Itinerary:

 Nigeria has been seldom explored in recent years, and there remains much to be discovered there. The country is now much easier to visit and get around, and this tour follows some exciting recent discoveries.

After arrival in Abuja, we will take an internal flight to an airstrip near Obudu Cattle Ranch. This lodge is on the Obudu Plateau, and along the Cameroon border, with which it shares blocks of forest. Within the lodge grounds is Becheve Forest Reserve, a protected patch of forest, with walkways and platforms, and even this small area contains all 18 of the Cameroon Forest endemics, which occur in Nigeria.

We will have several days to explore the area, and look for these species, which are; Cameroon Olive Pigeon, Mountain Saw-wing, Cameroon Mountain, Cameroon Olive, Grey-headed and Western Mountain Greenbuls,  Yellow-breasted Boubou, Green-breasted Bush-shrike, Cameroon Mountain Robin, White-throated Mountain Babbler, Brown-backed Cisticola, Green Longtail, Bangwa Scrub-warbler, White-tailed Warbler, Black-capped Woodland Warbler, Cameroon Sunbird, Shelley’s (Fernando Po) Oliveback and Bannerman’s Weaver. Other species present include; Tambourine Dove, Western Tinkerbird, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Mountain Wagtail,  Orange-tufted Sunbird, Fülleborn’s Boubou, Pink-footed Puffback, Mackinnon’s Shrike, Fiery-breasted Bush-shrike, Crossley’s Ground-thrush, Grey Apalis, Brown-capped Weaver and Thick-billed Seedeater. Mt. Kupe Bush-shrike has been found nearby recently, which provides a flavour of some of the possibilities.

We will also visit Cross River National Park, where a highlight will be the opportunity of viewing Grey-necked Picathartes, at an easily accessible site, although the accommodation is basic. The area abounds with birds, and we may also see; Black-and-white Casqued and Red-billed Dwarf Hornbills, Woodhouse`s Antpecker, Great Blue Turaco, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Black Bee-eater, Eastern Bearded Greenbul,  White-spotted Wattle-eye, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Narrow-tailed Starling, Ussher’s and Olivaceous Flycatchers, Rachel’s Malimbe and Black-bellied Seedcracker.

After the return flight to Abuja, we drive to Jos. The wooded hillsides of the plateau hold two endemics, Rock Firefinch, and it’s brood-parasite, Jos Plateau Indigobird. Other interesting species in the area include Stone Partridge, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Adamawa Turtle Dove, Abyssinian and Blue-bellied Rollers, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Mocking Cliff-Chat, Red-billed Hornbill, Violet Turaco, White-headed Barbet, Yellow-crowned Gonolek and Oriole Warbler.

After flying back to Abuja, we drive to Sunvit Farm, on the River Niger. We will take canoes here to search out the scarce Vermiculated Fishing Owl. Other species present include; African Crake, Fox Kestrel, White-faced Scops Owl, Blue-breasted and Giant Kingfishers, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Beautiful Sunbird, White-browed Forest-Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Greenbul, African Moustached Warbler and Red-faced Pytilia. At dusk, we can look for Black-shouldered and Long-tailed Nightjars.

Our next destination is Okomu National Park. This area of relict rainforest is one of the best birding areas in the country. As well as the endemic White-throated Monkey, there are many special birds. These include; Hartlaub’s Duck, White-crested, Black-casqued, Yellow-casqued, Black-billed Dwarf and Red-billed Dwarf Hornbills, Forest Francolin, Grey Parrot, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Cassin’s Spinetail, Cassin’s Honeyguide, Blue Cuckooshrike, Little Green and Buff-throated Sunbirds, African Forest Flycatcher, Grey Longbill, four species of Nigrita and Yellow-mantled and Maxwell’s Black Weavers, many of which are viewable from a tower platform amongst the trees.

Our final destination is near Ibadan, where the endemic Ibadan Malimbe occurs, alongside Red-vented, Red-headed and Gray’s. In addition, several wetland species may be seen, as well as Fire-bellied Woodpecker, Naked-faced Barbet, Baumann’s Greenbul and Olive-green Camaroptera. Other possibilities include Grey Pratincole and Egyptian Plover, which may have been dispersed from their normal sandbank homes by the rains.