Bird Watching Tour

Angola is a country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Namibia in the south, Zambia in the east, and the Republic of Congo, as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the north. The country is rich in natural resources: It has large reserves of oil and diamonds, hydroelectric potential, and rich agricultural land. Despite this, Angola remains a poor country, having been ravaged by a bloody civil war in the early 1970s.

However, it has other riches, such as its animal fauna, which still has much to reveal.

With lush rainforests in the north, cool mountains, huge waterfalls, and an arid desert in the southwest. The natural diversity is accompanied by a diversity of local cultures. An enthusiast birder can see well over 400 species in a birding trip of 3 weeks, of which 14 are endemic (depending on taxonomy), while dozens of other near-endemic and highly localized bird species also feature prominently.

This is a testament to the many habitats within the country, including desert, dry thorn savanna, mopane, moist baobab savanna, montane forest and grassland, lowland rainforest, and vast areas of miombo broadleaf woodland.

Other natural attractions include the bizarre Welwitschia plant, the endangered Giant Black Sable antelope, the breathtaking Calendula Waterfall, the spectacular Tundavala cliffs, and many other gems.

It will be necessary to travel to deep Angola, to see the endemic Francolinus griseostriatus endemic with gray fringes, the Swierstra francolinus swierstrai, which was recently rediscovered after a period of 40 years, red crested Mousebird Colius castanotus, red crested Turaco Tauraco erythrolophus, Angola Slaty Flycatcher Melaenornis brunneus, White-face Eye-eye Platysteira albifrons, Gabela Bush-Shrike Laniarius amboimensis, Monteiro's Bush-Shrike Malacanotus monteiri, Gabela Helmet-Shrike Prionops gabela, Gabela Akalat Sheppardia gabela, Longitz by Pulitzer Macrosphen Sunbird fang Cinnyris ludovicensis.

Other prized species include Angola Cave-Chat Xenocopsychus Ansorgei, White-headed Robin-Chat Cossypha Heinrichi, Cisticola Cisticola thin-tailed Melanurus, and Bocage's Sunbird Nectarinia Bocagii.