Guide to Bird Watching

Are you a lover of birds? Here is Guide to Bird Watching to make your hobby even more interesting. If you are considering bird watching as a hubby? This guide to bird watching will help you make the most of your time at this hubby in Nigeria.

 

Guide to Bird Watching

 

Nigeria is home to many beautiful natural creations. “The land is green” is a slogan that is used to describe Nigeria’s richness when nature is involved. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to spot birds of different species if one does not go to a location where they are in large numbers.

Nevertheless, bird watching is a hobby that most Nigerians are fond of, and most Nigerians do not know where they can go to watch birds to their satisfaction. Not to worry, we have all been there. We have all stared at the sky, waiting to see a particular bird that we may have read about flying through the sky in Nigeria. But deep down, we knew we won’t see those species of birds because where we stood was not their home.

So to ease the stress of where you can go and watch birds to your satisfaction, we have compiled a list of well-researched places in Nigeria where you can bird-watch freely.

 

1.      IITA Forest Reserve and Lake: 

It is located in the city of Ibadan, Oyo state. Some people describe this location as the birdwatcher’s paradise. This is because the forest reserve covers up to 350 hectares of land, a tropical forest, and a 3KM long lake. This a beautiful feature that the birds love, and as such, it attracts over 272 different bird species. 

Some birds you can sight in this forest reserve include the 

  • White-faced whistling duck
  • Helmeted guineafowl
  • Red-eyes dove
  • Tambourine dove
  • African palm-swift
  • African Jacana
  • Wood sandpiper
  • Cattle egret
  • Hadada ibis
  • African pied hornbill
  • Velvet-mantled drongo
  • Pied crow
  • Olive-green camaroptera
  • Red-faced cisticola
  • Ethiopian swallow
  • Gray-headed bristlebill
  • Swamp greenbul
  • Yellow-whiskered greenbul
  • Leaf-dove
  • White-throated greenbul
  • Chestnut-winged starling
  • Splendid starling
  • Forest Robin
  • Collared Sunbird
  • Red-vented malimbe
  • Village weaver
  • Yellow-mantled weaver
  • Northern red bishop
  • Bronze mannikin
  • Black-and-white mannikin
  • Long-tailed cormorant
  • Squacco heron
  • Black-crowned night-heron
  • Pallid swift
  • Black crake
  • White-throated bee-eater
  •  Red-billed helmetshrike, etc.

 

2.      Obudu Mountain Resort / Obudu Cattle Ranch: 

Not only does this site offer one of the best sites to watch birds, but it is also a luxurious spot. It is located in Cross River state, and its highland and deep tropical forest are a sight of attraction to different species of birds. Some species of birds you can find here include – 

  • the Cameroon pigeon
  • Red eyed-dove
  • African green pigeon
  • Little swift
  • Black kite
  • Speckled mousebird
  • African pied-hornbill
  • Barn swallow
  • Common Bulbul
  • Village weaver
  • Yellow bishop
  • Common waxbill
  • Bronze mannikin
  • Tree pipit, etc. 

In Nigeria, this location offers a beautiful mountain and countryside to bird watchers. But if you need a break from this, you can take a tour of the rich natural vegetation and feast your eyes on the picturesque view.

 

3. Yankari Game Reserve: 

Some of the birds which have been spotted by birdwatchers include: 

  • Cattle egret
  • Grey hornbill
  • Guineafowl
  • Saddle-billed stork
  • Brown-rumped bunting
  • Striped kingfisher
  • Speckle-fronted weaver
  • African yellow white-eye, etc. 

Bird watching is not the only activity that lovers of nature can do at this location. They can also watch elephants and lions, and they can even enjoy the natural warm spring. If you are a true nature lover and want to explore all aspects of it, then this is the place to be, and the insecurity in the Northern part of Nigeria should not be an obstacle. 

 

Read also:

Guide to Scuba Diving in Nigeria

A Guide For Erin Ijesha

 

4. Amurum Forest Reserve: 

This is considered the best place for bird watching. The reason for these accolades could be that in this forest reserve, a bird watcher can sight 50 to 305 different species of birds. Most of these birds, however, migrate to this location, while some are residents of the reserve. 

Some of the resident birds include; the Jos Plateau Indigo bird (Vidua maryae), and the Rock fire finch (Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis). 

Bird watchers have also sighted birds such as 

  • Stone Partridge
  • Double-spurred Francolin
  • Adamawa turtle dove
  • Sahel Paradise-Whydah
  • White-billed Buffalo-weaver
  • Purple heron, Common swift
  • Abdim’s stork
  • European bee-eater
  • White-throated bee-eater
  • Black scimitarbill
  • Brown babbler
  • Pied Kingfisher
  • Senegal thick-knee
  • Red-billed firefinch
  • Cattle egret
  • White-faced whistling duck
  • Gosling’s bunting
  • pintailed whydah
  • Northern red bishop
  • Village weaver
  • Green-backed camaroptera
  • Yellow-billed shrike
  • Senegal parrot
  • Green woodhoopoe, etc.

 

5.   Lekki Conservation Centre: 

The Lekki conversation centre is one of the locations that has been preserved through time by Nigerians. Due to this, the plants and animals that exist here are numerous. The 78 hectares of land also holds lots of different species of birds. Some of them include 

  • Black-and-white mannikin
  • Barn swallow
  • Lesser/Eurasian kestrel
  • Orange weaver
  • Yellow-billed shrike
  • Gray greenbul
  • Whimbrel
  • African green pigeon, etc. 

With your binoculars in hand, you can bird watch through the raised walkway and also sight animals like monkeys, crocodiles, monitor lizards, chameleons, squirrels, duikers, giant rats, hogs, and snakes.

 

6. Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary: 

Some species of birds that you can expect to find in this location include the 

  • Great blue turaco
  • African green-pigeon
  • Black kite
  • White-thighed hornbill
  • Naked-faced barbet
  • Pied crow
  • Common Bulbul
  • Vieillot’s weaver
  • Village weaver, etc. 

It is located in Cross River. This wildlife is a sanctuary for endangered species.

 

Read also:

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The Art of Being Active While Ageing

 

7.  Weppa Farm and Ogwe River, Agenebode: 

  • Double-spurred Francolin
  • Village weaver
  • African green-pigeon
  • White helmetshrike
  • Black coucal
  • Hamerkop
  • Black-bellied firefinch
  • Vinaceous dove
  • Senegal coucal

The list is some birds you can expect to find in this location. This location is known to preserve both migratory and indigenous birds. It is a beautiful place for bird watchers to go and observe birds of different species. It is located in Etsako East local government area in Edo state.

 

 

8.  Omo Forest Reserve – Erin’s Camp Area: 

  • Ethiopian swallow
  • Red eyed-dove
  • Tambourine dove
  • African green pigeon
  • Cuckoo species
  • Swift species
  • Black kite
  • African wood-owl
  • and Hornbill species 

are some species of birds that can be found in this area. It is located in Ogun state. The best place to watch birds in this location is on the low-rolling hills.

Apart from these locations, you can still watch birds in any part of Nigeria. Though, it is advisable to go with some money to help you relax in a hotel after you are done and also choose a place that has good security and a good phone network.

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