Madagascar Express Birding Tours - 8 days

If you have a very tigh trip time, this tour is for you.

You will spot birds in two major areas: Andasibe/Périnet/Mantandia in the east and Ampijoroa/Ankarafantsika/Mahajanga in the west.

You will be observing the rainforest birds to the dry forest and baobab areas of the western part, including some marshes and other wetlands.

This tour is feasible the whole year-round with more or less species depending on the seasons.

Other extensions and options are available for adding few more destinations. The last option is to cover the most area possible by a charter flight.

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