Angola Field Group

Gabela Helmet Shrike, found only in Angola. Photo courtesy Michael Mills.

Angola is considered off the beaten path when it comes to ‘birding tourism’ and remains a poorly known region in the realm of African birds. Ironically 30 years of war protected some of the rarest bird species that now are being threatened by development and a growing population. The Angola Field Group invites you to a presentation “Protecting Angola’s threatened birds and their threatened habitats”, at the Viking Club, Thursday February 3rd at 8:00 PM with Michael Mills, a South Africa bird expert who will talk about bird conservation in Angola and the important bird species that are being studied. (www.birdsangola.org) He will also update us on his projects including the well-known Mount Moco forest project in Huambo province (www.mountmoco.org) and give us a look at other projects he’s involved in such as Africa’s third largest bird skin collection on display in the Lubango museum.

Michael is a South African conservation biologist and has been watching birds for 25 years and guiding birding expeditions since he was 16. He has been studying birds in Angola for almost 8 years and works for BirdLife (www.birdlife.org), an international bird conservation organization. He also leads bird watching tours in sub-Sahara Africa. The first CD sound guide dedicated to Angolan bird calls, over 100 species, recorded by Michael Mills, will be on sale.

Everybody is welcome to attend. The talk will be in English. In close cooperation with the Viking Club, this event is offered free of charge. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are sold at the bar, coupons must be purchased. The Viking Bar opens at 7:30 PM! You can download a map showing the location of the Viking Club on this website’s Join Us page. The Viking Club is on the main floor of the former Swedish Building at Rua Marien N”Guabi, No 118 in Maianga, across the street from the new Panela de Barra restaurant.

Field Trip: We will be going on a birding expedition to the Denbos with Michael Mills in February. Date and details will be given on Thursday, February 3 and on this website.

Dusky Twinspot, exists only in the highlands of Angola and Uganda. Photo courtesy Michael Mills.

Our presenter Michael Mills grew up in the Kgalagadi and Kruger National Parks of South Africa, and obtained his training at the University of Cape Town where he received a BSc in Zoology and a Masters of Science degree in Conservation Biology. He has been watching birds for 25 years, and guiding bird watching outings since he was 16. He first visited Angola in 2003, and has returned regularly to study the country’s birds. Currently he spends half his time working for BirdLife (www.birdlife.org) on conservation projects in Angola, and half his time leading bird watching tours and expeditions throughout sub-Saharan Africa for a Cape Town-based company Birding Africa. (www.birdingafrica.com)

His work in Angola is focussed on BirdLife’s priorities of protecting habitats for threatened birds, and improving knowledge of threatened and poorly-known species to enhance our ability to conserve them. Two main project sites are under development in the main habitat types for threatened endemic birds: in the Afromontane/highland forests at Mount Moco, and the central Scarp Forests at Kumbira.

Most of what Michael will be talking about will be about this work, and the most important bird species that are being studied. He will also detail several other projects that he’s been involved in, including the databasing of Africa’s third largest bird skin collection in the museum in Lubango, the discovery of some new and significant Afromontane forests, the production of a CD of Angolan bird calls, the long-term planning for a bird atlas of the country, some new and important bird finds in Angola, and the first field information on the rare Black-tailed Cisticola. Michael also runs two websites on Angolan birds www.birdsangola.org and www.mountmoco.org.

Red Crested Turaco, found only in Angola. Photo courtesy Michael Mills.