Offering the best accessible lowland forest birding in Africa, Gabon is a key destination for the dedicated African 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! Visitors will feel truly privileged to experience long drives through continuous forest, and we stand the chance to see a good selection of mammals, including forest buffalo, forest elephant and even a remote chance of gorilla.

On our tours we travel through a rich mosaic of forests, savannas, woodlands, grasslands and coastal lakes. We focus on three key sites: (i) Lope National Park, a mixture of forests and grasslands, (ii) the Bateke Plateau near Lekoni, with a wealth of grassland and woodland birds, and (iii) the Ivindo Basin near Makokou, for superb forest birding. On our costal tour we visit the exciting Gamba-Area complex, a mosaic of rivers, lakes, forest and grasslands.

See a more detailed itinerary.

1. Arrive. Birding around Libreville
2. Drive to Lope NP
3. Full day birding around Lope NP
4. Drive to Franceville
5. Drive from Franceville to Lekoni
6. Full day birding around Lekoni
7. Full day birding around Lekoni
8. Drive from Lekoni to Makokou
9. Full day birding in the Ivindo Basin
10.Birding in the Ivindo Basin
11. Birding in the Ivindo Basin
12. Birding in the Ivindo Basin
13. Drive to Libreville.

STANDARD ITINERARY: GABON'S COAST
(5 days, Libreville-Libreville; follows Gabon)

1. Arrive Libreville
(same day as day 13, Gabon)
2. Fly to Gamba; transfer to Lodge
3. Full day in Gamba-Area complex
4. Full day in Gamba-Area complex
5. Return to Libreville.

See a more detailed itinerary.

Please see the African Tour Schedule

Design your own private tour. Email us

• August- September 2004
  (Mills and Cohen)

DETAILED ITINERARY: GABON

DAY 3 : This morning we enter the Lope National Park, a diverse mosaic of forest, woodland and grasslands. Of particular focus will be the highly localised Dja River Scrub-Warbler, which can be incredibly skulking. The list of potential species in exceptionally long, but highlights may well include Forbes’ Plover and Long-legged Pipit in the open grasslands, and Great Blue Turaco, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Piping and Black-casqued Hornbill and Fiery-breasted Bush-shrike in the forests. Lope is also an exceptional place to view mammals, although most of the primates are shy and require a lot of time to see. Both Drill and Gorilla are possibilities. In the afternoon we will visit a nearby patch of forest, where the localisedVerreaux's Batis occurs, alongside Cassin's Malimbe, Bristle-nosed Barbet and Rufous-sided Broadbills.

DAY 4 : We continue our journey eastwards, with the long drive to Franceville. Depending on our progress we will stop when possible.

DAYS 5-7: From Franceville, we move on to Lékoni, our base for the next three nights.

We have three full days to explore the Bateké Plateau, and will make excursions into the surrounding grasslands and woodlands from our base in Lékoni. Fine-combing the grassland may yield specialities such as Finch’s Francolin, Black-rumped Buttonquail and Congo Moor Chat among a variety of cisticolas, larks and pipits. In the surrounding woodlands and thickets, highlights may include the unusual Black-collared Bulbul, rare Black-chinned Weaver, striking Perrin’s Bush-Shrike or diminutive Salvadori’s Eremomela.

DAY 8: This day we traverse the little-travelled route to Makokou. At the end of the dry season road conditions should be reasonable, but we will have to keep on the move to make sure we arrive in good time. If time allows we will stop for a touch of roadside birding where the forest looks promising. A variety of seed-eaters occur at the roadside and may include Western Bluebill, Black-bellied Seedcracker, Orange-cheeked Waxbill and Black-and-white Mannikin.

DAYS 9-12: Perhaps the most diverse lowland forests in Africa lie in the Ivindo River Basin. We will make daily trips from Makokou to the nearby Ipassa Reserve and surrounding areas. At first the birding will be overwhelming. Sifting through a plethora of greenbuls will be challenging, but may include Spotted, Sjostedt’s and Yellow-necked. Yellow-capped and Preuss’ Weaver and a variety of striking Malimbes may join mixed species flocks, together with more common species such as Shining Drongo, Fraser’s Sunbird, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Green Hylia, White-breasted Negrofinch, Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, Rufous-crowned Eremomela, and Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill. We should hear Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Rufous-sided Broadbill and Bare-cheeked Trogon. Understorey skulkers include Forest Robin, Fire-crested Alethe, Black-cap Illadopsis and Blue-headed Wood Dove. Large fruiting trees may draw a wealth of colourful birds, including Forest Chestnut-winged Starling, Yellow-billed and Yellow-spotted Barbets and Yellow-billed Turaco. Other highlights may include White-crested Hornbill, Gabon Helmet-shrike, Blue Cuckooshrike, Sabine’s Puffback and Tit-Hylia. With some fortune we may even find Black Guineafowl, Forest Francolin or the mythical Nkulengu Rail.

DAY 13: Most of the day will be spent driving back to Libreville.

DETAILED ITINERARY: GABON'S COAST

DAY 1: Meet in Libreville (same day as day 13 on Gabon tour)

DAY 2: We take an early-morning flight to Gamba, on the southern coast of Gabon. Here we board a boat with powerful outboards and cruise across several stunning lakes to our base, a comfortable lodge set on the edge of a lake. On the way we’ll watch out for Rosy Bee-eater, Shining-blue Kingfisher, African Finfoot (remarkably common here), Brown Sunbird and Black-casqued Hornbill. We’ll spend the afternoon birding in the vicinity of the lodge, where we may find Western Blue-bill, Black-bellied Seedcracker, Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush and the localised Loanga Weaver.

DAY 3-4: We have two full days to explore by vehicle, boat and foot the surrounds of the lodge, situated on the edge of a lake. The forests are an excellent place to search for Long-tailed Hawk, together with a host of other species such as Gabon Helmet-shrike, Cassin's Malimbe and Red-fronted Parrot. On the forest-grassland edge we hope to find Black-headed Bee-eater. Grasslands hold Black-chinned Quailfinch and Grey-rumped Swallow. At night we’ll search for White-backed Night Heron by boat. The other major attraction of the area is the opportunity to see large mammals, such as forest elephant and gorilla.

DAY 5: We return to Gamba and catch our return flight to Libreville, where the tour ends.