After our successful African
Bird Club Conservation Tour and six more tours, we again offer our Rwanda Albertine Rift Endemics extension tour in July 2018. It precedes our Uganda Specials and our Budongo and Murchison extension tours. Just 6 participants can join.
Our tour focuses entirely on Africa’s largest contiguous block of montane forest, best accessed at Nyungwe National Park. We’ll have almost four full days to explore these little-birded forests.
Even richer than Uganda's Bwindi in local specialties, we’ll be searching for Red-collared Mountain Babbler, Ruwenzori Turaco, Stuhlman’s Double-collared Sunbird, the exquisite Purple-breasted Sunbird, Neumann’s Short-tailed Warbler and Kungwe Apalis, and can catch up with just about any of specialities from Bwindi. If we’re really lucky we may even encounter Shelley’s Crimsonwing or Albertine Owlet, two species only a handful of birders have seen before.
Michael Mills grew up "in the bush" in the Kalahari and Kruger National Parks where his parents were carnivore researchers. His incredible focus, dedication and ability to locate and show people Africa's toughest birds is probably unequalled on the continent.
Michael has led dozens of tours in Southern, East, Central, West and North Africa and his experience in locating birds on just the softest of calls or briefest of views impresses those who have travelled with him (see Client Comments).
There is seldom a tour where Michael doesn't make an interesting discovery such as finding a new species for a country or record an undescribed bird call (and he has published these in the scientific literature).
Not only is Michael one of our principal leaders, but he also helps extensively with scouting and planning our most challenging itineraries.
For keen birders and mammal enthusiasts. Designed
to see as many as possible endemic birds, but while on the walks
we spend a lot of time looking for other wildlife such as mammals
(including several species of primates) and butterflies. We
can also customise any itinerary to suit to the keen birder,
the wildlife enthusiast or both.
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 small degree of fitness is required. The few walks are generally
in relatively flat areas with occasional small inclines. The
terrain during the optional gorilla tracking can never be predicted
and can be very steep.
Timing
Most of our Rwanda tours take place
during December - January or July - August.
Climate
Cool at night in the highlands, warm to hot in the lowlands.
Comfort
A good standard of accommodation in guest houses, lodges and
small hotels.
Transport
We travel by minibus or four wheel drive vehicle.
Group Size
Maximum 6 participants on the Uganda and Rwanda birding tours in July.
Chimpanzee, Gorilla, Golden monkey,
Black-and-white Colobus monkey, l'Hoest Monkey
Booking
Your booking can be secured with a booking form and deposit. 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 150 days before the tour. Contact us to enquire 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.
