The 3 different areas I visited are badly known birding sites on the standard birding itinerary for this country.
At the time of living in Belgium I only found two reports on the internet and any useful contacts (in Fatbirder and African Bird Club). I spent 6 days of birding and nearly 2 weeks for my mission there.
In the three weeks I recorded 228 species. Of these 101 were new. It was a very enjoyable trip.
A. Costs, accommodation
The flight from Bruxelles to Ouagadougou with Afriquiah was reasonably priced at 612 €. This was booked through Royal Aviation Services in Bruxelles.
Address: 02 7882020, Email: samia@condorsa.com
I made a short stop in Tripoli and Accra on the way in and only Tripoli on the way back.
Visa: cost 25 € in Belgium
Money: The currency of Burkina Faso is the franc CFA, with exchange rates at the time of my visit being 655 FCFA = 1€
It was really difficult to take money from ATM and impossible at the airport.
Accommodation:
*Ouagadougou: Pension Sarah cite An II
Phone: 226-50 381449
Email: pensionSarah@hotmail.com
Room 4100 CFA/pp
*Tengrela Lake ( Banfora ): Campement Kegnigohi , chez Seydou Tou
Phone: 226-70 246893
Room: 3000 CFA /pp breakfast: 1000 CFA Diner 2000CFA
Motorbike to rent: 3000 CFA /day for a small, 6000CFA for a double seat / day
A really nice place, clean, near the lake
*area near Rambo (working place at 130 km north of Ouaga): house of a colleague but you can stay at Tikare in a good hotel and use a car or a bike to bird the general area.
*Djibo: Auberge ( 5 minutes by foot from the bus terminal):
room: 4000 CFA /pp dirty and smelly place!
Hotel Massa in the centre seems better and cleaner!
B. Generalities
Weather: It rained one night in the south near Tengrela Lake.
It was hot, sunny and dry throughout. Temperature at noon was 37°C (in the shadow) and 27°C during the night and early morning.
I took Lariam tablets as a precaution against malaria witch is a slight possibility at this time of year. .I encountered few mosquitoes but a mosquito net is useful. Other inoculations are necessary (Yellow fever, Tetanus, Hepatitis A§B).
Transport: All the ground transport I took was by bus and by hired motorbike. It is worth booking a seat in buses that are cheap:
Ouaga – Bobo - Banfora with STM: 6000 CFA /pp ( good bus)
Djibo – Ouaga : with STAFF 4000 CFA/pp ( old and dusty bus)
C. Itinerary
28-Oct short visit to Gonsee ( 13h- 16h30)
29-Oct 6 00 - 13.15: bus to Banfora
birding Tengrela Lake
30-Oct 5.30 – 7.00 : Tengrela Lake
8.00 – 18.00: Karfiguela falls and surrounding
31-Oct 6.30- 14.00 : Sindou ( 45 km from Tengrela Lake)
15.00-18.30 : Tengrela Lake
1-Nov 5.30-6.30: canoe on the Lake
PM: bus to Ouaga
2 to 10-Nov stay at Rambo and villages : work
11-Nov bus to Djibo arrival at 19.30: 2 breaks and a few stop for reparations!
12-Nov 6.00 – 19.00 : barrage of Djibo
13-Nov bus to Ouaga: 7.00 to 13.00
D. Sites
1. Banfora
Situated in southwest Burkina, to the west of the town of Banfora, Tengrela Lake and Karfiguela falls are easily accessible. Vegetation is more or less dense and in places forms dense groves. You can have a tour in Tengrela Lake to spot the lesser Jacana and to approach with a pirogue a small herd of hippos. In fact, I saw just one hippo in the evening! Price for pirogue: 2000 CFA ( tax) and something for the man.
In this area there is lot of rice paddies, acacia savanna, areas of dried out swamp.
45 km futher to the west and near the border of Mali, the scenery is enlivened by the presence of the barren Sindou rocks, huge “aiguilles” that towers above the surrounding plains.
best birds: Black Heron (1 in flight), Fulvous Duck, White-Faced Duck, Grey Kestrel, Fox Kestrel (1+1+1), Stone Partridge (Sindou:2+2+4), Double-spurred Francolin, White-throated Francolin ( 2) Black Crake, Lesser Jacana (1), Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Black-billed Wood-Dove, Senegal Parrot, Violet Turaco, Western Grey Plantain-eater, Blue-breasted Kingfisher (1), numerous Broad-billed ,Abyssinian and Purple Roller, Blue-bellied Roller ( 8), Red-throated Bee-eater ( 8), White-throatted Bee-eater, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird (1), Red-chested Swallow, Ethiopian Swallow, Square-tailed Drongo, Piapiac, Brown and Blackcap Babbler, Yellow-throated Leaf-Love, White-crowned Robin-Chat ( 2 couple not really shy), White-crowned Cliff-Chat ( 4 Sindou), Western Olivaceous Warbler, Rock-loving Cisticola ( Sindou), Rufous Cisticola, Winding Cisticola, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Oriole Warbler ( 1+1+1) , Senegal Eremomela, Northern Black Fly, African Blue Fly, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Yellow-billed Schrike, Yellow-crowned Gonolek, Purple Glossy, Lond-tailed, Bronze-tailed Starling, Neumann’s Starling ( Sindou, 2 ), Copper,Scarlet-chested, Collared, Pygmy, Variable ( Sindou), Beautiful, Splendid ( and it was!!) Sunbird, Heuglin’s Masked Weaver, Little Weaver, Black-headed Weaver, Northern Red Bishop, Red-winged Pytilia ( 1 near Waterfall), Bar-breasted , Black-bellied and Black-faced Firefinch, Red-cheeked Cordonbleu, Lavender Waxbill, Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Sahel Paradise Whydah, a possible Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah.
2.Rambo
As I travelled northwards the huge baobab trees and well-wooded acacia savanna gradually give way too sparse thorn scrub. Early in the morning the open acacia savanna are pleasant, but as the sun rises higher into the sky a hot wind, the Harmattan, start to blow. Often the air is hazy with dust. I was awoke and walked around from 5.00 to 7.00.
The lower parts of the landscape are still wet at this season. You can find small pond where birds come to drink. These parts have bigger trees and more vegetation, even green grass.
best birds: Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagle, Grasshopper Buzzard, Grey and Lanner Kestrel, Black-headed Lapwing, Four-banded Sandgrouse ( several flocks, and places, seen even near a path at 15.00!) Chestnut –bellied Sandgrouse,Senegal Parrot, Violet Turaco, Plain Nightjar, Mottled Spinetail ( 2 breeding in a baobab), Black Scimitarbill, White-throated Bee-eater, Northern Red-billed Hornbill, Sun Lark( lot), Rufous-rumped Lark ( 2+2), Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark( lot) , Red Shouldered Cuckooshrike, Yellow Penduline-Tit, Brown Babbler, African and Black Scrub-Robin, Heuglin’s Wheatear ( 1 or 2), Western Olivaceous Warbler, Northern Crombec, Senegal Batis, Yellow-billed Shrikke, Northern Puffback, Black-crowned Tchagra, Yellow-crowned Gonolek( many ), Long-tailed Starling, Chestnut-bellied Starling ( many), Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Pygmy (lot),Beautiful Sunbird, Bush Petronia, White-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Speckle-fronted Weaver (many), Chestnu-crowned Sparrow-Weaver ( 2 , 1 singing), Little and Black-headed Weaver, Green-winged Pytilia, African Silverbill, Red-cheeked Cordonbleu, Black-rumped Waxbill, Sahel Paradise-and Exclamatory Whydah, White-rumped Seed-eater, West African See-eater (2), Golden-breasted and Brown-rumped Bunting
3. Djibo
Djibo is at the beginning of the Sahel region. It’s more dry and harsh landscape with acacia and grass in between. Near the town in the direction to Dori there is a big lake. I mostly birded this area by foot. The way to Ouaga ( first 12 km ) is also very good.
best birds: Red-necked Buzzard(1), Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (5), Red-chested and Wire-tailed Swallow, Singing Bushlark , Northern Crombec, Long-tailed and Chestnut-bellied Starling ( many), Pygmy Sunbird ( 5), Northern Anteater Chat, Viellot’s Barbet, Brubru ( 2), Black and African Scrub-Robin, Sudan Golden Sparrow ( hundred), White-billed Buffalo-Weaver, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Black-rumped Waxbill,
4. Ouagadougou
I did not spend much time in this city. At least, I’ve tried to visit Gonsée Classsified Forest close to the capitol ( about half an hour drive to the east, on the road to Fada N’Gourma). It has good birds to try for , like Bustards and Nightjars. Birds I saw in this quick race were seen near Rambo. In fact, it seems that this place was not protected enough ( cutting ).
1. Purple Heron
2. Grey Heron
3. Black-headed Heron
4. Hamerkop
5. Yellow-billed Egret
6. Great White Egret
7. Little Egret
8. Cattle Egret
9. Black Heron: 1 in flight (Banfora)
10. Squacco Heron
11. Green-backed Heron
12. Black-crowned Night-Heron
13. Fulvous Duck: few Banfora
14. White-faced Duck
15. Spur-winged Goose
16. Northern Shoveler
17. Garganey
18. Yellow-billed Kite
19. Osprey
20. Palm-nut Vulture
21. Hooded Vulture
22. Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagle : 1 near Rambo
23. Brown Snake-Eagle
24. Western Marsh Harrier
25. Pallid Harrier: 2 near Djibo
26. Lizard Buzzard :
27. Gabar Goshawk
28. Dark Chanting Goshawk :
29. Ovambo Sparrowhawk : 1 Gonsee, 1 Banfora
30. Shikra
31. Red-necked Buzzard: only 1 near Djibo
32. Grasshopper Buzzard: few
33. Booted Eagle: 1 near Rambo
34. Common Kestrel
35. Fox Kestrel : 2 a few km before Bobo
36. Lesser Kestrel
37. Grey Kestrel: common
38. Lanner Falcon
39. Peregrine Falcon
40. Stone Partridge: Aiguilles de Sindou: 2 + 2 + 4 ex
41. White-throated Francolin: 2 ex snaking in the grass near Tengrela Lake
42. Double-spurred Spurfowl :
43. Black Crake: common at Tengrela Lake
44. African Jacana
45. Lesser Jacana: 1 ex Tengrela Lake
46. Senegal Thick-knee
47. Spotted Thick-knee : 1 at dusk near Rambo
48. Bronze-winged Courser: 1 Bouli ( Rambo)
49. Spur-winged Lapwing
50. Black-headed Lapwing : en route 2 + 2; 4ex near Bouli ( Rambo)
51. African Wattled Lapwing
52. Black-winged Stilt
53. Spotted Redshank
54. Common Greenshank
55. Green Sandpiper
56. Wood Sandpiper
57. Common Sandpiper
58. Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse : 5ex Djibo, Rambo 3 ex
59. Four-banded Sandgrouse: small flocks near Rambo; even seen on small tracks near Bouli at 12 am!
60. Speckled Pigeon
61. Red-eye Dove
62. African Mourning Dove
63. Vinaceous Dove
64. African Collared Dove
65. Laughing Dove
66. Bruce’s Green Pigeon: Karfiguela falls: 1 ex
67. Black-billed Wood-Dove
68. Blue-spotted Wood-Dove
69. Namaqua Dove
70. Rose-ringed Parakeet
71. Senegal parrot: common except near Djibo
72. Violet Turaco: common Tengrela lake and Rambo
73. Western Grey Plantain-eater
74. Black Coucal
75. Senegal Coucal
76. Barn Owl
77. Pearl-spotted Owlet: seen Tengrela Lake
78. Plain Nightjar : in villages, 2 seen ( Rambo)
79. African Palm Swift
80. Little Swift
81. Mottled Spinetail 2 birds nesting in a baobab near Rambo
82. Common Swift
83. Pallid Swift
84. Eurasian Hoopoe
85. Green Wood-Hoopoe
86. Black Scimitarbill : only 2 seen near Rambo
87. Malachite Kingfisher
88. African Pygmy Kingfisher
89. Blue-Breasted Kingfisher : 1 Karfiguela falls
90. Pied Kingfisher
91. Broad-billed Roller : common around Banfora
92. European Roller :
93. Abyssinian Roller: common
94. Purple Roller : common Banfora with Broad-billed : more than 4O at sunset Tengrela lake
95. Blue-bellied Roller : 6 – 8 Tengrela lake, 2 Karfiguela falls en from the bus near Bobo
96. Little Bee-eater
97. Little Green bee-eater
98. Red-throated Bee-eater : 8 ex early morning near Tengrela lake on one day ( migration?)
99. White-throated Bee-eater : common
100. Northern Red-billed Hornbill
101. African Grey Hornbill
102. Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird : Karfiguela falls
103. Vieillot’s Barbet
104. Bearded Barbet
105. Greater Honeyguide
106. Grey Woodpecker
107. Singing Bush Lark : 1 possible near Rambo, 2 near Djibo
108.Sun Lark : common near Rambo
109. Flappet lark : only 4
110. Rufous-rumped Lark: seen 2 twice in flight near Rambo
111. Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark : common near Rambo
112. Black-crowned Sparrowlark: fairly common near Djibo
113. Sand martin
114. Barn Swallow
115. Red-chested Swallow: common Djibo
116. Ethiopian Swallow: 2 on the way to Sindou
117. Wire-tailed Swallow
118. Lesser Striped Swallow
119. Common House Swallow
120. Yellow Wagtail
121. Plain-backed Pipit
122. Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike: 1 near Rambo
123. Square-tailed Drongo : Karfiguela falls
124. Fork-tailed Drongo
125. African Golden Oriole
126. Piapiac
127. Pied Crow
128. Yellow Penduline-Tit : only 2 near Rambo
129. Brown Babbler : Karfiguela and Rambo
130. Blackcap Babbler : Karfiguela
131. Common Bulbul
132. Yellow-throated Leaf-love : Karfiguela : a flock
133. African Thrush
134. White-crowned Robin-chat: min 2 couple at Karfiguela falls near the stream
135. African Scrub-Robin
136. Black Scrub-Robin: a few near Djibo
137. Common Redstart
138. Familiar Chat
139. Northern Anteater Chat: only 1 near Djibo
140. Northern Wheater
141. Heuglin’s Wheater : 1 or 2 near Rambo
142. White-crowned Cliff-Chat : 4 ex at Aiguilles de Sindou
143. Sedge Warbler
144. Melodious Warbler
145. Western Olivaceous Warbler
146. Willow Warbler
147. Common Chiffchaff
148. Blackcap
149. Greater Whitethroat
150. Red-faced Cisticola : paddifields near Tengrela
151. .Singing Cisticola
152. Rock-Loving Cisticola : 2 + 2 Aiguilles de Sindou
153. Short-winged Cisticola: near Tengrela
154. Rufous Cisticola : Gonsee
155. Winding Cisticola
156. Zitting Cisticola
157. Yellow-breasted Apalis : 2 +2 at Karfiguela falls
158. Tawny-flanked Prinia
159. Oriole Warbler : 1 + 1 + 1 Karfiguela falls
160. Yellow-bellied Eremomela
161. Senegal Eremomela : fewer than Yellow-bellied near Rambo
162. Northern Crombec
163. Grey-backed Camaroptera
164. Northern Black Flycatcher : Karfiguela falls
165. Spotted Flycatcher
166. Pied Flycatcher
167. African Paradise-Flycatcher
168. African Blue Flycatcher : Karfiguela falls: 4 ex
169. Senegal Batis : a few Rambo
170. Brown-throated Wattle-eye : 2 to 3 ex Karfiguela falls
171. Woodchat Shrike : 1 near Rambo
172. Yellow-billed Shrike : common
173. Northern Puffback : only 2 seen
174. Black-crowned Tchagra : common Rambo
175. Brubru
176. Yellow-crowned Gonolek : fairly common near Rambo, few Banfora
177. Purple Glossy Starling
178. Bronze-tailed Starling
179. Greater Blue-eared Starling
180. Long-tailed Starling : small groups everywhere, few near Djibo
181. Chestnut-bellied Starling : small groups everywhere but flocks at Djibo
182. Neumann’s Starling : 2ex at Aiguilles de Sindou
183. Yellow-billed Oxpecker : small numbers on cows near Rambo
184. Copper Sunbird
185. Scarlet-chested Sunbird
186. Collared Sunbird : 1 ex Karfiguela falls
187. Pygmy Sunbird : common around Tengrela lake and Rambo
188. Variable Sunbird
189. Beautiful Sunbird :
190. Splendid Sunbird :
191. Sudan Golden Sparrow : big number in the morning in Djibo with flocks of more than 100 ex!
192. Northern Grey-headed Sparrow
193. Bush Petronia
194. Cut-throat Finch: regular near Rambo
195. White-billed Buffalo-Weaver : big colonies near Rambo and Djibo
196. Speckle-fronted Weaver : common near Rambo and also Djibo
197. Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver:: 2+1 ex ( singing) Rambo
198. Village Weaver
199. Southern Masked Weaver
200. Heuglin’s Masked Weaver : birds at nest; Karfiguela falls and Aiguilles de Sindou
201. Little Weaver
202. Black-headed Weaver
203. Red-headed Quelea
204. Red-billed Quelea : Djibo only
205. Northern Red Bishop
206. Black-winged Bishop
207. Red-winged Pytilia: 1 ex Karfiguela falls
208. Green-winged Pytilia: Rambo area 2 + 4+ 2
209. Bar-breasted Firefinch : Karfiguela falls
210. Red-billed Firefinch
211. Black-bellied Firefinch : Karfiguela falls
212. Black-faced Firefinch
213. Bronze Mannikin
214. African Silverbill
215. Red-cheeked Cordonbleu: common
216. Lavender Waxbill : a few Karfiguela falls
217. Orange-cheeked Waxbill : Tengrela and Karfiguela falls
218. Black-rumped Waxbill
219. Village Indigobird
220. Sahel Paradise-Whydah : Djibo, Rambo and Banfora
221. Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah : seen with Sahel Paradise Whydah near Rambo and a possible near Sindou
223. Yellow-fronted Canary
224. White-rumped Seed-eater : quite common Rambo
225. West African Seed-eater : only 2 near Rambo
226. Cinnamon-breasted Bunting : Rambo
227. Golden-breasted Bunting : Gonsee (1) Rambo ( 4-5)
228. Brown-rumped Bunting : Rambo ( 3