Name: 13 Day Rainforest Birding Tour in Madagascar
Brand: Safari Madagascar
Price: 5262 EUR
Availability: InStock

Birdwatching Tour in Madagascar

This tour is especially for the birding lover! During this tour, you will have your own specialist bird’s guide, and a car for your disposal, and during your visit, a private local professional bird guide will lead your visit in each park. During this birding tour, you will visit two main rain forest parks (Andasibe and Ranomafana).

Key information

Private tour
Starting point and ending point: Antananarivo
Language: English-speaking guide
All park fees are included

Highlights

Explore primary forests
Spot rainforest birds and wetland birds
Birds species expected: more than 110 species
Also see chameleons and lemurs during the tour
Transportation in a 4WD vehicle
12 nights accommodation
Airport transfers

Styles

Birding Tours

11 activity days

Airport transfer included: Ivato International Airport

Program

During the tour, you will be accompanied by an experienced bird guide who has no less than 10 years of experience in birding, they are professional and knowledgeable. Of course, it’s a birding tour but some other species can be seen during the time you visit the forest such as different species of lemurs or an assortment of chameleons and reptiles.

Almost of the rainforest birds can be found during this tour including the six families of endemics to Madagascar such as Mesitornithidae (Mesite), Brachypteraciidae (Ground-roller), Leptosomidae, Philepitidae (Asities), Bernierdae, and Vangidae (Vangas). The rarest and endemic birds are in red color name.

To make the visit as easier as possible, most of the accommodations are located on the edge of the park.

Itinerary

Day 1: Antananarivo

Transfer from the international airport. A tour representative will welcome you and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight at Palissandre Hotel or Le Louvre Hotel (4 stars).

Day 2: Antananarivo

Depending on your arrival time, you will go birdwatching at Tsarasaotra Lake in the heart of the city. In this area, there is an assortment of Egret and Heron, Knob Bill Duck, White Faced and Fulvous Whistling Duck, Malagasy Pond heron, Red-knobbed coot, Madagascar Swamp warbler Black-Crowned Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Heron, and Dimorphic Egret, Malagasy Kestrel, Madagascar Rail Common Moorhen Malagasy Coucal, Malagasy kingfisher, Madagascar Hoopoe Common Jery, Madagascar Bulbul, and Madagascar White Eyes.

After birding at this lake, drive to Andasibe. Overnight at Mantadia Lodge or similar (luxury bungalow).

Day 3: Antananarivo - Perinet

You leave early the hotel and drive eastwards to Andasibe National Park. En route, interesting birds can be seen such as Hamerkop, Madagascar Mannikin, Madagascar Red Fody, and Madagascar Kestrel Chabert’s Vanga. Enjoy a stop at Mangoro River to spot the famous Madagascar Pranticole.

Your comfortable accommodation lies on the edge of the park to make sure your stay is as good as possible. Being so close to the wildlife of the forest, you can hear the loud scream of the largest lemur called Indri Indri. Some other species of birds fly just to the lodge as the Madagascar Wagtail, Mascarene Martin, and Madagascar Green Sun Bird.

In the evening, you embark on a night walk through the forest to spot the Madagascar Scops Owl and Madagascar Long-Eared Owl.

Overnight at Mantadia Lodge or similar.

Days 4, 5, 6: Perinet Reserve / Mantadia

Among the national parks of Madagascar, the rainforest of Andasibe is famous, especially Mantadia and Perinet. Here, you may be able to see many rainforest birds. Over 100 bird species have been recorded from within the small reserve and you will search for such special as Madagascar Wood Rail, Madagascar Flufftail, Collared Nightjar, Nuthatch Vanga, Madagascar Crested Ibis, Red-breasted and Red Fronted Couas, Madagascar Owl, Madagascar Scops Owl, and Madagascar Pygmy kingfisher.

At Mantadia National Park you may see some rare birds such as Spectacled and Grey Crowned Tetraka, White Throated Oxylabe, Madagascar Blue Pigeon Madagascar, Greater Vasa Parrot, Madagascar cuckoo, Madagascar Spinetail, Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher, Madagascar Cuckoo Shrike, Tylas, white Headed Chabert’s Vanga, Red-Tailed and Hook Billed Vangas, Madagascar Starling, Nelicourvi Weaver, Cuckoo Roller, Pitta-Like and Rufous Headed Ground Roller, Common Sunbird, Asity, Blue Coua, Velvet Asity, Forest Fody, Dusky Tetraka, Madagascar Rail, Grey Emutail, Madagascar Snipe, and Madagascar Swamp Warbler.

Additionally, you will visit swamps and marshes to spot some water birds such as Madagascar Little Grebe, Madagascar Rail, and Madagascar Flufftail. Mammal and other creatures you may see these days include Indri-Indri, Common Brown lemur, Eastern Bamboo Lemur, and Golden Diademed Sifaka.

Day 7: Andasibe - Antsirabe

Today you drive to Antsirabe, passing by the reptile park of Peyrieras. In this place, you can see an assortment of chameleons such as the Oustalet Chameleon (the longest Chameleon), the Parson’s Chameleon (the largest chameleon), Geckos, including the Leaf Tailed Geckos, Satanic Geckos, and the famous Brookesia from the country. You can see also some birds as the Madagascar Kestrel, Yellow Billed Kite, and Common Myna flying.

After the visit, en route to Antsirabe, and along the road, you can stop to see rice paddies birds such as Cattle Egrets and Black Herons. At the end of the day, you will arrive in Antsirabe. Overnight in Antsirabe.

Day 8: Antsirabe - Ranomafana

After breakfast, you can feast your eyes with Madagascar Bee Eater. Then, you embark on a trip and drive to the rainforest of Ranomafana. Overnight at Ranomafana.

Days 9, 10, 11: Birdwatching at Ranomafana National Park

You will explore the Ranomafana National Park which is located in the Southeastern part of Madagascar in Haute Matsiatra and Vatovinany region. The park has 41,600 hectares of tropical rainforest. These 3 days, you will visit two main parks, Vohiparara and Vatolahy trail with your local bird guide.

This park was established in 1991 to conserve the unique biodiversity of the local ecosystem and reduce the human pressures on the protected area. This park is home to several rare species of fauna and flora including some rare birds such as Tylas Vanga, Common Newtonia, Brown Mesite, Henst’s Goshawk, Wedge –Tailed Jery, Madagascar Crested Ibis, Pitta Like Ground Roller, Short Legged Ground Roller, Common sunbird asity, Grey–Crowned Tetraka, Yellow-Bellied Common Sunbird, AlpinSwit, Madagascar Kingfisher, Barn Owl, Madagascar Blue Pigeon, Soumanga Sunbird, Madagascar Magpie Robin, Madagascar Brush Warbler, Madagascar Cisticola, Madagascar Turtle Dove, Red Tailed Vanga, and African Black Swift.

Some other species of lemur are found in Ranomafana, such as The White Fronted Brown Lemur, Red Bellied Lemur, and the rare species of lemur called the Golden Bamboo Lemur.

Day 12: Ranomafana - Antsirabe

After breakfast, you have still time to enjoy nature before driving back. At the end of the day, you will arrive in Antsirabe. Overnight in Antsirabe.

Day 13: Antsirabe - Antananarivo

After breakfast, drive back to Antananarivo. Depending on your flight schedule and if time allows you go for a city tour and to the souvenir market before the transfer to the airport. End of service.

Food

The following meals are included:

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Drinks

The following drinks are included:

Water

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

Regular (typically includes meat and fish)

If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

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