Today is considered an arrival day and we will kick off the tour with a sunset birding boat cruise in search of African Finfoot, Half-collared Kingfisher, Pel's Fishing Owl, White-backed Night Heron, Bat Hawk, Rock Pratincoles and African Skimmers to name a few. The camp's gardens and surrounds host Yellow-throated Leaflove, Schalow's Turaco, Collared Sunbird, Wood Owl, Marsh Owl, Pennant-winged, Swamp and Square-tailed Nightjar, White-browed Robin Chat and Tropical Boubou. Other specials in the area include Slaty Egret, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Copper Sunbird, Rosy-throated Longclaw, Western-banded Snake Eagle and African Hobby. You can also look forward to many Kingfisher and Bee-eater species.
We will spend the majority of the day birding in the Eastern Floodplains in search of the local specials such as Arnot’s Chat, Schalow’s Turaco, Half-collared Kingfisher, African Finfoot, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Emerald Cuckoo, White-breasted and Black Cuckoo-shrike, Lizard Buzzard, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, African Goshawk, Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle, Pygmy Goose, African Rail, Baillon’s Crake, Rufous-bellied and Purple Heron, Slaty Egret, Rosy-throated Longclaw, Lesser Jacana, Lesser Moorhen, Luapula Cisticola, African, Montagu’s and Pallid Harrier, Whiskered and White-winged Terns, Eastern Nicator, Jameson’s Firefinch, Three-banded Courser, Thick-billed Cuckoo, Western-banded Snake Eagle, Shelley’s Sunbird, Yellow-throated Leaflove, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Trumpeter Hornbill, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse.
We will end the day with another sunset boat cruise
After breakfast we will travel West to Mahango Game Park with several birding stops along the way.
We will spend the next few days here doing several game drives, birding walks and boat cruises in search of the local specials: African Barred Owlet, Bennett’s Woodpecker, Grey-hooded Kingfisher, Western-Banded Snake-Eagle, Chirping and Luapula Cisticola, Greater Swamp Warbler, White-backed Night Heron, Slaty Egret, Goliath Heron, Wattled Crane, Swainson’s and Red-billed Spurfowls, Meve’s Starling, Southern Carmine Bee-eater, Sharp-tailed Starling, Rufous-bellied Heron, Pink-backed Pelican, Dickenson’s Kestrel, Ayre’s Hawk Eagle, Pel’s Fishing owl, White-headed Vulture, Shelley’s Sunbird, Coppery-tailed Coucal, White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike , African Pygmy Goose.
We continue our journey West to Rundu. We will spend time searching for Souza's Shrike and Rufous-bellied Tit.
Taranga Safari Lodge is a terrific birding destination and great for bird photography. It has been home to a Ross's Turaco for the last few years.
Other specials that we will keep an eye out for include Tinkling Cisticola, African Golden Oriole, Coppery-tailed and Senegal Coucals, Hartlaub’s, Black Faced and Arrow-marked Babbler, Southern Carmine Bee-eaters, Sharp-tailed Starling, Baillon’s Crake, Marsh Owl, Square-tailed and Swamp, Bradfield’s Hornbill, Brown-backed and Green-backed Honeyguide, Green-capped Eremomela, African Hobby, Lesser Jacana, Allen’s Gallinule and Ayre’s Hawk Eagle.
We will have another chance at locating the Souza's Shrike and Rufous-bellied Tit should we have dipped on them the previous day. We will start the day with birding around the local water works before returning East to the spectacular Kwando area.
Here we will target Racket-tailed Roller, Arnot’s Chat, Dickenson’s Kestrel, Slaty Egret, Rosy-throated Longclaw, Black and Coppery tailed Coucal, Fawn-coloured and Flappet Lark, Chirping Cisticola, Western Banded Snake Eagle, African Wood Owl, Pennant-winged and Swamp Nightjar, Wattled Crane, Shelley’s, Coppery and Purple-banded Sunbirds, Southern Carmine Bee-eater, Orange-winged Pytilia, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Lesser Jacana, Allen’s Gallinule, Western Yellow Wagtail, Retz’s Helmetshrike, Miombo Wren Warbler, African Pygmy Goose, Lesser Moorhen, Bradfield’s Hornbill.
If water levels allow it then we will embark on a late afternoon birding cruise.
After some early morning birding we will return to Katima Mulilo. Please be sure to book late-departing flights. We would be happy to arrange transfers and/or accommodations for this day.
