Birding Africa The Africa specialists Angola INFORMATION - TOUR ANGOLA 2017 Tour Report Swierstra's Francolin Text by tour leader Michael Mills Photos by tour participant John Hopkins The second ever all-hotel-accommodated bird tour of Angola was an REPORT overwhelming success, and like our first hotel-based trip run last year We started with an introductory stroll around Broadbill, Piping Hornbill, African Pied Hornbill, brought a level of comfort that we could not imagine a few years ago. For downtown Luanda with Rufous-tailed Palm Naked-faced Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, all 17 nights of the trip we enjoyed good accommodation and food. It was Thrush, Purple-banded Sunbird and the endemic Speckled Tinkerbird, Guinea Turaco, Yellow- a pleasure returning to clean, comfortable hotel rooms each night, with Red-backed Mousebird, the latter seen regularly mantled Weaver, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, running water and electricity (with the occasional exception); quite a change throughout the tour. We also took some time to Forest Scrub Robin, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Birding Africa Tour Report Tour Africa Birding study the large dark brown swifts that breed in Blue-throated Roller, Banded Prinia, White- Report Tour Africa Birding from our earlier trips where camping in dusty and windy conditions was the seafront buildings of the Marginal, which I chinned Prinia, Velvet-mantled Drongo, the order of the day. And all this extra comfort came without compromising now believe are dark Mottled Swifts based on, in Black-winged Oriole, Black Bee-eater, Purple- addition to their size and shape, their calls heard for throated Cuckooshrike, Pink-footed Puffback, on the birds. Certainly, Angola can no longer be regarded as a 'hardcore' the first time which match those of Mottled Swift. Chestnut Wattle-eye, Buff-spotted Woodpecker, birding destination. Monteiro's Bushshrike Red-crested Turaco Besides the logistics running very smoothly, we Flufftail near Kalandula, some good looks at Braun’s fared exceptionally well on the birds, enjoying good Bushshrike along the northern escarpment and, Bocage's Bushshrike, Rufous-vented Paradise views of all of Angola’s endemic species and a whole tied for ninth, a pair of rare Brazza’s Martin perched On the first full day of the trip we started birding in Flycatcher, Cassin's Honeybird, Blue Malkoha, host of other goodies. The charts were topped by near their nest, a striking Ross's Turaco and a very some dry forests near Caxito as we made our way Yellow-throated Nicator, Mackinnon's Fiscal and excellent views of a pair of Gabela Bushshrike showy Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher. north, where a fairly quiet walk ended with our first Lowland Masked Apalis. that took 14 hours of searching to track down; views of the endangered Gabela Helmetshrike and There were many other great birds seen too, and whew! A fantastic male Swierstra’s Francolin gave included Hartert's Camaroptera, Angola Batis, From the northernmost point of the trip, near Uíge, the impressive diversity of habitats on offer meant prolonged views right out in the open at Tundavala Pale-olive Greenbul and Swamp Boubou. In the we turned south-eastwards to the Kalandula Falls that we logged over 525 species in the 18 days of and was voted number two, alongside Angola’s afternoon we laid eyes on the striking Braun's area with its broad-leafed woodlands and gallery birding. While most of the endemics and specials striking national bird, Red-crested Turaco. The Bushshrike near Quitexe for the first time, although forests. En route we did well to find Anchieta's are associated with the dry forests of the Angolan attractive White-headed Robin-Chat was seen some had to wait until the next morning to satisfy Barbet, Red-throated Cliff Swallow, Sooty escarpment and montane habitats of the western well near Kalandula and came in fourth, with a their bushshrike appetites. Other highlights along Flycatcher, Gorgeous/Perrin's Bushshrike and highlands, a good diversity of miombo specials is lovely male Bocage's Sunbird near Mount Moco the northern escarpment included Brown-backed our first Red-crested Turaco, before arriving at our on offer too, plus Congo Basin forest birds along the rounding out the top five. The minor places in Scrub Robin, Bubbling Cisticola, Black-collared luxurious accommodation overlooking Kalandula northern escarpment, mesic grassland birds in the the top ten contest were taken by an entertaining Bulbul and Orange-tufted Sunbird in mesic Falls. The main birding area here is 40 km to the highlands, and desert and Namibian escarpment trio of Rüppell’s Korhaan in the coastal deserts of savannas and a good variety of forest species such north of the falls themselves, near Kinjila Village, species in the far south. Namibe, incredible views of a male White-spotted as all four negrofinches/nigritas, displaying African and we spent the better part of a day and half here. 2 | Angola 2017 Angola 2017 | 3 It was to the gallery forests that we first directed is also one of the most rapidly disappearing areas itself. Starting in these forests we first turned our our attention, and this year it wasn't long before thanks to slash-and-burn cultivation. Having attention to the small patch of forest and scrubby we all enjoyed good views of the striking White- struggled to find Gabela Bushshrike last year I knew habitat above the village of Kanjonde, which is the headed Robin-Chat. The supporting cast included we would be challenged, but never did I think that main focus of a forest rehabilitation project that I Black-backed Barbet (minor), a responsive male visiting more than 12 known territories would turn run at the mountain. It was pleasing to see several White-spotted Flufftail, Black-throated Wattle- up nothing but burnt fields, and it was only after 14 birds returning to this patch after several years of eye, Brown-headed Apalis, Grey-winged Robin- hours of searching that we managed to find a very absence, most notably Thick-billed Seedeater and Chat/Akalat, Bannerman’s Sunbird alongside the cooperative pair of Gabela Bushshrikes at a backup Evergreen Forest Warbler. Swierstra's Francolin Birding Africa Tour Report Tour Africa Birding very similar Green-headed Sunbird, Cabanis’s site that I last visited in 2009. Hooray! Pulitzer’s was also present lower down the mountain than Report Tour Africa Birding Greenbul, Bates’s Sunbird, Square-tailed Drongo, Longbill was much more cooperative and Gabela usual, and we managed to persuade a male to cross Honeyguide Greenbul and Narina Trogon. Akalat was not hard to see either. Other species a patch for everyone to see briefly. Also around Tall grasslands fringing the gallery forests held a of interest along the central escarpment included this forest patch we enjoyed excellent views of lovely male Marsh Tchagra, Red-headed Quelea Falkenstein’s Greenbul, more Red-crested a male Black-chinned Weaver and Huambo and party of Compact Weaver, whereas the Turacos, two lovely Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye, Cisticola (Angola’s newest endemic, and previously surrounding woodlands were home to Pale-billed Brown-eared Woodpecker, the curious local form erroneously treated as Rock-loving Cisticola), and Hornbill, Red-necked Spurfowl (cranchii) striking of Southern Hyliota (slatini), Lemon Dove (heard), other species of interest included Schalow's Turaco, Anchieta’s Sunbird, Retz's Helmetshrike, Rufous- Dusky Tit, Green Twinspot, Black-faced Canary, Grey Apalis, Bocage's Akalat, Red-throated bellied Tit, Sharp-tailed Starling, Bennett's Yellow-billed Barbet, Black-throated Apalis, Wryneck, Ludwig’s Double-collared Sunbird, Woodpecker, African Cuckoo-Hawk and Miombo Brown Illadopsis, Brown Twinspot, Landana Black-throated Wattle-eye and Spotted Creeper. Wren-Warbler. Firefinch and Grey Waxbill. On our second day at the mountain a brave few made the big hike to the largest forest patch on We broke our journey to Muxima with an overnight Dusky Twinspot the mountain. On the way up the mountain we stay at N'dalatando, findingRock Pratincole en paused to watch a large flock of swifts composed of route. The next morning we birded the northern six species, namely Horus Swift, White-rumped escarpment forests near N'dalatando, at Tombinga Swift, Common Swift, Mottled Swift, Bradfield's pass. The open forest was quite birdy and we notched Swift, and some black swift types which are thought up Yellow Longbill, Grey-throated Tit-Flycatcher, Angola Lark to be Fernando Po Swift (probably best treated as a Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Chestnut Wattle-eye, subspecies of African Black Swift); it was great to be Superb Sunbird, Cassin's Honeybird, African our first sighting of White-fronted Wattle-eye. The able to compare so many species side-by-side. On Shrike-Flycatcher and Bates's Paradise Flycatcher next morning we found our second flock of lovely top of the mountain we flushed Finsch’s Francolin before moving on to Muxima on the Kwanza River. Gabela Helmetshrike, two different Monteiro’s and saw the local races of Mountain Wheatear Here we wasted no time and headed out for some Bushshrike and another White-fronted Wattle- (nigricauda) and Long-billed Pipit (moco). Olive afternoon birding during which we managed to get eye. Non-endemics seen included Forest Scrub Woodpecker also put in an appearance, as did good views of the secretive Grey-striped Francolin Robin, Pale-olive Greenbul, Olive Bee-eater, Wing-snapping Cisticola, Striped Pipit and for everyone, close-up views of Golden-backed Mottled Spinetail, Böhm's Spinetail, African Miombo Rock Thrush. At our target destination we Bishop alongside White-winged Widowbird, and Barred Owlet (fantastic day-time views), Scaly- throated Honeyguide, Swamp Boubou, Black quickly heard Margaret’s Batis, which responded Scimitarbill, Long-billed Crombec (ansorgei), aggressively to playback but only showed briefly Purple-banded Sunbird and Angola Batis, among before losing interest.