Birding in Madagascar | Tailor-made Birdwatching Tours

Where To Go Birding in Madagascar? – The activity of monitoring and observing birds in their natural habitats while employing enhancing tools like binoculars and cameras is known as birdwatching. Madagascar has become the ideal birding destination for all birders because it is home to the greatest number of endemic birds in the entire globe.

Although Madagascar has a small number of bird species, the country’s special birds make a trip there worthwhile since you can view birds that are unique to Madagascar and cannot be seen anyplace else in the world. The number of bird species in the nation is declining as a result of humans’ continued encroachment on their natural habitats through the clearing of trees for agriculture and habitation.

What To Carry on Your Birding in Madagascar?

There are several pieces of equipments that you will need as you head out for birding in Madagascar and these include the following:

Binoculars

Binoculars will allow you to see birds from a distance without disturbing them because they are very sensitive to sound and movement. They also aid in spotting bird species that hide in their natural habitats.

A camera

You can use a camera to capture images of unusual birds you have never seen before and those you want to compare to the still images in your birding books.

An identification book

An identification book is one that has practically all of the data on the many bird species that may be found in a particular nation. Because identification books provide both a picture and a detailed description of the bird, they will make it simple for you to recognize some of the species you will encounter.

Food and water

In order to avoid becoming hungry while birding, it is advised that you carry enough food and water with you. This is because the locations where you will go for birding do not have snacks available for you because the bird inhabitants live deep within the forests, making it difficult for one to purchase food.

Hides

Hides are required for proper birding in order to be done quietly and without interruption. The term “hides” refers to anything, such clothing or a bushy area, that allows you to blend in with the surroundings and view the birds without scaring them away.

Insect repellents

In Madagascar, the wet season is when most birds are sighted, and it is also the time of year when insect populations are at their highest. You must carry some bug repellent with you if you want to prevent getting bitten by insects while birding in Madagascar, especially mosquitoes.

A portable voice recorder

Birds use call signals to communicate, and sometimes having a sound recorder is the only way to identify them. Listening to the noises the birds produce, this aids in bird identification.

Popular Birding Destinations in Madagascar and Top Bird Species To See

When you go for birding in Madagascar, remember that it is coupled with wildlife viewing as the bird species are not as many as in other African countries. The different destination places that one can go to when it comes to birding in Madagascar include the following:

Birding at Mitsinjo

With the assistance of a tour guide, birding at Mitsinjo Forest is often done in the morning. The collared nightjar, ground roller, velvet asity, Kittliz’s plover, Madagascar wagtail, Hottentote teal, and other bird species are among those that can be seen in the jungle.

The Andasibe National Park

The Andasibe National Park contains one of the largest rainforests in the region and is only three hours from Antananarivo, the capital city of Madagascar. The sunbird Asity, the Madagascar Fluff tail, the red-tailed vanga, the nightjar, the Madagascar pygmy kingfisher, the blue vanga, the pittal-like ground, the spectacled greenbul, the greater vasa parrot, the rufous-headed ground roller, the Madagascar blue pigeon, Ward’s shrike-flycatcher, and many more bird species can all be seen in the park as a result of a trained In the morning when the lighting is ideal and most of them are moving up and down, all of these things and more may be seen.

The Mantadia National Park

The cryptic Tetraka, the scaly ground roller, the little grebe, the white-throated rail, the pitta-like ground roller, the Madagascar spine-tailed swift, the Tylas, the white-headed vanga, and the egres are just a few of the bird species that can be seen from the Mantadia National Park, one of the best birding locations in Madagascar. You may always bring your own lunch as you won’t be able to buy any throughout the workout, and the birding process is also done in the morning with the help of a tour guide.

Birding in Isalo National Park

In addition to witnessing the numerous lemurs jump from one tree to the nest, you can view a variety of bird species at Isalo National Park in the southern region of the country. The Madagascar Hoopoe, the African palm swift, the Littoral rock thrush, the Madagascar Bee Eater, Namaqua Dove, the Souimanga sunbird, the Madagascar Turtle dove, the Madagascar buttonquail, the broad-billed roller, among many other species, are among the birds that can be seen at Isalo National Park.

Birding at Lake Tsarasaotra

The Antananarivo capital’s Lake Tsarasaotra is home to several endangered bird species, including the Madagascar little grebe, the Meller’s duck, the Madagascar pond heron, the black-crowned night heron, the squacco heron, the white whistling duck, the humblot’s heron, and many other water species. These birds can be found either hiding from hunters or using the Lake as their habitat. Many of the birds that are being hunted rest on the banks of the lake because it is a protected area.

The Ranomafana National Park

Like the other birding excursions, you can watch a range of bird species in the Ranomafana national park. You are not offered food, but you are welcome to bring your own snacks and water. Red-legged ground rollers, yellow-browed oxylables, Meller’s ducks, Madagascar snipes, Madagascar green pigeons, white-throated oxylables, Madagascar turtle doves, Madagascar scops owls, common Newtonias, brown Mesites, and numerous other bird species may all be found in the park.

Birding at the Ampijoroa forest station

There are several different bird species at the Ampijoroa forest station, which is in the Ankarafantsika. The station is where most birding is done, and there are many different species there that you may observe, such as blue vangas, fish eagles, Rofous chaberts, parrots, and many more. In addition to seeing birds, you may also witness lemur species that live in the same park, including mouse lemurs, mongoose lemurs, and dwarf lemurs.

Birding in the Analamazaotra reserve

In its various settings, the Analamazaotra reserve, a rainforest reserve, is home to several bird species. The common sunbird Asity, the Madagascar cuckoo shrike, the lesser vasa parrot, the hook-billed vanga, the Madagascar magpie robin, the brush warbler, the Madagascar wagtail, the green jery, the ward’s flycatcher, the Madagascar flufftail, and many other species will all be on display for you to see when you arrive at the reserve.

When To Go Birding in Madagascar? Best Time For the Birders

The greatest times to travel to Madagascar if you love birds are in October and November. You will have the chance to witness many bird species in their native habitats and learn more about them during this time.

The birding excursions we take you on are always planned in advance and proceed slowly so you may observe the birds patiently and learn about their habits. The many parks where birding is practiced always have local tour guides who walk you through the procedure, but most of them only speak English, so you’ll need a translator in order to fully comprehend what is being said.

We organize birding trips to Madagascar so that the different people who come into the country get to see the different endemic species and also advocate for the saving of their safe habitats and this can be done with the various itineraries at a friendly cost that we have on our website.