Madagascar is a great birding destination. More than 300 species have been recorded here, of which over 100 species only occur in Madagascar. This gives it the highest proportion of endemic birds of any country. Of particular interest are the four families found nowhere else in the world. These are the mesites, asities, bernierids and ground rollers. A further two families, the cuckoo rollers and vangas, are near-endemic (they are also found in the Comoros islands and Seychelles). Birds in Madagascar tend to be noticeably less noisy than on mainland Africa, although they are more vocal during the Wet season from November to April.
Birding Specials Treats for Avid Birders
- Appert’s tetraka
- Archbold’s newtonia
- Banded kestrel
- Bernier’s vanga
- Blue coua
- Blue vanga
- Brown emu-tail
- Brown mesite
- Chabert vanga
- Collared nightjar
- Common sunbird-asity
- Crested coua
- Crossley’s babbler
- Cryptic warbler
- Cuckoo roller
- Dark newtonia
- Forest rock thrush
- Greater vasa parrot
- Grey emu-tail
- Grey-crowned tetraka
- Helmet vanga
- Henst’s goshawk
- Hook-billed vanga
- Humblot’s heron
- Lafresnaye’s vanga
- Lesser vasa parrot
- Littoral rock thrush
- Long-billed bernieria
- Madagascar blue pigeon
- Madagascar crested ibis
- Madagascar cuckoo hawk
- Madagascar cuckoo-shrike
- Madagascar fish eagle
- Madagascar green pigeon
- Madagascar harrier hawk
- Madagascar kestrel
- Madagascar kingfisher
- Madagascar little grebe
- Madagascar long-eared owl
- Madagascar nightjar
- Madagascar plover
- Madagascar squacco heron
- Madagascar red owl
- Madagascar scops owl
- Madagascar serpent eagle
- Madagascar snipe
- Madagascar sparrowhawk
- Madagascar spinetail
- Madagascar starling
- Madagascar wood rail
- Madagascar yellowbrow
- Nelicourvi weaver
- Nuthatch vanga
- Pitta-like ground roller
- Pollen’s vanga
- Red-breasted coua
- Red-fronted coua
- Red-shouldered vanga
- Red-tailed newtonia
- Red-tailed vanga
- Rufous-headed ground roller
- Running coua
- Scaly ground roller
- Short-billed tetraka
- Short-legged ground roller
- Sickle-billed vanga
- Souimanga sunbird
- Thamnornis
- Tylas vanga
- Velvet asity
- Verreaux’s coua
- Ward’s flycatcher
- Wedge-tailed jery
- White-breasted mesite
- White-headed vanga
- White-throated oxylabes
- White-throated rail
- Yellow-bellied sunbird-asity
Best Time for Bird Watching
Bird watching in Madagascar is great throughout the year as most interesting species are present year-round. However, the best time is during the Wet season (November to April) when birds are most vocal and therefore easier to spot. In many parks, the months from September to December (and also April in places) can be best, as they avoid the worst of the rains. Many birds nest during the rainy months and some birds, such as the sought-after helmet vanga, are most easily found by their nests. Some migrating birds breed on the island in the Wet season and go to the mainland for the Dry season (May to October).
Best Parks for Birding Includes Birding Rating
Most parks in Madagascar offer good bird watching. It is almost impossible to include all the good birding parks in one trip. However, to tick off a good range of species, it pays to visit both the rainforest and the dry zones. The wet rainforest habitat of northern and eastern Madagascar is particularly rich in species. Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is very accessible and highly rewarding. Less accessible, but worth the effort, is Masoala National Park, which is the best place to see Madagascar’s top bird, the helmet vanga. Dry-country specials can be found in places such as Berenty Private Reserve, Isalo National Park and little known Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park.
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Ankarafantsika NP
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Andasibe-Mantadia NP
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Isalo NP
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Ranomafana NP
Recommended Birding Books
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Birds of Madagascar & the Indian Ocean Islands
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Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands: Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues, Seychelles & the Comoros
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A Photographic Guide to the Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands: Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Réunion and the Comoros (pocket guide)