Birding Madagascar, our world’s fourth-largest island, is quite simply, unique. Six bird families and five mammal families (including the lemurs) are endemic to this massive island, and half the world’s chameleons, weird and wonderful endemic plant families, and tons of other wildlife can be found here. An astonishing 120 bird species are endemic (including such exotic groups as vangas, ground rollers, cuckoo roller, couas, asities, and mesites). Lemurs vie for attention, from the tiny mouse lemurs to the marvelous sifakas and the amazing indri with its calls that resound through the forest. Our tours visit a range of habitats: grasslands, dry deciduous woodland, the bizarre spiny forest with its odd octopus trees (Didiera madagascariensis) and elephant’s foot trees (Pachypodium rosulatum), lush eastern rainforest, as well as lagoons and mudflats. The birds that we’ll look for include the roadrunner-like Long-tailed Ground Roller and the stunning Pitta-like, Scaly, and Rufous-headed Ground Rollers, as well as the highly-prized Sub desert Mesite, the unforgettable Giant Coua, the astounding Velvet Asity, and Madagascan Ibis, to name just a handful. We invite you to join us on a special birding and wildlife tour to experience the fauna and flora of this amazing, vast island! We’re sure to also do night walks for the nocturnal lemurs, birds, Giraffe-necked Weevil and other non-diurnal wonders. Some of the many sites we visit during our Madagascar bird watching trips are Perinet Special Reserve and the wider Andasibe-Mantadia National Park (where Indri and Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur often steal the show, even though this is also a great place to see four of the ground rollers, Nuthatch Vanga, Blue Vanga, Madagascan Flufftail and other beautiful birds), Nosy Ve for its Crab-plovers, tropicbirds and Littoral Rock Thrush, Ranomafana National Park, Lake Aloatra, Ankarafantsika and Berenty Reserve, among many other superb sites.
The Masoala Peninsula Birding, our main “best of” Madagascar bird tour, can generate the unbelievable Helmet Vanga, Brown Mesite, and Short-legged Ground Roller, as well as the largest, and most bizarre, nocturnal lemur, the Aye-aye, and a stack more (Red Ruffed Lemur is common in this area). Tomato Frog, Lowland Streaked Tenrec and many other weird and wonderful creatures can also be seen at Masoala area .
The northwestern extension is also very rewarding. Ankarafantsika National Park has an impressive bird list of 129 species, more than half of them endemic to Madagascar. They include Van Dam’s Vanga, Rufous Vanga, the elusive Banded Kestrel, and the more easily observed but Critically Endangered Madagascan Fish Eagle, which can often be seen at Ravelobe Lake. The Endangered Humblot’s Heron can also be seen at Lake Ravelobe. The Betsiboka Delta is another site we visit in northwestern Madagascar, and this can add some rarer Madagascan endemics to our list, e.g. Malagasy Sacred (White) Ibis and Bernier’s (Madagascar) Teal.
Then, our Berenty Reserve tour extension is particularly good for some of the best-known lemurs, including Ring-tailed Lemur and the famous dancing Verreaux’s Sifakas. Berenty is also a haven for birdwatchers, like the other sites, also boasting a great many Malagasy endemics. With a little bit of luck, we usually find Madagascan Sandgrouse, Madagascan Green Pigeon, Torotoroka Scops Owl, and perhaps even Madagascan Cuckoo-Hawk here.
We also enjoy running our remote Madagascar trips to Bemanevika where we look for the Critically Endangered Madagascan Pochard, (Madagascan) Red Owl, Madagascan Serpent Eagle, Slender-billed Flufftail and other species. We are also able to find Tsingy Wood Rail, Sakalava Rail, Red-tailed Newtonia (when access to the site is deemed safe) and other species usually missed on standard Madagascan birding tours.
Madagascan Pochard was thought to be extinct until the Peregrine Fund rediscovered 26 of them on Lake Matsaborimena in 2006. The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Madagascar’s government work with the Peregrine fund in helping to conserve this bird, along with some of the other rare species mentioned above.
Madagascar is one of those birding destinations where you simply cannot ignore the non-birding aspects. On our Madagascar birding tours, we have a high success rate at finding all the avian targets, while also allowing adequate time for nature photography and viewing. We definitely stop to enjoy all the lemur species, tenrecs, reptiles and a plethora of chameleons along the way.
We can also arrange bespoke tours to the Avenue of Baobabs, Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park with its spectacular rock formations, Nosy Be and other famous sites. We do arrange a lot of private and tailor-made nature and birding tours to amazing Madagascar, so please do not hesitated ask.
for Madagascan birding/wildlife tours as certain times of the year can be challenging, so we suggest you to come , July through December, is the best time a Year.
Itinerary Madagascar Birding Tours (6 days/5 nights)
Day 1: Home Country - Arrival in Antananarivo-Madagascar
Our team will be meeting you on your arrive time in Madagascar’s capital at any time today then Transfer to your hotel.
Overnight: Relais des Plateaux, Antananarivo
Day 2.Antananarivo –Flght Fort Dauphin
We will take a flight from Antananarivo or Tulear to Fort Dauphin. After arrival we will transfer to our hotel.
Overnight: Croix du Sud, Fort Dauphin
Day 3. Transfer to Berenty, birding Berenty Reserve
An early departure will take us on our way for the two- to three-hour drive to the Berenty Reserve. Our interesting drive from Fort Dauphin with its rice paddies and tropical forests through vast sisal plantations to the famous dry spiny forest that once covered large areas of this part of Madagascar, but sadly today exists only in small patches, will probably allow us to find Sakalava Weaver and Namaqua Dove on the way. In the afternoon and during an evening outing we will start to explore this magnificent park. Overnight: Berenty Lodge, Berenty
Day 4. Birding Berenty Reserve
Exploring Berenty Reserve for a full day, we hope to find Madagascan Sandgrouse, Madagascan Green Pigeon, Madagascan Buttonquail, Malagasy Turtle Dove, Madagascan Sparrowhawk, Giant, Crested, Running, and Red-capped Couas, Chabert, Hook-billed, and Sickle-billed Vangas, Grey Emutail, Grey-headed Lovebird, Subdesert Brush Warbler, and Humblot’s Heron, and possibly also Madagascan Cuckoo-Hawk, which is, however, difficult to find.
Berenty birding tours The fantastic Red-capped Coua has an interesting call.
On night outings we will hunt for Rainforest Scops Owl, White-browed Hawk-Owl, and Torotoroka Scops Owl.
Lemurs will keep us entertained throughout. During the day we will marvel at the antics of Ring-tailed Lemur and Verreaux’s Sifaka, while at night we might be lucky enough to encounter White-footed Sportive Lemur, Grey Mouse Lemur, and Grey-brown Mouse Lemur.
Overnight: Berenty Lodge, Berenty
Day 5. Birding Berenty Reserve, transfer to Fort Dauphin
We will spend the morning once more at Berenty Reserve, searching for species we might have missed before like The beautifully colored Giant Coua.
In the afternoon we will transfer back to Fort Dauphin.
Overnight: Croix du Sud, Fort Dauphin
Day 6. Flight to Antananarivo
Today we will fly back to Antananarivo and transfer to our hotel.
Overnight: Relais des Plateaux, Antananarivo
Madagascar Birding Tour: 7-days Northwest (Ankarafantsika/Betsiboka Delta) Pre-tour
129 species of birds have been recorded in Ankarafantsika National Park, more than half of them endemic to Madagascar. They include Van Dam’s Vanga, Rufous Vanga, the elusive Banded Kestrel, and the more easily observed Madagascan Fish Eagle, which can often be seen at Ravelobe Lake. The endangered Humblot’s Heron can also be seen at Lake Ravelobe. Northwest Madagascar birding toursMadagascan Fish Eagle is one of the special birds we will be looking for on this tour.
Itinerary (7 days/6 nights)
Day 7: Antananarivo – Mahajanga (Majunga) – Ampijoroa (Ankarafantsika National Park)
We will leave the hotel after breakfast, take our flight to Mahajanga, and eventually drive directly to Ankarafantsika (about four hours’ drive), heading for the Ampijoroa dry deciduous forest. A three-night stay should allow us to spot most of the key birds of the area. En route to Ankarafantsika, we plan to stop at Lake Amboromalandy and at rice fields to try to find birds like Madagascan Jacana, Malagasy Pond Heron, Humblot’s Heron, the strange Black Heron, and others.
Northwest Madagascar birding toursA Malagasy Pond Heron in breeding plumage. Time-permitting, we can spend time at Lake Ravelobe, scanning for the critically endangered Madagascan Fish Eagle and many other birds. Beware of crocodiles, please, and don’t walk too close to the lake! We then return to the rustic accommodation, checking the trees around the “lodge” for spectacular birds, including Sickle-billed Vanga, Madagascan Green Pigeon, Grey-headed Lovebird, and many others. If we’re not too tired, we might do a night walk tonight (otherwise the next evening), and this might generate Madagascan Nightjar, owls, chameleons, and nocturnal lemurs.
Overnight: Ampijoroa Forest Station, Ankarafantsika
Northwest Madagascar birding toursSickle-billed Vanga should be seen on this tour.
Days 8 – 9. Two more nights at Ampijoroa
We have another early start to visit the various sections of Ankarafantsika. Here we need to find mega-amazing birds such as White-breasted Mesite, Van Dam’s Vanga, Rufous Vanga, the incomparable and spectacular Schlegel’s Asity, Red-capped Coua, Coquerel’s Coua, Crested Coua, and lemurs like the spectacular Coquerel’s Sifaka. One afternoon we plan to do a boat trip on the lake for species mentioned previously that might have been missed.
Overnight: Ampijoroa Forest Station, Ankarafantsika
Day 10: Ampijoroa to Mahajanga
After final “cleanup” birding in the dry forests of Ankarafantsika we will drive back to Mahajanga (Majunga) – a very lovely town with plenty of rickshaws. Then we’ll take a boat trip into the Betsiboka Delta, where we’ll bird the mangroves for rare species such as Malagasy Sacred Ibis and Bernier’s Teal, along with a host of tropical shorebirds, terns, and more.
Overnight: Roche Rouge, Mahajanga
Northwest Madagascar birding toursWe’ll search the mangroves in the Betsiboka Delta for Malagasy Sacred Ibis.
Day 11. Flight to Antananarivo, Tsarasoatra Lake
Today we will take a flight to Antananarivo. After arrival we will have a birding excursion to Tsarasoatra Lake and then transfer to our hotel.
Overnight: Relais des Plateaux, Antananarivo
Masoala National Park Birding Tours 3Nights / 4 days
Tour Overview Masoala has over 90 Birds Species More than half of them are endemic of Madagascar Including , Serpent Eagle , Red Owl , Bernie’s Vanga , Sort leged Scaly Ground Rouler , Red breasted , Red Fronted ,Crested and Blue Coas, never miss the beautiful Helmeted Vanga and Pigmy King fisher , Terns and Madagascar Practical often to be seen at Tampolo area From Septamber During your birding tour in Masoala you can also enjoy and learn the Medicinal Plant’s and Local culture and the way of life in Masoala Community , Enedemic lemurs are can be easily spoted in Masoala such as Red ruffed Lemurs and white fronted brown lemurs ,in the night you can also enjoy the night active Bird’s and Lemurs and Frogs , from Jun to Septamber on your Boat trip to Masoala you will see many Humpeed Backed Whales on Antogil Bay and Masoala area breaching and jumping around, Chameleons , Geckos , Tenrec, Frogs, Vist Local Fishermen Village and Spicy plantation including the most world famous , Vanilla ,Coffe, Cloves , Pepper Plantations Masoala is not only for Wildlife lovers but also great place for your Vacation Family and friends as it Has beautiful beaches and most tranquil place in Madagascar this s where you can enjoy and relax on the beach , and snorkeling in the Marin Park to see the tortoise and fishes ,Corals ,and the primary rain forest meat the sea , this is Last Paradise in Madagascar.
Day :12 Antananarivo – Flight -Maroantsetra – Masoala
After breakfast you will transferred to the airport Ivato for short flight to Maroantsetra our team will meet you on your arrival at Maroantsetra airport
Transfer to the Hour board for Bot trip to Masoala through Antongil Bay , from Jun to September you can enjoy the Humped backed whales’ breaching and jump around , arrival at Masoala Lodge installation and relaxing before the lunch ,then get ready for Birding in after lunch, Start looking for birds around the lodge , such as Blue coas , Red breasted Coas , Crested Ibis ,Bee eater , Kestrels ,White eyes, then Back to the Lodge Overnight .
Day :13 Full day birding Masoala
Early breakfast at the lodge , strt birding at the primery forest of Masoala looking for the Beautiful Helmeted Vanga , White headed Vanga , Blue Vanga Nuthatch Vanga ,Sort Leged and scaly ground Rouler then back to the hotel for lunch , and relax, at 4 pm looking for scaly Ground Roulers and Brown mesite in the secondary forest of Masoala then following night walk to see the scoops owl and long eard owl , Overnight at Masoala Lodge .
Day: 14 Full day Masoala Birding Tour
Long day birding tours in the primary forest to see the pigmy king fisher and Velvet Asity , Red fronted Coa , Ruffuse Vanga, Hoock biled Vanga ,Berniers Vanga , Red solder Vanga , the Red ruffed lemurs and white fronted brown Lemurs are can be seen easily I the primary rain forest of Masoala .
Then Back to the Lodge for Lunch . and relax , you can snorkel in the marin Park after your long day Birds watching .
Day : 15 Masoala Morning Birding - Flight – Tana – Andasibe
Early morning birding to see what has been missing
Before your boat trip back to Maroantsetra
On the boat trip you will observed the terns and Herons and stop at Nosympanihy for Madagascar Flying Fox observation then boat rid back to Maroanatsetra , meet your driver to transfer you to the airport for flight back to Antananarivo ,Then Meet your Driver for Andasibe Our accommodation for the next few nights is delightful hotel, ideally located overlooking a lake at the edge of the forest. Being so close to the reserve means that wildlife is often right on our doorstep. Fluorescent, green Lineated Day Geckos scuttle on the outside walls of our chalets, Madagascar Wagtails flit along the paved walkways, and we may well be serenaded by the beautiful songs of the world’s largest extant species of lemur, the handsome Indri Overnight .
Day 16: Perinet Full day Birding Tours
The moist rainforest cloaking Madagascar’s eastern escarpment protects the richest assemblage of birds on the island, including many that are rare or poorly known. We will spend the following four days exploring both Perinet and Mantadia. Over 100 birds Including : Meller’s Duck ,Velvet Asity
Day 17: Perinet or Analamazaotra Reserved
4 species have been recorded from within the small reserve of Perinet and we will search for specials including Madagascar Flufftail, the elusive Madagascar Wood Rail, Madagascar Blue Pigeon, Greater Vasa Parrot, Madagascar Cuckoo, Madagascar Spinetail, Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher, Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher, Madagascar Cuckooshrike, Ward’s Flycatcher, Tylas Vanga, Madagascar Starling, Long-billed Bernieria, Spectacled Tetraka, White-throated Oxylabes, Nelicourvi Weaver and Souimanga Sunbird.
Amongst the most sought-after of Madagascar’s birds are those of the five families endemic to the Malagasy region: the peculiar mesites, exquisite ground rollers, Cuckoo Roller, vangas and Malagasy warblers. Some of these, such as the bizarre Cuckoo Roller and Pitta-like Ground Roller, as well as a number of the vangas, are reasonably common and regularly encountered, whilst most of the others remain rare, local or elusive. We will make a special effort to locate as many representatives of these charismatic families as possible, as well as those of two endemic sub-families, the couas and asities. In the forested hills around Perinet, we hope to find the localised Red-fronted and Blue Couas, Velvet Asity, and flocks of vangas that may include White-headed, Chabert’s, Blue, Red-tailed, Hook-billed and the unique Nuthatch Vanga.
Highland marshes around the borders of the reserve support some of the island’s threatened birds. Madagascar Swamp Warbler and Madagascar Rail are likely to be seen here, and we may also find Madagascar Partridge and Madagascar Snipe if we are exceptionally lucky.
Whilst in the Perinet area, we will make a special effort to see the reserve’s most famous residents, these being the huge, singing lemurs known as Indri. A journey in search of these magnificent creatures can be equated with gorilla-trekking in the mountain forests of Uganda, and if we are fortunate we will be treated to a close encounter with a family group; their eerie, whale-like howling echoing through the forest. Other lemurs we hope to see include Common Brown and Grey Bamboo Lemur, and we will also search known roosting sites for the nocturnal but inquisitive Weasel Sportive Lemur and Eastern Avahi. Another “must see” member of the island’s fauna is the Giraffe-necked Weevil, a tiny red and black insect named for its unusually proportioned neck!
In the evenings we will embark on night walks. Nocturnal outings are a thrilling and, indeed, essential part of any trip to Madagascar and Perinet is one of the best sites to search for the island’s night birds. Specialities here include Madagascar Owl, Rainforest Scops Owl and both Madagascar and the rare and little-known Collared , Blue Vanga
Day 18 :Mantadia National Park Birding
Nightjar. Whilst seeing these birds will be the focus of our walks, we will not neglect the immense variety of non-avian life that also emerges after dark. Although Madagascar is famous for the spectacular lemurs that have adapted to a daytime existence, a number of species of these primitive primates remain, like their African cousins the galagos, denizens of the night. We will search for and should find Eastern Avahi, Furry-eared Dwarf and the diminutive Goodman’s Mouse Lemurs, and may also encounter some of Madagascar’s other evolutionary masterpieces such as the bizarre Lowland Streaked Tenrec. The island’s reptile and amphibian (“herp”) fauna is equally fascinating and even the most hardened birder would not fail to be impressed by the plethora of colourful and bizarre frogs, chameleons and geckos to be seen on an evening’s stroll through the rainforest. In particular, we will search for the giant Parson’s Chameleon and three species of eccentric leaf-tailed geckos, the huge Uroplatus fimbriatus, the aptly named Uroplatus phantasticus as well as the moss-like Uroplatus sikorae.
Day 19 : Mantadia National Park Birding
Mantadia National Park lies a short distance from Perinet, protecting a large expanse of primary forest at a somewhat higher altitude. Though it has only recently been opened to the public, Mantadia is now an essential destination on any birding trip to Madagascar, having rapidly gained a reputation as an excellent site for a handful of highly sought-after forest birds. Not least amongst these are a number of species formerly considered to be restricted to the poorly accessible rainforests of the far northeast, including Red-breasted Coua and Scaly Ground Roller. We will concentrate on finding these specials, while also watching for more widespread yet no less desirable forest birds such as Madagascar Blue Pigeon, Rufous-headed and Short-legged Ground Rollers, Common Sunbird-Asity, Crossley’s Babbler (recent DNA-analysis suggests this species is an aberrant terrestrial vanga!), Common and Dark Newtonia (also in the Vanga family), Wedge-tailed, Green, Stripe-throated and Common Jery, the newly described Cryptic Warbler and Forest Fody.
Other attractions in this scenically beautiful park include the vocal Blackand-white Ruffed Lemur, the elusive Diademed Sifaka (considered by many to be the world’s most beautiful lemur), endearing Red-bellied Lemur and Painted Mantella, a spectacularly coloured forest frog. Much of the birding in Mantadia National Park can be enjoyed from the wide road that runs up into the reserve, although seeing the skulkers of the forest understorey will require that we take to the forest trails.
Day 20: Perinet to Antananarivo.
After a final morning birding in the Perinet area to Common Sunbird-Asity
Baweng Satanic Leaf Gecko catch up with any forest specialities we might have missed, we will return to Tana. If time allows after check-in at our comfortable hotel, we may visit the Tsimbazaza Zoo. While strolling along the open paths through the extensive gardens we could encounter some of Madagascar’s widespread but nonetheless enjoyable birds, including Malagasy Kingfisher, Malagasy Turtle Dove, Crested Drongo, Madagascar Hoopoe, Common and Stripe-throated Jery, Malagasy Brush Warbler, Red Fody and Madagascar White-eye. Then you will be transfer to your …
Antananarivo
Berenty Reserve
Fort Dauphin
Ankarafantsika National Park
Betsiboka Delta
Masoala National Park
Perinet
Analamazaotra Reserved
Mantadia National Park
Madagascar
+261327675238
toursofmadagascar@gmail.com
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