In March 2024, Alight Tours took an intrepid group of birders to the heart of the West African Gold Coast – Ghana. Day 6 of the trip was particularly memorable. We were birding in Ankasa Conservation Area located in the southwest of the country; a 50,000 ha protected area, containing the most biologically diverse forest in Ghana. We had some spectacular birds that day – Yellow-billed Turaco, Dwarf Bittern, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Blue-moustached and Black Bee-eaters, Yellow-bearded Greenbul (so many birds with facial hair! #birdsarentmammals), Copper-tailed Starling, and Long-tailed Hawk – and even were lucky enough to find West African Dwarf Caiman (a small species of crocodile) sunning themselves on logs in a forest pool. But as the day began to wane it was time to head back to the lodge. However, our adventure was far from over. We had one final birdwatching mission to embark on: locating the elusive Nkulengu Rail.
Yellow-billed Turaco © Francesco Veronesi, Dwarf Bittern © Yoann Lombard, Black Bee-eater © Toby Ross
The Nkulengu Rail, a bird 17 inches tall, weighing about a pound, with generally mid-brown plumage may not be a looker, but this rail is a true enigma. It earns its name from its unique call, a repeating, rhythmical “Nku-nku-lengu, Nku-nku-lengu”. This rail spends most of its time silently skulking through lowland rainforests along streams and rivers searching for insect food. The only time they vocalize is just before dawn and when locating their nighttime roost. These roosts are typically high in trees, 20 to 30 feet above the forest floor.
Locating the Nkulengu Rail is no easy feat because it only calls before dawn and once very briefly at dusk. This makes locating them particularly difficult, but our guides have developed a remarkable technique for tracking them. As dusk falls, the guides position themselves along a trail where they’re known to roost, face the darkening forest, and start playing the rail’s call. The moment they hear a response, they spring into action, racing into the forest in a bid to locate the rail before it falls silent. With the forest shrouded in near-total darkness and trees densely packed, this search is nothing short of a high-stakes, adrenaline-pumping challenge.
West African Dwarf Crocodile © Toby Ross
Finding a brown bird, high in a tree, in near total darkness is near impossible, but despite the odds, these skilled guides have honed their technique to near perfection. Once they locate the rail, one guide stays with the bird, while the others rush back to lead us to the sighting. We then have the extraordinary experience of simply looking up into the canopy to spot this elusive creature.
Our encounter with the Nkulengu Rail was nothing short of magical. Standing there in the dim light, gazing up into the treetops, we were treated to a rare and unforgettable view of this secretive bird. The experience was a testament to the skill and dedication of Ghana’s birding guides, and a reminder of the incredible wonders that await those who venture into the heart of the West African rainforest.
Roosting Nkulengu Rail illuminated by torchlight, Ankasa Conservation Area, Ghana © Toby Ross
This blog is an excerpt from the trip report for the 18-day Ghana Birds and Wildlife tour, March 6-23 2024.
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