Mount Moco: Swierstra's francolin and the Afromontane forest
Swierstra's francolin (Pternistis swierstrai), Margaret's batis, Bocage's sunbird, Angola cave chat (on the cliffs), Laura's woodland warbler, montane double-collared sunbird. Mount Moco, Huambo province — Angola's highest mountain, Angola.
Best time: 1 Jun – 30 Sep (June to September). Where: Kanjonde village – Mount Moco forest patches, Mount Moco summit ridge (Angola). Time of day: Francolins call in the first 30 minutes of light from the forest patches at 2,000–2,400 m and again at dusk.
- Partly on your own
- Low cost
- Binoculars helpful
- Sound 4/5
Open it in the interactive calendarSunrise and sunset listening times for the day you pick, and the map.
When is the best time?
Peak: 1 Jun – 30 Sep. June to September: dry, cold and clear on the mountain, the season the tours visit; the francolin calls year-round but is easiest in the dry season
Active from 1 May to 30 Nov (May to November) in a typical year.
Time of day
Francolins call in the first 30 minutes of light from the forest patches at 2,000–2,400 m and again at dusk; the forest chorus runs to about 09:00
- Dawn francolins & chorus: 20 min before sunrise → 09:00
- Evening calls: 30 min before sunset → last light
What will you hear?
The loud, rasping crow of Swierstra's francolin — Angola's most wanted bird — from the remnant forest patches at dawn, sunbirds and batises in the trees, and the wind over montane grassland at 2,400 m with a village waking far below.
Binoculars?
Binoculars helpful. The francolin crows unseen from tiny forest patches; binoculars for sunbirds and the cave chat on the cliffs.
Where to go
- Kanjonde village – Mount Moco forest patches — Base village with a community conservation project (tree nursery, guides); the forest patches are a two-hour climb. Map
- Mount Moco summit ridge — 2,620 m; grassland and cliffs for cave chat and montane species. Map
How to go on your own, and what it costs
4x4 or shared transport from Huambo via Bailundo to Kanjonde; walk up from the village. A Kanjonde guide is customary and supports the community project; the tracks and grassland are open.
Cost: Village guide and camping by negotiation; check current prices.
Free or no-guide alternative: The grassland slopes and the lower forest edge above Kanjonde are walkable alone; the francolin's dawn call carries down the valley from the patches.
Field-recording notes
Community land: guides from Kanjonde (customary, and the project depends on it), camping above the village. Nights drop to near freezing in July; condensation at dawn and strong wind by mid-morning. The forest patches are tiny and burn in the dry season — fire is the main threat and the main dry-season sound. No playback for the francolin.
Sources
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More: all spectacles in Angola · dawn choruses · Angola in June · Angola in July · Angola in August · Angola in September