First-rains frog chorus in the Upper Guinea forest
Reed frogs (Hyperolius spp.), running frogs (Kassina), tree frogs (Leptopelis), Afrixalus, puddle frogs (Phrynobatrachus), Ptychadena grass frogs. Kakum, Ankasa, Atewa and the forest zone, Ghana.
Best time: 1 May – 15 Jun and 15 Sep – 31 Oct (May to June, September to October). Where: Kakum – Abrafo entrance road and forest-edge pools, Atewa Range Forest Reserve – Kyebi, Ankasa – Nkwanta camp and the park road (Ghana). Time of day: From dusk to about 01:00, at full volume within an hour of dark on the night of a downpour.
- You can go on your own
- Free
- No binoculars needed
- Sound 5/5
Open it in the interactive calendarSunrise and sunset listening times for the day you pick, and the map.
When is the best time?
- Peak 1: 1 May – 15 Jun — May to mid June: the major rains
- Peak 2: 15 Sep – 31 Oct — Mid September to October: the minor rains (second season September–November)
Active from 1 Apr to 15 Nov (April to November) in a typical year.
Time of day
From dusk to about 01:00, at full volume within an hour of dark on the night of a downpour; a smaller second season at the September–October rains
- Night chorus: last light → 01:00
What will you hear?
Layered choruses of reed frogs and Afrixalus at 3–5 kHz over the clicking of Kassina and the low honks of Leptopelis, from every pool and swamp along the forest roads, with crickets and katydids filling the gaps.
Binoculars?
No binoculars needed. Frogs at the pool edge after dark; a torch, not binoculars.
Where to go
- Kakum – Abrafo entrance road and forest-edge pools — Roadside swamps near the park entrance; the park itself closes at 16:00 so the road and village pools are the night option. Map
- Atewa Range Forest Reserve – Kyebi — Upland forest with endemic frogs; walk in from Kyebi/Sagyimase with a local guide. Map
- Ankasa – Nkwanta camp and the park road — Pools along the access road inside the park; camp overnight so no night driving is needed. Map
How to go on your own, and what it costs
Roadside and village pools outside the park gates are open to anyone at night; take a torch, a local companion if you can, and tell the guesthouse where you are going. Inside the parks after 16:00 only with a park guide.
Cost: Free from public roads; park night walks (where offered) carry a guide fee, check current prices.
Field-recording notes
The parks close at dusk, so the reliable chorus is from public roads, village pools and the camp at Ankasa — arrange the night with the park office rather than being found in the forest after hours. Rain is the trigger and the enemy: the biggest choruses are on rain nights, so rain covers and a dry bag for the recorder are not optional. Atewa's frogs include endemic and threatened species (the range is a proposed national park with active mining pressure) — no collecting, no handling. Expect a high, dense mix in the 2–6 kHz band with very few gaps.
Sources
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More: all spectacles in Ghana · frog and toad choruses · Ghana in May · Ghana in June · Ghana in September · Ghana in October