BIRDING IN
ODZALA
PART III - NGAGA
November 2019
Ngaga Lodge is located outside of the boundaries of Odzala National Park, about 30 minutes to an hour of Mbomo (park entrance).
The forests around Ngaga are taller than in Mboko and Lango, and the terrain is more hilly. In valleys the forest is older, but on hilltops, Marantaceae are dominant with few sparse but gigantic trees.
An extensive network of trails allows for very good visibility on the branches of tall trees and a number of birds are here easier to see than in many other forests.
The camp is located on the slope of a hill, under large trees and immersed in Marantaceae. The multiple views on the canopy and high understory from the rooms and from the boardwalks are excellent for birding. Most of the photos on this post were taken from the lodge.
Bare-cheeked Trogon | Apaloderma aequatoriale
Common in tall forest and often heard, but difficult to see. Here seen from one of the rooms.
Cassin’s Spinetail | Neafrapus cassini
Common in small groups, often seen flying above the forests, clearings and rivers.
Sabine’s Spinetail | Rhaphidura sabini
Common in small groups, often seen flying above the forests, clearings and rivers.
African Dwarf-kingfisher | Ispidina lecontei
Common in most forest but hardly ever seen. Tame and common around Ngaga camp.
Black Bee-eater | Merops gularis
Common on forest edges, along roads and high-up in trees.
Blue-headed Bee-eater | Merops muelleri
Common high-up in trees in the forest.
Eastern Piping Hornbill | Bycanistes sharpii
Common and often in small groups, high-up in trees in the forest.
Yellow-spotted Barbet | Buccanodon duchaillui
Common in all forests, and particuarly common in secondary forests and clearings, around Musanga trees.
Little Green Woodpecker | Campethera maculosa
Common forest species.
Black-winged Oriole | Oriolus nigripennis
Common with the former species in most forests.
Rufous-bellied Helmetshrike | Prionops rufiventris
Common in small group in the canopy and easy to see around the Ngaga Lodge.
Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher | Bias musicus
Common in pairs in forest edge and clearings.
Whitey-spotted Wattle-eye | Dyaphorophya tonsa
Common in pairs, but usually high up in the canopy.
Velvet-mantled Drongo | Dicrurus modestus
Common on forest edges, clearings and high up iin trees.
Shining Drongo | Dicrurus atripennis
Common in the forest interior.
Sabine’s Puffback | Dryoscopus sabini
Singles seen in the forest canopy. Frequent in the lodge.
Western Nicator | Nicator chloris
Common in most forests.
Bate’s Paradise-flycatcher | Terpsiphone batesi
Common in the forest interior.
Yellow-footed Flycatcher | Muscicapa sethsmithi
Common in tall forest, mostly in the understory and at mid-stratum.
Red-tailed Ant-thrush | Neocossyphus rufus
Common in most forest.
Yellow-whiskered Greenbul | Eurillas latirostris
Common everywhere
Ansorge’s Greenbul | Eurillas ansorgei
Relatively commo, often in tall forests.
Red-tailed Bristlebill | Bleda syndactylus
Common but very shy in the forest understory.
Sjostedt Greenbul | Baeopogon clamans
Relatively frequent in tall forest.
Green Hylia | Hylia prasina
Common everywhere, one of the typical sound of the forest.
Lemon-bellied Crombec | Sylvietta denti
Common everywhere, but usually high in trees.
Buff-throated Apalis | Apalis rufogularis
Seen from the boardwalks in the understory around the rooms of the lodge.
Yellow-browed Camaroptera | Camaroptera superciliaris
Common and often singing in entangled vegetation high up in trees.
Brown Illadopsis | Illadopsis fulvescens
Common everywhere, and heard earling morning but very hard to see.
Purple-headed Starling | Hylopsar purpureiceps
Common, usually high up in the canopy.
Johanna’s Sunbird | Cinnyris johannae
Common in most forest.
Woodhouse’s Antpecker | Parmoptila woodhousei
Uncommon bird, in the understory.