Angola Birding Tours

Introduction to Angola

Our Angola birding tours target many of Angola’s endemic bird species and also plenty of Guinea-Congo basin bird specials which are more easily seen here than in other neighboring central African countries. Officially, the Republic of Angola, although more frequently referred to as just Angola, was for many years considered a ‘no-go’ country due to the civil war that lasted nearly three decades, ending only as recently as the early 2000s. However, since the end of the civil war the country has experienced growing peace and stability, along with a massive surge in infrastructural advancements opening this once-war-torn country up to tourism. During the ‘early years’ after Angola opened up, Angola birding tours were deemed to be for the ‘hard-core’ tourists, and even the few bird watching tours available were typically overland camping adventures. Fortunately this has changed drastically in the last few years, and while a sense of adventure is still required, Angola’s ever-improving road network along with an increase in lodging establishments and the easing of visa requirements has opened this country up widely, allowing for the numbers of keen bird watchers to enjoy the country’s many prized and endemic birds.

Angola is a large country, located in south-western Africa, and shares its borders with Namibia, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with the Atlantic Ocean forming its western border. Angola has a massive diversity of bird species, with over 1000 species occurring within its borders, 15 of which are true endemic birds, while countless other near-endemic and highly localized species feature prominently. Despite its size almost all of Angola’s prized bird species can be found along the western escarpment running north-south in the country, and this is ultimately the routing our comprehensive and well-designed tour follows.

Angola birding highlights

Some of the star birds of our Angola birding tours are Braun’s Bushshrike, Gabela Bushshrike, Monteiro’s Bushshrike, Gabela Helmetshrike, White-headed Robin-Chat, Swierstra’s Spurfowl, Red-crested Turaco, White-fronted Wattle-eye, Pulitzer’s Longbill, Angola Slaty Flycatcher, Angola Cave Chat, Gabela Akalat, Bocage’s Sunbird, Angola Waxbill, Anchieta’s Barbet, Margaret’s Batis, Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye, Angola Lark, Black-and-rufous Swallow, Black-necked Eremomela, Black-collared Bulbul, Falkenstein’s Greenbul, Bubbling Cisticola, Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush, and Dusky Twinspot.