Essential Birding Madagascar! All unique bird families in a week, plus Lemurs and Chameleons.
Tour Date:
Nov 19-25, 2023
Nov 17-23, 2024
Tour Price (Per Person):
$3400
Tour Type:
Madagascar bird families in a week, visiting the most important biomes. Some lemurs, chameleons and other critters. Long days, but time is given to relax in the middle of the day for those who wish. Extensions possible for those who wish. For those who want more easy birding and more lemurs there is a pretour to Berenty. For those who want hard core birding, look at the extensions after Palmarium.
Description
Bucket list bird families.
Madagascar is not known from having a large avifauna. Only just above 300 species. Yet, over 100 of those are endemic. There are also a four unique bird families (the mesites, ground-rollers, asities and the Bernieridae ‘warblers’), plus two additional families (the vangas and cuckoo-rollers) that occur only on Madagascar and the nearby Comoro Islands. The purpose of this trip is to cover at least one member all those bird families in a week for those that have little time.
We shall also visit different biomes to get a fuller understanding of the topography of the island in this very short time. We will also offer pre and post tours for those with more time and who want a more complete list of the endemic species available.
We shall also visit different biomes to get a fuller understanding of the topography of the island in this very short time. We will also offer pre and post tours for those with more time and who want a more complete list of the endemic species available.
This tour can be very exhausting, as we are up well before dawn, and continue into the night. You can make this itinerary as intense as you want. During the heat of the day or in the afternoon, many people prefer to take a nap or hang around the pool, but you will also be offered additional birding to search for special birds. It is up to you.
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1 : Arrival in Antananarivo.
Arrival in Tana and transfer to your hotel in town after airport formalities, and money
changing. In case of an early arrival flight, we will go on a city tour and discover the capital of Madagascar and its history.
Overnight near the airport
Day 2 : Tana to Tulear then Ifaty.
A morning flight takes us to Tulear. After landing, we head for the strange coral-rag scrub
habitat around the plateau of La Table to search for Verreaux’s Coua and Red-shouldered Vanga, a species only discovered in
the 1990’s. After that, we transfer by road to Ifaty, the village of the spiny forest.
Overnight in Ifaty
habitat around the plateau of La Table to search for Verreaux’s Coua and Red-shouldered Vanga, a species only discovered in
the 1990’s. After that, we transfer by road to Ifaty, the village of the spiny forest.
Overnight in Ifaty
Day 3 – Ifaty.
This morning we seek out spectacular semi-desert endemics such as Running Coua, Thamnornis Warbler, and
Lafresnaye’s Vanga. We will have chances as well to see Sickle-billed Vangas called “Voronjaza” (Bird of babies) in Malagasy.
There are two very rare endemics here: the Sub-desert Mesite and the Long-tailed Ground-Roller, an elusive bird resembling a
colorful roadrunner.
Overnight in Ifaty.
Lafresnaye’s Vanga. We will have chances as well to see Sickle-billed Vangas called “Voronjaza” (Bird of babies) in Malagasy.
There are two very rare endemics here: the Sub-desert Mesite and the Long-tailed Ground-Roller, an elusive bird resembling a
colorful roadrunner.
Overnight in Ifaty.
Day 4 – Ifaty to Tana to Andasibe.
We drive to Tulear then take a flight to Tana this day and upon arrival, meet our drivers to
drive to Andasibe National Park area. The drive from the airport to Andasibe will take around 5h and depending on the flight
time, and our arrival time in Antananarivo, we may have to overnight in the capital instead of driving to Andasibe. As there is
only one flight per day, we have to rely on the flight company for this day’s final plans.
Overnight in Andasibe (or Tana)
Day 5&6 – Andasibe Mantadia National Park area.
Full day visiting Andasibe National Park and the area. This park, with its complex of two different parts, offers the best
Malagasy endemic birds. Ground Rollers are a family of birds that are very hard to find, and there are four species of them
only in Mantadia national park. Andasibe Mantadia area is also where it is possible to see the cute Pygmy Kingfisher and the
elegant Velvet Asity. The most awesome part of visiting Andasibe is the fact of seeing amazing and beautiful lemurs, that are
also very endangered and endemic such as the Black and White ruffed lemurs. But the most iconic lemur of Andasibe is
probably the Indri indri whose call can move the most stoic people.
We will also dedicate one day of our stay in Andasibe to try to find the Helmet Vanga in the forest near Andasibe where the
species has recently been discovered by local guides who run this part of the forest in order to protect the species.
Overnight in Andasibe
Day 7 – Andasibe to Tana.
We spend a last morning in Andasibe area then we head back to Tana. If time allow, we might stop at a reptile farm where we can easily see more chameleons and snakes. A day room at an airport hotel can be arranged and in the night, transfer to the airport for your international flight out.
Extensions
Day 7 & 8 – Andasibe Mantadia National Park area.
Full day visiting Andasibe National Park and the area. This park, with its complex of two different parts, offers the best Malagasy endemic birds. Ground Rollers are a family of birds that are very hard to find, and there are four species of them only in Mantadia national park.
Andasibe Mantadia area is also where it is possible to see the cute Pygmy Kingfisher and the elegant Velvet Asity.
The most awesome part of visiting Andasibe is the fact of seeing amazing and beautiful lemurs, that are also very endangered and endemic such as the Black and White ruffed lemurs. But the most iconic lemur of Andasibe is probably the Indri indri whose call can move the most stoic people.
Overnight in Andasibe
Day 9 – Andasibe to Palmarium.
This day we drive to Manambato which is at 3 hours drive from Andasibe to take our boat trip on the Pangalane channel to reach our destination. The Palmarium is the best place to have a close encounter with the island’s most mysterious and elusive lemur, the Aye-aye.
Overnight in Palmarium
Day 10 – Palmarium to Tana.
Transfer back to Tana after a last morning at Palmarium. On the way, we will stop at a reptile farm where we can easily see more chameleons and snakes. A day room at an airport hotel can be arranged and in the night, transfer to the airport for your international flight out.
Additional add-ons
One may do a 3-day pretrip to include the friendly habituated lemurs at Berenty in the SE, or 4 days extension in the dry forest and coastal wetlands of Ankarafantsika, followed by a 5 day hard core expedition for Madagascar Grebe, Red Owl, Mada Serpent-Eagle at Bemanevika as told by Ken Behrens in Episode 19 of Naturally Adventurous.