Gabon: Gorilla, Mandrill & Forest Birds
This time of year is perfect for near-guaranteed encounters with troops of mighty Western Lowland Gorilla and the stunning Mandrill. We also hope to see Red River Hog, plus many other exciting primates and mammals as we explore one of the wildest countries on the planet. Birding in the huge tracts of forest will see us search for lots of rare Congo Basin endemics, many of which are much easier to see at this time of year compared to the usual October dates.
Next Dates
1 June - 15 June 2028 (15 days)
Leaders:
Josh Jones
Group Size Limit:
7
Single Room Supplement: $
800 USD
Deposit: $
1500 USD
Price: $
10900 USD
Add a Title
Leaders:
Josh Jones
Group Size Limit:
Add a Title
Single Room Supplement: $
TBD
Deposit: $
TBD
Price: $
TBD
Add a Title
Our tour price includes all permits for primate tracking, which make the per day cost of this trip higher than the longer birding-only itinerary which we run in October.
Accommodation:
Comfortable at Loango but with some room sharing required (these nights are excluded from the single supplement). Very basic at Ipassa, with shared facilities and cold showers. All other hotels for the duration of the tour are moderately comfortable.
Walking difficulty:
Moderate walking, with some long multi-hour treks in the forest while tracking primates.
Tour cost includes:
All accommodation, main meals, drinking water, internal flights, overland transport, tips to local drivers and guides, travel permits, entrance fees, and guide fees.
Tour cost excludes:
Flights before and after the tour start/end, visa, travel insurance, tips to tour leaders, laundry, drinks, and other items of a personal nature.
NOTE: Primate tracking is easiest at this time of year, and birds can be quite responsive since it is breeding season for most species. If you wish to also visit drier habitats to the south-east of the country and witness the arrival of African River Martin, we offer a longer Gabon tour in October. However the forest birding at that time of year is more challenging and the top primates are not readily available. Click here to find out more.
Day 1: The tour starts this evening with arrivals into Libreville International Airport (LBV). We will overnight nearby.
Day 2: Transit to Loango National Park for the beginning of our exciting time in the field!
Day 3-4-5: We will have three days of birding and mammal watching in Loango National Park and the surrounds of Omboué. On one day we will be looking for Western Lowland Gorillas with local guides, which should certainly be a major highlight of the tour! We should also see Red-capped Mangabey and hopefully the retiring Red River Hog. Birdwise, great attractions of this region are Vermiculated Fishing Owl (and perhaps also Pel’s Fishing Owl!) and White-crested Tiger Heron, while birding in a variety of open woodland and grasslands will provide chances for Hartlaub’s Duck, Rufous-vented Paradise Flycatcher, Swamp Boubou, Leaf-love, Long-legged Pipit, Loango Weaver, and the restricted-range Violet-tailed Sunbird.
Day 6: Transfer to Libreville.
Day 7: Transfer to Lope National Park.
Day 8-9-10: We will have three full days to make the great Lope National Park justice, and especially to have time for Mandrill tracking! Seeing these fabulous and truly wild primates at close range ranks amongst the most impressive experiences there is! We should also see Black Colobus, Putty-nosed Monkey, Moustached Monkey, Forest Buffalo, and Forest Elephant. There is a chance to see Chimpanzee, but this is not guaranteed. With ample time to explore most stretches of the vast national park, we hope to connect with as many of the scarce specialties as possible. Most notably, Dja River Scrub Warbler is an important target, while more forest birding could produce Gabon Coucal, the rare Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk, Bates’s Swift, Eastern Bearded Greenbul, White-bearded Greenbul, Sharpe’s Drongo, Forest White-eye, Red-eyed Puffback, Red-bellied Malimbe, Black-bellied Seedcracker, Western Bluebill, and Bates’s Sunbird. We also stand a chance of finding the legendary Grey-necked Picathartes, which should be breeding at this time of the year. Hopefully nests will be known by local guides, as this will be our only realistic chance to see the species.
NOTE: Mandrill tracking is also possible in Lekedi, however these habituated animals stem from a reintroduced population and are enclosed within fenced area. As such, we prefer to visit Lope for encounters with the truly wild troops.
Day 11: Transfer to Ipassa for our final stop on the tour.
Day 12-13-14: Three full days of birding in Ipassa will allow us to cover every micro-habitat this amazing reserve has to offer. Participants should be prepared for the slow birding and hard work required in afrotropical rainforest, but with persistence the rewards are great, and the wet season is usually particularly good for finding these goodies! We will be on the look-out a lot for mixed flocks, usually holding dozens of species not readily seen otherwise. The list of specialties recorded here is very long, and possibilities include Black Guineafowl, Plumed Guineafowl, Latham’s Francolin, Olive Ibis, Spot-breasted Ibis, Congo Serpent Eagle, Black-casqued Hornbill, Bare-cheeked Trogon, Gabon Woodpecker, White-spotted Wattle-eye, Gabon Batis, Gosling’s Apalis, Yellow-footed Flycatcher, Bates’s Paradise Flycatcher, Yellow-lored Bristlebill, Woodhouse’s Antpecker, Red-crowned Malimbe, Red-headed Malimbe, the superb Rachel’s Malimbe, the rare Yellow-capped Weaver, or perhaps even Grey Ground Thrush if we are lucky, which has been recorded on previous trips to that area. We will also take a boat trip at night in search of roosting birds and some special nocturnal targets, including Bates’s Nightjar, Brown Nightjar, Fraser’s Eagle-Owl, and Vermiculated Fishing Owl.
Day 15: We will head back to Libreville this morning, where our tour ends in time for evening flights.