Africa - Cameroon

With a list of over 900 species and a host of endemic and near endemics, Cameroon is a key country for the enthusiastic birder. It is positioned strategically in both West and Central Africa with a wide range of habitats which includes forests, mountains, lakes and desert. As a result, it is a good place to see members of many bird families such as kingfishers, barbets, turacos, bee-eaters, hornbills, greenbuls, sunbirds, shrikes and weavers.

In the far north, large concentrations of waterbirds such as White-faced Whistling Duck and Long-tailed Cormorant can be found along with a great variety of raptors. Further south are the transition zones of the Adamawa plateau in the Mbam Djerem National Park and the lowland evergreen forests. In the western part of the country is the Cameroon Mountain Arc with the Afro-tropical mountain vegetation type. This is where the endemic species such as Mount Cameroon Francolin, Mount Kupé Bush-Shrike and Bannerman's Turaco can be found.

There are also several freshwater systems such as River Sanaga and Nyong and a few lakes e.g. Lake Magba and Lake Maga where waterbirds such as cormorants, darters, storks and herons can be seen. The south-west of the country has a 350 km coastline with a marine ecosystem that provides a roosting ground for a host of migratory species.

The topography and climate can be divided into four bio-geographic regions: the lowland forest; Mount Cameroon and the western highlands; the Adamawa plateau; and Northern Cameroon. The climate varies from tropical along the coast to semi-arid and hot in the north and the elevation ranges from sea level to 4,095 m.

Text supplied by the African Bird Club

Cricket Warbler © Nik Borrow, from the surfbirds galleries