Birding Madagascar 1-22 November 2018
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MADAGASCAR: the Wonders of the “8Th Continent” a Tropical Birding Custom Trip
MADAGASCAR: The Wonders of the “8th Continent” A Tropical Birding Custom Trip October 20—November 6, 2016 Guide: Ken Behrens All photos taken during this trip by Ken Behrens Annotated bird list by Jerry Connolly TOUR SUMMARY Madagascar has long been a core destination for Tropical Birding, and with the opening of a satellite office in the country several years ago, we further solidified our expertise in the “Eighth Continent.” This custom trip followed an itinerary similar to that of our main set-departure tour. Although this trip had a definite bird bias, it was really a general natural history tour. We took our time in observing and photographing whatever we could find, from lemurs to chameleons to bizarre invertebrates. Madagascar is rich in wonderful birds, and we enjoyed these to the fullest. But its mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects are just as wondrous and accessible, and a trip that ignored them would be sorely missing out. We also took time to enjoy the cultural riches of Madagascar, the small villages full of smiling children, the zebu carts which seem straight out of the Middle Ages, and the ingeniously engineered rice paddies. If you want to come to Madagascar and see it all… come with Tropical Birding! Madagascar is well known to pose some logistical challenges, especially in the form of the national airline Air Madagascar, but we enjoyed perfectly smooth sailing on this tour. We stayed in the most comfortable hotels available at each stop on the itinerary, including some that have just recently opened, and savored some remarkably good food, which many people rank as the best Madagascar Custom Tour October 20-November 6, 2016 they have ever had on any birding tour. -
Disaggregation of Bird Families Listed on Cms Appendix Ii
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals 2nd Meeting of the Sessional Committee of the CMS Scientific Council (ScC-SC2) Bonn, Germany, 10 – 14 July 2017 UNEP/CMS/ScC-SC2/Inf.3 DISAGGREGATION OF BIRD FAMILIES LISTED ON CMS APPENDIX II (Prepared by the Appointed Councillors for Birds) Summary: The first meeting of the Sessional Committee of the Scientific Council identified the adoption of a new standard reference for avian taxonomy as an opportunity to disaggregate the higher-level taxa listed on Appendix II and to identify those that are considered to be migratory species and that have an unfavourable conservation status. The current paper presents an initial analysis of the higher-level disaggregation using the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World Volumes 1 and 2 taxonomy, and identifies the challenges in completing the analysis to identify all of the migratory species and the corresponding Range States. The document has been prepared by the COP Appointed Scientific Councilors for Birds. This is a supplementary paper to COP document UNEP/CMS/COP12/Doc.25.3 on Taxonomy and Nomenclature UNEP/CMS/ScC-Sc2/Inf.3 DISAGGREGATION OF BIRD FAMILIES LISTED ON CMS APPENDIX II 1. Through Resolution 11.19, the Conference of Parties adopted as the standard reference for bird taxonomy and nomenclature for Non-Passerine species the Handbook of the Birds of the World/BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World, Volume 1: Non-Passerines, by Josep del Hoyo and Nigel J. Collar (2014); 2. -
Biodiversity: the UK Overseas Territories. Peterborough, Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Biodiversity: the UK Overseas Territories Compiled by S. Oldfield Edited by D. Procter and L.V. Fleming ISBN: 1 86107 502 2 © Copyright Joint Nature Conservation Committee 1999 Illustrations and layout by Barry Larking Cover design Tracey Weeks Printed by CLE Citation. Procter, D., & Fleming, L.V., eds. 1999. Biodiversity: the UK Overseas Territories. Peterborough, Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Disclaimer: reference to legislation and convention texts in this document are correct to the best of our knowledge but must not be taken to infer definitive legal obligation. Cover photographs Front cover: Top right: Southern rockhopper penguin Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome (Richard White/JNCC). The world’s largest concentrations of southern rockhopper penguin are found on the Falkland Islands. Centre left: Down Rope, Pitcairn Island, South Pacific (Deborah Procter/JNCC). The introduced rat population of Pitcairn Island has successfully been eradicated in a programme funded by the UK Government. Centre right: Male Anegada rock iguana Cyclura pinguis (Glen Gerber/FFI). The Anegada rock iguana has been the subject of a successful breeding and re-introduction programme funded by FCO and FFI in collaboration with the National Parks Trust of the British Virgin Islands. Back cover: Black-browed albatross Diomedea melanophris (Richard White/JNCC). Of the global breeding population of black-browed albatross, 80 % is found on the Falkland Islands and 10% on South Georgia. Background image on front and back cover: Shoal of fish (Charles Sheppard/Warwick -
Avifaunal Diversity of Bibhutibhushan Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal, India
Available online at www.worldscientificnews.com WSN 71 (2017) 150-167 EISSN 2392-2192 Avifaunal Diversity of Bibhutibhushan Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal, India Shiladitya Mukhopadhyay1,* and Subhendu Mazumdar2 1Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Barasat Government College, North 24 Parganas, India 2Department of Zoology, Shibpur Dinobundhoo Institution (College), Shibpur, Howrah, India *E-mail address: [email protected] ABSTRACT Birds are found in a variety of habitats, performing various functions. They are highly sensitive to even minor perturbation in ecosystems. Documentation of avian assemblages in different ecosystems is, therefore, becoming increasingly important from environmental monitoring perspective. In absence of comprehensive account of birds of Bibhutibhushan Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal, India, we made an attempt to document the birds thriving in this protected area. A total of 102 species of birds belonging to 13 orders and 46 families were recorded during the study period (June 2013 – May 2016). Maximum number of species belong to the order Passeriformes (49 species) and minimum under order Anseriformes (1 species). Among the total bird species, 83 species (81.37%) were resident, 15 species (14.71%) were winter visitor, three species (2.94%) were summer visitor and one species (0.98%) was passage migrant. We noted 38 species of birds (including 36 residents and two summer visitors) to breed within the sanctuary. Analysis of feeding guild data revealed that 46.08% were insectivore, 22.55% were carnivore, 15.69% were omnivore, 6.86% were granivore, 5.88% were frugivore, 1.96% were nectarivore and 0.98% were herbivore. Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) and Red- breasted Parakeet (Psittacula alexandri) are two Near Threatened (NT) species designated by IUCN. -
Madagascar November 2016
Tropical Birding Trip Report MADAGASCAR NOVEMBER 2016 Madagascar: The Eighth Continent 7-23 November, 2016 Western endemics extension 3-7 November Helmet Vanga extension 23-28 November TOUR LEADER: Charley Hesse Report and photos by Charley Hesse. All photos were taken on this tour The incredible Helmet Vanga Madagascar is a destination like no other. It has an ‘other-worldly’ feel to it and is filled with groups of animals and plants found nowhere else on earth. It holds several totally unique, endemic bird families, namely the mesites, cuckoo-roller, ground-rollers, asities and Malagasy warblers plus the distinctive groups of couas & vangas. Not only did we see these families well, we actually saw all the available species. By using the very best local guides, we pretty much cleaned up on the rest of Madagascar’s endemic birds available on this tried and tested itinerary. Madagascar is much more than just a bird tour though, and we also found an impressive 28 species of lemurs, Ring- tailed Mongoose, 3 species of tenrec, almost 50 species of reptiles (including 3 species of leaf-tailed geckos), 12 species of frogs and countless beautiful butterflies and marine fish. With spectacular landscapes and varied habitats, from the spiny forests of the southwest to the towering rainforest of the northeast, plus fascinating local culture, friendly local people, high quality food and lodging throughout, it was an amazing trip. www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-9110 [email protected] Tropical Birding Trip Report MADAGASCAR NOVEMBER 2016 WESTERN ENDEMICS EXTENSION 3 November – Tana to Ankarafantsika Today was mainly a travel day. -
FIELD GUIDES BIRDING TOURS: Madagascar, Mauritius & Reunion 2012
Field Guides Tour Report Madagascar, Mauritius & Reunion 2012 Nov 10, 2012 to Dec 6, 2012 Phil Gregory & Jesse Fagan For our tour description, itinerary, past triplists, dates, fees, and more, please VISIT OUR TOUR PAGE. This was my third run-through for this comprehensive tour of Madagascar, which Field Guides has been running since 1986, and the first time for Jesse, and again we had a great tour, albeit with lots of traveling on slow roads, the vagaries of Air Madagascar, and as always the unexpected, like two of the major bridges en route to Berenty being out of use and necessitating some rapid improvisation. For the second time in recent years we offered an extension to the Masoala Peninsula in quest of Madagascar’s icon bird, the Helmet Vanga, and boy did that pay off, with amazing views of one sitting on the same nest as in 2011, more or less at eye level, with another one nearby! Bernier's Vanga was tough and required a couple of hours walking and the wading of two shallow creeks, but this too paid off nicely with great views of at least 3 female birds and a brief look at a male, as well as another Helmet Vanga. We lost a night due to flight complications, and we had quite a bumpy and damp sea crossing, but the Masoala extension also included Collared Nightjar, Short-legged Ground-Roller, Red-breasted Coua, Red Ruffed Lemur, White-fronted Brown Lemur, and Weasel (Sportive) Lemur, all from a rustic but perfectly adequate lodge set Easily one of Madascar's most spectacular birds, the incredible Helmet Vanga is one of the main targets right by the forest. -
Madagascar Comprehensive II 2019 6Th October to 26Th October 2019 (21 Days)
Madagascar Comprehensive II 2019 6th October to 26th October 2019 (21 Days) Trip Report Long-tailed Ground Roller by Greg de Klerk Trip report compiled by Tour Leader: Greg de Klerk Trip Report – RBL Madagascar – Comprehensive II 2019 2 Tour Summary The tour began with a birding session at Tsimbazaza Zoo followed by a wonderful visit to Lake Alorobia in the sprawling capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo. With a lack of suitable habitat within the city, the zoo and Lake Alorobia provided a haven for an array of species, and we managed to add some wonderful species to our lists including White-faced Whistling Duck, Knob-billed Duck, Hottentot Teal, Meller's Duck, Red- billed Teal, Black-crowned Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Malagasy Pond Heron, Western Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Black Heron, Dimorphic Egret, Yellow-billed Kite, Common Moorhen, Malagasy Coucal, Malagasy Kingfisher, Olive Bee-eater, Madagascan Hoopoe, Malagasy Kestrel, Malagasy Bulbul, Mascarene Martin, Malagasy Brush Warbler, Malagasy White- eye, Madagascan Stonechat, Souimanga Malagasy Kingfisher by Greg de Klerk Sunbird, Red Fody, Madagascan Mannikin, and Madagascan Wagtail before settling for a good welcome dinner at our well-appointed guest house where we had the opportunity to meet and greet our fellow participants before retiring for the night. An early departure from Tana the following morning saw us make slow progress on the road out of the capital through swathes of rice paddies which played host to a few wetland species such as Hamerkop, Dimorphic Egret and Great Egret. A long drive followed as we navigated the winding National road linking the capital to the nearest seaport, making headway on our journey to Andasibe while also adding Malagasy Palm Swift, Brown-throated Martin and Chabert Vanga. -
Madagascar 17- 30 November 2017
Madagascar 17- 30 november 2017 Birds (153 species) ♫ = only heard E = Endemic White-faced Whistling Duck Madagascan Rail E Red-breasted Coua E Blue Vanga E Meller's Duck E White-throated Rail Red-fronted Coua E Red-tailed Vanga E Red-billed Teal Common Moorhen Green-capped Coua E Red-shouldered Vanga E Hottentot Teal Red-knobbed Coot Running Coua E Nuthatch Vanga E Madagascan Partridge E Grey Plover Crested Coua E Hook-billed Vanga E Little Grebe Kittlitz's Plover Verreaux's Coua E Helmet Vanga E Madagascan Grebe E Common Ringed Plover Blue Coua E Rufous Vanga E Red-tailed Tropicbird Madagascan Plover E Malagasy Coucal E White-headed Vanga E Grey Heron Three-banded Plover Rainforest Scops Owl Pollen's Vanga E Humblot's Heron E Crab-plover Madagascan Owl E Ward's Flycatcher E Purple Heron Black-winged Stilt White-browed Hawk-Owl E Crossley's Vanga ♫ E Great Egret Common Sandpiper Madagascan Nightjar E Madagascan Cuckooshrike E Dimorphic Egret Green Sandpiper Collared Nightjar E Crested Drongo E Black Heron Common Greenshank Madagascan Spinetail E Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher E Western Cattle Egret Whimbrel Malagasy Black Swift E Pied Crow Squacco Heron Ruddy Turnstone Little Swift Madagascan Lark E Malagasy Pond Heron Sanderling African Palm Swift Brown-throated Martin Striated Heron Curlew Sandpiper Malagasy Kingfisher E Mascarene Martin Black-crowned Night Heron Madagascan Snipe E Madagascan Pygmy Kingfisher E Barn Swallow Madagascan Ibis E Madagascan Buttonquail E Olive Bee-eater Malagasy Bulbul E Hamerkop Madagascan Pratincole E Broad-billed -
Ultimate Madagascar
Long-tailed Ground Roller (tour participant Rienk Nieuwland) ULTIMATE MADAGASCAR 9 – 26/30 OCTOBER 2018 LEADER: CHRIS KEHOE Our recent tour to the remarkable island of Madagascar saw us explore the rainforests of the east, the dry forests and wetlands of the north and the amazing spiny forests and coastlines of the west. Members of all of Madagascar’s endemic bird families were seen, including all five fabulous Ground Rollers, all three Mesites, three species of Asity, the spectacular Cuckoo Roller and a host of Vangas, not least the incredible Helmet Vanga, and Malagasy Warblers. In addition, we saw all of the extant Coua species and many other wonderful birds such as Crab Plovers, Red-tailed Tropicbirds, Madagascan Ibises and Malagasy Sacred Ibises, Madagascan Harriers, White-browed and Madagascan Owls, Madagascan and Collared Nightjars and Madagascan Fish Eagles. Lemurs also features strongly on the tour and we had multiple encounters with the incomparable Indri, great to see and hear, plus the likes of Coquerel’s and Verreaux’s Sifakas, Brown lemurs, Woolly Lemurs, Bamboo Lemurs, dazzling Black-and-white Ruffed Lemurs, noisy Sportive Lemurs and diminutive Mouse and Dwarf Lemurs – not to mention the most iconic of them all, the delightful Ring-tailed Lemur. There is really nowhere else like Madagascar! 1 BirdQuest Tour Report: Ultimate Madagascar 2018 www.birdquest-tours.com Having gathered at a city hotel in Antananarivo the previous evening we made an early start for the all day journey south to our first base at Ranomafana, some seeing a Madagascan Nightjar in the car park as we boarded the bus. -
Trip Report BA048 Madagascar Nov2016.Pages
! Birding Africa Madagascar Tour 14 November - 5 December 2016 Tour Report by leader Michael Mills Photos by participants Don MacGillivray & Martin Painter (Helmet Vanga) www.birdingafrica.com Our comprehensive 2016 Madagascar Tour once again showcased Madagascar’s best birds and wildlife in just 16 days, with an optional five days spent at Masoala at the end. We enjoyed excellent views of all available endemic birds, making it our most successful tour of Madagascar to date. Among the 190 species logged were all five species of Ground Roller, all three Mesites, all species of Vanga, all ten Couas and all four Asity species. The most enjoyed birds of the trip were Rufous-headed Vanga and Crossley’s Vanga in tie ninth, Pitta-like Ground Roller and Giant Coua in tie seventh, Short-legged Ground Roller in sixth, Scaly Ground Roller in fifth, White-breasted Mesite in fourth, Long-tailed Ground Roller in third, and Velvet Asity in second, and the peerless Helmet Vanga took our top honours! We also recorded 25 lemur species and lots of other great critters. Deservedly called the eighth continent, Madagascar is simply one of the most unusual and spectacular wildlife destinations on the globe. With more than 120 bird endemics and several endemic bird families, plus all the unique mammals and habitats, we met up at our comfortable base hotel in Antananarivo, exhilarated at what the coming weeks held for us. A short stint of birding in the hotel gardens with Madagascar Nightjar on its day roost tickled our taste buds before we enjoyed our first of many scrumptious meals together. -
Ultimate Madagascar
Subdesert Mesite (Craig Robson) ULTIMATE MADAGASCAR 10 – 30 OCTOBER 2017 LEADER: CRAIG ROBSON This year’s tour delivered an impressive selection of Malagasy specialities. Iconic species like the ground rollers, asities, and mesites were all seen well, and other highlights included feeding Bernier’s Teal, several Humblot’s Herons, Madagascan Grebe, Madagascan Cuckoo-Hawk and Madagascan Sparrowhawk at their nests, Madagascan Fish Eagle, nest-building Madagascan Wood Rails, Madagascan Plover, Madagascan Snipe, Madagascan Sandgrouse, 10-11 species of coua, roosting Madagascan Owl and Collared Nightjar, Cuckoo Roller, Madagascan Pygmy Kingfisher, 20 species of vanga, including Crossley’s and the much- 1 BirdQuest Tour Report: Ultimate Madagascar www.birdquest-tours.com wanted Helmet, Red-tailed Newtonia, both Brown and Grey Emutails, White-throated Oxylabes on the nest, Wedge-tailed Jery, Appert’s Tetraka, and Madagascan Yellowbrow. We also saw a very respectable 35 species of mammal. 25 species of lemur were headlined by the impeccable Indri, and the likes of Diademed Sifaka, while Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec, the lovely Ring-tailed Mongoose, and scores of Humpback Whales are also worthy of a mention. The lucky few, even had brief views of a road-crossing Fossa. For those with a more in-depth and wide-ranging love of wildlife, there were 34 species of reptiles and amphibians to be appreciated, and numerous interesting plants and insects, from Giraffe-necked Weevils to Hissing Cockroaches. Brown Mesite can be extremely tame (Craig Robson) The tour began with a long drive from the capital, Antananarivo, to Ranomafana National Park. There was little for us to see on the way, though we did gain a strong impression of what much of interior Madagascar looks like. -
CNC Madagascar Masoala Extension 29Th October to 3Rd November 2015 (6 Days)
Trip Report CNC Madagascar Masoala Extension 29th October to 3rd November 2015 (6 days) Short-legged Ground Roller by Doug Chang Trip Report – CNC Madagascar Masoala Ext 2015 2 Trip Report compiled by Tour Leader: Glen Valentine Tour Summary Our exotic Masoala Peninsula extension that ran between the two Cincinnati Nature Center trips for 2015 kicked off with a chartered flight from Tana to the small, tropical, coastal town of Maroantsetra, tucked away at the edge of the Bay of Antongil in the extreme north-east of the island. A rather remote part of Madagascar and a little ‘off the beaten track’; the beautiful and scenic peninsula is most famous amongst naturalists for hosting the magnificent Helmet Vanga, Red Ruffed Lemur and near mythical Aye-Aye. All three species were very high on our wish-lists and quite remarkably we were treated to knockout views of all three of these highly sought-after species during the trip! With Mad Air being on especially poor form, we were forced to charter a flight both to and from Maroantsetra but at least we were able Panther Chameleon by Doug Chang to reach our destination and did not miss out on any field time. Arriving in the much laid back Maroantsetra we caught two cabs and began bouncing our way along a bumpy beach-side track towards our accommodation for the night. Situated right on the beach, it was a pleasant establishment that had definitely seen better days and sadly looked as though it was on its way out. It did however suit us fine for the night and did mean that we were in perfect striking distance for our main quarry in the Maroantsetra area: the legendary Aye- Aye! In the late afternoon we ventured out into town to observe another extremely range- restricted and quite impressive species: the Antongil Red Toad.