Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The reserve is located in the Accra plains, c.45 minutes drive north-west of Accra, near the village of Doryum. It is dominated by granitic hills rising over 200 m and covered by dry evergreen forest. The vegetation of the plains is mostly short-grass savanna (dominated by
Vetiveria fulvibarbis,
Brachiaria falcifera and perennial grasses) with shrubs and trees. The hills support a mosaic of grassland, woodland thickets and low forest, while marshy and aquatic vegetation occur around small dams and depressions.
See Box and Table 3 for key species. The reserve is relatively rich in birdlife; 160 species have been recorded. Species of interest include
Bucorvus abyssinicus,
Eupodotis melanogaster and
Poicephalus senegalus.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The vigorous invasion of the neem tree,
Azadirachta indica, is an issue of concern. This plant, an unpalatable exotic, is believed to suppress the growth of grass. There have been various attempts at eradicating the species, but this has proved difficult as cut stems coppice and it also produces large quantities of fruits which are readily dispersed by baboons and birds. The site used to be the ancestral home of the Shai people and many of their artifacts may still be found.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Shai Hills Resource Reserve (Ghana). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/shai-hills-resource-reserve-iba-ghana on 22/11/2024.
