Birding Tour Angola: Rare Endemics and More

Complete Angola Birding Tour: Angola: Rare Endemics and More
June 2026/2027

Since Angola’s three-decade-long civil war ended in 2002, the country has enjoyed peace and stability, along with a massive surge in infrastructural advancements, opening the country up to tourism (much to the delight of birders, who want to see its 1,000+ bird species, including many endemics and other speciality species). 

Swierstra’s Spurfowl is one of Angola’s more challenging-to-find endemic birds.

During the initial post-war years, Angola was deemed to be a country only for ‘hard-core’ tourists, and even the few birding tours available were typically overland camping adventures. Fortunately, this has changed dramatically. While a sense of adventure is still required, an ever-improving road network makes this country easier to traverse and, with suitable accommodation options available along the entire route, this tour has no overland camping. Angola is, without a doubt, one of the finest birding countries in Africa and a destination not to be missed by any world birder.

The spectacular Kalandula Falls are a sight to behold, and conveniently offer some excellent birding nearby!

This comprehensive tour takes us through the western parts of the country and to all the key birding areas. Beginning in the capital, Luanda, we venture to the remote scarp forests in the north of the country, where we will try for our first endemic, the handsome Braun’s Bushshrike. A visit to the spectacular Kalandula Falls and their exciting swamp forests follows, before calling in at the dry woodlands of the Kissama National Park outside Luanda. We progressively make our way southwards through the country, visiting the disappearing forests of Kumbira and Mount Moco, along with the disappearing miombo woodland between them. We end up in the southern city, Lubango, which opens up the stunning Tundavala Escarpment and its host of endemics, along with the nearby Namib Desert (hosting almost all of the Namibia near-endemics we get on our Namibian tours as well). Working our way up the west coast, we return to Luanda, where this tour comes to an end.

This well-designed and efficient route gives us a chance for all the country’s endemics, near-endemics, and specials, including such rare and poorly known species as Gabela, and Monteiro’s Bushshrikes, 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 and Angola Waxbill.

Angola’s national bird is the endemic Red-crested Turaco – while it can be difficult to find at times, we have several chances to see this handsome species.

Many other more widespread species are also best sought within Angola and include the likes of 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. Not to mention all the more typical Namibian near-endemics, which can also be expected.

This tour can be combined with our São Tomé and Príncipe birding tour immediately after, as there are direct flights from Luanda to these endemic-rich islands.

Itinerary (17 days/16 nights)

Day 0. Arrival into Luanda

As we begin the tour early on Day 1, we require you to be in Luanda this day (the day before). *Please note that we do include the hotel room cost, airport transfer and dinner for this evening, in the tour cost (to make this easy for all tour participants) but nothing else. We will aim to meet up this evening for dinner.

This day is not part of the tour cost generally, we will not have access to the tour vehicle, no birding is included, and the tour leader will only be arriving for the evening dinner.

Overnight: Luanda

Day 1. Luanda to Uige

We have an early start, as we venture north out of this bustling city, bound for the remote northern forests near to Uige. This drive will take several hours, and we will break it up with several birding stops along the route, giving us our first birds. Our first stop is likely to be a segment of dry woodland, which is home to our first endemics, such as Monteiro’s Bushshrike, Gabela Helmetshrike and White-fronted Wattle-eye, amongst many others. This will be somewhat similar to our birding around Muxima in a few days’ time. We will also search for the strange local race of Forest Swallow along the route.

The main reason for venturing to these northern forests, which hold a wide range of more typical equatorial African species, is that this is the only locality where the rare endemic Braun’s Bushshrike can be found. We anticipate having our first try for this species in the forest edge fragments it prefers this afternoon, though we do have the entire Day 2 available to search for this species (and the many others that can be found here).

Overnight: Uige

Braun’s Bushshrike is a poorly known endemic restricted to the far north of the country.

Day 2. Braun’s Bushshrike and the northern scarp forests

We have a full day at our disposal, where we will explore the remaining tracts of northern scarp forest. Foremost of our targets here will be the beautiful, but incredibly localized, endemic Braun’s Bushshrike. This rare and poorly known species is one of Angola’s most sought-after birds and will have the bulk of our time and effort being dedicated toward seeing it.

While exploring these forests the mournful hoots of Afep Pigeons are never far away; however, as is customary, it takes some time and patience to track them down. Blue-throated Rollers perch in the open above the canopy, and massive Black-casqued Hornbills flap noisily between perches, while Red-fronted Parrots commute overhead in the mornings and evenings and Yellow-crested Woodpeckers drum from the massive trees. The calls of Grey-headed and White-breasted Nigritas ring out regularly, while large and boisterous Guinea Turacos bound in the treetops. Not to be outdone, the massive Great Blue Turaco occurs in the area as well and never fails to impress. Black Bee-eater flits overhead, and this spectacular bird is fortunately a regular sight in the area. However, the highly prized Chocolate-backed Kingfisher is more difficult to locate, but both will be targeted. Piping and African Pied Hornbills are often heard before being seen, as is true with the many Barbets occurring here, such as Naked-faced, the strange Bristle-nosed, Hairy-breasted, and Yellow-billed, along with Speckled and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds. A number of Starlings occur in these forests, and we’ll be on the lookout for Splendid, Chestnut-winged, and Narrow-tailed, all regularly attending fruiting trees. Sunbirds are also many and diverse, with Little Green, Grey-chinned, Collared, Green-headed, Blue-throated Brown, Olive, Olive-bellied, and the beautiful Superb all occurring.

Black Bee-eater is a truly stunning member of this usually-gorgeous family – and one of its most coveted. We stand a good chance of seeing this species in the northern forests.

Rolling grassy hills (though often burnt at this time of the year) surround these scarp forests and play host to many other interesting species, top of them being the unique Black-collared Bulbul. Not to be forgotten are species such as Brown-backed Scrub Robin, Moustached GrassWarbler, African Yellow Warbler, Black-winged Red Bishop, Yellow-mantled Widowbird, Red-headed Quelea, Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Black-and-white Mannikin and the snazzy Brown Twinspot.

Overnight: Uige

Day 3. Transfer to Kalandula

We will have a final morning of birding in a different segment of remaining forest, searching for some of the above-mentioned species we may not yet have seen. After some great birding in the northern scarp forests we depart this area, bound for another fantastic birding zone, the greater Kalandula area. This will likely be quite a long drive, as sections of the road are very slow (though changing every year) – we anticipate arrival in the afternoon.

The town of Kalandula is named for one of Angola’s greatest natural wonders, the spectacular Kalandula Falls – we will be sure to include a visit to these falls during our stay here.

Overnight: Kalandula

The massive White-headed Robin-Chat is a sought-after bird occurring in the dense swamp forests around the Kalandula Falls.

Day 4. Kinjila birding – searching for the mega White-headed Robin-Chat

Today will be another exciting day, as we head into the swamp forests near Kalandula for, primarily, the sought-after White-headed Robin-Chat. This rare, localized, poorly known, yet spectacular bird is another one of the major avian drawcards on this tour! Initially thought to be extinct, this species was only rediscovered as recently as the 1990s, and it is now known from a handful of scattered locations in otherwise inaccessible areas. While this will be our main target, there are a host of other tantalizing species occurring in these swamp forests and their surroundings as well. The diminutive White-spotted Flufftail frequents these swampy areas, while the vocal Ross’s Turaco bounds through the treetops. Angola’s national bird, the endemic Red-crested Turaco, occurs as well but is uncommon here and best searched for elsewhere on the trip. The upper reaches also play host to the shy Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Honeyguide Greenbul, and Brown-headed Apalis, while the denser reaches lower down host Grey-winged Robin-Chat, Cabanis’s Greenbul, and Black-throated Wattle-eye.

Stands of miombo-type woodland surround the swamp forests, and we will be spending some time slowly working our way through these woodlands as well. This is arguably the best place in the world for the sought-after Anchieta’s Barbet, while some other key targets in these woodlands will be Thick-billed Cuckoo, Black-backed Barbet, Pale-billed Hornbill, Black Scimitarbill, White-winged Black Tit, Miombo Wren-Warbler, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Sharp-tailed Starling, Miombo Scrub Robin and Orange-winged Pytilia amongst others. Miombo woodland birding isn’t always the easiest, as it is often quiet for long periods of time, as the birds frequent ‘feeding parties’ – large mixed groupings of birds moving through the woodland feeding – and there is usually only activity when you encounter one of these parties.

The difficult Anchieta’s Barbet is an uncommon bird throughout its range – though best seen in Angola, and specifically in the miombo woodlands around Kalandula.

Nearby rivers host colonies of Red-throated Cliff Swallows, while the surrounding reeds and damp grasslands can host the likes of Marsh Tchagra, Moustached Grass Warbler and Fülleborn’s Longclaw. Even the smallest of bushes near these rivers host the noisy Yellow-throated Leaflove. African Scops Owl is easily found here at night, and we will try for Fiery-necked and, if we’re lucky, the spectacular Pennant-winged Nightjars as well.

Overnight: Kalandula

Day 5. Transfer to Muxima

A long drive awaits us, as we depart the fabulous Kalandula area, bound for the drier woodlands around Muxima, in a forgotten corner of the Kissama National Park. We may start our first birding around our comfortable lodge late this evening, where we can seek out the near-endemic Bubbling Cisticola amongst more widespread species.

Overnight: Muxima

Gabela Helmetshrike is one of several key endemics to be found around Muxima.

Day 6. Endemic birding around Muxima

We have a full day to explore this area and will take a few specific tracks deep into the area, as we target several endemics which occur in these dry woodlands. An early morning start along these quiet roads is our best chance of finding the shy Grey-striped Francolin – as they come out to the roadside edge to feed. While nearby thickets and woodlands are home to the difficult Monteiro’s Bushshrike and Gabela Helmetshrike, White-fronted Wattle-eye occur more widely and, with enough effort, we should be able to find all these. Some other sought-after birds occurring here are Angola Batis, Swamp Boubou, Pale-olive Greenbul, Bubbling Cisticola, Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush, Golden-backed Bishop and Hartet’s Camaroptera, amongst many others. We will also be sure to watch the skies for both Böhm’s and Mottled Spinetails, along with Mosque Swallow, all of which breed in the many baobabs strung throughout the area. The mighty Kwanza River can also be accessed at Muxima and, while the water level is usually high at this time of year, we will search hard to find the monotypic Egyptian Plover – a Sahel specialty that was only recently found to occur this far south (though is unlikely on the tour).

Overnight: Muxima

Day 7. Transfer to Conda

Another long drive awaits us, as we venture southwards following the escarpment. We will make several birding stops along the route, as usual, and anticipate arriving at our comfortable guesthouse later in the afternoon. Conda is the gateway to access what little remains of the once vast Kumbira Forest. Unfortunately, this forest has been rapidly cleared, and now only small fragments remain – putting the few critical endemics that call these forests home, on the edge.

Overnight: Conda

The jewel-like Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye is a forest special to be seen in the Kumbira Forest.

Day 8 – 9. Endemic birding at Kumbira, and exploring the miombo

We will undertake a day trip to reach all the various small tracts of forest that still remain. The early stages of the bumpy track hosts one of the key targets of the area, the endemic Pulitzer’s Longbill. This rare and difficult-to-find species is always tricky to pin down as it skulks in thicker vegetation, making it difficult to see. Before long we enter the first of the degraded ‘forest’ patches, and this is where the bulk of our time will be spent as we explore the roadside vegetation, along with a few trails venturing deeper into the area. Usually first up in the forested areas are some of the more common species such as Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Green-backed Woodpecker, Angola Batis, Pink-footed Puffback, Rufous-vented Paradise Flycatcher, Green Crombec, Buff-throated Apalis, and Black-necked Weaver.

We should also start encountering the first of the many specials of the area, such as the jaw-droppingly gorgeous Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye, snazzy African Broadbill, vocal Yellow-throated Nicator, and the sought-after Falkenstein’s Greenbul. The spectacular Black-throated Apalis keeps to the high canopies, while the unusual local subspecies of Southern Hyliota typically moves about a bit lower down, with Fraser’s Rufous Thrush sitting silently in the undergrowth. The deep booms of Gabon Coucal ring from the small clearings in the forest, while the soft, melodic calls of Forest Scrub Robin is never far away. If we’re lucky, we’ll hopefully find the local race of Naked-faced Barbet, known as Pale-throated Barbet (and a good candidate for a future split). Of the main specials, however, this is the best site for the country’s national bird, Red-crested Turaco, and their loud calls give away their presence as they clamber surprisingly agilely in the canopy. The dainty and endemic Gabela Akalat frequents the dense tangles lower down and requires a quick eye to pick up on its rapid movements in these low-light areas. Other specials to be found in the area are Brown-chested Alethe and Brown Illadopsis, and patience is the name of the game to see these reclusive species.

Gabela Akalat, like all other members of this African family, are shy and elusive and keep to the deep dark thickets – occasionally we get lucky and find a confiding bird, like in this photo.

Arguably the trickiest special here (and the bird that seems to be declining the most) is the rare endemic Gabela Bushshrike. Similar to its cousin further north in the country, Braun’s Bushshrike, this species has a distinctive ‘croaking’ call which carries some distance and for which we’ll be on high alert. While searching for all these birds we’re likely to also come across a range of other more widespread species, and everything from Tambourine Dove to Superb Sunbird and Grey Waxbill is possible.

Depending on how the birding unfolds at Kumbira Forest, we will likely have our second full day here to explore the wider surrounds. This zone supports some of the best miombo woodland patches in this central part of the country – though they are still fragmented. Here we will be after some of the core miombo specials like African Spotted Creeper, Black-necked Eremomela, White-breasted Cuckooshrike and Anchieta’s Sunbird. Feeding flocks are the order of business in this habitat, and we’ll be looking out and listening carefully for leaders of such flocks, like Rufous-bellied and Miombo Tits and Green-capped Eremomela – all of which are usually good indications of feeding flocks. We also hope to find a great many other miombo specialists as we go about our birding, with the likes of Souza’s Shrike, Miombo Scrub Robin, Miombo Rock Thrush, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Wood Pipit and more on the cards.

More open grassy areas surround the remaining miombo woodland and support some excellent birds. Rare and difficult birds like Bocage’s Sunbird, Angola Lark, Brazza’s Martin and Bocage’s Weaver will be high on our lists. Others like Black-collared Bulbul, Black-and-rufous Swallow, Fülleborn’s Longclaw and Marsh Widowbird can also be seen.

Overnight: Conda

Black-necked Eremomela is a snazzy-looking miombo bird we’ll be trying hard to find.

Days 10. Transfer to Mount Moco

We have a long day in store as we transfer to the Mount Moco region. We will be passing through similar areas to where we would likely have birded the day before in the miombo and more open areas, and as such, have second chances for many of these species (see above). Ultimately, much of the day is spent driving, as the roads are slow going, and we anticipate arriving to our comfortable hotel in Bailundo in the late afternoon.

Overnight: Bailundo

Day 11. Mount Moco birding

The forests of the nearby Mount Moco massif have been greatly diminished over the years, but this is the site of some success as the local villages have undertaken a ‘reforesting’ project on the mountain. This has been on the go for some time, and the rewards are starting to come in, with much revegetation and some birds starting to return. It will no doubt still be some time before the true forest specials return, though. Nonetheless, we will be seeking out the likes of Schalow’s Turaco, Western Tinkerbird, Bocage’s Akalat and Black-chinned Weaver. The edges still hold small numbers of the prized Swierstra’s Spurfowl (unlikely to be seen here though) along with other endemics like Huambo Cisticola, Angola Waxbill and Angola Slaty Flycatcher, and the unique Black-collared Bulbul and elusive Dusky Twinspot.

Fragmented sections of miombo and floodplain habitats remain on the lower slopes of the massif, and we can search these in the afternoon for any of the species we may still be missing.

Overnight: Bailundo

The unique local race of Western Tinkerbird has cause for separation and is a target on the tour – like many other species with their unique race found in Angola.

Day 12. Transfer to Lubango

A long travel day awaits, as we depart the bird-rich central parts of Angola, bound for the large southern city of Lubango. As usual, our drive will be broken up with several birding stops, where we can try for some miombo birds, alongside more widespread species – but we anticipate arriving at our comfortable lodge late in the afternoon.

Overnight: Casper Lodge, Lubango

The Tundavala Escarpment offers superb birding in a scenic setting.

Days 13. Birding Tundavala

Our day will be dedicated to birding the Tundavala escarpment, on the edge of the city. Another of Angola’s more famous natural sites, the Tundavala Gap affords spectacular views over the escarpment as it rapidly drops from the high plateau down to the coastal plain, more than 3,300 feet (1,000 m) below.

While taking in the spectacular views, we have a chance for several aerial species, of which Bradfield’s Swift should form the bulk of the numbers. Alpine Swift, Rock Martin, and Black Saw-wing should also feature, and we will keep an eye out for raptors, including Augur Buzzard, Rock Kestrel, and Booted Eagle. The open rocky areas themselves are home to Short-toed Rock Thrush and Striped Pipit along with two of the main specials here, Rockrunner and Angola Cave Chat. The latter two species typically require some work to track down as they slink through gaps in the rocks, and we will be sure to put in some time to track them down. The rare Swierstra’s Spurfowl occurs in these areas as well and will be another key target.

Where the forest-type habitat begins we’ll be on the lookout for Grey Apalis, Angola Slaty Flycatcher, Ludwig’s Double-collared Sunbird, and Angola Waxbill, while species such as Western Tinkerbird and even Bocage’s Akalat are possible as well. The scrubby plains on the lower slopes are good for smaller seedeaters and the endemic Red-backed Mousebird. The recently discovered (and very isolated) population of White-headed Barbet occurs rarely in a remote valley, and should we have time, we will undertake the journey out to try for these special birds.

Overnight: Casper Lodge, Lubango

Angola Cave Chat is a striking species we should see at the incredible Tundavala Escarpment.

Day 14. Namibe birding – and most of Namibia’s near-endemics

We have the morning available to try for any outstanding targets we may still be searching for in the Tundavala mountains. Following which, we will transfer down the escarpment to the dry coastal plain via the incredible Leba Pass. Our main birding, however, will only start once we have descended to the plains below, from where we will initially explore some of the dry, deciduous woodland, riverbeds, and acacia thornveld – host to a completely new set of birds. The nomadic Cinderella Waxbill is a main target, but it is highly unpredictable in the area at this time of year, and notoriously difficult to find. We will also be on the lookout for other specials like Rüppell’s Parrot, Monteiro’s Hornbill, White-tailed Shrike, Carp’s Tit and Meves’s Starling.

Transferring further west toward the coast the habitat rapidly changes and becomes increasingly drier. Stands of acacia thornveld in these dry zones host many species more characteristic of further south (like Namibia), such as Common Scimitarbill, Pririt Batis, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Ashy Tit, Barred Wren-Warbler, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Kalahari Scrub Robin, Dusky Sunbird, Scaly-feathered Weaver, Red-headed Finch, and White-throated and Yellow Canaries.

Continuing further we enter the barren Namib Desert, and the dry gravel plains here host another suite of exciting species. The sought-after Rüppell’s Korhaan strides through the open plains, and we will search carefully for Benguela Long-billed Lark. Not to be outdone is the ghostly white Tractrac Chat, its close cousin, Karoo Chat, and the puzzling Chat Flycatcher. Lark-like Bunting can be present in large numbers, while we’ll need to keep an eye out for Pale-winged Starling as they roam the plains. Pale Chanting Goshawk is often easily seen perched atop roadside poles, as is the western race of Southern Fiscal.

Overnight: Namibe/ Moçâmedes area

Day 15. Birding to Benguela

Following an exciting few days birding in the south of Angola, we gradually start our journey back northwards to the capital city, Luanda. Today, we transfer as far as the Benguela region, on the coast. The rocky hills near the coast offer us excellent chances of finding the reclusive Hartlaub’s Spurfowl. Their loud, duetting call rings out from all parts of the hills and persistent scanning of exposed rocks is the order of the day. The surrounding areas play host to some of the same more typical Namibian specials, like Rüppell’s Parrot, Rosy-faced Lovebird, Carp’s Tit, and Bare-cheeked Babbler, Rockrunner and White-tailed Shrike – presenting us with a convenient backup should we have missed any of these. Closer to the coast, dry plains reminiscent of the Namib Desert occasionally host the likes of Double-banded Courser and Stark’s Lark, while the scrubby vegetation can be birded for the likes of Cape Penduline Tit.

Overnight: Benguela

The strange White-tailed Shrike is always a group favorite.

Day 16. Birding to the Kwanza River

The penultimate day of the tour sees us spending the morning birding coastal wetlands and salt pans around Benguela and Lobito, before making our way up to the Kwanza River mouth – lying just south of Luanda, and our end point of the tour. A good array of wetland species will likely include Cape Teal, Greater and Lesser Flamingos, African Spoonbill, Great White Pelican, Reed and White-breasted Cormorant, and more tropical species like African Pygmy Goose and African Openbill, along with many others.

We will arrive at the lovely Kwanza River, south of Luanda, in the late afternoon, where we will relax and settle in, following what is sure to be an exciting tour.

Overnight: Mangais Resort, Kwanza River

Day 17. Final morning birding, and departure from Luanda

This is the departure day, and we will have a final morning of birding available to us. The mangroves around the Kwanza River mouth hold the tricky Mangrove Sunbird, amongst others, while the Kwanza River mouth holds a good selection of waterbirds – what is sure to be a fitting way to end the tour.

Note that the lodge we make use of is well outside Luanda city, and we advise participants to book their departure flights back home (or to our linking São Tomé and Príncipe birding tour), only in the afternoon from 4pm onwards.

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors. In addition, we sometimes have to use a different international guide from the one advertised due to tour scheduling.

Angola: Rare Endemics and More Tour Report, June 2025

23 JUNE– 09 JULY 2025

By Zach Simpson 

Overview

For many years, Angola remained largely inaccessible to birders due to a prolonged and devastating civil war. With the end of the conflict in the early 2000s, the country slowly began opening its doors to tourism. As a result, birding expeditions resumed, revealing Angola’s tremendous avian potential. Numerous rediscoveries followed, and today the country has become a top destination for birders in search of its many endemics and range-restricted specialties.

Red-crested Turaco is one of Angola’s many endemics. It also happens to be the national bird of the country.

This 17-day tour was designed to target as many of these sought-after species as possible. We’re pleased to report that we had remarkable success, locating most of the realistic target birds, including a majority of the endemics and localized specialties. Although the tour was not aimed at maximizing the overall species count, we still ended with an impressive trip total of around 490 species, with only a small number recorded as heard only.

Angola’s bird diversity is largely shaped by its dramatic escarpment, which runs from the Namibe desert in the south to the lush equatorial forests in the north. Many of the country’s endemics are distributed along this gradient, and our itinerary reflected this, beginning in the north and gradually working our way south, zigzagging through key birding areas.

We began and ended our journey in Luanda, first heading north to the Uíge region, where we quickly found one of our headline targets: Braun’s Bushshrike. From there, we continued to Kalandula, home of the impressive Kalandula Falls, where White-headed Robin-Chat showed easily, and Red-crested Turaco was also seen well.

Our next stop was Maxima, where we successfully tracked down a critical trio of endemics: Grey-striped Spurfowl, Angola Helmetshrike, and Monteiro’s Bushshrike. More widespread but equally delightful endemics such as Hartert’s Camaroptera, Angola Batis, and White-fronted Wattle-eye were also found here.

Moving on to Kumbira Forest, we faced a bit more of a challenge with Gabela Bushshrike, which kept us waiting until the second day. However, Pulitzer’s Longbill and Gabela Akalat proved far more cooperative.

In the highlands, we explored Mount Namba, Mount Moco, and surrounding miombowoodlands. These areas were especially productive, with highlights including specials such as Black-necked Eremomela, Miombo Wren-Warbler, Böhm’s Flycatcher, and Souza’s Shrike. Between Namba and Moco, we added a species such as Angola Lark, Bocage’s Sunbird, Black-and-rufous Swallow, Huambo Cisticola, Dusky Twinspot, Western Tinkerbird, Black-chinned Weaver, and Ludwig’s Double-collared Sunbird.

Farther south, we picked up more southern escarpment gems including Swierstra’s Spurfowl, Angola Cave-Chat, Bocage’s Akalat, Angola Waxbill, Angola Slaty Flycatcher, and Rockrunner.

Descending into the arid lowlands north of the Namibe desert, we found a suite of desert-adapted specials: Karoo Long-billed Lark, Tractrac Chat, Rüppell’s Parrot, Hartlaub’s Spurfowl, Bare-cheeked Babbler, Rosy-faced Lovebird, Monteiro’s Hornbill, White-tailed Shrike, Damara Red-billed Hornbill, and many others.

Our final two days were spent gradually returning north along the Atlantic coast. Though mainly a travel leg, we still made time for several key stops, yielding species such as Chestnut-banded Plover, African Pygmy Goose, and an exciting first national record of Tibetan Sand Plover. A visit to the Kwanza River mangroves capped the trip with excellent views of Mangrove Sunbird.

Kalandula Falls is one of the most iconic landmarks in Angola

Detailed Report

Day 1, 23^rd June 2025. First taste of the Dry Baobab Woodland and Northern Escarp Forests

Having spent the night in the capital city of Luanda, we decided to have an early breakfast and get on the road before the traffic picked up. With much anticipation we made our way out the city and were soon into the belt of dry baobab woodland that is well known in Angola and holds many of the key endemics for our trip. The plan for the day was to make haste and get up to Uige in time for a little bit of afternoon birding. We also spent a bit of time in the dry woodlands to get some of the endemics out of the way.

The dry woodland stop was at Santa Ambuleia, this proved successful as we quickly racked up several good birds. Hartert’s Camaroptera, Gabon Boubou, Bubbling Cisticola and Rufous-tailed Palm-Thrush were some of the first species that we got onto. A little further along the road we encountered a small bird party and added Angola Batis, White-fronted Wattle-eye and Pale-olive Greenbul. Other notable species from the area included our first Mottled Spinetails, Olive Bee-eater, Red-backed Mousebirds, African Golden Oriole, Green Crombec and a range of more common species. This spot also produced Blue Monkey and Southern Talapoin as well as Congo Rope Squirrel. This would perhaps be the most mammals on a single morning on the trip.

We then hit the road again and started to climb the escarpment. We soon got our first taste of what the northern scarp forests were like. Another quick spot at a well know bridge produced a major target for the trip, Forst Swallow. These were accompanied by Angola Swallow.

A little later we had an enjoyable lunch stop at the side of the road, quite close to a degraded patch of forest. As we enjoyed our fresh avo rolls, we added a few birds to the list. These included Pink-footed Puffback, Olive-bellied Sunbird and a fly-by Red-necked Buzzard.

Bruan’s Bushshrike is one of three special bushshrikes that we targeted on this trip.

Another few hours and we made it to the Uige area, our next birding site. Our goal here was to see the endemic Bruan’s Bushshrike, thus freeing up our time the following day to look for other more widespread species. We stopped off at Dombeiagola Forest and this patch turned out to be incredibly birdy. Within 5 minutes of getting out of the car the birds were racking up. A big group of barbets moved overhead. These included Bristle-nosed and Naked-faced Barbets. Soon Yellow-browned Camaroptera, African Blue Flycatcher, Buff-throated Apalis, Banded Prinia, Splendid Starling, Velvet-mantled Drongo and both Piping and Congo Pied Hornbills were added.

Thankfully, as we were working the area, we heard Bruan’s Bushshrike calling a little way off the road. With this we began the challenge of getting our eyes on this species. We did not manage to get close to the bird nevertheless, after a bit of work, we managed views with it calling from an exposed perch some way off the road.

With that, we wrapped up the birding with distant views of Black Bee-eater. Our drive to the hotel was accompanied by a beautiful sunset through the distant forest on the horizon.

Day 2, 24^th June 2025. Full day in the Northern Forests near Uige

We had this whole day set aside to bird the forests near Uige. This gave us the opportunity to see many of the more widespread equatorial species, as well as some of the trickier species.

We started the day at the place we finished yesterday. We found a fruiting tree close to where we parked, and this was an incredibly birdy area. We quickly added Rufous-vented Paradise-Flycatcher, Vieillot’s Black, Yellow-mantled and Black-necked Weaver, Black-winged Oriole, Slender-billed Greenbul, Gray-headed, White-breasted and Chestnut-breasted Nigrita.We were very excited when a pair of Woodhouse’s Antpeckers showed briefly near the fruiting tree..

While following up on a calling greenbul, without success, we had fly-by views of a Black-casqued Hornbill and a group of Red-fronted Parrots. We also had a single Afep Pigeon perched some way off.

We were then drawn to a Yellow-throated Nicator that was calling in some nearby thicket. After a bit of work, some managed to get views of this species. The nicator was accompanied by Honeyguide Greenbul, Blue Malkoha and fleeting views of Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher. We were also spoilt by a group of Swamp Greenbuls that flew in.

As we moved further up the road, we got Rufous-crowned Eremomela, Buff-spotted Woodpecker, Superb Sunbird, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Purple-throated Cuckooshrike, Eastern Yellow-billed Barbet and Speckled Tinkerbird.

Goingback to our car for coffee, we found Hairy-breasted and Yellow-spotted Barbet (a regional rarity) near the fruiting tree. One of the guides got brief views of White-collared Oliveback, thankfully we connected with a pair later in the day.

Driving further down the road, we entered some grassland and spent some time here. There was not much happening, besides a few regular species, so we headed further along. We found a group of Orange-cheeked Waxbills feeding on the side of the road. A single male Yellow-mantled Widowbird was a great addition too.

We passed through a small village and then walked up into another patch of forest. Unfortunately, while walking we passed a group of young boys carrying two dead Speckled Tinkerbirds. This was a sad sight.Our mood was lightened when we got onto a pair of White-collared Olivebacks. Working a small patch of intact forest, we had Chestnut Wattle-eye and Tit-hylia.

We headed back to the tar road, and drove to another patch of forest about an hour’s drive away. As we got out of the car, we had great scope views of Black Bee-eaters. We took a walk down the road and added several species including Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Gray-chinned Sunbird, brief flight views of Chestnut-winged Starling and, most unexpectedly, a pair of Johanna’s Sunbirds.

It was getting late and we started heading back to the hotel. We had an incredibly productive stop at a large dam in the grasslands, where we had fantastic views of Allen’s Gallinule. While enjoying the gallinule, we heard Black-collared Bulbul and then, very soon, we had great views. This species was more common than expected during the tour. We also got White-chinned Prinia, Siffling Cisticola, Angola White-eyes and Black-tailed Waxbills.

Banded Prinia was a great addition during our first day.

Day 3, 25^th June 2025. Morning birding before transfer to Kalandula

Even though today was set as a travel day to get to Kalandula, we decided to try for some of the northern scarp forest species that we had missed during the previous two days. We set out into a degraded forest patch not far from Uige and spent the first few hours of the morning searching for some of the remaining targets. Soon we got onto Chestnut-winged and Narrow-tailed Starlings. We also managed to see Honeyguide Greenbul, Carmelite Sunbird, Green Hylia, Green-headed Sunbird, Gray-headed Kingfisher and Guinea Turaco. We heard a Masked Apalis and, after a bit of work, we eventually saw this very cool species. Heading back to the van, parked at the forest edge, with much tall grass, we had great views of Black-winged Bishop, White-chinned Prinia and some other good birds. Just before leaving, we got onto a Brown Twinspot.

We set off on the long drive to Kalandula and spent the rest of the day traveling. We got to Kalandula at around 5pm, giving us enough time to check out the falls. Here we also managed to connect with Cassin’s Flycatcher and one of the guides got onto Mountain Wagtail. The falls were breathtakingly beautiful and certainly one of the most iconic landmarks of the trip. Enjoying a stunning sunset, we headed to our hotel to check in for the night, with much anticipation for the following day.

Day 4, 26^th June 2025. Birding the Miombo and Swamp Forests near Kinjila Village

After our first taste of Kalandula at the falls yesterday evening, this morning we headed out to a small village outside town called Kinjila. On our way out we stopped in broadleaf woodland, where we got onto a pair of Anchieta’s Barbets.

We then walked down a track, passing through mixed miombo and forest reminiscent of sand forest. We added a whole string of birds, with flybys of Sharp-tailed Starling and views of African Broadbill, Gray-olive Greenbul, Cabanis’s Greenbul, Gray-chinned Sunbird, Miombo Scrub Robin, Retz’s Helmetshike, Narina Trogon and Western Violet-backed Sunbird. The most exciting encounter was two Red-crested Turacos right next to the road, this was a fitting sighting of the spectacular national bird of Angola.

Our next major target was a bird that was long considered extinct. However, it can now be seen with relative ease only here in the swamp forests. We met our local guide just outside the village, at the edge of the forest and told him we needed to see White-headed Robin-Chat. We set out on a 1.8 mile (3 kilometer) walk towards a site where they were showing well. Along the way we connected with White-winged Black-Tit, Meyer’s Parrot, Pale-billed Hornbill, Western Banded Snake-Eagle and Sharpe’s Drongo. Soon after arriving at the site, most of the group had great views of three individuals, accompanied by much excitement. Some also had brief views of Ross’s Turaco.

White-headed Robin-Chat was once thought to be extinct. It can now be reliably seen in Angola.

We went back for a quick coffee break and saw Brown-headed Apalis and Blue-throated Brown Sunbird. As we were leaving we heard the call of Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo. This filled the group with excitement and the whole group had great views of the bird and some even got digiscopes of the bird.

On the way back to the hotel we stopped briefly at a bridge and connected with Red-throated Swallow. After lunch and a short rest at the hotel, we went back out into the field. Another quick stop at the bridge proved successful, as we connected with Chirping Cisticola, Great Swamp Warbler and Marsh Tchagra.

Back at the swamp forest we connected with Gray-winged Robin-Chat and another pair of White-headed Robin-Chat, thanks to the local guides. We also spent time looking for White-spotted Flufftail, but sadly did not have much luck.

We had a short stint of night birding and managed to hear African Scops-Owl and African Wood Owl,as well as Fiery-necked Nightjar. We also got great views of African Barred Owlet. Most of the group saw Southern Lesser Galago very well.

Day 5, 27^th June 2025. Last Birding at Kilinji and transfer to Maxima

With another early start we headed out to the swamp forest once more. This time we wanted to try and get visuals of White-spotted Flufftail.

As we entered the forest we picked up on Brown Illadopsis and Blue-breasted Kingfisher, and Shining-blue Kingfisher was seen very briefly by the guides. We then proceeded to the patch of forest where the White-spotted Flufftail had been heard calling and we spent some time looking for it. Eventually we had views of this species as it worked the swamp undergrowth.

We saw an incredibly huge flock of Red-throated Swallows building nests under a bridge.

After the flufftail we did a bit more general birding and then started back to the car. As we were leaving, we could still hear the shouts of Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo.

We moved on to the large bridge again and found that thousands of Red-throated Swallows had moved in and were circling the bridge, so we watched and photographed. They were collecting mud on the edge of the river and bringing it to the bridge to build their nests.

Our drive back towards the coast then started and we arrived at our accommodation in time for a quick bit of birding in the evening. We then enjoyed our supper at the hotel and were treated to some Square-tailed Nightjars. Tomorrow we would set out into dry woodland in search of more endemics.

Day 6, 28^th June 2025. Birding the Dry Woodland Maxima

The day started with yet another early morning as we headed out to the dry woodlands just south of Maxima. Upon arrival we stretched our legs and within minutes our first target flew in: Angola Helmetshrike! We had great views of five of this incredibly range restricted species. While admiring the helmetshrikes we heard our next target, Monteiros’s Bushshrike, so we headed down a track towards the calling birds. Along the way the group connected with Golden-backed Bishop, another Angolan endemic (although introduced to São Tomé and Príncipe). After a bit of work, we managed to get distant views of the bushshrike. Other birds seen included Mottled Spinetail, Blue Malkoha and Hartert’s Camaroptera.

Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye was a nice surprise in moist woodland along a dry river course!

We then headed back to the vehicle for a coffee break and took a drive to another spot, this time a more forested woodland along a dry river course. This proved to be very successful and, after a bit of work, the group managed to see Forest Scrub-Robin, Bates’s Paradise-Flycatcher and a fantastic male Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye. After lunch we checked out the banks of the Kwanza River hoping for Egyptian Plover but unfortunately the water levels were too high and we therefore had no luck. We then tried for Gray-striped Spurfowl at another site but sadly only heard the bird calling near the road. On the way back to our accommodation, we decided to head out to a spot not from our hotel in search of francolin. It was late in the afternoon, and we heard a number of spurfowl calling, both Red-necked and Gray-striped Spurfowl. Just before dark some of the group managed flight views of a distant bird. Nevertheless, most of the guests would need to try again the following morning!

Day 7, 29^th June 2025. Last attempt for Gray-striped Spurfowl and transfer to Condo

The day started with a very quick drive back to the same spot where we had finished off yesterday. We were hoping that the whole of the group would see Gray-striped Spurfowl. When we arrived, the spurfowl soon started calling. After a bit of work we managed brief flight views of an individual that landed quite close to where we were. Eventually we decided to try and flush the bird and, after a few seconds of panic and comedy, the bird flushed for everyone to see. One of the clients referred to the spurfowl as the “flufftail of spurfowls”. We got very close to one calling many times, but failed to get any views.

Unlike past attempts, we had one spurfowl on the road as we were leaving the area,providing a great photographic opportunity.

Gray-striped Spurfowl eventually showed along the road, after prior flights views.

A short stint of birding along a bridge produced some waterbirds including Black Crake, African Openbill and Knob-billed Duck. We also managed to see Long-legged Pipit and Great Swamp Warbler,and great views of Bubbling Cisticola and Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush.

Our long drive to Conda, where we would be based for two nights, then began. One or two stops along the way for coffee and lunch produced only a few birds. We arrived in Conda at around 5 pm and took a drive into the forest scrub on the edge of Kumbira forest. Here we wanted to get Pulitzer’s Longbill out of the way, to allow time for other endemics tomorrow. After about half an hour we had brief views of this purple-eyed skulker. With much excitement we then returned to our accommodation and called it a day.

Day 8, 30^th June 2025. Endemics and forest species at Kumbira

The day started with another early morning as we moved deeper into Kumbira forest. We started in some of the higher, degraded forest scrub. Our main targets for the day were Angola Bushshrike and Gabela Akalat.

It did not take long for us to hear our first of many Gabela Akalats, and soon we had good views of a very showy pair. We continued along the track and found a bird party. This quickly added Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, Carmelite Sunbird, the weird form of Southern Hyliota, (sometimes referred to as Forest Hyliota – possibly a species of its own) and the pale-throated race of Naked-faced Barbet.

Gabela Akalat, one of our main targets at Kumbira, did not take long to show.

Back at the vehicle for a coffee break, one of the clients spotted two Black-backed Barbets perched in a dead tree.

We then spent a couple of hours working a stretch of road, going through the degraded forest scrub and hoping to hear Gabela Bushshrike. We unfortunately had no luck and decided to head down into some of the remaining intact forest patches further down. Here, we spent a bit of time searching for Kumbira specials. A bird party produced Rufous Flycatcher-Thrush, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Buff-throated Apalis and, a little while later, Bates’s Paradise-Flycatcher and Little Green Sunbird. We also had great views of a female Chestnut Wattle-eye collecting spiderwebs.

We enjoyed watching this female Chestnut Wattle-eye collecting spiderwebs, even though it is widespread.

After a relaxed lunch near the river we headed into another forest patch. Here we managed to see Dusky Tit (endemic gabela subspecies) and, a little later, an obliging Brown-chested Alethe. Other good birds included African Golden Oriole and Yellow-mantled Weaver.

We then headed back up to the degraded scrub in search of the bushshrike. After a while, we heard one calling not too far away and headed up onto the hill, where we spent about an hour trying to see it. We got near, and one of the guides even had brief views, but, unfortunately, it did not show properly. While searching for the bushshrike we had views of Red-headed Bluebill, this helped to relieve the tension for a few moments.

Another individual started calling from across the valley and, after a long long walk through thick vegetation, we arrived at the spot where the bird had been calling. Again, we tried for about an hour and sadly had to call it a day when the sun started setting. We would have to try again tomorrow morning!

Day 9, 1^st July 2025. Finally, Gabela Bushshrike, followed by some Miombo

We headed back to the same spot we had left off the previous day. Our hope was to locate calling Gabela Bushshrike and get views for the whole group. As we arrived, we heard a pair calling on the slope across the river, so we set off on foot, crossing the river walking on logs laid down to make a small bridge. We positioned ourselves at a spot where we hoped the bird would come in and, after trying for a few nerving minutes, we all got good views.

We then headed back to the car and set off for our next destination, our goal was to get into some miombo. When we arrived, we had a quick coffee spot and then set off. We very quickly had a bird party and got Rufous-bellied and Miombo Tit, Red-capped Crombec, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Green-capped Eremomela, Western Miombo Sunbird, African Spotted Creeper and a few others.

African Spotted Creeper showed incredibly well.

An Augur Buzzard flew over as we continued up the road. A little further on we had Familiar Chat and Siffling and Stout Cisticola, and the guides managed brief views of Anchieta’s Sunbird and Broad-tailed Paradise-Whydah. Then back to the car for a quick lunch, where a select few had quick views of Dusky Twinspot.

Following lunch, we headed down the roadin the opposite direction from before. It was fairly quiet, nevertheless, the group connected with a pair of Souza’s Shrikes. Back in the car we headed to another miombo patch. Along the way we made a stop in a grassy valley and this proved successful as we added Black-and-rufous Swallow, Copper Sunbird, Bocage’s Sunbird and had more views of Black-collared Bulbul.At the miombo stop, we added a few more widespread species such as Brubru, Dusky and Pale Flycatcher.Another brief stop on a bridge en route to our hotel added a number of species including Purple Roller, Schalow’s Turaco, Brown Firefinch, Oustalet’s Sunbird and Pearl-breasted Swallow.

Day 10, 2^nd March 2025. Namba Mountains, Vehicle Drama and Great Birds!

We started off with the earliest day so far for the trip. We were on the road by 4:30am because Mt Namba was about a four hour long drive away.

Along the way we made a quick stop where we were treated to close up views of a pair of Angola Larks. There were also some Sooty Chats, Red-capped Larks and Plain-backed Pipits in the area.

Angola Lark was a great find on the way to Mt Namba.

About a kilometer from the forest we were heading to, in a mountainous area, we had some issues with the vehicle at a bridge. and unfortunately lost a few hours dealing with this. While sorting the car out we saw Marsh Tchagra, Fan-tailed Grassbird, Bocage’s Sunbird and Black-and-rufous Swallow.

Eventually, at about noon, we decided to walk to the forest. It took a lot of time, and soon became an incredibly tough march up the mountain, to reach a patch of forest. We battled our way through very thick vegetation with no paths whatsoever. The sun was blistering and this was certainly one of the most physically tough days of the trip. Thankfully, we were rewarded with some great birds. On the way up, the group connected with Angola Waxbill and very distant views of Huambo Cisticola.We eventually made it up to a nice patch of forest. Soon we got onto Western Tinkerbird, African Hill Babbler, Gray Apalis, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Dusky Twinspot and African Yellow Warbler.

Western Tinkerbird was one of the four tinkers seen on this trip.

We trekked back down and eventually arrived back at the vehicle. Some took a quick dip in the river and then we drove back to our hotel.

Day 11, 3^rd July 2025. Mount Moco and Miombo Birding

We had another early start because we were heading for Mt Moco. Here we wanted to get some of the localized montane specials in the bag. Upon arrival at the village we asked the chief for permission to head up into the lower forest. On our way up to the forest, at the edge of the village, we saw Village Indigobird, interestingly, it was mimicking Dusky Twinspot.

We started our birding near a nursery that has been set up for a reforestation project. It was a little quiet, nevertheless, we got Cabanis’s Greenbul and Black-throated Wattle-eye. We continued out onto the edge of the forest, where we could look down onto the forest patch. This proved successful and we added some fantastic birds, including Black-chinned Weaver, Anchieta’s Sunbird, Schalow’s Turaco, Red-throated Wryneck and Black-backed Barbet. We managed to see Wing-snapping, Wailing and Huambo Cisticola in the surrounding rocky grass slopes.

We headed back to the car and drove down to some miombo for lunch and to rest for an hour or so, with some napping on the grass or in the vehicle. After that we tried to track down more miombo specials. The first miombo patch started off quiet but suddenly took a turn when we were getting back into the vehicle. Anchieta’s Barbet, Woodland Pipit, Yellow-bellied Hyliota and Green-capped Eremomela, amongst others, suddenly filled the woodland around us. Once that bird party had settled, we moved down to a second patch of miombo, where we had great success. Walking along a footpath we found a party that contained two specials, namely Black-necked Eremomela and Miombo Wren-Warbler. We also had Red-headed Weaver, White-fronted Bee-eater and Red-capped Crombec, amongst others.

Black-necked Eremomela was one of the biggest targets in the miombo.

Our last stop for the day was at a small river crossing. It was a bit quiet in the beginning, but we soon picked up a few birds. Fawn-breasted Waxbill was great to see, and we also saw Greater Honeyguide and Orange-breasted Waxbill.

We then headed back to the hotel.

Day 12, 4^th July 2025. Last Miombo Birding and Transfer to Lubango

This morning was our last opportunity to spend time in miombo, so we headed into a patch of miombo about an hour from our accommodation. As with most early morning birding, the woodland was buzzing. We walked down the road and found a pair of Woodland Pipits. This was followed by a Black Scimitarbill, and a range of other species we had already seen. The highlight of the morning was a single Bohm’s Flycatcher which made a quick, yet sufficient, appearance. We also had great fly-by views of Black-chested Snake-Eagle and had a pair of Shikra moving through the area.

After a nice cup of coffee, we hit the road, since today was set aside to get down to Lubango. We had a quick lunch stop near a bridge, this produced a few trip birds such as Hartlaub’s Babbler and White-winged Widowbird. After good few hours driving, we eventually arrived at Casper Lodge. A great meal and amazing accommodation were very welcome after a long day.

Day 13, 5^th July 2025. Birding Tundavala

This was one of our biggest and most anticipated days of the trip. We would be birding the Tundavala area. This provided an opportunity to see all the remaining true endemics that we needed on this trip.

We started at the Tundavala gGap viewpoint, the views were breathtaking! We endured a cold wind blowing up through the gap. Despite this, we managed to see a pair of Angola Cave Chats and we got brief views of Short-toed Rock-Thursh, while Bradfield’s and Alpine Swift were flying overhead. We also had a few raptors, including Peregrine Falcon, Booted Eagle and Rock Kestrel.

After coffee at the vehicle, we tried another slope in hopes of finding a very special spurfowl. Unfortunately, we did not manage to see it there, so we moved to another gorge. Here we spent a bit of time scanning the slopes in the hope of picking up the spurfowl. After about 20 minutes we had a Swierstra’s Spurfowl vocalizing not far away in the gorge. This led to about 30 tense minutes as we tried to locate the calling bird, in thick vegetation in the forested gully. After some time it suddenly appeared on a large rock under some trees in the forest. With a few moments of panic, everyone managed to get onto it. Other good birds here included a low fly-by of Verreaux’s Eagle, and our first views of Tinkling Cisticola.

One of Angola’s hardest endemics, Swierstra’s Spurfowl, showed well on two occasions during the trip.

We moved to a rocky area on the flat plateau, here we picked up Jameson’s (Ansorge’s) Firefinch and better views of Angola Waxbill.
We then headed back to the hotel, where most enjoyed hamburgers and chips, and a quick siesta.At about 3 pm we set out to the viewpoint again in hopes of finding White-headed Barbet, sadly, we did not have much luck. On the walk to the viewpoint, we found Yellow-crowned Canary, and at the viewpoint we quickly picked up some good birds such as Black-faced Canary, Miombo Rock Thrush and, best of all, an Angola Slaty Flycatcher, the last endemic we needed!

We walked back to the vehicle and finished off the day with some night birding. There were many Freckled Nightjars calling and we managed to get a few fly-by views before heading back to the hotel.

Day 14, 6^th July 2025. Leba Pass and Namibian Specials

This day was set aside for a day trip down Leba Pass to see some of the ”Namibian” specials. We started in woodland and as we moved towards the coast we got into dryer and dryer habitat until we were in the Namibe Desert. Our first stop was successful, as we very quickly picked up White-tailed Shrikes – there were a lot of them around. We moved further along and stopped at a river. Spending a bit of time on the riverbed we had a large number of species coming down to drink. These included Jameson’s and Red-billed Firefinch, Black-fronted Bulbul and Long-tailed Paradise-Whydah. Overhead we had both Bohm’s and Mottled Spinetail and many Bradfield’s Swifts.

We headed back to the car and on our way back to the tar road we had good views of the localized race of Meves’s Starling. Moving further along towards the coast we made a spot in some dry acacia woodland. This was very successful and we managed to pick up Dusky Sunbird, Kalahari Scrub-Robin, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Monteiro’s Hornbill, Barred Wren-Warbler, Pearl-spotted Owlet and White-throated and Black-throated Canary. We also got our first looks at Karoo Chat. We decided to have our mid-morning breakfast stop here, and enjoyed a fruit salad prepared by the hotel.

Monteiro’s Hornbill was one of two localized hornbills seen today.

We then moved into some dry rocky areas to look for Rüppell’s Bustard but, unfortunately, we did not have much luck. We managed to get Karoo (Benguela) Long-billed Lark and then, further into the Namibe Desert, we got Spike-heeled Lark and Tractrac Chat.

On the way back to our accommodation we stopped again in the moist woodland close to Leba Pass. Here we managed to add Carp’s Tit and Damara Red-billed Hornbill. We timed it well and watched the sunset from the top of Leba Pass. This was a breathtaking view, and rounded off our time on the southernmost part of our trip well.

Karoo Long-billed Lark was a great addition to the day.

Day 15, 7^th July 2025. Last Tundavala Birding and Transfer to Benguela

We hadn’t seen Bocage’s Akalat on the trip yet, so we decided to give this speciesone last try at the same spot where we had seen the Swierstra’s Spurfowl two days before.As we arrived at the viewpoint, a Swierstra’s Spurfowl called so we looked a short distance across the valley and there it was, sitting exposed on a large rock. Even though we had already seen this species it was still special to see it again, and this time out in the open.

We then looked for the akalat and after a while had some success, with a pair showing in the valley below us. Once everyone had seen the bird we headed to the vehicle. We tried unsuccessfully for Finsch’s Francolin, before having coffee on the plateau.

Enduring the Angolan roads later that afternoon, with the hope of more great birding, we eventually arrived at a boulder filled landscape. Our target here was Hartlaub’s Spurfowl. We had no response for a while but then suddenly the shouts of not-too-distant spurfowl erupted from the rocky slopes. With brief flying views, then some views of them walking and calling from the undergrowth, the group was happy to move on to other targets in the area. We managed Rüppell’s Parrot, Rosy-faced Lovebird, Bare-cheeked Babbler and Pale-winged Starling. We also had repeat views of Meves’s Starling, Carp’s Tit, White-tailed Shrike, Pririt Batis and Damara Red-billed Hornbill.

Half an hour’s drive to our accommodation in the small coastal town of Benguela then followed. This wrapped up the day.

Hartlaub’s Spurfowl was the cherry on the top, being our third localized spurfowl for the trip.

Day 16, 8^th July 2025. Transfer to Kwanza

We were up before sunrise and started our day birding at some salt pans. This allowed us to add some new trip birds, including Kelp Gull, Caspian Tern, Sandwich Tern, Kittlitz’s Plover, African Spoonbills and, the best of the lot, Chestnut-banded Plover.

This was followed by a quick spot at the Lobito Wetlands. Here we added several new trip birds, including Cape Teal, Common Greenshank, both Greater and Lesser Flamingo, as well as Great White Pelican, Red-knobbed Coot, African Swamphen and Common Sandpiper. We then headed north, making our way to the Kwanza area to spend a night on the river. Along the way we made a stop at some very appealing wetlands, where we found a few African Pygmy Geese. These were accompanied by a large assortment of other waterbirds.

The rest of the day was spent driving and we arrived at out lodge just as the sun was setting. During supper, some enjoyed views of Black-crowned Night Heron on the riverbank, from the lodge deck.

Day 17, 9^th July 2025. Birding Kwanza and Goodbyes

After coffee and breakfast, we took a short walk to the river mouth. Unfortunately, the conditions were not favorable for us to find a tern roost. We did have a number of Caspian and Common Tern flying through, but we unfortunately did not see West African Crested Tern.

We then headed to a golf course a few kilometers away which proved to be a good access point into the mangrove forests. The golf course had a bird guide who seemed to know the birds in the area quite well and this proved to be of great value. The golf course had several small pans, this meant that it was teaming with waterbirds. We also had good views of Long-legged Pipit along the fairways, as well as Banded Martin. We then proceeded into the mangroves. One of our first sightings was a pair of White-fronted Wattle-eyes. This time they allowed us much better views.

White-fronted Wattle-eye finally gave us good views at the end of our trip.

We continued into the forest. We asked the local guide about Mouse-brown Sunbird and he took us to a spot where a pair was building a nest. This allowed for great views, but we did not stick around since we did not want to disturb the birds too much.

We spent an hour or two exploring the forest. We added Green-backed Woodpecker and had good views of a pair of Square-tailed Nightjars. Several Blue-breasted Kingfishers called, but we were unable to get any views.

We then headed back to the lodge, enjoyed a quick lunch before making our way further into Luanda. Before we had to say our goodbyes, we stopped briefly to look for some waders, and hoping for a tern roost. This was our last chance of finding West African Crested Tern, but there was unfortunately, no sign of the terns. We did add some waders to our trip lists , including Bar-tailed Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, Black-bellied Plover, Curlew Sandpiper and, best of all, the first known record of Tibetan Sand-Plover for Angola.

Our last stop was the airport and we said our goodbyes. This wrapped up our incredible tour, having successfully seen all the endemics. There were smiles all round!

Angola Bird List – Following IOC (15.1 / March 2025)

Birds ‘heard only’ are marked with (H) after the common name, all other species were seen.

The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following the IUCN Red List:
EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable.

Bhutan Mammal List – Following Mammalwatching.com (Jan. 2024)

The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following the IUCN Red List:
VU = Vulnerable.

Please see the downloadable PDF above with the full species lists included. This is a sample trip report. Please email us ([email protected]) for more trip reports from this destination.

ANGOLA: GENERAL INFORMATION

INTRODUCTION

Angola has a rather unfortunate history, and has only fairly recently opened up to tourism (basically since the 2000s). As such, Angola has long been perceived to be a “difficult” destination, with birding sites and suitable accommodations tricky to access, making for a logistically-challenging trip. This is rapidly changing, however, and every year, there are regular improvements to infrastructure, with new and better roads making travel easier and quicker. Importantly, our tour to Angola does not include any camping, and suitable accommodations are used throughout.

This tour begins and ends in the capital city, Luanda (in the north of the country). There is a wide mix of habitats encountered, ranging from forested areas, to mixed woodland and open desert environments. The birding on this tour is generally not particularly challenging, with birding mostly from roadside edges and the occasional foray into the surrounding woodland/forest/area. We do, however, undertake a couple strenuous birding walks at Mount Namba and Mount Moco (see more below under ‘WALKING’). As always, forest birding can be difficult with brief views of skulking birds in a dark environment, or high up int the canopy as they flit about. Photographic opportunities are usually very poor in the forests, though are better in the more open areas

It needs to be stressed that this is a tour for more serious and dedicated birders. The tour is focused on finding Angola’s endemic and special birds, and every effort is made to accomplish this. There is little down time envisioned on this tour, and full days out are expected throughout. Much time is spent in the vehicles, as we travel to and from birding sites, and bird from the vehicles. Travel is also slow in this rural African country, and there are several long travel days with little birding possible.

PASSPORT AND VISA

Your passport must be valid for a period of at least six months after the date of your arrival in Angola. Please make sure that there is at least one full empty page available in your passport. Please ensure that you also bring a photocopy of your passport, to be kept in a different location from your passport, in case of loss.

Visa entry regulations to Angola changes rapidly, and it is the responsibility of each client to verify whether they need a visa to travel, or not. As recently as 2020, virtually every nationality needed a visa to travel to Angola, however, this is not the case anymore, and many countries (with more routinely being added) no longer need a visa, and can easily travel to Angola. Please make sure you find out accordingly, and well in advance of your tour.

Birding Ecotours can assist in providing documentation to confirm your participation on the tour, in support of your visa application, and generally help with this process, should it be required. However, the onus is on you, as a client, to secure your visa to travel here.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

We require (see Birding Tours Terms and Conditions – Birding Ecotours) that you purchase trip cancellation insurance in case you have to cancel due to illness just prior to the tour departure date, to protect yourself against accidents, medical, illness, loss of valuables, luggage etc. and travel interruptions or delays of all kinds. Allianz Travel and Generali Global Assistance are two options to consider.

HEALTH/MALARIA

Please carefully read the Center for Disease Control (CDC) information for travelers to Angola (or your government’s equivalent health travel advice for Angola). Below we have mentioned a couple of specific items but first and foremost kindly be advised by the updated information at the above link.

Required immunizations for travel to Angola: Yellow Fever vaccine. Please note that Angola accepts that Yellow Fever inoculation is now acknowledged as a lifetime vaccine (but of course you still need to produce the certificate, even if it shows as a technically expired date).

It is recommended that you are up to date with all routine vaccines, such as polio and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR). Additionally, it is also recommended getting vaccines for Hepatitis A and B, rabies and typhoid. Please keep in mind that if you have not had any of these, one should make sure that you have been inoculated at least six weeks prior to your trip, for the vaccine to take full effect.Malaria

We strongly recommend anti-malaria drugs for travel to Angola. Please consult with your doctor accordingly.

Mosquito repellant, long trousers/jeans and long-sleeved shirts, particularly at night when malaria (Anopheles) mosquitos bite, are advised, in addition to the drugs.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Please make sure that you are covered with medical insurance in case of an emergency while on this trip. Without insurance the cost of medical care can be extremely high.

Please notify us at the time of registering for the tour of any medical conditions you think we should know about (including allergies, heart conditions, epilepsy, etc.). This will greatly help us to cater to your needs.

WATER / FOOD

We provide unlimited bottled water in the tour vehicles, and you are welcome to take water from the vehicles for evenings when not provided in the hotel rooms. More expensive bottled water at restaurants is excluded from the tour cost and is for your account, but (again) you can take water from our tour vehicles whenever you want.

Dinners will virtually always be enjoyed at our hotels and lodges, with breakfasts and lunches mostly packed meals in the field (though occasionally may be enjoyed at our hotels).

As always, please do inform us if you have any food allergies or other dietary requirements. Kindly note, that we cannot guarantee that these can be accommodated throughout the tour. If you have special requirements/allergies, we kindly ask if you can bring along appropriate/replacement foods.

Meals in Angola are generally more basic and consistent with other parts of rural Africa–typically with lots of starch, and limited vegetables and protein choices. Chicken and fish meals are available widely. We do ask for your understanding in not expecting excellent and varied food, routinely, and to ensure your expectations are consistent with the destination (rural Africa).

CURRENCY AND MONEY

The Angolan kwanza (Kz) is the official currency, and it is suggested to ensure you have sufficient cash in local currency to cover expenses such as drinks, tips, and for other items of a personal nature (such as gifts). Credit cards are not widely accepted for payment.

You will be able to exchange or draw money at the airport upon our arrival. Note that exchanging money is only easily possible at the airport on your arrival – it is very time-consuming (and not possible) to do so during the tour. Visa and Mastercard are generally accepted for drawing cash from ATMs, though some banks may decline transactions on international bank cards – it is important to notify your bank that you will be traveling abroad. Note: US and Canadian dollars, pound sterling and euros cannot be used for purchases.

WEATHER   

Conditions will generally be comfortable, but note that some areas in the highlands may be cool and windy, especially in the mornings or evenings, and some areas are likely to be warm and humid (especially in the north). We do not anticipate extreme heat or humidity, nor very cold conditions. As always, it is good practice to ensure you have some warmer clothes, as some people may feel the need for a jersey/jacket in the evenings, and a raincoat. Although we visit during the dry season, unseasonal rain is not impossible.

ELECTRICITY

The standard voltage is 220 V. If you intend to recharge camera batteries etc. in your hotel room you will need an international adapter. Note that in Angola, the power plug sockets generally make use of Type C (see link). It is always good practice to bring an international adapter along, as hotels and lodgings occasionally differ.

All of our hotels/lodges will have access to electricity throughout the day/night, and will have at least one outlet available for chargers and laptops etc. Remember, this is rural Africa, and sometimes the electricity is cut off. While we cannot control such aspects of the tour, we will always try our best to ensure backup options are possible/used, if needed.

A good torch is also advised, which can be used if joining a night walk, and/or, should the power go out, and light is needed in the room.

INTERNET/WIFI

Wi-Fi internet will be intermittently available at our lodges and hotels on this trip. Kindly note that in many places, this is not accessible from your rooms, but only the main reception area/dining area.

Should you wish to stay connected more regularly, we advised you to either:

• Purchase an eSim compatible with your phone (such as those available on AloSim, for example).
• Purchase a local sim card at the airport, on your arrival.

LENGTH OF DRIVES

Kindly note that this tour takes place in a third-world country, and roads are often narrow, potholed and very busy. Do not expect highways and quick travel between destinations. Unfortunately, this does mean we will spend quite a bit of time in vehicles, traveling to and from birding sites, and transiting between destinations. Additionally, there are a few days with particularly long drives.

Most of the birding sites are accessed from/birding along, gravel roads leading to remaining areas of natural habitat. These are usually in a bad condition and very bumpy.

Air-conditioning is available in our tour vehicles.

Some roads can be dusty so please consider bringing a scarf (or other measures) in case you are birding along an unpaved road and a car goes past putting up dust.

WALKING

Although we spend a lot of time in the vehicles, there is still a fair bit of walking needed on this tour. Many of our birding sites require birding from foot, as opposed to birding from vehicles, and will require us being on our feet for several hours at a time. Despite this, the distances walked are often not very far, and the taxing aspect comes from simply being on one’s feet. While most of the walking is generally easy and either along roads, or roadside edges, we do occasionally venture off the road, and “bushwhack” into forest/woodland/similar. Participants should be able to manage these conditions, and be comfortable on their feet, with comfortable shoes, for several hours at a time etc.

The following are noteworthy:

1. The birding on Mount Namba is very much pioneering, with no distinct trails, etc. There is also steep, rocky and mountainous terrain, that will be challenging to negotiate. We will reach a point in the vehicles, from which we cannot venture further, and will need to ascend from there on foot to reach the remaining forest patches. This is expected to be several miles up, and returning again.
2. The birding on the slopes of Mount Moco is likewise extremely difficult and challenging. Very similar to Mount Namba, a final point will be reached, from which we will need to ascend on foot – via rough, steep trails, on rocky and loose ground, to reach the lower forested slopes. While we don’t get anywhere near the summit, this is still extremely challenging.

PACE OF TOUR

This is an intense tour, with long days out in the field, virtually every day. We will generally start the days off early pre-dawn, with breaks for morning breakfast/coffee and lunch (these are usually out in the field). Occasionally, early breakfasts will be had at the hotels, but this is not regular. Note that many of the birding sites are far from our accommodation, and we will spend the full day out birding, only returning to our accommodation later in the afternoon/evening. There is little down time expected.

There will be occasional evening forays to look for nocturnal birds (and mammals), but this is not a daily activity.

It is possible to opt out of some activities, should you not feel up for it, but this generally won’t be possible on the days where we transit between overnight accommodations. In some instances, it may be possible to stay with the vehicles should you be unable/unwilling to join the group.

ACCOMMODATION

Please note that most of the accommodation used on this tour are considered to be of a “good/standard” quality, though some places are “basic” (and below the standard we use on our southern/East Africa tours). En-suite bathroom facilities are available throughout the tour, though in some basic places (such as Waku Kungo), hot water can be an issue and may not always available. Furthermore, maintenance can be an issue at some places, with electrical points, lights etc. not working – or easily repairable.

As the tourism industry is still new in Angola, many of the birding sites lie far from available accommodation establishments and thus a drive to and from is necessary in the mornings and evenings.

FLIGHTS

This tour starts and ends in the capital city, Luanda, that has an international airport serviced by various airlines (often routing through Europe).

*The tour begins early on Day 1, and it is best for all participants to arrive a day (or two) prior to the tour beginning.

*The final night of the tour sees us staying well outside the capital city, Luanda, and to ensure smooth logistics, we kindly ask all clients to only book outbound flights departing Angola, from 3pm or later that afternoon.

Please kindly check in with the Birding Ecotours office before booking any flights.

WHAT TO BRING                                  

Clothing – Casual and informal dress is fine in the hotels and lodges. Loose lightweight field clothing works best, with a warm fleece or jacket for cooler weather. As mentioned before, it is good practice to bring some warmer clothing, certainly a minimum of a warm fleece and a rain jacket. While unlikely, rain is always a possibility, so an umbrella and or rain gear is always useful to have.

Laundry can be done at most establishments throughout the tour (at your expense) – but please note that a lead time of at least one day is needed (it is therefore impossible to get laundry done if we stay at a hotel/lodge for only a single night – but is possible if we have two nights or longer).

Sunglasses, sunhat and sunscreen (rated SPF 30 or higher) are essential. A pair of trousers or a long skirt, and a long-sleeved shirt should be included to help protect against forest vegetation and the sun.

We would recommend lightweight walking boots for when out on foot, and bringing a second pair is often useful. Please ensure that whatever footwear you bring, that it is comfortable, as much time is spent on your feet on this tour. You might like to consider sandals/tevas as well, for use around the hotels/lodges.

Do not forget – BINOCULARS, prescription drugs (also bring the generic names for these drugs), toiletries, prescription glasses (and a spare pair), insect repellant, camera, flashlight, batteries (for electronic equipment and chargers for the re-chargeable batteries), plug adaptors, alarm clock, mosquito repellant, money pouch, field guide(s), a soft-sided duffle-style luggage bag is recommended (hard-sided luggage is not always ideal), daypack/backpack, and your favorite road snacks!

Key documents and cash – Passports, your travel or health insurance cards (you can send us copies to file in case of emergency), credit cards – Mastercard (and to a lesser extent VISA) are best – see above, US dollars, euro or pounds can be exchanged for local currency at the airport as you arrive into the country (if you prefer not to simply draw from ATMs), cash for drinks, gifts, tips, items of a personal nature etc.

Luggage – Due to limited luggage space in the vehicles, please pack as lightly as possible. A medium-sized, soft-sided duffle bag (not the hard-sided cases) works best for packing in the vehicles. This allows us to better fit the bags. Please bring a daypack to keep items that you wish to use or need on a daily basis.

Angola General Information