Crested Coua, one of Madagascar’s many endemics. Photo: Brian Finch
The heaviest bird that ever existed, the Elephant Bird, lived in Madagascar and may actually have survived until only 300 years ago. The Musée de l’Académie in Antananarivo has the only complete skeleton, but the rest of this great red island is even today so full of strange and wonderful life forms that we’ll soon understand how something as astounding as the 1,000-pound Elephant Bird could have developed here. To most of us, Madagascar is a place where evolution has run wild. Of the 198 nesting birds, 106 are endemic and another 25 are limited to the “Malagasy Region” (Madagascar, Comoros, Mascarenes, and the Seychelles). Current research suggests as many as eight endemic families, an endemic subfamily, and 32 endemic genera. It’s a mind-boggling degree of endemism when one considers that the continental United States, with more than twice as many nesting birds, has no endemic families, subfamilies, or genera!
Our trip will be oriented toward the endemic birds and mammals, and we’ll spend most of our time in the eastern rainforest, the western deciduous woodland, and the southern spiny desert. In addition to the birds, we’ll look at everything natural in Madagascar—plants, reptiles, amphibians, and insects—as well as experience the island’s friendly and hospitable people and sample widely from its delicious cuisine.
Day 1: The trip begins this evening in Antananarivo (Tana). Night in Tana.
Days 2-3: We’ll depart early on day 2 for the airport (conveniently close to our hotel) and a flight to Mahajanga. On arrival we’ll transfer to Ankarafantsika Reserve, one of the last stands of western deciduous forest. Many bird species here are among the last of their kind. The bizarre endemic family of mesites, of unknown taxonomic affinity, is represented by White-breasted Mesite. One of the rarest of the vangas, Van Dam’s, from another endemic family, may be found ripping into rotten wood with its heavy hooked bill. A third endemic family, the asitys, are present in the form of Schlegel’s Asity, but they are very scarce and difficult to locate. We’ll be looking as well for the bizarre Madagascar Crested Ibis, Madagascar Fish-Eagle, Madagascar Harrier-Hawk, Madagascar Buzzard, France’s Sparrowhawk, Coquerel’s, Red-capped, and Crested Couas, and an impressive variety of vangas including White-headed, Blue, Chabert’s, Rufous, Hook-billed, and the extraordinary Sickle-billed in addition to Van Dam’s. A large dam nearby could produce Humblot’s Heron and Madagascar Jacana. Nights in Ankarafantsika.
Day 4: After a final morning in the Ankarafantsika Reserve, we’ll return to Mahajanga and fly back to Tana. Night in Tana.
Day 5-7: We’ll set off early on day 5 for the long journey toward the large university city of Fianarantsoa. Shortly before the city we’ll turn eastward to the magnificent Ranomafana National Park, arriving in the early evening.
Ranomafana National Park will provide our first look at the eastern rainforest, the richest region in Madagascar for all forms of wildlife. Our two full days will allow us to sample most of the specialties of the area. The Golden Bamboo Lemur was discovered here in 1986, and almost simultaneously the Greater Bamboo Lemur, once thought extinct, was rediscovered. These events led to the park’s creation. Birds have profited from these discoveries, and we’ll be alert for the huge Henst’s Goshawk, the timid Brown Mesite, Madagascar Wood Rail, the stunning Blue Coua, the secretive Yellow-brow, mixed flocks containing Spectacled and Grey-crowned Greenbuls, spectacular Pitta-like Ground-Rollers, plus lesser denizens such as Green Jery and Rand’s Warbler. The more highland forest areas produce a different group of birds including Rufous-headed Ground-Roller, Brown Emutail, and the elusive but stunning and sometimes very confiding Yellow-bellied Sunbird-Asity. In the nearby river and swamps we could find Madagascar Pratincole, Madagascar Snipe, and with luck and an organized drive Madagascar Partridge, while the rank marshy grasses hide Grey Emutail. Nights at Ranomafana.
Day 8: After a final morning in Ranomafana we’ll depart the lush eastern forests for the arid west. After a lunch stop at Ambilavao, where we’ll be able to purchase special papier antaimora, paper with pressed flowers, we’ll pass through some stunning scenery with vast monolithic granite formations before crossing the flat Plateau l’Horombe. Here we’ll keep a watchful eye out for the dapper Reunion Harrier, and we’ll soon arrive at the exquisite Hotel Relais de la Reine in Isalo National Park. Night at Relais de la Reine.
Day 9: Before breakfast we’ll have a walk around the lodge. Usually the local endemic Benson’s Rock Thrush is the first bird to greet us, as it has found the roof of the lodge to its liking. Our walk could also reveal Lesser Vasa Parrot, Madagascar Lark, or Madagascar Cisticola. After breakfast we’ll continue our journey to Zombitse Forest, where we’ll stop to look for the endemic Appert’s Greenbul, found only here! Other birds may include Banded Kestrel, Cuckoo-Roller, and Madagascar Sandgrouse. After our picnic lunch we’ll continue to Tulear, arriving at our lodgings in the early evening. Night in Tulear.
Day 10: We’ll depart early by road to St. Augustin to search for the recently described Red-shouldered Vanga (at the time of writing only three pairs are known) and the very local and scarce Verreaux’s Coua. After this we’ll continue on a sand road north to Ifaty, arriving in time for lunch. If the tide is low, we should see Madagascar Plover and other migrant waders feeding on the mudflats. After lunch we’ll have our first look at the bizarre spiny forest for which the region is renowned. Among the stunted baobabs, sinister-looking didiereas, and assortment of sclerophyllous plants we’ll look for such birds as Sub-Desert Mesite, Running Coua, Thamnornis Warbler, Archbold’s Newtonia, Sub-Desert Brush Warbler, and Lafresnaye’s Vanga. Night in Ifaty.
Day 11: A search before breakfast with local expertise should yield the difficult-to-find Long-tailed Ground-Roller. We’ll look for other special birds as well, such as the Olive-capped form of Red-capped Coua, Madagascar Hoopoe, Greater Vasa Parrot, Grey-headed Lovebird, Madagascar Magpie Robin, and various vangas including our first Red-tailed. After this avian feast we’ll return to the lodge for our breakfast.
After breakfast we’ll be on the road back to Tulear, passing some extensive swamps that harbor widespread though secretive species such as Little Bittern, Purple Swamphen, and Painted Snipe. There are frequent outbursts from other rails plus a variety of herons, ducks, and waders. Along the muddy bays, if the tide is low, we should see migrant waders: Greater Sandplovers trotting across the mudflats with Curlew Sandpipers, and maybe flamingoes, while near the salt fields there is often a pair of the increasingly rare Madagascar Plover. In the early evening we’ll catch a flight to Tana. Night in Tana.
Day 12: This morning we’ll visit the private garden of Tsaratsaotra, where a lake protected by the resident Malgasche family holds a breeding colony of several species of heron. Among the more widespread Great and Cattle Egrets are numerous Dimorphic and Black Egrets, and with the abundant Squacco Herons are a few pairs of Madagascar Pond Herons. Along with the many White-faced Whistling-Ducks and Red-billed Teal we might find a few Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, Knob-billed Ducks, and the diminutive Hottentot Teal. Other endemic birds found here include Madagascar Kestrel, Madagascar Coucal, Madagascar White-eye, Madagascar Swamp Warbler, Madagascar Brush Warbler, Madagascar Red Fody, and Madagascar Mannikin. Night in Tana.
Days 13-15: On the morning of day 13 we’ll leave for Perinet, perhaps the best known of Madagascar’s reserves, as it is home to the largest of all the lemurs, the tailless Indri. Our accommodation will be in the neighboring Mantadia National Park, where many species not found in Perinet/Analamazaotra can be seen with relative ease. The understory provides cover for all four species of rainforest ground-roller including Scaly and Short-legged. Red-breasted Coua is on the edge of its range here and lives in the shade of the luxuriant growth with Red-fronted Coua. Mixed flocks of vangas and flycatchers often contain the extraordinary Nuthatch Vanga as well as Ward’s Flycatcher and Nelicourvi Weaver. Both Velvet and Common Sunbird-Asitys are not uncommon, and other birds here include Madagascar Rail, Madagascar Flufftail, and Madagascar Spinetail. Especially rare birds such as Red Owl, Dusky Greenbul, and Red-tailed Newtonia are the stuff of which dreams are made! In the nearby Analamazaotra Reserve, in addition to appreciating Indris, we’ll look at night for Collared Nightjar (whose song is still unknown), Madagascar Long-eared Owl, Madagascar Crested Ibis, Wedge-tailed Jery, and Forest Fody. We will not forget the lemurs, with luck adding Greater Dwarf Lemur, Common Bamboo Lemur, Eastern Avahi, Brown Mouse Lemur, and possibly even Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur to our list. Nights in Mantadia.
Day 16: After a final morning birding in these rich forests we’ll have our last delicious lunch and bid farewell to Perinet for our return to Tana. Night in Tana.
Day 17: The tour concludes this morning in Tana.
CAP MASOALA EXTENSION
Day 17: We’ll leave for the airport and our morning flight to Maroantsetra in northeast Madagascar. Since the excursion includes a night of camping on Nosy Mangabe Island, we’ll leave what we don’t require in storage in Tana. We’ll quickly depart Maroantsetra and cross the Baie d’Antongil by boat. If the tides are favorable we may see groups of Crab Plover shortly before we cross toward Nosy Mangabe, an island famous for its introduced Aye-Aye population. We’ll spend the evening and, with the help of local guides, hope to see the Aye-Aye and, among other things, the most magnificent of the extraordinary species of Leaf-tailed Geckos and a few attractive endemic frogs. Night camping on Nosy-Mangabe Island.
Days 18-19: On day 18, we’ll cross to the beautiful and largely unspoiled Cap Masoala ahead of us. On arrival at our bush lodging we’ll have lunch and in the afternoon enter the forest for our first look. Many of the species we have seen at Perinet and Ranomafana are here as well and will be familiar to us.
Species we’ll be looking for in the forest include Helmet Vanga, certainly the most bizarre-looking bird on the island, vaguely like a small hornbill but dressed in attractive black and tan. Its most spectacular feature is the enormous bill, impressive enough but rendered unforgettable in fluorescent dayglow blue! Far rarer is the dowdy all-black Bernier’s Vanga, the barred female being more attractive. Two other very special species that are present here are Red Owl and Madagascar Serpent-Eagle. Should the diligent researchers seasonally resident on the Cap have located territories, we may have a chance of seeing these two but they are not found every year. The Scaly Ground-Roller, probably the most attractive of this endemic family, is not uncommon and can be absurdly indifferent in contrast with its behavior elsewhere. The colorful Red-breasted Coua is also quite numerous. We have two days at this location and we’ll make a valiant attempt at finding many of these species. Nights in Cap Masoala.
Day 20: After a final morning on Cap Masoala, we’ll again cross the Baie d’Antongil by boat for our return to Maroantsetra. We’ll transfer to the nearby hotel where we’ll have lunch and dinner and spend the night. In the afternoon we’ll take an excursion on the adjacent canal looking for such species as Allen’s Gallinules and African Pygmy Geese. Night activities should include a search for the bizarre Tomato Frog, only found in the immediate vicinity of Maroantsetra. There may as well be an optional night outing for another chance of Aye-Aye, but this depends largely on the weather conditions. Night in Maroantsetra.
Day 21: This morning we will return by air to Antananarivo. We’ll arrive early in the afternoon and transfer to a nearby hotel where dayrooms are reserved for us. There may be time for a final visit to locations around Tana that were seen earlier in the tour, and any species that proved elusive in our previous searches may yet appear on this final day. We’ll have a wonderful lunch and final dinner together before returning to our hotel. Night in Tana.
Day 22: The tour extension concludes this morning in Tana.
Updated: 02 October 2011
Prices
- 2012 Tour Price : $6,900*
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $770
- With Cap Masoala Extension : $9,850
- Single Occupancy Supplement : $940
Notes
This tour is limited to nine participants with one leader.
* Tour invoices paid by check carry a modest discount. Details here.