Guided Bird watching tour to São Tomé and Principe

Walk to the airport and fly to São Tomé via Accra in Ghana. Arrive late afternoon and transfer to your accommodation at Omali Lodge, for the next 2 nights.

Today we transfer to the airport and fly to São Tomé’s smaller neighbour, Príncipe. This magical island is an incredibly special place to visit and has been classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve because of its pristine and impenetrable jungle, steep-sided mountains and beautiful beaches. Having never been connected to São Tomé or the African mainland, Príncipe has its own special selection of endemic birds. On arrival we’ll head to Bom-Bom Eco Resort for lunch and some initial birding, which may include our first local endemics such as Principe Speirops, Principe Sunbird and Principe Golden-Weaver. After lunch we’ll travel by boat initially to Maria Correia, on the west side of the island, for the possibility of finding Principe White-eye, one of the toughest endemics to locate here. We’ll then continue onwards to the south of the island for a night of camping in the rainforest. This remote and undisturbed area is home to a newly discovered but little-known nightbird, Principe Scops Owl – very few people have ever encountered this elusive, cryptic species, and we will need plenty of good fortune to do so, but using local guides we have the best possibility of an encounter. Night: wild camping, southern Príncipe.

After breakfast we transfer to the airport and fly back to São Tomé, arriving mid-morning. On arrival we’ll head to the north of the island, visiting Lagoa Azul, the northern savannah and the rainforests of the north-western side of the island, which together offer a diverse and exciting range of species. Among them are Harlequin Quail, Red-necked Francolin, Black-winged Bishop, White-winged Widowbird, Golden-backed Bishop and the extraordinary Pin-tailed Whydah. The possibility of rare birds from mainland Africa should also be on our radar: during his previous visit to this area, Dominic Mitchell discovered African Pygmy-Goose and Lesser Moorhen, both exceptional in these islands. Night Omali Lodge.

Spending time around Monte Carmo allows us to explore the higher elevations of the mountain. To get the most out of the day, we’ll have a pre-dawn breakfast before trekking to the upper mountain areas to find the most difficult of our target endemics, Sao Tome Fiscal, Sao Tome Grosbeak and Sao Tome Short-tail. There are no guarantees but by spending time patiently searching the right habitat, we will maximise our chances. We will also keep an eye out for the island’s only endemic snake, Sao Tome Black Cobra, or Cobra-preta to the locals. In the afternoon we’ll bird our way back down to camp and then drive to São João dos Angolares, for some close-of-day birding in the beautiful environs of Roça São João. Night: Roça São João.

Early arrival in Lisbon, with onward flight to the UK (or else where in the world).