Birding tours from Cape Town to Cameroon and Madagascar, with the only African Birding Specialist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gabon Birding Tour

Offering Africa's best accessible lowland forest birding, Gabon is key to the dedicated birder. It provides an opportunity to get to grips with many Congo Basin forest species that are difficult to see elsewhere.

We have seen Black and Plumed Guineafowl, Forest Francolin, Congo Serpent Eagle, Long-tailed Hawk, Gabon Helmet-shrike, Black-headed and Rosy Bee-eaters, Yellow-throated Cuckoo and African River Martin all on a single tour! Have a look at our trip reports.

Experience birding in vast forests while standing a chance to see forest elephant, red river hog, forest buffalo or even gorilla, chimpanzee or mandrill.

On our tours we travel through a rich mosaic of forests, savannas, woodlands, grasslands and coastal lakes. We focus on three key sites.

(i) central: Lopé Faunal Reserve offers a forest/savannah mosaic with specials such as Bates's Nightjar, Bates's Swift, Red-headed Picathartes, Violet-tailed Sunbird and Lyre-tailed Honeyguide.

(ii) north east: the Ipassa Strict Nature Reserve in the Ivindo National Park offers superb forest birding and West-Africa's most spectacular waterfalls. Highlights include African Piculet, Gabon Batis and Rachel's Malimbe.

(iii) south east: Léconi grasslands on the Bateke Plateau, with a wealth of grassland and miombo woodland birds: Black-headed Bee-eater, Congo Moor Chat, Finsch's Francolin and Black-chinned Weaver.

On our costal extension tour, we visit the exciting Gamba Protected Areas Complex, where coastline meets grassland, forest, rivers and lakes. Specials include Loango Weaver, Rosy Bee-eater, African River-martin and more.

Featured Leaders: Callan & Deirdre

Callan & Deirdre recommend: This tour is well suited to world listers, because we see several rare lowland forest species, as well as wildlife enthusiasts because we make a special effort to see mammals and primates.

Callan Cohen founded Birding Africa 12 years ago and has written two books on birding in Africa, including the definitive birding site guide to southern Africa and Madagascar. Callan has over 20 years of birding experience in the region.

Deirdre Vrancken is a primatologist whose expertise in lemurs will add an extra dimension to the tour. She has studied Pronghorn Antelopes in Montana, African Elephants in East Africa, and our closests living relatives, Bonobos, in the jungles of the Congo.

Callan and Deirdre lead bird and primate tours together to Madagascar, Uganda, Rwanda, Gabon and Tanzania.

Callan also leads to tours to Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Malawi, Cameroon, Mali, Ethiopia, and Ghana.

What participants say...

'Excellent tour leaders and office staff. Excellent value.' FH, Cape Town

'Callan and Deirdre were excellent - a great team.' MB, UK

'Wouldn't have seen anything without you both.' PF, UK


Grey-headed Nigrita on a Birding Africa tour © Deirdre Vrancken


Western Bluebill on a Birding Africa Tour © Callan Cohen







Great Blue Turaco © Albert Froneman


Forest scene on a Gabon Birding Africa Tour © Callan Cohen



2010 Tour dates and cost

Birding Africa Tours Dates Days

Cost*

EURO

Single**

EURO

Detailed itinerary Tour report
Gabon please enquire 12 enquire enquire please enquire link to website


* Cost per person sharing a room, ** Single room supplement.
* Included in the above price: Birding Africa tour leader, Birding Africa printed booklet with species lists, domestic flights within Madagascar, boat trips as indicated on the itinerary, road transport, guide fees, entry fees for the parks, reserves and botanical gardens, full board accommodation and drinking water on the bus. Not included: international flights, drinks, optional tips, and items of a personal nature are not included.

2011 Tour dates and cost (provisional)

Birding Africa Tours Dates Days

Cost*

EURO

Single**

EURO

Detailed itinerary Tour report
Gabon please enquire 12 enquire enquire please enquire link to website


* Cost per person sharing a room, ** Single room supplement.
* Included in the above price: Birding Africa tour leader, Birding Africa printed booklet with species lists, domestic flights within Madagascar, boat trips as indicated on the itinerary, road transport, guide fees, entry fees for the parks, reserves and botanical gardens, full board accommodation and drinking water on the bus. Not included: international flights, drinks, optional tips, and items of a personal nature are not included.

Practical tour information

Focus For keen birders and mammal enthusiasts. Designed to see as many as possible endemic birds and lemurs, but while on the walks we spend a lot of time looking for other aspects of wildlife such as the mammals, primates and interesting plants.
Photography Many participants on our trips are amateur wildlife photographers. And when we get excellent views of a bird or mammal, some time is usually spent watching and photographing it. However, this is not a photographic tour and once the majority of the people have felt that they have absorbed the animal or bird to their satisfaction, then we move on in search of the next encounter. Thus, while the photographic opportunities are very good, the group will only occasionally wait for somebody who wants to spend even longer getting better photos.
Fitness A moderate level of fitness is required. The walks are generally in relatively flat areas with occasional inclines. Primate trekking may involve walking off the pathways on non-level terrain.
Timing

Birding is generally best during the long dry season in July and August.

Climate June, July, August is the long dry season: little rain with pleasant temperatures of 22 to 25 °C. Skies are usually clouded and light is less good for photography.
Comfort Fairly comfortable accommodation in guest houses, lodges and small hotels.
Transport We travel mainly by minibus and four wheel drive vehicles. Also by train and plane.
Group Size Depending on the tour. Please enquire.
Top birds

Rare lowland forest species, such as Congo Serpent Eagle and Plumed Guineafowl; Rosy and Black-headed Bee-eater, African River Martin, Congo Moor Chat and Long-tailed Hawk

Top mammals African forest elephant, African forest buffalo, Sitatunga, Gorilla, Chimpanzee
Booking Your booking can be secured with a booking form and deposit of Euro 350. You will receive confirmation and our tour information pack with practical information on what to expect and how to prepare for the tour. The balance is due 3 months before the tour. Email us about availability.

About Birding Africa

Birding Africa is a specialist birding tour company customising tours for both world listers and more relaxed holiday birders.  We combine interests in mammals, butterflies, dragonflies, botany and other natural history aspects and will guide you to Africa's and Madagascar's most diverse birding destinations. Our guides' knowledge of African birds and birding areas is our greatest strength and together we have rediscovered species, shared exciting observations with the birding community and had a fun time exploring our home continent.  We've even written two acclaimed guide books on where to find Southern Africa's and Madagascar's best birds. Birding is more than our passion, it's our lifestyle, and we are dedicated to making professional, best value trips filled with endemic species and unique wildlife experiences. Since 1997, we've run bird watching tours in South Africa and further into Africa for individual birders, small birding groups and top international tour companies. We've run Conservation Tours in association with the African Bird Club and work with and consult for a number of other top international tour companies and the BBC Natural History Unit.

For feedback from our guests, please see our Client Comments. Please also browse our Latest News and Trip Reports.


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Black Harrier photograph courtesy of Keith Offord.
© Birding Africa 1997-2010 info@birdingafrica.com

[African Tailorbirding CC (CK2003/020710/23) trading as Birding Africa]
4 Crassula Way, Pinelands 7405, Cape Town, South Africa.

 

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