White-necked Rockfowl (Picathartes gymnocephalus)
Photographing the Picathartes was no mean feat. First there was the long drive from the Western Region right by the border with Ivory Coast where I was to Nyamibe in the Ashanti Region and then a gruelling 35 minute hike up a track into the forest reserve - a real fitness test with the steepness of the hill.
The nesting area of the birds are quite high in altitude hence the upward climb. We arrived at the spot with their mud nests visibly tucked on what was a massive rock. The nest is very similar to that of the swallows but larger. I was accompanied by representatives of the two communities that are in charge of the forest reserve where the birds nest. The instructions was to be silent and only use sign language once we were at the site. They had constructed a bench right by the nests which we all sat as we caught our breath and waited. The birds eventually arrived and they didn't care about us being there!
This was such a weird feeling it was as if the whole encounter was unreal. Firstly the bird looks like an inflatable, nothing I'd ever seen before and as I tried to wrap my mind around that I was also trying to comprehend why the birds weren't afraid of humans. There was also the challenge of shooting in the rainforest with low light. I opted for the mechanical shutter and played around with the shutter speed shooting wide open with auto iso.
Facts - The White-necked Rockfowl also known as Yellow-headed Picathartes (Picathartes gymnocephalus) is one of West Africa's most extraordinary and sought-after birds — a species that feels almost prehistoric in both appearance and behaviour. This bird's UCN classsification is vulnerable(VU).
Endemic to the Upper Guinean forests, this elusive bird inhabits remote rocky outcrops and dense primary rainforest, where it moves with a curious mix of hops, runs and short flights along the forest floor and boulder faces. Its striking bare yellow head, patterned with bold black markings, contrasts sharply with slate-grey plumage and long, powerful legs adapted for scrambling among rocks. Despite its dramatic appearance, the rockfowl is surprisingly quiet and secretive, often detected only by careful observation at traditional nesting sites.
These nests — mud cups attached to vertical cave walls or shaded rock overhangs — are constructed communally, with several pairs breeding in loose colonies. Breeding success depends heavily on undisturbed habitat and stable microclimates within these rocky shelters.
Yellow-headed Rockfowl feed primarily on insects, small invertebrates and occasionally small vertebrates, gleaned from leaf litter or captured in short bursts of movement. They often follow army ant swarms, taking advantage of prey flushed by the ants — behaviour reminiscent of certain antbirds despite their very different lineage.
Taxonomically unique, rockfowl belong to the family Picathartidae, a group with no close living relatives, contributing to their reputation as evolutionary relicts. Habitat loss and disturbance at nesting sites have made the species globally vulnerable, and responsible ecotourism plays an important role in supporting conservation efforts.
Encountering this bird in its natural environment is less like seeing a typical passerine and more like stepping briefly into another era — a reminder of how ancient and specialised the rainforest avifauna can be.
White-necked Rockfowl (Picathartes gymnocephalus)
Photographing the Picathartes was no mean feat. First there was the long drive from the Western Region right by the border with Ivory Coast where I was to Nyamibe in the Ashanti Region and then a gruelling 35 minute hike up a track into the forest reserve - a real fitness test with the steepness of the hill.
The nesting area of the birds are quite high in altitude hence the upward climb. We arrived at the spot with their mud nests visibly tucked on what was a massive rock. The nest is very similar to that of the swallows but larger. I was accompanied by representatives of the two communities that are in charge of the forest reserve where the birds nest. The instructions was to be silent and only use sign language once we were at the site. They had constructed a bench right by the nests which we all sat as we caught our breath and waited. The birds eventually arrived and they didn't care about us being there!
This was such a weird feeling it was as if the whole encounter was unreal. Firstly the bird looks like an inflatable, nothing I'd ever seen before and as I tried to wrap my mind around that I was also trying to comprehend why the birds weren't afraid of humans. There was also the challenge of shooting in the rainforest with low light. I opted for the mechanical shutter and played around with the shutter speed shooting wide open with auto iso.
Facts - The White-necked Rockfowl also known as Yellow-headed Picathartes (Picathartes gymnocephalus) is one of West Africa's most extraordinary and sought-after birds — a species that feels almost prehistoric in both appearance and behaviour. This bird's UCN classsification is vulnerable(VU).
Endemic to the Upper Guinean forests, this elusive bird inhabits remote rocky outcrops and dense primary rainforest, where it moves with a curious mix of hops, runs and short flights along the forest floor and boulder faces. Its striking bare yellow head, patterned with bold black markings, contrasts sharply with slate-grey plumage and long, powerful legs adapted for scrambling among rocks. Despite its dramatic appearance, the rockfowl is surprisingly quiet and secretive, often detected only by careful observation at traditional nesting sites.
These nests — mud cups attached to vertical cave walls or shaded rock overhangs — are constructed communally, with several pairs breeding in loose colonies. Breeding success depends heavily on undisturbed habitat and stable microclimates within these rocky shelters.
Yellow-headed Rockfowl feed primarily on insects, small invertebrates and occasionally small vertebrates, gleaned from leaf litter or captured in short bursts of movement. They often follow army ant swarms, taking advantage of prey flushed by the ants — behaviour reminiscent of certain antbirds despite their very different lineage.
Taxonomically unique, rockfowl belong to the family Picathartidae, a group with no close living relatives, contributing to their reputation as evolutionary relicts. Habitat loss and disturbance at nesting sites have made the species globally vulnerable, and responsible ecotourism plays an important role in supporting conservation efforts.
Encountering this bird in its natural environment is less like seeing a typical passerine and more like stepping briefly into another era — a reminder of how ancient and specialised the rainforest avifauna can be.