6 – 25 SEPTEMBER 2015 - Bird Tours - BIRDQUEST PEAFOWL... · congo peacock expedition 6 – 25 september 2015 leaders: mark van beirs and mark beaman we did it!

1 BirdQuest Tour Report: Congo Peacock Expedition 2015 www.birdquest-tours.com

The female Congo Peafowl that made the trip (Mark Beaman)

CONGO PEACOCK EXPEDITION

6 – 25 SEPTEMBER 2015

LEADERS: MARK VAN BEIRS and MARK BEAMAN We did it! All participants of our very unorthodox Congo Peafowl expedition had brilliant views of a female Congo Peafowl on the eighth day of our stay in the Lomako-Yokokala Faunal Reserve, deep in the ‘heart of darkness’. We knew it was not going to be easy, and although the logistics went smoother than expected, the quest for the Afropavo was more difficult than most of us had anticipated. When I was a burgeoning naturalist teenager, my father gave me a book that reviewed several of the most amazing animal discoveries of the past century. One of those was the story of how the Congo Peafowl was found and described by the American ornithologist James Chapin, who authored the four volume “The Birds of the Belgian Congo”. It related how in 1913 he came across a feather of an unknown bird in the headdress of a Congolese chief and how he, 20 years later, in the Africa Museum at Tervuren in Belgium, found two stuffed birds in a disused closet and how that led to the official description of Afropavo congensis. Not even in my wildest dreams I had thought I would ever get the opportunity to visit the remote haunts of that truly enigmatic Congo endemic. But things started to look up when, two years ago, a good friend of mine showed


me an exciting bit of video of a family of Congo Peafowl taken by a camera trap set up by a famous couple of American researchers in a remote stretch of the Congolese rainforest. I showed the video to the boss and he was immediately wildly enthusiastic, so I started seriously researching the matter. Months later, another good friend got me in touch with a very efficient, Belgian, ex Bonobo researcher, who had seen the Congo Peafowl during his year studying Bonobos, really knew his way around Congo and knew how to deal with Congo’s idiosyncrasies. He convinced us we could truly set up this expedition with the help of the Africa Wildlife Foundation. So we did and the rest is glorious history.

The mammal highlight of the tour were the splendid Bonobos (Mark Beaman)

Not only is Congo a rather difficult country to get into (there are some unusual visa requirements for some nationalities), it is also a very challenging and very expensive country to travel around in, as there is almost no road system, except around the capital Kinshasa and several other large cities. Domestic flights are decidedly rare and undependable. The very long and mighty Congo river is the main artery for the huge Congo basin, but we didn’t really want to spend weeks in a boat to reach our distant destination. Getting to the remote Lomako-Yokokala Faunal Reserve involved chartering an airplane to take us (eight Birdquesters + two Mr fix-its + luggage + lots of food) deep into the province of Equateur, chartering a boat to take us 150+ kilometres upstream to the reserve and hiking a dozen kilometres to a remote clearing in the middle of a large chunk of undisturbed lowland rainforest. There is no accommodation, so camping was obviously the only option. Added to that one needs some special permits (“ordres de mission”, issued by different ministries) to be allowed to travel inland. On top of that the Congo Peafowl is easily one of the shyest and most difficult to see birds of our planet – only very, very few people have ever observed one! - so you can


see why we started this expedition with some apprehension. Luckily, security was not an issue, as the reserve is far away from the horrible troubles of eastern Congo. The Lomako-Yokokala Faunal Reserve was gazetted in 2006 and covers 3,625 km². Till the mid-nineties poaching and illegal hunting were major problems, so very few large animals have survived. Forest Elephants are now making a very slow come back. Some of the best mammals seen included Bonobo, Black Mangabey, Angolan Pied Colobus, Wolf’s Monkey, Red River Hog, Western Blue and Peter’s Duikers, African Palm Civet and for one lucky soul a Tree Pangolin. Birding highlights of the trip next to the Congo Peafowl were Latham’s Francolin, Spot-breasted Ibis, Congo Serpent Eagle, Forbes’s Plover, Bates’s Nightjar, White-bellied Kingfisher, Black Bee-eater, White-crested and Black-casqued Hornbills, Sladen’s Barbet, Willcocks’s Honeyguide, Black-collared Lovebird, Rufous-bellied Helmetshrike, Bates’s Paradise Flycatcher, Falkenstein’s Greenbul, Congo Martin, Gosling’s Apalis, Congo Sunbird, Cassin’s Malimbe, Bob-tailed Weaver, Woodhouse’s Antpecker and the gorgeous, localized Grant’s Bluebill. The bird sound of the expedition was no doubt the amazing call of Shelley’s Eagle Owl.

Rufous-tailed Palm Thrushes were quite common in Kinshasa (Mark Beaman)

This very unusual trip started in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo, a fairly modern sprawling megapolis inhabited by c15 million people, situated on the banks of the powerful Congo river. It was Henry Morton


Stanley, the famous explorer, who founded the trading post Leopoldville here in 1881, just above the notorious cataracts. After independence in 1960 its name was changed to Kinshasa. The Birdquest group arrived in late evening at N’djili airport where everything went a lot smoother than expected. We transferred to a cozy hotel in the Gombe section of the city. At dawn, our first birds in the garden were several Grey Parrots that flew past. After breakfast, we drove to the outskirts of Kinshasa and visited the well-known Bonobo rehabilitation centre of Lola Ya Bonobo, where confiscated Bonobos are taught to adapt again to the wild. Bonobos are protected by law and are endemic to the lowland rainforests south of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We admired several groups of these truly captivating apes in the large enclosures, witnessed some fascinating behaviour and learned a lot about the unique social organization of our nearest relatives. The nice patches of forest and the riverine vegetation gave us a great selection of Central African birds. Best of all was the cracking, colourful, very attractive Black Bee-eater that allowed in depth scope studies. Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Speckled Tinkerbird, Yellow-browed Camaroptera and a rarely encountered Falkenstein’s Greenbul were other much-appreciated additions to the list. Flowering bushes held Copper, Olive-bellied and Superb Sunbirds and we managed to scope three species of Nigrita: White-breasted, Chestnut-breasted and Grey-headed. On our walk we also found a selection of more widespread species like Striated Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Common Sandpiper, Red-eyed and Ring-necked Doves, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, African Green Pigeon, Senegal Coucal, African Palm Swift, Speckled Mousebird, a lovely Broad-billed Roller, Woodland, African Pygmy and Malachite Kingfishers, African Pied Hornbill, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, African Paradise Flycatcher, Dark-capped Bulbul, Little Greenbul, Yellow-throated Leaflove, Black Saw-wing, Lesser Striped Swallow, Winding Cisticola, African Thrush, Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher, Northern Grey-headed Sparrow, Village Weaver, Vieillot’s Black Weaver, Black-winged Red Bishop, Bronze and Black-and-white Mannikins and African Pied Wagtail. A furtive Congo Rope Squirrel played hide and seek in the canopy. We enjoyed a lovely lunch and met the founder of Lola Ya Bonobo, Claudine André and her daughter Fanny. Both talked full of passion about the whole setup and their beloved Bonobos.

Black and Little Bee-eaters showed well in the Kinshasa area (Mark Beaman)

In the afternoon we walked along the waterfront of the wide Congo river in the beautiful embassy area. We could see the capital of the Republic of Congo, Brazzaville, on the other side of the river and could discern the start of the perilous cataracts downriver. Several attractive White-bibbed Swallows showed well, but the


cute Bob-tailed Weavers – a splendid and very appropriate name - and the sweet-voiced Rufous-tailed Palm Thrushes stole the show. The walk also produced several flocks of African Openbills, Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, African Darter, a very tame Lizard Buzzard, Klaas’s Cuckoo, White-rumped Swift, Little and colourful Blue-breasted Bee-eaters, African Grey Woodpecker, Brown-throated Wattle-eye (male and female), Red-chested Swallow, Chattering Cisticola, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Slender-billed Weaver, Yellow-fronted Canary and Blue Waxbill. Next morning, while munching our breakfast, some of us observed Red-fronted and Grey Parrots and a Compact Weaver in the hotel gardens. We transferred to the domestic airport of N’dolo where quite a bit of paperwork and some serious security had to be wrestled through, before we were able to board our LET 410, Czech built, charter plane that would take us far to the northeast. We enjoyed an excellent brunch on board and, after an uneventful flight, arrived in the quiet, little town of Basankusu in late morning. This area was the centre of the infamous Congo rubber (the free growing vine Landolphia) collecting in the days of Leopold II and where in the late 1800’s some truly appalling atrocities were committed. We walked to our little guesthouse escorted by several Bob-tailed Weavers and settled in. In the afternoon, a short boat trip took us to the Ekolo Ya Bonobo reserve, where rescued Bonobos are being released again in the wild, after they have proven themselves fit enough for freedom at the Kinshasa centre. A spectacular thunderstorm ruined our plans for a great afternoon, but we still observed European Honey Buzzard, a gorgeous and well-behaved White-crested Hornbill, several White-thighed Hornbills, Cassin’s Spinetail, Green-headed Sunbird and Purple-headed Starling. The Bonobos were showy and good fun.

Our comfortable charter plane; Along the river we noted European Honey Buzzard (Mark Beaman)

While the sun was still below the horizon we boarded a large dugout canoe for the day long boat trip to the Lomako-Yokokala Faunal Reserve. A smaller boat had sailed ahead through the night with a pig, two goats and our extensive supply of food, beer and soft drinks. Most of the morning we motored up the slowly meandering, c300m wide Maringa river. On the way we noted Squacco Heron, Palmnut Vulture, Rock Pratincole, Afep Pigeon, Cassin’s and Sabine’s Spinetails (low over the water) and Piping and White-thighed Hornbills. Several small flocks of European Honey Buzzards had obviously just arrived from northern climes. They must have travelled fast as the peak numbers at the Mediterranean bottlenecks are seen in the last week of August. Later we entered the much narrower, winding Lomako river, where Hartlaub’s Duck, African Fish Eagle, a splendid African Finfoot and Square-tailed Saw-wing were seen. A rare Grey-throated Rail was briefly observed by two participants. The whole day we sailed amongst tree-lined riverbanks, where only here and there a few huts could be discerned. It was great to see how forested and untouched this part of Congo still was. We saw some proof of bushmeat trade as a live Tree Pangolin was offered to us for sale... In late afternoon we arrived at the Lomako-Yokokala Park Headquarters at the village of Lingunda, where we were welcomed by the assistant chief warden, who kindly allowed us to pitch our tents in the garden. A first short exploration of the surroundings gave us several smart-looking Great Blue Turacos, some eye-catching, wing-lifting Spotted Greenbuls and a very attractive Wolf’s Monkey.


At dawn we were already exploring the surrounding farmbush, which proved quite birdy, although it was misty and rather gloomy at first. Several sedate Sladen’s Barbets offered good looks in some dead trees. This rather subtly-hued species is restricted to the Congo basin and was obviously a new bird for the Birdquest life list! We managed to scope a singing Western Nicator and also found Gabon Woodpecker, Slender-billed Greenbul, Collared and Tiny Sunbirds and Magpie Mannikin. By mid-morning we packed up and sailed for two hours along the Lomako river to the trailhead at the small village of Bosolomwa. The journey produced Crowned Eagle, Angolan Pied Colobus, several Black Mangabeys and some Straw-coloured Fruit Bats. At the village porters stood ready to carry all our luggage, food, drinks and other stuff to our camp deep in the forest. We walked for c12 kilometres along a well-marked trail through splendid primary lowland rainforest. It was fairly quiet, as it was the middle of the day, so we picked up just a few birds. A Black-casqued Hornbill showed quite well, a Long-tailed Hawk was seen by one tour member, a Spotted Honeyguide appeared and several Black Mangabeys could be admired. We arrived at the Iyema clearing in mid-afternoon, pitched our tents and got organized. We checked the facilities and were happily surprised to find a good pit toilet, a well-built mandi (large drum filled with water and a scoop) for showering, a lovely cool stream nearby for bathing and keeping the drinks cool, a covered eating area with tables and benches and a solar panel unit for lighting and charging batteries. This was to be our home for the next 12 days. We met the whole crew that would take care of us: two cooks, a handy man and two park wardens fully armed with Kalashnikovs. We also got to know the eight pisteurs (trackers), knowledgeable forest guides, whose usual job was to follow and survey the Bonobo groups, but who would help us to try to track down our main quarry. We had long talks with several of them on how to try to see the Peafowl, but although most of them had seen the bird, they, sadly, couldn’t provide us with a sure strategy. We would have to find out ourselves! After a filling evening meal an African Palm Civet showed ever so well in the tree above our tents. This special and rarely seen animal is placed in its own family, the Nandinidae, so we had prolonged looks.

Fraser’s Rufous Thrush and Red-billed dwarf Hornbill lead a quiet life in the mid canopy (Mark Beaman)

On our first full day around Iyema in the Lomako-Yokokala Park we walked several of the trails of the extensive and well laid out grid system that was developed by Jef Dupain, our Bonobo researcher, in the nineties. We stayed in one group, as we always do on Birdquest tours, walked slowly and picked up several bird flocks. The birding was slow, as is usual in the west and central African rainforests, but the rewards


trickled in. Two Rufous-sided Broadbills were seen displaying at close range, whereby we could discern all the details of their lovely plumage. A minute Woodhouse’s Antpecker allowed great views as it foraged low down in the understorey. Other goodies included Yellow-spotted Barbet, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Western Oriole, Shining Drongo (in the mid canopy), Velvet-mantled Drongo (on top of the canopy), Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Icterine and Red-tailed Greenbuls, Fraser’s Rufous Thrush and Red-headed Malimbe (behaving like a nuthatch). In the clearing we taped and admired a Black Cuckoo of the different looking gabonensis race and had great looks at a party of four cute Red-billed Dwarf Hornbills. During the hotter hours of the day we relaxed. The afternoon forest walk didn’t produce a lot, but a Black Dwarf Hornbill showed well and in the evening we heard the distinctive vocalizations of a Congo Peafowl in the distance. Exciting stuff! They were about! The following morning we decided to split up in two groups as eight birders in a single file along the narrow forest trails wouldn’t stand a chance to pick up an extremely shy forest denizen! A Latham’s Francolin was seen by a lucky soul and Blue-headed Wood Dove was regularly heard and eventually observed by all. Green-backed Woodpecker, Bates’s Paradise Flycatcher, White-throated Greenbul and skulking Scaly-breasted and Brown Illadopsises were nice additions to the tally. Peter’s and Western Blue Duikers were seen during a prolonged sit down session at one of the long straight sections of trail. We tried different tactics to get to grips with our very elusive Peafowl target, but for the moment to no avail… In the middle of the day, at the clearing and the stream Spot-breasted Ibis, Red-thighed Sparrowhawk, African Emerald Cuckoo, Common Swift (obviously recently arrived), White-bellied Kingfisher, Blue Cuckooshrike and a female Grant’s Bluebill were noted. In the afternoon one of our pisteurs showed us a nest of a Crested Guineafowl situated amongst the roots of a large tree and holding seven eggs. A mighty thunderstorm announced itself so we retreated quickly to camp and while waiting it out under the roof of our dining area, a spectacular bolt of lightning hit a banana plant only 20m away! Stunning and rather scary! Our first evening night walk through a still dripping forest was not a great success. We only heard the bizarre calls of Western Tree Hyraxes. We had our first ant experience as we stupidly stood in the middle of a raiding column and quite of few of us had to strip off to get rid of the annoying, biting beasties. All part of the African rain forest experience…

Our camp in the middle of the Lomako forest; a bizarre caterpillar (Mark Beaman)

Next morning, we walked the trails again in two groups. It was fairly quiet (we used that word all too frequently, sadly…) in the forest, but Black-billed Turaco, Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, Icterine and Xavier’s Greenbuls (subtle differences in plumage and calls) and Red-tailed Ant Thrush performed quite well. One group had a very close encounter with several Red River Hogs that were munching fallen fruit in a swampy part of the forest. We managed to get very close to these brightly coloured and beautifully patterned animals as they were happily crunching away. A truly great experience. In the afternoon we birded the clearing and the entrance track where a party of smart-looking Rufous-bellied Helmetshrikes foraged in the open canopy of a forest giant. A gorgeous species! That night Mark Beaman’s tent was overrun by a column of raiding ants and Mark had to spend part of the night waiting about for the ants to vacate his tent. Bloody ants…


The following dawn found us on the trails again, trying out different strategies. Sometimes we walked extremely slowly while cautiously peering ahead and into the dense undergrowth consisting mainly of different kinds of Marantaceae (Arrowroot family) and Zingiberaceae (ginger family), sometimes we sat and scanned an appropriate looking long, straight trail stretch. New birds for the list included Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, African Dwarf Kingfisher, Buff-spotted Woodpecker and Fraser’s Forest Flycatcher. One group had a lovely Bonobo experience just after dawn. Four of these amazing and charming animals showed very well at fairly close range. They had just left their overnight nests and got ready to start foraging. We heard their unique vocalizations and admired their marvellous facial expressions. A shy Peter’s Duiker behaved quite well too. In the afternoon we followed the camp stream but only a flock of bathing and preening Spotted Greenbuls showed. Along the entrance track we heard and glimpsed a Yellow-throated Cuckoo and scoped Blue-throated Roller and a male Red-bellied Malimbe on open branches in the canopy. Another morning, another set of trails. A male Narina Trogon and a spectacular Black-casqued Hornbill were the highlights of hours of continuous concentration. The afternoon was rather quiet, but at dusk we heard the amazingly chilling, maniacal screams of a Shelley’s Eagle Owl at fairly close range. The bird was briefly seen in flight by some, but was not responsive at all. So frustrating! That evening participant Koos came back from his three day stint in the forest, where he, together with a pisteur had spent some quality time exploring little used trails outside the grid. He had a big smile on his face when he told us about his encounter with a male Congo Peacock, which they had flushed just at dusk. So, the Litondo (local name for the Peafowl) was visible after all! We were all happy for him, but wondered what the best strategy to follow would be… He also had an amazing encounter with a Shelley’s Eagle Owl in broad daylight and sat for an hour or so with a group of no fewer than 18 Bonobos!

Narina Trogon performed in the forest and Cassin’s Spinetail over the clearing (Mark Beaman)

The next morning we continued our quest for the most wanted bird in Africa. Koos’s observation had given us hope again, so we were optimistic and keen. Just before dawn, we heard the barking calls of an African Wood Owl. We checked the Crested Guineafowl nest, which now contained 9 eggs, but a bunch of Guineafowl feathers nearby told a sad story of a predator claiming a victim... We finally managed to lure a Grey Longbill down to the mid canopy after having heard its sweet song on a regular basis. A male Narina Trogon posed beautifully, an African Dwarf Kingfisher was glimpsed, six Black-collared Lovebirds were seen in flight, a Golden Greenbul was located in a bird wave, Green Hylia finally surrendered, a tiny Tit Hylia was


seen by some and we had a lovely encounter with a stately Angolan Pied Colobus. The afternoon was a total washout because of rain, but a Red-chested Goshawk was seen at the clearing.

The attractive Wolf’s Monkey and the striking Rufous-sided Broadbill (Mark Beaman)

The following dawn found us on the trails again. We all knew the grid layout very well now and regularly split up in very small groups in our continuous quest for Afropavo. We encountered an European Honey Buzzard in the forest, glimpsed an African Dwarf Kingfisher and had good looks at a tiny Yellow Longbill. A Chocolate-backed Kingfisher and a party of 28 Red River Hogs were seen by Koos and a nest building Grant’s Bluebill was observed by Elena at the camp’s stream. A flock of White-bearded Greenbuls together with Spotted Greenbuls and a couple of Woodhouse’s Antpeckers enlivened the midday break. The afternoon didn’t really produce anything of note. Finally we decided to spend a morning with the Bonobos. A very early start got us by daybreak to an area where a group of Bonobos had spent the night. We waited for the apes to become active and saw several quite well, but unfortunately usually rather high in the canopy. It was a great experience! Billy’s comment about their social organisation was very to the point: “it is amazing to realize they solve all group problems by sex, unlike Homo sapiens where a lot of problems are created because of sex”. Afterwards we walked several trails, but little was moving. In the afternoon three of us wanted to check out the area where we had heard the Shelley’s Eagle Owl before. Most of the daylight hours remained extremely quiet and at dusk we again only heard the fantastic screams of the owl in the distance. We kept trying for a while, but to no avail… On the return walk in the dark we were surprised to hear at least three different Congo Peafowl call and one sounded not that far away. Our hearts were pounding! After some diligent off trail searching in the dark forest the three of us (Billy, Jim and yours truly) managed to shine our torch on a roosting female Congo Peafowl, only c10m up on a horizontal branch of a small tree. We couldn’t believe our luck and sure enjoyed observing the most wanted and most enigmatic bird in Africa. Incredibly precious moments! We stayed for a while gorging ourselves on the black-barred rufous feathers, the crazy little crest and the almost bare face of this magnificent bird. One of those never to be forgotten moments in the life of an international birder! As the bird stayed calmly on her roost, we quickly returned to camp, roused the troops (which at first didn’t believe


us…) and not too much later all of us had brilliant views of this illustrious bird. The cameras clicked away like crazy. This was definitely a magical moment for all of us and definitely a magical moment in the 34 years of Birdquest’s existence. We had all become members of that tiny and very select group of birders that had been lucky enough to observe this almost mythical creature, the holy grail of African birders. Even James Chapin, the American ornithologist who described the bird in 1932 never laid eyes on this legendary bird, and we all realized all too well why so very, very few people have ever seen it. To the best of our knowledge, only one birder/ornithologist had ever managed to observe the Peafowl before us, next to a handful of Bonobo researchers, a famous filmmaker and scores of locals. It had taken this well-known South African birder a full 17 days to observe it in the Salonga National Park. Within a matter of minutes the expedition had become a total success! We, of course, still wanted to see a male, but as we had several days left we thought we would have a chance… Upon our return to camp we celebrated at length. The Primus beer and the whisky flowed and late that evening a very happy bunch of Birdquesters stumbled to bed.

A happy group of Birdquesters after having seen the Holy Grail (Mark Beaman)

The following morning we hung about the clearing - the pressure was off - and scanned the surrounding treetops from a nice vantage point. We observed Cassin’s and Sabine’s Spinetails, lots of Common Swifts, a male Blue-throated Brown Sunbird and a female Green-throated Sunbird. Afterwards we explored the fairly wide entrance track. One of the tour members flushed a Pennant-winged Nightjar and saw a Dusky Crested Flycatcher. In the afternoon we returned to the Shelley’s Eagle Owl area, where we again only heard the bird in the distance. So very, very frustrating… On the walk back we heard a Congo Peacock call not too far away and we tried for quite a while to locate it in the dark forest, but in vain. We tried again after dinner, but after a couple of hours roaming the forest we had to admit defeat. It wasn’t that easy!! Later that night Mark B surprised a Tree Pangolin just next to the trail and had wonderful views of this rarely seen, very special mammal! A very lucky man! Another bout at birding the clearing just after dawn gave us more views of already well-known species and a walk at the edge of the grid produced great looks at a party of Crested Guineafowl with small chicks. A bit later we surprised another two Crested Guineafowl on a different trail. Why didn’t the Congo Peafowl behave the same way? Male and female Chestnut Wattle-eye were admired at length and a Honeyguide Greenbul


found its way to the list. In the afternoon we stayed out till dark to try again for the elusive Shelley’s Eagle Owl. A Congo Serpent Eagle inspected us as we stood playing the tape in a small clearing, but the owl just answered in the distance… We knew the drill by now. Our last full day in the Iyema area of the Lomako-Yokokala Reserve started with a party of Western Bronze-naped Pigeons flying past at the clearing and seven Blue-throated Rollers catching insects in flight. We then explored several of the grid trails in small groups and found Spotted Honeyguide while one lucky group member chanced upon a Latham’s Francolin and some Dusky Tits. A large dead tree in the forest held a colony of barbets, where both Sladen’s and Grey-throated could be studied at length. A Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher was found in a bird party, we heard Buff-throated Apalis, found an active nest of a Grey-headed Sunbird and scoped a smart male Red-bellied Malimbe. A well planned concerted effort allowed everyone to finally catch up with the localized, very attractively patterned Grant’s Bluebill. At dusk a Bates’s Nightjar fluttered around our camp clearing. Elsewhere another party heard the distinctive calls of Nkulengu Rails as the first stars appeared.

The colourful, rarely encountered Grant’s Bluebill; Black Mangabeys have a splendid hairdo (Mark Beaman)

And then it was time to pack up after 12 nights of camping in the forests of the Lomako-Yokokala Faunal Reserve. We said goodbye to our industrious camp staff and to our faithful and very helpful pisteurs and walked along the easy trail back to the village of Bosolomwa. We birded along the way and added Gabon Coucal, Blue Malkoha, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Sabine’s Puffback, Ansorge’s Greenbul, Ashy Flycatcher, Johanna’s Sunbird and a glimpsed Yellow-mantled Weaver to the tally. At a swampy clearing we heard the mournful call of White-spotted Flufftail. The short boat trip along the Lomako river didn’t produce much – it was the middle of a hot day – and after pitching our tents - for the last time - in the garden of the chief warden we walked through the neighbouring farmbush, glad to be able to look in the distance again. The forest sure had caused some claustrophobic feelings to develop. Several Afep Pigeons showed, but best of all were the fantastic scope studies we obtained of three Black-collared Lovebirds in a fruiting tree. These gorgeous little creatures looked very smart and behaved very well. A subtly-marked Gosling’s Apalis flitted about, but only allowed brief looks. We also observed a party of Rufous-crowned Eremomelas, Grey Tit-Flycatcher, European Pied Flycatcher and Little Green and Grey-chinned Sunbirds.


Getting our boat organised; life on the river (Mark Beaman)

A final morning in the Lingunda farmbush produced great looks at 20+, rather scruffy-looking Sladen’s Barbets hanging about in some dead trees. A brood-parasitic Willcock’s Honeyguide was inspecting the same trees and was duly chased off by the barbets. The walk also gave us Olive-green Camaroptera, two Sooty Flycatchers, a smart male Cassin’s Malimbe, a male Western Bluebill and Magpie Mannikin. We boarded our boat for the long journey back down the Lomako and Maringa rivers. The trip was relaxed and uneventful, but we still managed to pick up a couple of well-behaved African Finfoots, lots and lots of Common Swifts, a Shining-blue Kingfisher and a party of European Bee-eaters. During the afternoon we dodged several nearby thunderstorms and at dusk several large insectivorous bats were hunting over the river. We arrived in Basankusu in the early evening and returned to the well-known guesthouse.

Bob-tailed Weaver and Congo Sunbird were new birds for the Birdquest lifelist (Mark Beaman)

A few hours in the cool of the morning in the intensely farmed surroundings of the village gave us Black Sparrowhawk, Spotted Flycatcher, many Bob-tailed Weavers and lots of Orange-cheeked Waxbills. A Congo Rope Squirrel showed particularly well. On the bare gravel of the local airstrip four Forbes’s Plovers offered good looks. We obviously wanted to get a bit closer to these special birds, but an airport official made some trouble when we entered. Dozens of locals walked over the airstrip, but we would have needed a special permit… In late morning our charter plane arrived and after some paperwork and a bit of palm greasing we flew to Mbandaka, the capital of Equateur province. We wanted to spend a bit of time there because the riverine habitat along the Congo river is home to two very localized specialities, Congo Sunbird and Congo Martin. As it turned out, we found both while having lunch on the terrace of our waterfront hotel. We obtained great looks at the smart male sunbird with his elongated central tail feathers while he was picking insects


from spider webs attached to the hotel walls. Parties of modestly-clad Congo Martins were feeding over the Congo river. Two nice additions to the Birdquest life list! We also found Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush in the garden. Later that afternoon we made a leisurely boat trip around several of the vegetated islands in the Congo river. In very enjoyable conditions we had great looks at Black Crake, White-fronted Plover, a vagrant Bar-tailed Godwit, African Skimmer, White-winged Tern, lots of Little Swifts, Pied Kingfisher, Barn Swallows, Red-breasted Swallow, Splendid Starling and Orange Weaver. Some officials were waiting for us upon our return and wanted to see our photography permits. Some smooth talking soon solved everything, but these petty officials had to show the little bit of power they had… On the final morning of the trip, we visited the nearby Eala Botanical Gardens and although a nice tract of forest is preserved here we didn’t really see a lot. It was quite gloomy and we noted Hamerkop, African Harrier-Hawk, several Woodland Kingfishers, an African Yellow Warbler, several Chestnut-winged Starlings and Black-headed Weaver. The rest of the morning we tried to get more views of the Congo Sunbird in the garden of our hotel, but strangely enough this very special bird only appeared close to midday, when we were about to drive to the airport to pick up our charter plane bound for Kinshasa. Only one or two Congo Martins were seen foraging over the Congo river. The airport paperwork went smoothly and soon we said goodbye to our easy-going, unperturbed trouble shooter and Mr fix-it Alain and were on our way to Kinshasa. The flight went smoothly and after passport control (yes, for all domestic flights…) we enjoyed an excellent final lunch at a good restaurant before braving the frightening Friday afternoon traffic to N’jili airport and the international check in. Quite a contrast to the peaceful forest of Lomako. The end of a truly epic trip!

Sunset on the Maringa River (Mark Beaman)


Bonobos are our nearest relatives (Mark Beaman) SYSTEMATIC LIST OF SPECIES RECORDED DURING THE TOUR The species names and taxonomy used in the report mostly follows Gill, F & D Donsker (eds): IOC World Bird List (v5.3). This list is updated several times annually and is available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org. Species which were heard but not seen are indicated by the symbol (H). Species which were not personally recorded by the leader are indicated by the symbol (NL). Species marked with the diamond symbol (◊) are either endemic to the country or local region or considered ‘special’ birds for some other reason (e.g. it is only seen on one or two Birdquest tours; it is difficult to see across all or most of its range; the local form is endemic or restricted-range and may in future be treated as a full species). Conservation threat categories and information are taken from Threatened Birds of the World, BirdLife International’s magnificent book on the sad status of the rarest 10% of the world’s avifauna, and updates on the BirdLife website: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/home E = Endangered, V = Vulnerable, NT = Near Threatened, DD = Data Deficient. Hartlaub's Duck ◊ Pteronetta hartlaubii Several nice sightings along the Lomako river. Crested Guineafowl Guttera pucherani A handful of encounters along the trails. A nest was also found. Latham's Francolin ◊ Peliperdix lathami Only a few of us managed to get views of this shy forest denizen. Congo Peafowl ◊ Afropavo congensis (V) THE BIRD OF THE TRIP. Great looks at a female at roost. African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus Several flocks were flying over the Congo river along the Kinshasa waterfront. Spot-breasted Ibis ◊ Bostrychia rara Two of these retiring birds were regularly encountered at the camp’s stream. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax One flew over the Congo river at Kinshasa. Striated Heron Butorides striata Two were found in the Kinshasa area. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides A single bird was spotted along the Lomako river. Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis A handful of these well-known birds in more open areas.


Little Egret Egretta garzetta A few sightings at Kinshasa and Mbandaka. Hamerkop Scopus umbretta Two were noted at the Eala Botanical garden near Mbandaka. Reed Cormorant Microcarbo africanus Two along the Congo river at Mbandaka. African Darter Anhinga rufa Three showed well along the Congo river at Kinshasa. African Harrier-Hawk (Gymnogene) Polyboroides typus Three were found in the Mbandaka area. Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax angolensis Regular sightings along the Maringa and Lomako rivers. European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus Small numbers were noted along the rivers on our first days. Just arrived! Congo Serpent Eagle Circaetus spectabilis One showed well in late afternoon at a small clearing at Lomako. Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus (NT) Two showed well along the Lomako river. Others were heard. Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus Great looks at one along the Kinshasa waterfront. Long-tailed Hawk Urotriorchis macrourus (NL) Brief looks at one of these distinctive forest raptors on our walk in. Red-chested Goshawk Accipiter toussenelii (NL) One was seen at the camp clearing. Red-thighed Sparrowhawk ◊ Accipiter erythropus An immature bird showed rather nicely at the camp’s stream. Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus Great looks at a single bird in the Basankusu farmbush. Yellow-billed Kite Milvus aegyptius A few in open areas. Fairly common along the Congo river at Mbandaka. African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer An immature bird was spotted along the Maringa river on our way to the reserve. White-spotted Flufftail Sarothrura pulchra (H) We heard the distinctive song at a swampy clearing at Lomako.

Lizard Buzzards can be quite approachable; On the Lomako river (Mark Beaman)

African Finfoot Podica senegalensis Three excellent sightings on our boat trips. A great bird! Nkulengu Rail ◊ Himantornis haematopus (H) We heard the loud antiphonal duet once at dusk deep in the forest. Grey-throated Rail ◊ Canirallus oculeus (NL) One of these rare birds was observed on the Lomako river boat trip. Black Crake Amaurornis flavirostra Two showed briefly on the Mbandaka boat trip. Forbes's Plover ◊ Charadrius forbesi The Basankusu airstrip held four of these rarely encountered waders. White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus Two were foraging along a muddy edge at Mbandaka. African Jacana Actophilornis africanus A few were noted at Mbandaka. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica Quite a surprise to see one along the Congo river at Mbandaka. A vagrant! Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Several sightings along streams and rivers.


African Finfoots escorted us on the river (Mark Beaman)

Rock Pratincole Glareola nuchalis A single bird sat on a sand bank of the Maringa river. African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris (NT) Three of these unusual birds were noted along the Congo at Mbandaka. White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus A single bird was observed over the Congo river at Mbandaka. Rock Dove Columba livia Just a few in villages and good numbers in Mbandaka and Kinshasa. Afep Pigeon Columba unicincta Regularly heard from within the forest and seen well in the Lingunda farmbush. Western Bronze-naped Pigeon Columba iriditorques Three flew past our clearing just after dawn on 21/9. Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata Common in open areas. Ring-necked Dove Streptopelia capicola Just a few were seen in Kinshasa. Blue-spotted Wood Dove Turtur afer A common bird of open areas and farmbush. Regularly heard. Blue-headed Wood Dove Turtur brehmeri Often heard at Lomako and seen well on several occasions. African Green Pigeon Treron calvus Good looks at Lola Ya Bonobo and in farmbush. Regularly heard at Lomako. Great Blue Turaco Corythaeola cristata Best encounters were at Lingunda, but also regularly recorded at Lomako. Black-billed Turaco Tauraco schuettii Heard daily at Lomako and seen on several occasions. Gabon Coucal ◊ Centropus anselli Heard within the grid at Lomako and briefly seen on our final day in the forest. Senegal Coucal Centropus senegalensis Seen at Lola Ya Bonobo and in the Lingunda farmbush. Blue Malkoha Ceuthmochares aereus A single sighting on our final day in the forest. Levaillant's Cuckoo Clamator levaillantii (NL) A single bird was noted at Lomako. Diederik Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius Regularly recorded in farmbush. Nice scope views at Basankusu. Klaas's Cuckoo Chrysococcyx klaas A male was seen at Kinshasa. We heard it in the farmbush areas. Yellow-throated Cuckoo ◊ Chrysococcyx flavigularis Heard and glimpsed in the forest at Lomako. African Emerald Cuckoo Chrysococcyx cupreus Several excellent encounters with this smart species. Regularly heard. Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo Cercococcyx mechowi (H) Heard on a couple of occasions at Lomako. Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo Cercococcyx olivinus Good looks for some of this vocal, but retiring forest inhabitant. Black Cuckoo Cuculus clamosus Great looks of one at the clearing. The race involved is gabonensis. Red-chested Cuckoo Cuculus solitarius Regularly heard and seen a few times at Lomako.


Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus (NL) One of these Palearctic migrants was seen at Lomako. Fraser's Eagle-Owl Bubo poensis (H) Its unusual screams were only heard on one occasion from the camp Shelley's Eagle-Owl ◊ Bubo shelleyi (NT) We heard the fantastic calls regularly. One was seen well by Koos. African Wood Owl Strix woodfordii (H) We heard the distinctive calls several times. Bates's Nightjar ◊ Caprimulgus batesi A few sightings at dusk and dawn at forest clearings. Also heard. Pennant-winged Nightjar Caprimulgus vexillarius (NL) A female was flushed from the forest floor. Sabine's Spinetail Rhaphidura sabini Regular observations over open areas and rivers. Cassin's Spinetail Neafrapus cassini Many sightings over open areas and rivers, often together with Sabine’s. African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus Common over open areas, especially where there are palms. Common Swift Apus apus Regular encounters with these Palearctic migrants. Little Swift Apus affinis Good numbers were noted in Mbandaka. White-rumped Swift Apus caffer Two were seen in Kinshasa. Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus A few of these unusual birds were noted in Kinshasa and Basankusu. Narina Trogon Apaloderma narina Regular records in the Lomako forest. Blue-throated Roller Eurystomus gularis Excellent looks at several around the camp clearing and along the river. Broad-billed Roller Eurystomus glaucurus Seen in Kinshasa and along the Maringa river. Chocolate-backed Kingfisher Halcyon badia Several were heard at Lomako. Eventually seen on the final day. Brown-hooded Kingfisher Halcyon albiventris Great views at Lola Ya Bonobo near Kinshasa. Woodland Kingfisher Halcyon senegalensis Good looks at this vocal species in Kinshasa and near Mbandaka. African Dwarf Kingfisher Ispidina lecontei Regularly heard at Lomako and glimpsed a number of times. African Pygmy Kingfisher Ispidina picta Good looks at this beauty at Kinshasa and at Lingunda. White-bellied Kingfisher Corythornis leucogaster A few encounters along the camp’s stream. Malachite Kingfisher Corythornis cristatus A handful of sightings of this well-known species. Shining-blue Kingfisher Alcedo quadribrachys Two brief observations along the Lomako river. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis A single bird was noted over the Congo river at Mbandaka. Black Bee-Eater Merops gularis Cracking scope views of this splendid bird at Lola Ya Bonobo. Also seen at Lomako. Little Bee-Eater Merops pusillus A few showed well along the Congo river at Kinshasa, together with the next species.

White-crested Hornbills were observed as they were following monkeys (Mark Beaman)


Blue-breasted Bee-Eater Merops variegatus Perfect scope looks at this beauty at Kinshasa. European Bee-Eater Merops apiaster Half a dozen of these northern migrants flew over the Maringa river on 23/9. African Pied Hornbill Lophoceros fasciatus Regular encounters in the forest and in the farmbush. Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill ◊ Lophoceros camurus Best looks of this loud voiced bird were at the camp. Piping Hornbill Bycanistes fistulator Regular in the forest, but easier to see along the rivers. White-thighed Hornbill Bycanistes albotibialis Many excellent observations. Vocal. Black-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna atrata A few of these impressive birds were noted on most days at Lomako. Black Dwarf Hornbill ◊ Horizocerus hartlaubi A single sighting of this unobtrusive species near our camp on 11/9. White-crested Hornbill ◊ Horizocerus albocristatus A dozen sightings of this attractive species in the forest. Grey-throated Barbet Gymnobucco bonapartei Several were hanging about a dead trunk in the middle of the forest. Sladen's Barbet ◊ Gymnobucco sladeni Perfect studies of this speciality at Lingunda and in the Lomako forest. Speckled Tinkerbird Pogoniulus scolopaceus Often heard and seen on a handful of occasions. Red-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus atroflavus (H) A few were heard calling from the canopy. Yellow-throated Tinkerbird Pogoniulus subsulphureus (H) Regularly heard calling in the Lomako forests. Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus Repeated views in open areas. Heard at most venues. Yellow-spotted Barbet Buccanodon duchaillui Scope views at the clearing and also encountered in a flock. Hairy-breasted Barbet Tricholaema hirsuta (H) Heard on several occasions in the forest. Yellow-billed Barbet Trachyphonus purpuratus A couple of sightings only. Cassin's Honeybird Prodotiscus insignis A single bird was scoped in the top of the canopy near our camp. Willcocks's Honeyguide ◊ Indicator willcocksi One was hanging about with the barbets at Lingunda. Least Honeyguide Indicator exilis (NL) A single bird showed at a barbet tree at Lomako. Spotted Honeyguide Indicator maculatus Several excellent sightings of this brood parasite.

Entering the reserve; gaudy butterflies were common on the rivers (Mark Beaman)

Green-backed Woodpecker Campethera cailliautii A single sighting in the Lomako forest. Buff-spotted Woodpecker Campethera nivosa Seven observations in the forests of the Lomako Preserve. Brown-eared Woodpecker Campethera caroli Two encounters with this unobtrusive species. Gabon Woodpecker Dendropicos gabonensis Three sightings, of which two were in the Lingunda farmbush. Yellow-crested Woodpecker Dendropicos xantholophus A handful of observations at Lomako. African Grey Woodpecker Dendropicos goertae A single bird showed well along the Congo river at Kinshasa. Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus (V) Regular observations in Kinshasa and just a few along the Maringa river. Red-fronted Parrot Poicephalus gulielmi Seen at Kinshasa and at Lomako. Black-collared Lovebird ◊ Agapornis swindernianus Magnificent scope studies of this beayty in the Lingunda farmbush! Rufous-sided Broadbill Smithornis rufolateralis Often heard and regularly seen at Lomako. Gorgeous! Green-breasted Pitta ◊ Pitta reichenowi (H) One was heard on our first day at Lomako. Chestnut Wattle-Eye Platysteira castanea Regular observations of this cutie. Brown-throated Wattle-Eye Platysteira cyanea A pair showed well along the Congo waterfront at Kinshasa. Rufous-bellied Helmetshrike ◊ Prionops rufiventris Great looks at three of these crackers near our camp. Sabine's Puffback Dryoscopus sabini A male was seen on our last day at Lomako. Blue Cuckooshrike Coracina azurea Several sightings of this canopy species at our Lomako camp.


Western Oriole Oriolus brachyrynchus Regularly seen and more often heard in the Lomako forests. Shining Drongo Dicrurus atripennis Regular encounters with this midstorey species at Lomako. Velvet-mantled Drongo Dicrurus modestus This canopy bird was seen a few times at Lomako. Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher Trochocercus nitens Seen once and heard several times at Lomako. Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone rufiventer A regular member of the bird parties at Lomako. Bates's Paradise Flycatcher ◊ Terpsiphone batesi This attractive speciality was not uncommonly seen at Lomako. African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis A few sightings in farmbush. We also saw the white morph of the male. Pied Crow Corvus albus Very common in Kinshasa and Mbandaka; much rarer in villages. African Blue Flycatcher Elminia longicauda A couple of sightings of this lovely species. Dusky Crested Flycatcher Elminia nigromitrata (NL) Two were seen in the undergrowth at Lomako. Dusky Tit Melaniparus funereus Just a few records. Western Nicator Nicator chloris Excellent scope studies at Lingunda; often heard and sometimes seen at Lomako. Dark-capped Bulbul Pycnonotus tricolor Common in more open areas. Slender-billed Greenbul Stelgidillas gracilirostris Regular encounters in farmbush and in the Lomako forest. Little Greenbul Eurillas virens Seen at Lola Ya Bonobo (Kinshasa) and heard elsewhere in farmbush. Little Grey Greenbul Eurillas gracilis Often heard and regularly seen at Lomako. Ansorge's Greenbul Eurillas ansorgei Just a single sighting on our last day at Lomako. Yellow-whiskered Greenbul Eurillas latirostris Just a few encounters at Lomako. Golden Greenbul Calyptocichla serinus A single observation only in the Lomako forests.

African Pied Wagtail; mating praying mantises (Mark Beaman)

Honeyguide Greenbul Baeopogon indicator One showed well at one of the Lomako clearings. Spotted Greenbul Ixonotus guttatus One of the more obvious birds around our camp at Lomako. Many great looks. Falkenstein’s Greenbul Chlorocichla falkensteini Good views at a single bird at Lola Ya Bonobo near Kinshasa. Yellow-throated Leaflove Atimastillas flavicollis Seen in Kinshasa and at Mbandaka. Swamp Palm Bulbul Thescelocichla leucopleura A few observations in swampy areas. Icterine Greenbul Phyllastrephus icterinus Regular encounters in the bird parties, often together with the next species. Xavier's Greenbul Phyllastrephus xavieri Regular. Subtle differences with the previous species. White-throated Greenbul Phyllastrephus albigularis Another regular, but hard to see well member of the bird parties. Red-tailed Bristlebill Bleda syndactylus One of the distinctive Lomako forest sounds. Not easy to see. Yellow-lored Bristlebill Bleda notatus Just two observations at Lomako. Eastern Bearded Greenbul Criniger chloronotus Heard a few times and seen once or twice at Lomako. Red-tailed Greenbul Criniger calurus One of the regulars in the Lomako forests. White-bearded Greenbul Criniger ndussumensis A few encounters. Not easy to tell from previous species. Square-tailed Saw-Wing Psalidoprocne nitens Half a dozen flew over the Lomako river on 9/9. Congo Martin ◊ Riparia congica Great looks of several over the Congo river at Mbandaka. One of the specialities! Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica These Palearctic migrants were common over the Congo river at Mbandaka. Red-chested Swallow Hirundo lucida Three were noted along the Kinshasa waterfront. White-bibbed Swallow (White-throated Blue S) Hirundo nigrita These attractive hirundines were common along rivers. Lesser Striped Swallow Cecropis abyssinica Regular in more open areas.


Red-breasted Swallow Cecropis semirufa A few were noted in at Lingunda and over the Congo river at Mbandaka. Yellow Longbill Macrosphenus flavicans A couple of observations in the Lomako forests. Grey Longbill Macrosphenus concolor One of the distinctive forest sounds at Lomako. Seen just a few times. Green Crombec Sylvietta virens Seen on a number of occasions. More often heard. Green Hylia Hylia prasina Another not often seen bird that produces a highly distinctive sound in the forests. Tit Hylia Pholidornis rushiae One sighting only of this diminutive species. African Yellow Warbler Iduna natalensis We only saw this critter in the Botanical Garden at Mbandaka. Chattering Cisticola Cisticola anonymus Good looks at several in Kinshasa and at Basankusu. Winding Cisticola Cisticola marginatus Seen well in Kinshasa and in Mbandaka. Croaking Cisticola Cisticola natalensis Nice looks at several on the Mbandaka boat trip. Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava Just a few encounters in farmbush. Buff-throated Apalis Apalis rufogularis (H) Heard once in the forest at Lomako. Gosling's Apalis ◊ Apalis goslingi This speciality showed all too briefly in the Lingunda farmbush. Grey-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brevicaudata Regular in farmbush habitat. Yellow-browed Camaroptera Camaroptera superciliaris Seen at Lola Ya Bonobo and hear a few times at Lomako. Olive-green Camaroptera Camaroptera chloronota Good looks at two in the Lingunda farmbush. Rufous-crowned Eremomela Eremomela badiceps A party of six flitted through a canopy at Lingunda. Scaly-breasted Illadopsis Illadopsis albipectus Heard and seen a few times at Lomako. A mega skulker. Pale-breasted Illadopsis Illadopsis rufipennis Heard and seen well in the Lomako forests.

A cracking spider; Congo has a very young population (Mark Beaman)

Brown Illadopsis Illadopsis fulvescens This skulker was seen well in the Lomako forests. African Yellow White-eye Zosterops senegalensis Two were found in the hotel garden at Kinshasa. Purple-headed Starling Hylopsar purpureiceps A handful of observations along the Maringa river. Splendid Starling Lamprotornis splendidus Good looks at several at Mbandaka. Chestnut-winged Starling Onychognathus fulgidus Five performed beautifully in the Mbandaka Botanical Garden. Red-tailed Ant Thrush Neocossyphus rufus Several sightings in the Lomako forests. Quite a skulker! White-tailed Ant Thrush Neocossyphus poensis A few observations at Lomako. Fraser's Rufous Thrush ◊ Stizorhina fraseri Fairly common in the Lomako forest undergrowth. African Thrush Turdus pelios Common in Kinshasa and at Mbandaka. Fire-crested Alethe Alethe castanea (H) Regularly heard, but never seen at Lomako. Fraser's Forest Flycatcher Fraseria ocreata Small parties were seen a few times along forest edges. Grey Tit-Flycatcher (Lead-coloured/Fan-tailed Flycatcher) Myioparus plumbeus Two showed at Lingunda farmbush. Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata A single migrant showed at Basankusu. Ashy Flycatcher Muscicapa caerulescens Three observations in farmbush habitat. Cassin's (Grey) Flycatcher Muscicapa cassini Common along the rivers. Sooty Flycatcher Muscicapa infuscata The farmbush at Lingunda held two of these distinctive flycatchers. Eastern Forest Robin Stiphrornis [erythrothorax] xanthogaster Heard and seen by one lucky soul at Lomako. Rufous-tailed Palm Thrush Cichladusa ruficauda This speciality is regular and easy to see in Kinshasa and Mbandaka.


European Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca This migrant showed well in the Lingunda farmbush. Grey-headed Sunbird ◊ Deleornis axillaris A couple of sightings in the Lomako forests. A nest was also found. Little Green Sunbird Anthreptes seimundi One was identified in the Lingunda farmbush. Grey-chinned Sunbird (Green S) Anthreptes rectirostris A single bird showed near Bosomlomwa. Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris Small numbers were noted along our route. Green-headed Sunbird Cyanomitra verticalis Three observations in farmbush habitat. Blue-throated Brown Sunbird Cyanomitra cyanolaema Several excellent sightings, including scope studies. Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea Regularly seen, and more often heard within the Lomako Reserve. Green-throated Sunbird Chalcomitra rubescens A handful of encounters along edges. Amethyst Sunbird Chalcomitra amethystine A few sightings in Kinshasa. Olive-bellied Sunbird Cinnyris chloropygius Common in farmbush habitat. Tiny Sunbird Cinnyris minullus Fairly regular at clearings and edges of farmbush. Great scope views. Congo (Black-bellied) Sunbird ◊ Cinnyris congensis Splendid looks at this mega speciality in the Mbandaka area. Johanna's Sunbird Cinnyris johannae Two observations in edge habitat at Lomako. Superb Sunbird Cinnyris superbus Fairly common at flowering bushes and trees in farmbush. Copper Sunbird Cinnyris cupreus Quite common in the Kinshasa gardens. Northern Grey-headed Sparrow Passer griseus Common near human habitation. Slender-billed Weaver Ploceus pelzelni Seen along the Congo river in Kinshasa and at Mbandaka. Black-necked Weaver Ploceus nigricollis A handful of sightings at clearings and in farmbush. Orange Weaver Ploceus aurantius Quite common along the river at Mbandaka. Village Weaver Ploceus cucullatus Common in farmbush habitat. Vieillot's Black Weaver Ploceus nigerrimus We only saw this one at Lola Ya Bonobo. Black-headed Weaver Ploceus melanocephalus Small numbers were seen at the Mbandaka Botanical garden. Yellow-mantled Weaver Ploceus tricolor A single bird was noted along the Lomako river. Maxwell's Black Weaver Ploceus albinucha A couple were spotted near Bosolomwa, at the edge of Lomako. Compact Weaver Ploceus superciliosus Singles were seen in Kinshasa and in Basankusu. Cassin's Malimbe ◊ Malimbus cassini A glorious male performed beautifully for scope views at Lingunda. Red-headed Malimbe Malimbus rubricollis Four encounters in the Lomako forests. Red-bellied Malimbe ◊ Malimbus erythrogaster Scope views of a male in the Lomako canopy.

A species of Dotted Border (genus Mylothris); no, we didn’t have to eat grubs… (Mark Beaman)

Bob-tailed Weaver ◊ Brachycope anomala Fairly common in Kinshasa, Mbandaka and Basankusu. A speciality! Black-winged Red Bishop Euplectes hordeaceus Four were seen at Lola Ya Bonobo near Kinshasa. Marsh Widowbird Euplectes hartlaubi Several were noted in the Kinshasa area. Woodhouse's Antpecker ◊ Parmoptila woodhousei Five sightings of these unusual-looking birds at Lomako. White-breasted Nigrita Nigrita fusconotus Scope views of two at Lola Ya Bonobo. Chestnut-breasted Nigrita Nigrita bicolor A couple of sightings at clearings. Grey-headed Nigrita Nigrita canicapillus Several observations of this widespread species. Grant's Bluebill ◊ Spermophaga poliogenys Male and female showed well near their nest at the camp’s stream! Western Bluebill Spermophaga haematina Beautiful males were showing off at Lingunda and Basankusu.


Blue Waxbill Uraeginthus angolensis Two were seen in Kinshasa. A southern species. Orange-cheeked Waxbill Estrilda melpoda Very common in the Basankusu fields. Black-crowned Waxbill Estrilda nonnula Just a few were spotted at Besankusu and Lingunda. Bronze Mannikin Lonchura cucullata Common in farmbush and gardens all along our route. Black-and-white Mannikin Lonchura bicolor Quite common in the same habitat. Magpie Mannikin Lonchura fringilloides Three showed well in a field at Lingunda. Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura We only saw it in the Basankusu farmbush. African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp A handful of observations near water. Yellow-fronted Canary Crithagra mozambica The Congo river edge at Kinshasa produced two of these.

View of the forest along the Maringa river (Mark Beaman)


This African Palm Civet showed extremely well (Mark Beaman)

MAMMALS Congo Rope Squirrel Funisciurus congicus Regular sightings of this swift species. Tree Pangolin Phataginus tricuspis Mark B had a close encounter with this very special animal at night at Lomako. African Palm Civet Nandinia binotata Magnificent views of one in a tree at the camp on our first evening. Ansorge’s Cusimanse Crossarchus ansorgei One showed quite well to Mark B in the Lomako forest. Straw-coloured Fruit Bat Eidolon helvum A few were seen along the Lomako river.


Demidoff’s Galago Galagoides demidoff Brief looks at two after sunset at Lomako. Angolan Pied Colobus Colobus angolensis Fairly common in the Lomako reserve. A monkey with character! Black Mangabey Lophocebus aterrimus Common in the Lomako reserve. Remember the semi prehensile tail! Red-tailed Monkey Cercopithecus (cephus) ascanius Regular observations of this widespread species. Wolf ’s Monkey Cercopithecus wolfi This superbly attractive monkey was a delight to see in the Lomako forest. Bonobo (Pygmy Chimpanzee) Pan paniscus Great looks at the real wild ones at Lomako. Exquisite. Red River Hog Potamochoerus porcus Magnificent close encounters for most of us with these striking pigs at Lomako. Peter’s Duiker Cephalophus callipygus Several encounters in the Lomako forests. Western Blue Duiker Cephalophus congica The most common duiker at Lomako. Western Tree Hyrax Dendrohyrax dorsalis (H) An often heard, rather eerie voice at night.

A shy Congo Rope Squirrel and a smart Red-headed Agama (Mark Beaman)

Documents

6 – 25 SEPTEMBER 2015 - Bird Tours - BIRDQUEST PEAFOWL... · congo peacock expedition 6 – 25 september 2015 leaders: mark van beirs and mark beaman we did it!