Madagascar Express Birding Tours - 8 days
This Madagascar Express Birding Tours is a compact, high-efficiency itinerary targeting around 70% of Madagascar’s endemic birds by covering two contrasting biomes: eastern rainforest (Andasibe area) and western dry deciduous forest/wetlands (Ampijoroa/Ankarafantsika). It suits time-constrained birders and is feasible year-round, with charter flight options to maximize coverage or adjust logistics.
| Top targets | White-breasted Mesite, Coquerel’s Coua, Crested Coua, Blue Coua, and Red-breasted Coua; Schlegel’s Asity and Velvet Asity; Helmet Vanga (particularly at Iaroka), Rufous Vanga, Pollen’s Vanga, Red-tailed Vanga, Chabert’s Vanga, Van Dam’s Vanga, Nuthatch Vanga, White-headed Vanga, and Sickle-billed Vanga; Littoral Rock Thrush, Madagascan Ibis, Rufous-headed Ground Roller, Pitta-like Ground Roller, and Short-legged Ground Roller; Madagascan Fish Eagle, Frances’s Sparrowhawk, Malagasy Harrier, Madagascar Wood Rail, and Cuckoo-Roller; Rand’s Warbler; Meller’s Duck, Malagasy Pond Heron, and Madagascan Jacana; as well as Collared Nightjar. |
| Habitats & land cover type | Rainforest, deciduous forest, wetlands |
| Best season | – Year-round – Peak September to November – (breeding activity) Year-round; peak September–November (breeding activity). |
| Climate | Warm to very hot, cooler evening in the highlands, some rainfall possible |
| Walking pace | Moderate walking; some early starts and night walks. |
| Ease of birdwatching | Fair |
| Particularity | This birdwatching tour is designed to make the most of the time, visiting two biomes of Madagascar to focus on 70% of the endemic birds |
| Other attractions | Wildlife viewing, culture. |
| Accommodation: | Basic to comfortable hotels and lodges – as per availability in the areas. |
| Other attractions | Wildlife viewing, culture. |
| Special feature: | Possibility of Charter flights for faster transfers, reduced road time, or adding northern/western extensions). |
EXPECTED TARGETS IN THE MAJOR SITES
1- Tsarasaotra
White-faced Whistling-Duck, Knob-billed Duck, Malagasy Pond Heron, Squacco Heron, Black Heron, Dimorphic Egret, Great White Egret, Western Cattle Egret, Comb Duck, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Red-billed Teal/ Duck, White-throated Rail, Madagascan Swamp Warbler , Hottentot Teal, Red Fody, Madagascan Coucal, Madagascan Wagtail, Malagasy Kingfisher, Malagasy white eye, Yellow-billed Kite, Madagascan Mannikin, Malagasy Kestrel, Mascarene Martin, Meller’s Duck, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Common Moorhen, Long-tailed Cormorant, Madagascan Cuckoo, African Pygmy Goose, Baillon’s Crake, Common Myna, Madagascan Stonechat.
2- Andasibe – Analamazaotra
Little Grebe, Squacco Heron, Madagascan Wood Rail, White-throated Rail, Malagasy Sacred Ibis, Malagasy Scops Owl, Madagascan Owl, Rainforest Scops Owl, Collared Nightjar, Madagascan Nightjar, Red-breasted Coua, Blue Coua, Madagascan Cuckoo, Madagascan Pygmy Kingfisher, Malagasy Kingfisher, Spectacled Tetraka, Short-legged Ground Roller, Rufous-headed Ground-Roller, Scaly Ground Roller, Pitta-like Ground Roller, Nelicourvi Weaver, Velvet Asity, Common Sunbird Asity, Souimanga Sunbird, Malagasy Green Sunbird, Tylas Vanga, Hook- billed Vanga, Red-tailed Vanga, Crossley’s Vanga, France’s Sparrowhawk , Madagascan Sparrowhawk, Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher , Ward’s Flycatcher, Olive Bee-eater, Madagascan Flufftail, Sooty Falcon, Madagascan Coucal, Dark Newtonia, Common Newtonia, Crested Drongo, Malagasy Bulbul, Malagasy Brush Warbler, Cryptic Warbler, Rand’s Warbler, Common Jery, Green Jery, Stripe-throated Jery, Madagascan Cisticola, Madagascan Magpie-Robin, Madagascan Stonechat, Long-billed Bernieria, Madagascan Mannikin, Madagascan Wagtail
3- Mantadia
Meller’s Duck, Madagascan Grebe, Madagascan Rail, Madagascan Wood Rail, White-throated Rail, Short-legged Ground Roller, Scaly Ground Roller, Rufous-headed Ground Roller, Madagascan Spinetail, Nuthatch Vanga, Tylas Vanga, Red-tailed Vanga, Hook-billed Vanga, White-headed Vanga, Blue Vanga, Forest Fody, Greater Vasa Parrot, Lesser Vasa Parrot, Madagascan Starling, Madagascan Blue Pigeon, Rand’s Warbler, Striped-throated Jery, Wedge-tailed Jery, Collared Nightjar, Madagascan Pygmy Kingfisher, Red-breasted Coua, Red-fronted Coua, Blue Coua, Red owl, Brown Mesite , Madagascan Cuckoo, Broad-billed Roller, Green Jery, Cuckoo Roller, Common Newtonia, Dark Newtonia, Common Sunbird-Asity, Souimanga Sunbird, Malagasy Green Sunbird, Crested Drongo, Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher, Malagasy Bulbul, Rand’s Warbler, Malagasy Brush Warbler, Madagascan Swamp Warbler, Brown Emutail, White-throated Oxylabes, Spectacled Tetraka, Dusky Tetraka, Madagascan Stonechat, Nelicourvi Weaver, Madagascan Flufftail, Rainforest Scops Owl, Madagascan Owl, Mascarene Martin, Madagascan Magpie-Robin, Forest Rock Thrush, Madagascan Mannikin, Madagascan Wagtail
4- Maromizaha
Madagascan Ibis, Madagascan Harrier-Hawk, Madagascan Buzzard, Madagascan Sparrowhawk, Frances’s Sparrowhawk, Madagascan Blue Pigeon , Malagasy Turtle Dove, White-throated Rail , Greater Vasa Parrot, Lesser Vasa Parrot, Madagascan Cuckoo, Red-fronted Coua, Blue Coua , Madagascan Coucal, Rainforest Scops Owl , Madagascan Owl, Madagascan Nightjar, Madagascan Pygmy Kingfisher, Malagasy Kingfisher, Broad-billed Roller , Short-legged Ground Roller, Pitta-like Ground Roller, Rufous-headed Ground Roller, Cuckoo-Roller , Velvet Asity, Common Sunbird-Asity , Madagascan Cuckooshrike, Nelicourvi Weaver, Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher , Ward’s Flycatcher , Nuthatch Vanga , White-headed Vanga , Chabert Vanga , Blue Vanga , Red-tailed Vanga, Hook-billed Vanga , Tylas Vanga , Pollen’s Vanga , Dark Newtonia , Common Newtonia , Crossley’s Vanga , Madagascan Magpie-Robin , Long-billed Bernieria (Greenbul), Spectacled Tetraka , Grey-crowned Tetraka, Malagasy Brush Warbler, Common Jery , Green Jery, Stripe-throated Jery , Wedge-tailed Jery, Rand’s Warbler , White-throated Oxylabes , Madagascan Bulbul , Malagasy White-eye, Malagasy Green Sunbird, Souimanga Sunbird , Crested Drongo , Olive Bee-eater, Red Fody , Forest Fody
5- Iaroka
Madagascar Buzzard , Lesser Vasa Parrot , Blue Coua, Malagasy Coucal , Madagascar Cuckoo, Velvet Asity, Olive Bee-eater , Broad-billed Roller, Cuckoo-Roller, Souimanga Sunbird, Madagascar Magpie-Robin, Common Jery, Rand’s Warbler, Malagasy Brush-Warbler , Malagasy White-eye, Common Newtonia , Blue Vanga, Chabert Vanga, Madagascar Cuckooshrike, Malagasy Bulbul, Tylas Vanga, Malagasy Paradise-Flycatcher, NuthatchVanga, Crested Drongo , Madagascar Starling, Blue pigeon, Helmet Vanga (* on strenuous walks).
6- Ampijoroa
White-faced Whistling-Duck, White-throated Rail, Purple Heron, Malagasy Sacred Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Madagascan Jacana, Humblot’s Heron, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Olive Bee-eater, Crested Drongo, Mascarene Martin, Broad-billed Roller, Chabert’s Vanga, Van Dam’s Vanga, Sickle-billed Vanga, Blue Vanga, White-headed Vanga, Rufous Vanga, Hook-billed Vanga, White-breasted Mesite, Schlegel’s Asity, Coquerel’s Coua, Crested Coua, Madagascan Hoopoe, Cuckoo Roller, Red-capped Coua, Madagascan Fish Eagle, Malagasy Kingfisher, Allen’s Gallinule, African Darter, Banded Kestrel, France’s Sparrowhawk , Sakalava Weaver, Madagascan Magpie-Robin , Grey-headed Lovebird, Madagascan Nightjar, Madagascan Sparrowhawk, Madagascan Buzzard, Madagascan Buttonquail, Malagasy Green Sunbird, Souimanga Sunbird, Long-billed Bernieria, Sooty Falcon, Lesser Vasa Parrot, Greater Vasa Parrot, Malagasy Turtle Dove, Madagascan Coucal, Madagascan Cuckoo, Common Newtonia, Malagasy Bulbul, Mascarene Martin, Madagascan Swamp Warbler , Common Jery , Torotoroka Scops Owl, Madagascan Cuckooshrike, Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher
7- Ampitolova
Pygmy goose, White-backed duck, Madagascar Jacana
ITINERARY OUTLINE
Arrive at Ivato International Airport. Meet your local expert guide and transfer to your comfortable hotel in the city. Afternoon/evening briefing on the tour, Madagascar’s unique avifauna, and logistics. Relax and prepare for early starts.
Early start with birding at Tsarasaotra Lake, a Ramsar wetland site near Tana. Drive east (≈3–4 hours) to Andasibe, stopping for roadside birds. Evening night walk at VOIMMA Community Reserve for nocturnal species.
Morning birding in Mantadia National Park (pristine primary rainforest, often quieter than elsewhere). Excellent lemur viewing too (Indri, diademed sifaka). In the afternoon, birding at VOIMMA Reserve in the neighborhood of Analamazaotra, with the same habitat and biodiversity but calmer and with easier access.
Morning at Iaroka Reserve (community-managed primary forest): focus on Helmet Vanga, Velvet Asity, and vangas.
Early morning transfer to Maromizaha Reserve for a day birding. In the afternon, drive to Antananarivo.
Full-day drive west (≈6–8 hours) to Ankarafantsika National Park (dry deciduous forest and savanna). En route stops for open-country birds. Arrive for late-afternoon exploration around Lake Ravelobe or forest edges:
Birding immersion at Ankarantsika forest and savannah as well as in the Lake Ravelobe. Morning and afternoon hikes.
Early birding in Ankarafantsika for any missed targets. Transfer to Mahajanga airport. Scheduled or charter flight back to Antananarivo (charter option saves time/allows extra morning birding). Afternoon free in Tana or optional birding outside the city if needed). Debriefing and farewell dinner.
Fly homewards.
End of the tours.
This program is subject to adjustment as per the
flight schedules . +/- 1 day to might be added consequently.
TOUR OPTIONS & EXTENSIONS
The spots below can be added to this tour according your targets and interests.
Top target: Madagascar Teal
Located in north of Antananarivo, in the eastern corridor rainforest.