10 July 2019: Yellow-headed Forest Ghost

Some birds are high on my want list, and the Yellow-headed Picathartes was near the top of this list. After birding Sushen Road we headed to Bonkro Village, where there is a community project to protect the Picathartes site. After a very brisk climb up a forested slope, in 90% humidity, (Africa is not for sissies), we reached the nest location situated under an overhanging cliff. The birds started to arrive just before sunset, silently hopping out of the bush to inspect us before again disappearing ghost-like into the forest. After apparently deciding that we were not a threat, about five of them hopped into the clearing where we were seated and silently vanished into their nests. Just another great day in Africa!

Yellow-headed Picathartes, Bonkro.