and guide fees, all meals, water, hotels and camping.
Excluded:
International flight, other drinks, photo camera/video (At the Botanic Gardens and Wildlife Centre), tips at birders discretion, airport departure tax.
Notes:
The above birding itineraries are based on what are essentially popular routes for birders. It can be shortened or extended.
All the date of itineraries include arrival and departure dates.
All trips are available year round, but prices may be adjusted around special holidays.
Minimum lead time 2 month.
To check availability for tours on short notice, fill out “Request for Quote” form with desirable dates.
Birding season
Jan-Feb - Good birding
Mar-April - Exelent birding
May-June - Average birding
Jul-August - Poor birding
Sep-Oct - Average birding
Now-Dec - Good birding
Fitness:
Birders should bear in mind that getting to some of these sites needs a lot of trekking, so they should be fit to walk many kilometers per day and bring rain gears, boots, warm cloths, especially in the rainy season and light cloths in the dry season because it is always humid in the forest.
Equipment:
Binoculars, scopes, mosquito nets are needed.
Should you only need a guide for a day or two please contact us for details.
Benjamin Jayin Jomi, your local Birdingpal guide
I am a volunteer nature interpreter with the Limbe Botanic Garden and a professional birding guide around the mount Cameroon region and beyond. I was doing birding as a hobby because I was so close to nature and birds are making part of nature. Later on, I began
to find myself involve in ecotourism as there was always the need for guides so I attended some eco-guides training courses
organized by the Limbe Botanic Garden and a birding guides training organized with the support from the World Tourism Organization, Cameroon Biodiversity Conservation Society and others. Presently, I do organize birding trips to birders who come to Cameroon. The training I did on birding has enable me to get in contact with many birders who come to Cameroon with no knowledge of seeing a birding guide and when they get in contact with me, they find their trip to be very exiting and enjoyable.
Benji speaks English and French.
Testimonials.
The next morning we started off for Mt Etinde and climbed it in one day. Then we spent four days on Mt Cameroon, taking the "standard" route from Buea to the summit and descend to Bokwango. After some rest at Limbe we went to the Korup and spend three days there, then after a one-night stop in Kumba (Barombi-Mbo crater lake) we finally made a trip to Mt Kupe (two nights) and back to Limbe. We saw countless species of birds (including Turacos), flowers, animals like monkeys, chameleon etc.
Benji had arranged for everything we needed for the trip: a Toyota van so that each of us had a seat, accommodation in hotels and lodges, tents for Mt Cameroon, food, porters, guides, everything. Benji has good local knowledge for Mt Etinde and Mt Cameroon. He knows many birds and plants. He was supportive for whatever we came up with. For example, he helped us save a young crocodile we bought on the road from a poacher - the riverside villagers did not like the idea but Benji helped us smuggling the crocodile back into the river.
Benji has a very good personality: calm, reliable, decisive, friendly and caring but not pushy, all of these with a dignity. I recommend contacting Benji to everyone who plans to visit Cameroon South-West.
Tamas Nemes, Hungary tamas_nemes(AT)hotmail.com
Some facts about Cameroon.
Cameroon, from the River of prawns ‘Rio Dos Camaroes’, given by the Portuguese is situated at the end of the Gulf of Guinea with a triangular shape, found in the heart of Africa around the equator and stretches form lake Chad basin with surface area: 475442km2.
It is bounded by the following countries; Gabon and Equatorial Guinea to the South, Republic of Congo to the South East, Central African Republic to the East, Chad to the North and North East and Nigeria to the West and North West.
Cameroon because of her rich human and natural resources is considered ‘Africa in miniature’ and the hottest spot in Africa in terms of biodiversity, thus the reason why tourists visit during both seasons. For the Equatorial climate that dominates the south plateau of the country brings out the rich lushness of the evergreen vegetation and the Sahel region that covers the Northern part of the country.
Cameroon’s highlands range from Mount Cameroon (4095m), Mount Bambotos (2740m), Mount Manenguba (2050m), the Mandara and the Bamenda high lands with active volcanoes like Mount Cameroon. The coastal region also has the mangroves that are a unique ecosystem that runs from the bight of Biafra through Tiko to Campo.
The forest and national parks with varieties of rare and endangered species of animals, birds, butterflies and inserts also makes
her to be considered a biodiversity hot spot.
Cameroon’s hospitality, rich culture, favorable climate and the natural resources makes her an ideal destination for tourists.
Cameroon has two official languages, ENGLISH & FRENCH, with ten (10) Provinces, (58) Divisions, (269) sub-divisions and (53) districts.
The currency is the FRANCS (CFA), political capital is Yaoundé, the flag is Green,red and yellow with a golden star on the red strip in the middle. Her Motto is; Peace-Work-Fatherland and the National anthem: O Cameroon thou cradle of our Father……..
Guide books and CD’s recommended:
Birds of Western Africa by Nik Borrow and Ron Demey.
Find lowest prices here
Bird Recordings from Cameroon
The Bird Songs by Chappius.
www.wildsounds.com
Note: To ascertain tour/seat availability and best pricing, select a week for departure date. e.g. Sep 01 - 07
