At the centre of Burkina Faso’s Ouagadougou capital lies one of the simplest bird watching areas that visitors tour. Ouagadougou Classified Forest is dotted by small segments of savanna woodlands, a small riparian forest and scrub and tree savannah.
At the Ouagadougou Classified Forest, there are about 200 bird species. Main species are from West Africa such as Senegal Coucal, Abyssinian Roller, Red-throated Bee-eater, Black-crowned Tchagra, Yellow-crowned Gonolek and the Yellow-billed Shrike.
Long-crested Eagle, Lanner Falcon, Jacobin Cuckoo, Bearded Barbet and African Golden Oriole are some of the less common species but are sometimes see at the Ouagadougou Classified Forest.
Other places that you can still visit for bird watching adventure in Burkina Faso include; Loumbila Reservoir located at the North-Eastern part of Ouagadougou host to the Palearctic migrants such as the Yellow Wagtail, Bluethroat, Common Whitethroat, Isabelline Shrike and Woodchat Shrike. At the shores of the reservoir, you can sight Common Ringed Plover, Black-headed Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, Black-headed Lapwing and Black-headed Lapwing.
Towards the South-Eastern part of Ouagadougou is Bagre Dam on the White Volta where you will sight Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark, Cut-throat Finch, Rufous Scrub, African Silverbill and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting.
At the suburban Gonsee Classified Forest located 30 minutes away from Ouagadougou, you are likely to spend a full day watching various species of birds. Common birds include; Grasshopper Buzzard, White-bellied Bustard, Savile’s Bustard, and White-throated Bee-eater. When the sun goes down, common species to sight includes Spotted Thick-knee, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Northern White-faced, Long-tailed Nightjar and Standard-winged Nightjar.
Last but not least, Lake Darkoye is a haven for bird watching. It is considered an important bird area towards the far end of Burkina Faso where Little Bittern, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Little Crake, Black Crowned Crane, Lesser Jacana, Greater Painted-snipe and Cream-coloured Courser call home.
The best destinations for bird watching in Burkina Faso, West Africa https://t.co/yWL9Ss7wsy#SeeAfricaToday #BirdWatching pic.twitter.com/4caFRNNIsK
— See Africa Today (@SeeAfricaToday) September 12, 2019
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