Angola Endemics with a Chance of African Pitta Tour Leaflet 2021

BIRDING AFRICA THE AFRICA SPECIALISTS Angola Endemics with a chance of African Pitta Tour Leaflet 2021

Gabela Helmetshrike © Tertius Gous 10 – 15 October 2021 (Southern Extension) 14 – 26 October 2021 (Angola Endemics Tour) Angola Endemics 2021 BIRDING Tour leader: Michael Mills AFRICA THE AFRICA SPECIALISTS Birding Africa Tour Summary Tour Africa Birding Summary Tour Africa Birding

Endemics in comfort • Targets all endemics, with a 4-day extension to the south • Good chance of African Pitta • Red-crested Turaco, White- Swierstra's Francolin © John Clark headed Robin-Chat, Braun's We have been pioneering birding tours to Angola for Grey-striped Francolin, Gabela Helmetshrike, Bushshrike, Gabela Akalat since 2005. Our 13-day Angola Endemics Tour White-fronted Wattle-eye, Angola Batis and has been carefully craft ed to comfortably and Monteiro's Bushshrike. Th ere is also a good chance • Led by Angola’s top birder Michael’s incredible focus, dedication and ability effi ciently target all of Angola's endemic birds. to see African Pitta on two mornings! to locate and show Africa's toughest birds is It is almost a week (six days) shorter than our Monteiro's Bushshrike © Tertius Gous probably unequalled. He has led dozens of tours Comprehensive Angola Tour. However, we also across the continent and his experience in locating off er a Southern Extension which adds on another Tour Focus birds on just the soft est of calls or briefest of views four days to the trip and targets mainly Namibian impresses those who travelled with him. Michael Th is tour will give us a good chance to see all of specials. We don’t do the long and tough hike for Angola's endemic birds. It is heavily bird focused has spent a total of more than four years in Angola, Margaret’s Batis at Mount Moco (which can be and knows the country's birds better than anyone. (there is little other wildlife), although the scenery seen on our Zambia tours without a tough hike). is oft en spectacular and we will visit Kalandula Falls, one of Angola's top tourist attractions. Dates (2021) We start with the Southern Extension, leaving Luanda to the south and fi rst birding the Benguela We use hotel accommodation throughout, which Southern Extension 10 – 15 Oct area where several Namibian specials on off er. means extra comfort, although some of the drives Endemics Tour 14 – 26 Oct Next we visit Lubango where we spend a day at to birding sites are fairly long (all under two Tundavala and a day visiting the Namibe deserts. hours). Th e Endemics Tour starts off by travelling from A species list will be handed out to you as part of Pro�isional Prices Luanda to the Mt Moco region (aft er a night in your tour booklet at the start of the tour and is Endemics Tour $4950 + $530 the capital), where we join up with those on the available beforehand upon request. Southern Extension. Almost three days are spent in Southern Extension $1480 + $160 the diverse Mount Moco region where Swierstra's Th e tour coincides with the main breeding season. Days will typically be warm to hot, but nights Starts/ends in Luanda (no Lubango fl ight needed) Francolin, Brazza's Martin and Bocage's Sunbird will be among our targets. Aft er this we'll bird the cooler in the highlands. We are likely to encounter central escarpment forests at Kumbira to look for rain in the higher-lying areas. Book online Gabela Akalat, Gabela Bushshrike and Pulitzer's Travel conditions are generally reasonable, Longbill. From here we continue to the Kalandula Visit www.birdingafrica.com although service in hotels is oft en slow. Our Falls area to search for White-headed Robin-Chat. route makes use of the best roads and avoids the Deposit ($150) by credit card Next are the forests of then northern escarpment worst, but sections are still potholed and under Email [email protected] forests where the striking Braun's Bushshrike is construction. found. Finally we visit Kissama NP we will search

2 | Angola Endemics 2021 Angola Endemics 2021 | 3 INTRODUCTION

Angola is one of the most biologically diverse Firefinch and Golden-backed Bishop. On top of countries in Africa. Following 30 years of civil war the central escarpment we hope to find three of that ended in 2002 the country has been slow in Angola's most Endangered endemics, namely opening up, which means that few birders have Gabela Bushshrike, Gabela Akalat and Pulitzer's had the opportunity to sample its delights. With Longbill, with other possibilities including

Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding habitats ranging from Congo Basin forests to the Monteiro's Bushshrike, Red-crested Turaco, Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Namib Desert, it is little surprise that the country Angola Batis, Yellow-throated Nicator, Angola has over 940 birds recorded. In addition the Cave Chat, Yellow-necked Greenbul, Pale-olive escarpment and highlands of western Angola hold Greenbul, Black-faced Canary and Landana isolated patches of Afromontane and Congo Basin Firefinch. We spend three days in the varied Mount forests where numerous endemics have evolved Moco region, with Afromontane forests, montane in isolation. The combination of varied habitats, grasslands and miombo woodlands. Here our high species diversity and significant numbers of main targets include Swierstra's Francolin (hard endemics and specials makes Angola one of the to see), Finsch's Francolin, Fülleborn’s Longclaw, continent's top birding destinations. Angola Swee Waxbill, Dusky Twinspot, Bocage's Weaver, Black-chinned Weaver, Oustalet's Sunbird, On the Angola Endemics Tour we will sample Ludwig's Double-collared Sunbird, Bocage's all the key birding habitats in Angola. For the Sunbird, Angola Slaty Flycatcher, Bocage's Akalat, northern escarpment forests we base ourselves Huambo Cisticola, Black-and-rufous Swallow, out of Uíge, where numerous Congo Basin birds Brazza's Martin, Black-collared Bulbul and Angola occur alongside the endemic Braun's Bushshrike. Lark. The broadleaved woodlands and gallery forests of the Kalandula area host forest specials such as We also offer a Southern Extension which gives White-headed Robin-Chat alongside miombo you a chance to bird the mostly-arid habitats of Red-crested Turaco © Tertius Gous species such as Anchieta's Barbet and Sharp- the south. At Lubango we bird Tundavala (Angola tailed Starling. Along the central escarpment, Cave Chat, Swierstra's Francolin, Angola Slaty Accommodation and meals Walking Kissama National Park hosts dry forests at the Flycatcher) and the coastal deserts of Namibe foot of the escarpment. Here we hope to find (Cinderella Waxbill, Benguela Starling and Accommodation and meals are generally of a This tour requires only a moderate degree of Gabela Helmetshrike, Monteiro's Bushshrike, Rüppell’s Korhaan), and in the Benguela area we reasonable standard. All rooms have private fitness. All walks will last less than four hours and White-fronted Wattle-eye, Grey-striped Francolin, could find a range of Namibian specials such as bathrooms and cold and hot running water is be conducted at a manageable pace. Terrain where Angola Batis, Yellow-throated Nicator, Pale- Hartlaub's Spurfowl, White-tailed Shrike and generally available. Although power supply can be we walk is generally flat, except at Mount Moco olive Greenbul, Hartert's Camaroptera, Landana Monteiro's Hornbill. unreliable, most hotels have backup generators. where it is much steeper and rocky. Angola Lark © Tertius Gous Meals are a generally Portuguese-style, with a strong emphasis on starch and meat. Vegetarian International flights options are limited. Some breakfasts and most lunches may be taken in the field. Participants are required to make their own international flight reservations. Water is not safe to drink so we supply free bottled water in the vehicle that you can take to your The tour starts with dinner and accommodation rooms for drinking and brushing teeth. in Luanda on 10 October 2021 for the Southern Extension and on 14 October 2021 for the Endemics Tour. Group size The tour ends in Luanda on the evening of 26 Maximum 9 participants in two 4x4s. October 2021 (excluding accommodation or dinner). Participants can leave Luanda any time after 21h00. Those wishing to overnight in Luanda can be dropped at their hotel.

4 | Angola Endemics 2021 Angola Endemics 2021 | 5 ITINERARY AND MAP Southern Extension Itinerary

Day E1 10 Oct 2021 Arrive. Overnight in Luanda. 10 Day E2 11 Oct 2021 Luanda to Benguela. Overnight in or near Benguela. Uíge

Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Day E3 12 Oct 2021 Benguela to Lubango. Overnight in Lubango. Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Day E4 13 Oct 2021 Tundavala. Overnight in Lubango 9 Day E5 14 Oct 2021 Namibe Day Trip. Overnight in Lubango. 11 Day E6 15 Oct 2021 Lubango to Huambo. Overnight near Huambo. Luanda 2 E1 + 1 13 Kalandula 8 Endemics Tour Itinerary Day 1 14 Oct 2021 Arrive. Overnight in Luanda. Kissama E2 12 7 Day 2 15 Oct 2021 Luanda to Huambo. Overnight near Huambo. Day 3 16 Oct 2021 Full day at Mount Moco. Overnight near Huambo. Day 4 17 Oct 2021 Full day in the Mount Moco region. Overnight near Huambo. Conda & Kumbira Day 5 18 Oct 2021 Huambo to Conda. Overnight near Conda. 6 5 Day 6 19 Oct 2021 Kumbira Forest and surrounds. Overnight near Conda. Day 7 20 Oct 2021 Conda to Kalandula. Overnight in or near Kalandula. Day 8 21 Oct 2021 Full day in the Kalandula Falls area. Overnight in or near Kalandula. Benguela Huambo & Day 9 22 Oct 2021 Kalandula to Uíge. Overnight in Uíge. Mt Moco 3 + 4 Day 10 23 Oct 2021 Full day in the Uíge area. Overnight in Uíge. Day 11 24 Oct 2021 Uíge to Kissama National Park. Overnight at Muxima. E3 E6 Day 12 25 Oct 2021 Full day in Kissama. Overnight at Muxima. Day 13 26 Oct 2021 To Luanda. Tour ends. E5 Namibe Lubango & Tundavala E4

Brazza's Martin © Tertius Gous

6 | Angola Endemics 2021 Angola Endemics 2021 | 7 DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY

------Southern Extension ------Monteiro's Hornbill and Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill. Night near Benguela. In the afternoon we Day 1: Arrive Luanda drive to Lubango. Overnight in Lubango town.

Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding The Southern Extension officially commences Day 4: Tundavala Leaflet Tour Africa Birding with dinner and accommodation in Luanda. Please arrange to arrive in Luanda any time today, Views down the spectacular southern escarpment although note that rooms may only be available are best had from Tundavala near Lubango. from the early afternoon. The rocky area also holds a variety of grassland, escarpment and forest birds. Top of the list is Day 2: Luanda to Benguela the localised Angola Cave Chat, found alongside Angola Slaty Flycatcher, Swierstra's Francolin With a long drive ahead of us we depart early from (rare), Short-toed Rock Thrush, Angolan Swee Luanda, following the coast south to the Benguela Waxbill, Freckled Nightjar, Bradfield's Swift, area. Some afternoon birding in the Lobito area Rockrunner, Tinkling Cisticola, Wailing Cisticola, should turn up a variety of waterbirds. Buffy Pipit, Striped Pipit, Oustalet's Sunbird and Ansorge's Firefinch (split from Jameson's Day 3: Benguela to Lubango Firefinch). We'll also search for the recently rediscovered Angolan White-headed Barbet. Braun's Bushshrike © Tertius Gous We have a full morning to bird the arid habitats Overnight in Lubango town. in the Benguela area. The arid savanna and rocky Double-collared Sunbird, Bocage's Akalat, hillsides some 50 km inland of Benguela form the ------Endemics Tour ------Day 5: Namibe Day Trip Schalow's Turaco, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Thick- most northerly tongue of Namibian Escarpment billed Seedeater, Grey Apalis, African Hill Babbler, habitat, and provide an opportunity to look for The road from Lubango to Namibe starts at around Day 1: Arrive Luanda White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Olive Woodpecker several species mostly associated with Namibia. 2300 m altitude on the Humpata Plateau, rapidly and Western Green Tinkerbird. Forest edge also Hartlaub's Francolin call from the rock-tops in dropping down the spectacular Leba Pass to the The Angola Endemic Tour officially commences supports Huambo Cisticola, Angola's newest the early morning, and we hope to find Bare- lowlands below. Our first stop will be at the base with dinner and accommodation in Luanda. bird endemic, Yellow-throated Leaflove, Dusky cheeked Babbler, Rüppell’s Parrot, White-tailed of the escarpment where we hope to track down Please arrange to arrive in Luanda any time today, Twinspot, Angolan Swee Waxbill, Black-throated Shrike, Cape Penduline Tit, Carp's Tit, Pririt Batis, Cinderella Waxbill, Hartlaub's Babbler, Bennett's although note that rooms may only be available Wattle-eye, Oustalet's Sunbird, Bronzy Sunbird, Woodpecker and Benguela Long-tailed Starling. from the early afternoon. Spotted Creeper, Red-throated Wryneck and Angola White-headed Barbet © Tertius Gous As we drive west towards the coast the habitat gets Black-chinned Weaver. The surrounding grasslands drier and drier. Initially arid bushveld is home Day 2: To Mount Moco and rocky areas hold Horus Swift, Striped Pipit, to Dusky Sunbird, Karoo Chat, Chat Flycatcher, Capped Wheatear, Black-collared Bulbul, Angola Cape Sparrow and Southern Fiscal, but eventually Today is mostly a travel day as we journey from Lark, Broad-tailed Warbler (Fan-tailed Grassbird), we'll reach barren desert plains where Benguela Lubango to Mount Moco. , where we meet up with Ayres's/Wing-snapping Cisticola, and the very Long-billed Lark and Rüppell’s Korhaan are the those on the Southern Extension. difficult Finsch's Francolin. main targets. Other possibilities include Ludwig's Bustard, Double-banded Courser, Pale Chanting Days 3–4: Mount Moco region Miombo woodlands and dambo grasslands in Goshawk, Greater Kestrel, Pale-winged Starling, The greater Mount Moco region is one of the most the surrounds of Mount Moco hold an equally Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark and Stark's Lark. diverse in the country and we allow ourselves impressive variety of birds. Black-necked Overnight in Lubango town. two full days to explore its Afromontane forests, Eremomela, the curious local race of Brubru, montane grasslands, miombo woodlands and Green-capped Eremomela, Miombo Scrub Robin, Day 6: Lubango to Mount Moco dambo grasslands. A significant amount of time Miombo Pied Barbet (rare), Miombo Wren- will be focussed on Mount Moco itself, where Warbler, Red-capped Crombec, Woodland Pipit, With a long drive ahead of us we depart from the Salvadori's Eremomela, Pale-billed Hornbill, Lubango area after a short stint of early morning the forests support diminishing populations of Swierstra's Francolin (difficult to see), Ludwig's Yellow-bellied Hyliota and White-breasted birding. Night near Huambo Cuckooshrike may be seen in the woodlands.

8 | Angola Endemics 2021 Angola Endemics 2021 | 9 Day 8: Kalandula Falls region Day 9: To Uíge Our main reason for visiting the Kalandula region After some final birding in the Kalandula area we is to search for the striking and localised White- make our way to the northern escarpment forests headed Robin-Chat in the gallery forests some of Uíge province. Overnight in Uíge town. 40 km north of the falls. Sharing the same habitat are species such as Grey-winged Robin-Chat, Day 10: Northern escarpment Bannerman's Sunbird, Brown-headed Apalis,

Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding African Broadbill, Narina Trogon, Cabanis's We have a full day to explore various patches Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Greenbul and Red-crested Turaco. of northern escarpment forest within an hour's drive of Uíge. Braun's Bushshrike is, of course, We'll also bird the surrounding woodlands, which the main target for the day, but a long list of are the most reliable site for Anchieta's Barbet and other species is possible, including Banded Sharp-tailed Starling. Other species of interest Prinia, Lowland Masked Apalis, Black-throated may include Pale-billed Hornbill, Rufous-bellied Apalis, Buff-throated Apalis, Brown-backed Tit, Anchieta's Sunbird, Western Violet-backed Scrub Robin, Orange-tufted Sunbird, Purple- Sunbird, Red-throated Cliff Swallow, Meyer's throated Cuckooshrike, Forest Chestnut-winged Parrot, Retz's Helmetshrike, and Miombo Scrub Starling, Black-winged Oriole, Velvet-mantled Robin. Overnight in Kalandula town.

Angola Naked-faced Barbet © Tertius Gous

Gabela Akalat © Tertius Gous

However, the dambo grasslands hold the greatest species, although the akalat is still common and interest, and here we will be hoping to find Brazza's the longbill is normally not too hard to find. The Martin, Black-and-rufous Swallow, Fülleborn’s bushshrike has become rather rare and hard to Longclaw, Sooty Chat, Chirping Cisticola, find now, having been fairly common only 15 Fawn-breasted Waxbill, Coppery-tailed Coucal, years ago, so we may have to search for it at some Brown Firefinch, Locust-Finch, Hartlaub's Marsh backup sites. Other birds we may find at Kumbira Widowbird, Stout Cisticola, Bocage's Sunbird and include Red-crested Turaco, Southern Hyliota, Bocage's Weaver. Nights near Huambo city. Dusky Tit, Yellow-throated Nicator, Yellow-necked Greenbul, Pale-olive Greenbul, Brown Illadopsis, Day 5: Mount Moco to Conda Hartert's Camaroptera, Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye, Superb Sunbird, Forest Scrub Robin, Gorgeous After some final birding in the Mount Moco region Bushshrike, African Broadbill, Blue-headed we make our way to the endemic-rich central Crested Flycatcher, Black-faced Canary, Pink- escarpment. Night near Conda. footed Puffback, Angolan Naked-faced Barbet, Trumpeter Hornbill and Grey Waxbill. Overnight Day 6: Kumbira Forest near Conda village. Kumbira Forest is home to three Endangered central escarpment endemics, namely Pulitzer's Day 7: Conda to Kalandula Falls Longbill, Gabela Bushshrike and Gabela Akalat. After some final birding along the central Unfortunately slash-and-burn farming has escarpment we continue north-east to the caused major population declines in all three Kalandula Falls area. Overnight in Kalandula town.

10 | Angola Endemics 2021 Angola Endemics 2021 | 11 Drongo, Brown Twinspot, Naked-faced Barbet, Day 12: Kissama National Park Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Yellow-billed Barbet, White-breasted Dry forests in the vicinity of Muxima make for Nigrita, Black Bee-eater, Green-throated Sunbird, some of the country's most endemic-rich birding. Little Green Sunbird, African Pied Hornbill, In the early morning we'll watch for Grey-striped Bristle-nosed Barbet, Speckled Tinkerbird, Red- Francolin on the sides of the road. A whole rumped Tinkerbird, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Sooty host of dry forest birds is on offer, with Gabela Flycatcher, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Piping Hornbill, Helmetshrike, Monteiro's Bushshrike and White- Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Chestnut Wattle- fronted Wattle-eye top of the list. Other species on Leaflet Tour Africa Birding eye, Red-fronted Parrot and Cassin's Honeybird. offer include African Barred Owlet, Red-backed Unfortunately most of the accessible forests Mousebird, Olive Bee-eater, Scaly-throated have been heavily logged, making it very hard to Honeyguide, Pale-olive Greenbul, Swamp Boubou, find the local race of White-throated Greenbul. Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush, Bubbling Cisticola, White-collared Oliveback, discovered on a Birding Forest Scrub Robin, Green Crombec, Purple- Africa tour in 2011, is also possible but rather rare. banded Sunbird, Yellow-throated Nicator and Overnight in Uíge town. Angola Batis. Overnight in Muxima village. Black-and-rufous Swallow (above) and Fülleborn’s Longclaw (below) © Tertius Gous Day 11: Uíge to Muxima Day 13: To Luanda Today we travel south through the northern After some final birding in the Muxima area we escarpment forests, pausing for birding along the make our way to Luanda, birding some coastal way. We aim to reach Muxima on the Kwanza wetlands en route if time allows. The tour ends River, in Kissama National Park, in time for some in the evening with drop offs at the airport from nearby birding in the afternoon. Overnight in 18h00 for departures from 21h00. Muxima village.

12 | Angola Endemics 2021 Angola Endemics 2021 | 13 INCLUDED • Guiding services of the Birding Africa tour leader • Entry fees and activities as per itinerary • Hotel accommodation throughout Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Leaflet Tour Africa Birding • Airport transfers in Luanda on 10 or 14 October and 26 October • Bottled water in the vehicle • One soft drink at each sit-down meal • General tips

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BOOKLET AND CHECKLIST Birding Africa provides: 1. this tour leaflet with detailed itinerary 2. the tour information pack, emailed to you 3. the tour booklet with checklists, on the tour

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