Birding Hotspots Madagascar

Madagascar is a great destination for both mammals and birds. The wonderful lemurs can be seen only in Madagascar, which is why most tourists go there. However, it is also a fabulous birding hotspot.

Where is it?

Andasibe town is about a two-hour drive from the capital city of Antananarivo. Several tour companies in the city offer one- to three-day tours to Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, or you can rent a car with a driver or a taxi brousse. The taxi brousse operates like a bus route, except that it uses small vans. You can travel all over the island with taxi brousse, and they are very inexpensive. The drawback to using taxi brouses is that they are usually crowded. Purchase two spaces per person if you want more room. (These are called “collectivos” in South America if you have been there). I would avoid the regular buses, but there is a company called Cotisse that offers newer, more comfortable buses on a set schedule; however, they are more expensive than other bus companies. The best option, in my opinion, is to rent a 4×4 vehicle with a driver for about 40-50 euros per day, which includes the driver’s accommodations and meals.

About Madagascar

Madagascar is an underdeveloped country with few tourists and poor infrastructure. The roads are one-and-a-half lanes wide and full of potholes. Driving can be dangerous, so I do not recommend renting a vehicle without a local driver. Also, the airfare to get there is more expensive than going to other countries in southern Africa. Flights from Canada to Madagascar are 50 to 100 per cent above flights to Namibia, for example. The two main languages in Madagascar are French and Malagasy. Most of the tourists are from France; however, you might go a whole day without seeing any other tourists. However, all the problems and expense are worth the experience of a lifetime.

Getting to Madagascar is very expensive, but once you are there, things are much cheaper than in other African countries. You will need to pay for most things in cash. ATMs are available only in the cities.

Avoid going to Madagascar during its rainy season, which is December to March. It is not too much fun walking around in pouring rain day after day, and roads are often washed out and impassable.

The Mammals

Although this website is for birders, if you go to Madagascar, you will want to spend some time looking for its unique mammals. More than 90 per cent of the plants and animals in Madagascar are found nowhere else.

There are more than 100 species of lemurs ranging in size from tiny to large. If you are very lucky, you might see a Fossa. This cat-like carnivore travels through the treetops hunting lemurs. Tenrecs are small hedgehog-like animals. They are nocturnal, so you probably won’t see one, but there are many other small mammals, and you will undoubtedly encounter a few of them.

The Birds

The key species to see in Andasidbe-Mantadia are the Nuthatch Vanga, Red-tailed Vanga, Blue Vanga

Pitta-like Ground Roller

Scaly Ground-roller, Rufous-headed Ground-roller, Short-legged Ground-roller, Cuckoo-roller, Madagascar Wood Rail, Velvet Asity, Common Sunbird-Asity, Velvet Asity, Yellow-billed Sunbird-Asity, Madagascar Owl, Madagascar Scops Owl

Collared Nightjar, Madagascar Blue Pigeon, Malagasy Bulbul, Common Newtonia, Souimanga Sunbird, Madagascar Wagtail, Madagascar White-eye, Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher

, Common Jery, Madagascar Ibis, Red-breasted Coua, White-throated Oxylabes, Madagascar Grebe, Malagasy Kingfisher, Grey Emutail, Slender-billed Flufftail, and so many others. Where else in the world can you find 70 endemic species in one park?

On the short walk from the village to the park, you will see several wonderful species that make the trip worthwhile, and you will be just getting started.

Photo Credits

Pitta-like Ground-roller – Lukas Blazek

Blue Vanga – Agami Photo Agency

Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher – Blue Artusfoto

Madagascar Scops Owl – Mirecca

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