Cameroon: an essential destination for any birder serious about sampling Africa's best birds. Cameroon hosts a mind-boggling diversity of habitats stretches from coastal equatorial forests to the Saharan edge. And holds more endemics than any other West African country.

Some of Africa's most sought after species are best seen in Cameroon: Mount Kupe Bush-shrike (described in 1952 and only 25 individuals recorded since then), Bannerman's Turaco and Red-headed Picathartes. In particular, the highlands of Cameroon form one of Africa's most important Endemic Bird Areas, harbouring a staggering 25 endemic bird species. The question becomes not whether to visit, but when and how.

We have successfully designed and run trips to Cameroon since 2002. We offer three consecutive tours, each focussing on a unique area of the country. Our northern tour visits the woodlands of Ngaoundaba Ranch and Benoue National Park, and arid savannas of Waza. Our southern highlands tour aims to see all (except for Mount Cameroon Francolin) Cameroon Mountains endemics, visiting Mount Cameroon, Mount Kupe, the Bakossi Mountains and the Bamenda Highlands. Our Picathartes Quest samples superb lowland forest birding in Korup National Park, as we focus on finding the legendary Red-headed Picathartes. Each tour is short enough to allow you to sneak away for a short break or, with more time, complete Cameroon in one swoop.

Tailorbirding
If you have other ideas or desired dates, then please contact us and we'll be glad to personalise your trip and birding experience. Our prices are very competitive and can sometimes be discounted for bookings of small groups of four to six tour participants at once.

1. Arrive Douala
2. Fly to Maroua; drive to Waza
3. Full day around Waza
4. Drive Waza to Maroua
5. Drive Maroua to Benoue NP
6. Full day in Benoue NP
7. Drive to Ngaoundaba
8. Full day at Ngaoundaba Ranch
9. Full day at Ngaoundaba Ranch
10. To Ngaoundere; fly to Douala.

See a more detailed itinerary.

1. Arrive in Douala
2. Day trip up Mount Cameroon
3. Drive to Nyasoso
4. Full day at Mount Kupe/Bakossi
5. Full day at Mount Kupe/Bakossi
6. Full day at Mount Kupe/Bakossi
7. Full day at Mount Kupe/Bakossi
8. Drive to Bamenda
9. Full day in Bamenda Highlands
10. Drive to Yaounde

See a more detailed itinerary.

1. Arrive Yaounde
(as day 10, Southern Cameroon)
2. Drive Yaounde to Douala
3. Drive from Douala to Mundemba
4. Full day at Korup NP
5. Full day at Korup NP
6. Full day at Korup NP
7. Full day at Korup NP
8. Drive Mundemba to Douala.

See a more detailed itinerary.

North: 1-10 Mar '08
South: 10-19 Mar '08
Picathartes: 19-26 Mar '08

To design your own private tour, please email us

Birding Africa trip reports

• 2007 - By Michael Mills
• 2004 - By Cliff Dorse
• 2003 - By Michael Mills and Callan Cohen
• 2002 - By Michael Mills and Callan Cohen

DETAILED ITINERARY: NORTHERN CAMEROON

DAY 1
We meet in Douala, Cameroon’s commercial capital, where we spend the first night at Foyer du Marin.

DAY 2
We leave behind West Africa’s tropical coastline, flying inland to the edge of the Sahel – quite a contrast! We touch down at Maroua, from where we continue northwards by vehicle to Waza. If time allows, we will stop en route for conspicuous roadside species such as Northern Long-tailed and Chestnut-bellied Starlings and Grasshopper Buzzard. Black-headed Lapwing, Rufous Bush Chat and Black Scrub-Robin occur in the more open grassy areas. This is also the only known locality in Cameroon for Cricket Longtail, a bizarre warbler of the Sahel. With some luck we may also track down the ever-elusive Quail Plover, a strange button-quail. We saw Golden Nightjar here in 2003, although we would have to be extremely lucky to repeat this. We'll spend the night at Campement de Waza, the quaint ex-French establishment perched on the slopes of Waza rocks.

DAY 3
An early morning excursion into Waza National Park provides opportunity to search the stately Arabian Bustard. During the heat of the day, mammals and birds concentrate around the receding waters of the few remaining pools. These include impressive numbers of storks and vultures. The roadside pools and floodplain to the south of Waza draw large numbers of waterbirds, where flocks of Black-crowned Crane commute overhead to their foraging grounds. The thorn thickets are alive with birds which include a wide variety of seedeaters such as Sahel Paradise Whydah, Black-rumped Waxbill, African Silverbill and Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu. Highlights here should include African Swallow-tailed Kite, Sennar Penduline Tit and River Prinia. For those who are interested in mammals, Patas Monkey, Giraffe, Roan and Red-fronted Gazelle will distract you briefly from the abundance of birds. Night at Campement de Waza.

DAY 4
Today we return south to Maroua, searching for any species previously missed. Highlights may include Common Gonolek and, at some roadside hillocks, Lavender Waxbill, White-crowned Cliff Chat and Rock-loving Cisticola.

DAY 5
We continue our journey southwards, on to the Benoue Plain, a vast wilderness area of extensive deciduous woodlands. Strongly reminiscent of the woodlands further south where we grew up, it has a similar but distinct set of species. Night at Campement de Buffle Noir, scenically perched on the banks of the Benoue River.

DAY 6
We are in for a birding feast as we concentrate our efforts along the Benoue River. Some of the more striking species include White-crested and Violet Turaco, White-cheeked Oliveback, Red-winged Grey Warbler and perhaps Adamawa Turtle Dove (a major special of this area). Along the river, we should find the splendid Egyptian Plover. The surrounding woodlands hold Senegal Batis, Fine-spotted Woodpecker, Spotted Creeper and Cabanis's Bunting. Other species we'll be looking for include White-throated Francolin, Blue-bellied Roller, Stone Partridge, Dorst's and Rufous Cisticola, Red-winged Pytilia and Brown-rumped Bunting. Night at Campement de Buffle Noir.

DAY 7
We will spend the first few hours of the morning searching for additional species, before continuing southwards to the city of Ngaoundere and on to Ngaoundaba Ranch. Night at Ngaoundaba Ranch.

DAYS 8-9
The famous Ngaoundaba Ranch, situated on the Adamawa Plateau, is set in a unique area cloaked in a woodland-grassland mosaic intersected by numerous forested watercourses. We will spend two full days exploring the splendours of Ngaoundaba. The most sought after species skulk in the dense forests. Here White-crowned and Grey-winged Robin-chats, Oriole Warbler, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Leaflove and the endemic Bamenda Apalis will hopefully be amongst the highlights. This is also one of the most accessible places in Africa where the notoriously elusive Spotted Thrush-Babbler occurs, a bird of uncertain affinities. Roaming flocks of seedeaters frequent the grassy forest verges, sometimes joined by Black-bellied Firefinch or Dybowski's and Brown Twinspots. Open areas may yield a variety of starlings, including the highly localised White-collared. Other highlights seen on previous tours have been Yellow-winged Pytilia, Willcock's Honeyguide, Schlegel's Francolin, Blue-bellied Roller and Standard-winged Nightjar, the latter arguably one of Africa's most spectacular birds. Nights at Ngaoundaba Ranch.

DAY 10
Today we conclude the northern section of our trip by returning to Ngaoundere and catching the flight back to Douala, where we'll be joined by those birders only coming on the southern leg of the trip. Overnight in Douala.

DETAILED ITINERARY: SOUTHERN CAMEROON HIGHLANDS

DAY 1
We meet in Douala, and overnight at Foyer du Marin. (same day as day 10 for Northern Cameroon)

DAY 2
There is no better place to kick off our highlands birding experience than on West Africa's highest mountain, Mount Cameroon. Spending the better part of the day on the mountain will allow us to sample its endemics. To reach the haunt of Mount Cameroon Speirops, a peculiar white-eye, we'll have a long, steady climb ahead of us. En route we should find Mountain Sawwing, although the mountain's other endemic Mount Cameroon Francolin is unlikely. Other species may include the endemic Little Oliveback, Cameroon Olive and Western Mountain Greenbuls, and Oriole Finch. Night in Douala or Buea.

DAY 3
We make an early start for Nyasoso, our base for the next four days. Nestled against the western foot Mount Kupe, this unassuming rural town has assumed royal status among birders. We hope to arrive by midday, to allow us time for some afternoon birding along a nearby road.

DAYS 4-7
With four full days in hand, we have ample time to explore one of Africa’s most highly rated birding areas, Mount Kupe and the Bakossi Mountains. The rediscovery of the localised Mount Kupe Bush-shrike in 1989 not only focussed the birding world's eyes on Cameroon, but has also led to the establishment of a high profile community based conservation programme at Nyasoso. A network of trails leads out from our accommodation in Nyasoso village, where we will have access to great birding right on our doorstep. The key to Mount Kupe's great diversity is the range of altitudes spanned. Starting on the village edge at 900m the trails rise up through mid-altitude forest with superb birding, before finally reaching the endemic-rich high altitude forests.

If needs be we will make the tough ascent to 1500m, passing through habitat where most people search, unsuccessfully, for Mount Kupe Bush-shrike. Cameroon Olive, Grey-headed, Cameroon Montane and Western Mountain Greenbuls, Cameroon Olive Pigeon, Green-breasted Bush-shrike, Ursula's Sunbird, Little Oliveback, White-throated Mountain-babbler, White-tailed Warbler, Green Longtail, Cameroon Blue-headed Sunbird and Crossley's Ground Thrush also all occur here. We, however, will be concentrating our efforts on the lower slopes. Key species here include Black Bee-eater, Forest Swallow and Black-necked Wattle-eye, which occur alongside a vast array of more widespread forest species.

The highlight of our stay, however, will be visiting the Bakossi Mountains. Here, many of the species usually searched for on the steep, upper slopes on Mt Kupe, are found with relative ease. Most importantly, we have found at least four different pairs of Mount Kupe Bush-shrike since 2002.

DAY 8
We have a long drive ahead of us, as we climb up to the Bamenda Highlands. If time allows, some late afternoon birding should allow us to track down Brown-backed Cisticola or Yellow-breasted Boubou. Night in Bamenda.

DAY 9
We have a full day to explore the lofty heights of the Bamenda Highlands. This is a heavily transformed plateau, where its endangered endemics cling to existence in the few remaining pockets of forest. Key species we'll search for include endemics such as Bangwa Forest Warbler, Bannerman's Weaver, Cameroon Pipit, Cameroon Olive Pigeon and Mountain Robin-chat. Bannerman's Turaco, one of Africa's conservation icons, is our main target species for the day. Its striking red crest has captivated the imagination of local tribes, some of whom have incorporated it into their traditional dress in the form of a wooden headpiece for use at special ceremonies. It is best found in the larger forest patches, together with Banded Wattle-eye. Night in Bamenda.

DAY 10
We have a couple of hours for birding in the Bamenda Highlands, before heading for Yaounde, where the highlands tour ends.

DETAILED ITINERARY: CAMEROON PICATHARTES QUEST

DAY 1
Arrive and meet in Yaounde (same day as day 10 for Southern Cameroon Highlands)

DAY 2
After some birding in the vicinity of Yaounde, we will make our way to Douala, stopping en route at the Sanaga River, where we hope to find Grey Pratincole and African Skimmer.

DAY 3
We'll take our time driving to Mundemba, from where we will access the legendary Korup National Park. Roadside birding can be very productive, and we'll make numerous stops. We may see our first Spotted Greenbul, White-thighed or Piping hornbills, Black-headed Waxbill or Long-legged Pipit. Night in Mundemba.

DAYS 4-7
We have four exciting day to explore the lowlands of Korup National Park. This vast wilderness area offers an excellent chance for Red-headed Picathartes, which will be our main target species. We will take our time to study the numerous species of greenbuls and various forest skulkers. These may include Red-tailed, White-bearded, Eastern Bearded and Ansorge's greenbuls, Green-tailed and Common Bristlebills, Black-capped and Pale-breasted Illadopsis and the diminutive Forest Robin. Other highlights may include Blue Cuckooshrike, Black-casqued, Yellow-casqued and Red-billed Dwarf hornbills, Bare-cheeked Trogon and Blue-headed Wood Dove. Other possibilities include Nkulengu Rail, Vermiculated Fishing Owl, Black Guineafowl, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Chocolate-backed and African Dwarf Kingfisher and Forest Francolin. Nights at the basic Rengo Rock Camp.

DAY 8
Today we return to Douala, where our trip concludes.