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Home , Asity, Banded kestrel, Blue coua, Blue vanga, Chabert vanga, Common newtonia

HIGHLIGHTS NOVEMBER 6–21, 2019 and AMPIJOROA-BETSIBOKA PRE-TRIP NOVEMBER 2–8, 2019

Long-tailed Ground-Roller

LEADER: DION HOBCROFT LIST COMPILED BY: DION HOBCROFT

VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM AMPIJOROA-BETSIBOKA PRE-TRIP

NOVEMBER 2–8, 2019

No one will forget our encounter with the extraordinary male Schlegel’s at Ampijoroa.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 It is apparent, after leading seven tours, that Madagascar is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist venue. More flights are arriving than ever before. This is a good thing for this relatively impoverished and isolated island nation, often called the eighth continent. More tourist dollars can bring vital income. There are more new hotels, and many aspects of tourism have improved, including the food.

White-backed Duck is a threatened in Madagascar.

Like previous tours, we all convened in Antananarivo and set up in a delightful hotel, L’Aubois Vert, close to the Ivato Airport. Road works in downtown Tana had exacerbated the usual traffic chaos, so beyond an optional city tour we did our best to evade the carmageddon. The hotel is a perfect location for shaking off the jetlag and taking in a bunch of the more eco-tolerant endemic . Madagascar Nightjar with a chick, abundant Red Fodies, skulking Madagascar Brush-Warblers, Madagascar feeding fledglings, Madagascar Magpie-Robin, Souimanga , and Madagascar Munia were all temptations on offer. One thing that has not changed is the erratic schedule of Air Madagascar, and this time it sort of

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 worked to our advantage, allowing us to fly both ways to Mahjunga and avoid a fairly long and largely birdless drive.

Van Dam’s is found only in northwestern Madagascar where it is both scarce and inconspicuous.

It still did not allow us to evade a shaky start to the tour, as a mechanical issue with our plane led to a delay on our flight to Mahjunga. After an hour, a replacement plane was arranged, but the clock was definitely ticking. We had a boat booked to take us up the Betsiboka River to a series of islands. Once we arrived, we literally jumped in the bus, drove to the beach, and embarked on the boat. The tide was high, the wind was blowing, the sun was hot, and a minor miracle was needed! Our fortune changed when I spotted a pair of

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 Bernier’s Teals loafing in the shade of a mangrove tree, the high tide working to our advantage, and we could get quite close to these rare endemic ducks. Then a single Madagascar Sacred Ibis showed up, and it was to be our only one. With both key targets under our belts, I could breathe a little bit more easily. The boat trip proved to be a good one with some thirty immature Lesser Flamingos, nine species of shorebirds including good numbers of Terek Sandpipers and Greater Sand-Plovers, a small flock of Saunders’s Terns, a display-flying Madagascar Harrier-Hawk, and a skulking White-throated . At the lovely hotel, Fano had pre-ordered lunch and delivered the bags to the rooms. We could relax.

Only one pair of Madagascar Fish- is relatively easily publicly accessible. It is a key species on the pre-tour. Luckily they successfully produced a chick this year.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 After a good siesta we visited a wetland that held remarkably diverse aquatic vegetation including superb water lilies. This is a disappearing of our next key —the unique Madagascar Jacana. This species has been increasingly difficult to find in recent years, but this location proved a winner with a very healthy population. Great to see and even better to hear that the wetland is being protected by the local people. Hooray for this! Amazingly, we found five White- backed Ducks—here represented by an endemic insularis . The views were fantastic of this often shy, crepuscular duck that hides in thick vegetation. We also found a single male African Pygmy-Goose amongst good numbers of White-faced Whistling-Ducks, and a good cross-section of herons including several superb Madagascar Pond-Herons.

Madagascar Jacana is another special bird on the pre-tour where a small population is flourishing on a wetland now protected by the local farmers.

We left early for Ankaranfantsika National Park the following morning, making a stop for a bonus pale morph Eleonora’s that gave a great view, and then for a pair of Glossy Ibis—quite scarce in Madagascar. By late morning we had

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 arrived at the park, so we decided to look for Schlegel’s Asity—perhaps one of the most extraordinary birds in the world. Arriving at the nest location, the male flew in almost immediately and sat right there in front of us for a good twenty minutes. It filled the scope, and the participants were all left a bit bedazzled by the glowing caruncles! As it was our first time in quality forest habitat, we were quickly notching up a lot of new birds including our first Madagascar -, Hook-billed Vanga, Common , Long-billed Bernieria, Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher, and Souimanga Sunbird. Checking in to Fano’s Asity Lodge, we took another break in the heat of the day.

The Western Avahi (or Woolly ) is nocturnal and rarely encountered.

For the afternoon session we wandered about the lively Ampijoroa section of the park. We hit the jackpot quite quickly with first the Madagascar Pygmy- filling the scope with orange, white, and red. Then we had great looks at perched male and female Cuckoo-Rollers, truly bizarre Madagascan specials—living fossils. Sickle-billed were yet another highlight of the session (giving their wailing

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 7 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 baby call) that included great looks at Broad-billed Roller, White-headed Vanga, and Lesser Vasa-Parrot. Our first lemur sighting was one of the most spectacular of them all, the superb Coquerel’s Sifaka. But do not get too close underneath them or they may drop a mango on your head. They well demonstrated their leaping prowess. Our second lemur sighting was of one of the most difficult to see in the park—a of three nocturnal Western Avahi (Woolly ) amazingly spotted by local guide Adriana, well hidden in a vine tangle. This was a lifer lemur for me. In fact, our good luck with lemurs rolled right along; as it became dark, we had excellent looks at Milne-Edward’s Sportive Lemurs, a single Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur, and several diminutive Golden-Brown Mouse Lemurs— five species of lemurs in one afternoon. A Barn Owl posed well in the campground and, to add to our tally, we found Western Tuft-tailed Rat, both Oustalet’s and Rhinoceros , and a glowing green Madagascar Day Gecko.

This Western Osprey was a surprise discovery at Lac Ravelobe. There are fewer than 10 records for the entire region. In true form it came down and caught a fish.

The pressure was on a bit the next morning as the return flight time had changed to midmorning the following day. It would be good if we could clean up the remaining endemic birds before lunch and the heat. So we set off on a forest trail in the cool of the early morning and quickly came across a perched France’s

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 8 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 Sparrowhawk that allowed us good scope views. Good views continued with cracking looks at Crested , Coquerel’s Coua, and Red-capped Coua—getting our coua list off to a healthy start. popped up next, followed by , both lovely well-patterned species unique to Madagascar. It was another vanga that was amongst our top priorities—the rare Van Dam’s Vanga, often called either that damned vanga or just Claude! Our luck held again—no doubt helped very much by our superb local man on the ground, Jackie. He placed us in a prime zone and then bang, up they popped. They must have been feeding chicks, as they were not at all concerned by us, using their hefty plier mandibles to crunch bark, searching for well-hidden invertebrates. Phew, one down, two more to go.

The White-breasted was giving us a tough time. We had been trawling for it and trawling for it. Finally a bird responded but would not come in. Jackie and Adriana plunged into the forest and, after a patient battle of human and mesite, they coaxed the mesite to the forest edge where it gave a good clear view before running across the track. Well done; the local guides in Madagascar live up to their reputation of being the best in the world in my experience, barring perhaps Papua New Guinea. There was time to do the boat trip on Lac Ravelobe. It produced the hoped for Madagascar Fish-Eagles, two adults and a recently fledged juvenile. This endangered , the size of a , has perhaps the only easily publicly accessible population at this location. A major surprise was finding a [Western] Osprey. It caught a fish right in front of us. This is a vagrant to Madagascar where there are less than ten records. A Humblot’s Heron was our last major sighting; this giant dark gray heron is also very much an endangered species.

We retraced our steps to Mahjunga, enjoying a fine meal and a comfortable night. The next morning, after another delay, we were whisked back to Antananarivo. We scheduled this afternoon to visit Lac Alarobia, a well-protected wetland teeming with herons and ducks on a private estate. Amongst the hundreds of Red-billed Teals and White-faced Whistling-Ducks, we located nine Meller’s Ducks, four Knob-billed Ducks including two well-knobbed males, and a small flock of cute Hottentot Teals. Malagasy Malachite almost perched on

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 9 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 the ends of our camera lenses. Madagascar Swamp Warbler was another vital endemic, and we had a surprise when out strode another Humblot’s Heron, very close and a frame-filler: a first for me at this location. All of the participants continued on to the main tour.

MADAGASCAR HIGHLIGHTS

NOVEMBER 6–21, 2019

Wow—what views of the mega-skulking Rufous-headed Ground-Roller, a steep slope specialist of Madagascar’s eastern rainforests.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 10 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 Our flight to Toliara took off on time and arrived on time. Well done! Aboard the bus we made the shortish drive north to Ifaty, stopping to look at a flock of Lesser Flamingos. Something was going on this year with this species, as we encountered it four times. Madagascar Kestrel made an appearance, and we were into our lovely hotel by the beach and into some more fine cuisine. The afternoon was our first introduction to birding in the famous Spiny Forest, a diverse plant community of the semiarid deep red sands of this region. Giant Baobabs, Moringa, elephant foot, and Octopus trees dominate the widely spaced canopy, while a variety of scratchy shrubs the understory. It holds a unique community of birds, and we were keen to see them all.

It took three attempts to connect with the elusive in the Spiny Forest. It is a representative of its own of a family represented only in Madagascar.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 11 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 Our runaround with continued, as twice we headed towards where local guides, youthful Freddy, Riddafy, and their amazing ninety-year-old grandfather Masindraka had tracked down the Subdesert Mesite only to be left “empty- binoculared,” as the mesites had dropped by the time we arrived. Third time lucky, and this time both the male and the female were perched up in a cryptic posture they adopt to avoid , with their tails skyward and their heads down. We enjoyed the success of seeing this most peculiar bird found only here. With the mesite as our focus we had largely been not looking at much else, so it was good to relax birding, seeing fabulous views of Running Coua, Sakalava Weaver, and many more species as we wandered out of the Spiny Forest. At night we enjoyed the acrobatic antics of the tiny Gray Mouse-Lemur as they fed in Neem trees in the hotel gardens.

A Running Coua basks in the morning sun in the Spiny Forest.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 12 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 We were back in the forest early the next morning to enjoy the cool peak hour rush of birds here. There were still plenty of key targets to locate, and we set down to business and luckily saw them all. First up, the Thamnornis (aka Subdesert Tetraka); then, after a concerted effort, the peachy-chested Archbold’s Newtonia; nest building Lafresnaye’s Vanga; a bit of luck to jag a sub-adult Madagascar Sparrowhawk; and then the star of the show—the extraordinary Long-tailed Ground-Roller. Wow, that was a session. With all key targets under our belts, we enjoyed the distractions of a White-footed Sportive Lemur at its day roost, a Lesser Hedgehog discovered by Riddafy, the fearsome-looking “kung fu” cricket, and a pair of scorpions. Just as we were about to leave, we jagged a pair of Madagascar Buttonquails and a stunning Madagascar Green- Pigeon in a small fig tree. Love the Spiny Forest!

The superb Long-tailed Ground-Roller appears near its nesting burrow with a it has captured.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 13 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 After the obligatory long break in the heat of the day, we resumed activities, this time in a gale. The wind was fairly whipping along, and beyond a feeble squeak there was no sign of the hoped for Baillon’s Crake. The shorebirds were more obliging, and we enjoyed cracking looks at the scarce Madagascar Plover, more abundant Kittlitz’s Plover, and, towards the end of the day, the localized subspecies of Three-banded Plover. We found two regional rarities with a White- winged Tern holding its position in the strong wind and a bonus Wood Sandpiper. There were plenty of Curlew Sandpipers, a single Little Stint, a few Little Grebes, and another flock of largely immature Lesser Flamingos. The wind made life difficult, so after having seen the best of it we retired early.

We enjoyed good looks at the signature Ring-tailed Lemur in Tsimanampetsotse.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 14 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 As is typical here in November, the wind really picks up after lunch, so we left early to embark on the boat to Nosy Ve. It was calm for our crossing, and upon reaching this small sandy islet we had instant success with a party of fifteen or so Crab Plovers. The topography had changed substantially from last year, no doubt caused by tropical storms, and the main roosting area was no longer attached to the main isle. Red-tailed Tropicbirds flew right over us on several occasions; several Greater Crested and a single Lesser Crested Tern were new for the trip list, as was White-fronted Plover. We were lucky when a small number of Crab Plovers flew over to our side and began foraging close and in perfect light. With the wind picking up, we dashed across to luxurious Anakao Ocean Lodge. By afternoon the great gale was again upon us, but we had little difficulty finding our two target birds—the Subdesert Brush-Warbler and Littoral Rock-Thrush. Great dining, great birds, and a good sleep.

Very much an endangered species—the wild Radiated Tortoise is difficult to encounter.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 15 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 Today we made the journey south to remote Tsimanampetsotse National Park, driving through deep sand in three four-wheel-drive vehicles. This desert park is one of my favorite sites in Madagascar, and having morning views of fifteen Madagascar Sandgrouse quite close in the scope is one of the park’s main attractions. Driving through the beautiful sand forest here, we came across two troops of Ring-tailed Lemurs, the second group in particular not being too concerned and giving great looks. We then embarked on a short hike up a limestone plateau with amazing plant life including 1,200-year-old Baobabs and giant Banyan with tree roots fracturing the limestone to access the cave water. In this oasis we found a female Greater Vasa-Parrot and an amazing Radiated Tortoise. Both Green-capped and Verreaux’s gave mega looks. After a picnic lunch we finished up at the giant salt lake that held hundreds of Greater Flamingos, numerous Red-knobbed Coots, a nesting Madagascar Swamp-Warbler, and a bonus African Swamphen. On the return drive we came across a Madagascar Harrier-Hawk drinking at a pond. Retracing our steps to Anakao, we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon.

Departing Anakao by boat, we returned to Toliara to see the bus well-driven by Jack. The tide was not great for us at Toliara, so we visited the delightful Arboretum where local guide Cellia led us from chameleons, day-geckos, and nightjars to iguanas and sleeping . The plants are superb for anyone with a botanical interest; the Compass Tree was something new for me. A Commerson’s Leaf-nosed Bat was still faithful to its traditional roost. After lunch we made the lengthy drive through the sapphire fields—the wild-west towns of Sakaraha and Illakaka. In Zombitse we made a strategic twitch on a day-roosting White-browed Owl, thanks to Lucien and Nerina, who had it staked out for us. Folks settled into Jardin du Roi, set amidst the glowing sandstone escarpments of Isalo, while I dashed about doing a bit of scouting for some hoped for targets the next morning. Fano was tied up trying to purchase fuel, as a shortage was going on.

The scouting paid dividends when in quick succession the next morning the group caught up with a frame-filling Madagascar Cuckoo, several Madagascar Partridges and, most fortuitously, a day-roosting Torotoroka Scops-Owl. After breakfast we jagged a pair of Helmeted Guineafowl, introduced to Madagascar, followed by a

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 16 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 pair of Forest Rock-Thrushes with a display flying male Cuckoo-Roller a good bird for this location. Our 100% strike rate on the target birds was continuing. It continued at Zombitse where despite the heat we had a fantastic session with a Madagascar Crested Ibis on the nest, Appert’s Tetraka, Rufous Vanga on a nest, a pair of Giant Couas, a fantastic Banded Kestrel and, as a finale, a troop of Verreaux’s Sifakas feeding next to us. We could do no wrong—the group was being well rewarded for their composure and attitude towards all things Madagascan. Hotel Bakuba was our home for the evening—it is an amazing hotel with great food. Some swam in the pool—others in the Mozambique Channel.

My photographic highlight of the tour was this lucky shot of the amazing Banded Kestrel in flight. It had been several years since we had encountered this unusual, low density falcon.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 17 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 A final day in the far southwest and we had one last target endemic, the rare Red- shouldered Vanga. It makes its home in the scrub, an austere but complex botanical community where there is no surface water and an abundance of charcoal cutters. Once again, Freddy and Riddafy led us into the territory of a known pair and, after a fairly lengthy battle, managed to locate the vangas and get us into a good situation where we had a great view of both a male and the more subtle female. With a bit of time up our sleeve, we returned to the Ifaty wetlands. Here we had the most amazing encounter with a pair of Baillon’s Crakes allopreening in front of us for fifteen minutes! We enjoyed repeat views of White- winged Black Tern, Little Stint, Little Grebe, and Lesser Flamingo. A lengthy flight delay was ridden out mostly in the comfort of the hotel. Eventually we made it back to Tana.

On the second attempt we had an unforgettable experience with a pair of Baillon’s Crakes near Ifaty. We watched them preening each other in the scope.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 18 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 After a bit of a sleep-in, we embarked on the bus driven by Tsira across Antananarivo. The road works took their toll, but eventually we escaped the grip of the capital and wended our way north and east through Moramanga to Andasibe. After checking in to the hotel we explored along the roadside of the main national park entrance where hard-working, in fact tireless local guide, the wonderful Julian, had the first of many surprises for us. A Madagascar Cuckoo- Hawk was on a nest, a very fortunate break for us, as it is both very scarce and a most enigmatic raptor. Almost immediately, we were staring at a Rainforest Scops-Owl at point-blank range, literally five feet away. The afternoon was made. Persisting on, after two immediate highlights things quietened down until we picked up the inconspicuous, rather nondescript , when all of a sudden in swept a pair of the elusive Vanga with a chick in tow that gave the most wonderful views. As a group we were still in recovery mode from the late flight and long bus journey, so we pulled the pin to have an early dinner and recharge the batteries.

A poorly known and even more poorly illustrated scarce endemic: the Madagascar Cuckoo- Hawk on a nest was a real bonus at Andasibe. You can just make out the tip of its crest.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 19 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019

A most unusual, unobstructed view of the Eastern Avahi.

Yet again the annual prediction that our first full day in the eastern rainforests would be momentous rang true. Julian and Marcella took us deep into a forest glade where a pair of Crossley’s Vangas fed at our feet in Ovenbird-like fashion. This is a tough bird to see—a truly superb start. Next there was , a female , an Eastern Bamboo Lemur, a White-throated Rail, a truly stunning Collared Nightjar, a pair of Madagascar Wood-Rails, an Eastern Woolly Lemur-Avahi, Blue Coua, White-throated Oxylabes, the one and only signature of Madagascar—the sonic wailing Indri, the largest surviving lemur, and . After the siesta we hit the trails on the Community Forest (VOIMA) where a giant emerald-green Parson’s led us to another

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 20 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 family group of Indris, which we could enjoy in relative solitude. The birding highlight came with an excellent encounter with the skulking Red-breasted Coua, beautifully patterned with vinous red and blue. On dusk we spotlit for a short while, finding a Nose-horned Chameleon, two spectacular Boophis tree , and yet another Woolly Lemur, continuing our great run of success with these generally shy nocturnal lemurs. It had been a great day of the trip.

The Indri is the largest surviving lemur, and its sonic wailing is a great feature of the rainforests.

Transferring into three four-wheel-drive vehicles, we made the road journey into remote Manatadia National Park that offers high quality primary rainforest with

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 21 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 pristine crystal-clear streams. This is ground-roller country, and we were soon having a superb encounter with the stunningly patterned -like Ground-Roller

This female Wills’ or Canopy Chameleon was a highlight for me having never encountered this cryptic and beautiful species on previous trips. The male apparently has two horns. perched up and shivering its tail. There was good news with a nest of Scaly Ground-Rollers, always very difficult to encounter. The news turned out to be a fizzer though, as the nest seemed to have been predated, as the adults did not show after two lengthy viewing sessions and the bird was only heard calling distantly. A Madagascar Tree Boa close to the nest may have been the culprit. The small dam came through with a single Madagascar Grebe that fortunately re- appeared after slinking away from the commotion of the group’s arrival. Madagascar Spine-tailed Swifts came in for a drink right in front of us, and a Ward’s Flycatcher-Vanga made a timely appearance. We shared our picnic lunch with some Lineated Day Geckos. After another lengthy wait for the hoped for Scaly Ground-Roller, we gave up. Julian heard a Common Sunbird-Asity, and it

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 22 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 responded to playback, zipping over us several times but typically and frustratingly never settling. We tried on the forest edge and this time success for many participants, as it perched in full sunlight with its dazzling blue facial skin and yellow belly. I have never understood why they call it the Common Sunbird- Asity, as it seems anything but common and is always very difficult to see well! A massive thunderstorm blew up in the afternoon by which time we were comfortably inside our rooms; good timing for us.

We had many memorable encounters with many rare Madagascan endemics on this tour and it is hard to say which was the most memorable. Perhaps it was our epic search for this Short- legged Ground-Roller tracked down by Julian that took the prize in South Andsasibe.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 23 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 One last full day to explore the rainforests, and this time again in the four-wheel- drives we explored the remote southern section of Andasibe National Park. On the drive in we found a pair of Madagascar Starlings, and once in the forest proper had an amazing trip highlight when we called in a truly fantastic pair of Rufous-headed Ground-Rollers that perched and “booped” right in front of us, unobstructed by any foliage. What luck with this most difficult bird. Next we had good looks at the uncommon Dark Newtonia before a calling Short-legged Ground-Roller led us on a major expedition deep into a remote valley. Going off trail we followed the voice for several hundred meters down slope, and then the breakthrough. The Short-legged Ground-Roller was perched in a tree being mobbed repeatedly by a Spectacled Tetraka. A Madagascar Flufftail was drawn into a hole in the bracken that saw us all sitting on the ground peering in for great views of this very cute, very small skulker. We had a last hurrah with a good scope look at a Madagascar Blue-Pigeon.

A final morning was dedicated to the endangered wetlands at Anturoturofutsy that continue to be ploughed up and drained despite their supposed RAMSAR status. We did get good views of three Madagascar Snipe—very much an endangered species. A well-plumaged Forest Fody was scoped for a while. It was time to head back to Antananarivo where Tsira did some epic driving through the back roads of this complicated city that would make for an excellent video. Talk about spatial awareness! It had been a fantastic tour with an excellent group. On behalf of Victor, myself, and all in the office, thanks for traveling with us.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 24 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019

BIRDS

*denotes seen on Ampijoroa extension only

White-faced Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna viduata)

*White-backed Duck (Thalassornis leuconotus)

*Knob-billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos)

*African Pygmy-Goose (Nettapus auritus)

*Meller’s Duck (Anas melleri)

Red-billed Teal (Anas erythrorhyncha)

Hottentot Teal (Anas hottentota)

*Bernier’s Teal (Anas bernieri)

Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) Introduced

Madagascar Partridge (Margaroperdix madagascarensis)

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor)

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 25 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 Madagascar Grebe (Tachybaptus pelzelnii)

Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) Introduced

Madagascar Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia picturata)

Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis)

Madagascar Green-Pigeon (Treron australis)

Madagascar Blue-Pigeon (Alectroenas madagascariensis)

*White-breasted Mesite ( variegatus)

Subdesert Mesite (Monias benschi)

Madagascar Sandgrouse (Pterocles personatus)

Giant Coua (Coua gigas)

Coquerel’s Coua (Coua coquereli)

Red-breasted Coua (Coua serriana)

Red-fronted Coua (Coua reynaudii)

*Red-capped Coua (Coua ruficeps ruficeps)

Green-capped Coua (Coua ruficeps olivaceps)

Running Coua (Coua cursor)

*Crested Coua (Coua cristata)

Verreaux’s Coua (Coua verreauxi)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 26 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 Blue Coua (Coua caerulea)

Madagascar Coucal (Centropus tolou)

Madagascar Cuckoo (Cuculus rochii)

Collared Nightjar (Gactornis enarratus)

Madagascar Nightjar (Caprimulgus madagascariensis)

Malagasy Spinetail (Zoonavena grandidieri)

Madagascar Swift (Apus balstoni)

Little Swift (Apus affinis)

African Palm-Swift (Cypsiurus parvus)

Madagascar Wood-Rail (Canirallus kioloides)

Madagascar Flufftail (Sarothura insularis)

White-throated Rail (Dryolimnas cuvieri)

Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

Red-knobbed Coot (Fulica cristata)

African Swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis)

Baillon’s Crake (Zapornia pusilla)

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 27 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019

Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

*Greater Sand-Plover (Charadrius leschenaulti)

Kittlitz’s Plover (Charadrius pecuarius)

Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)

Madagascar Plover (Charadrius thoracicus)

White-fronted Plover (Charadrius marginatus)

*Madagascar Jacana (Actophilornis albinucha)

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

*Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)

Little Stint (Calidris minuta)

Madagascar Snipe (Gallinago macrodactyla)

*Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus)

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

Madagascar Buttonquail (Turnix nigricollis)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 28 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019

Crab Plover (Dromas ardeola)

*Saunder’s Tern (Sternula saundersi)

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

White-winged Black Tern (Chlidonias leucoptera)

Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii)

Lesser Crested Tern (Thalasseus bengalensis)

Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda)

Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta)

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

Humblot’s Heron (Ardea humbloti)

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Little (Dimorphic) Egret (Egretta garzetta dimorpha)

Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca)

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides)

*Madagascar Pond-Heron (Ardeola idae)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 29 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 Striated Heron (Butorides striata)

Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

*Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

Madagascar Crested Ibis (Lophotibis cristata)

*Madagascar Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis [aethiopicus] bernieri)

*[Western] Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Madagascar Harrier-Hawk (Polyboroides radiatus)

Madagascar Cuckoo-Hawk (Aviceda madagascariensis)

France’s Goshawk (Accipiter francesiae)

Madagascar Sparrowhawk (Accipiter madagascariensis)

Yellow-billed Kite (Milvus [migrans] parasiticus)

*Madagascar Fish-Eagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides)

Madagascar ( brachypterus)

*Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

Malagasy (Rainforest) Scops-Owl (Otus rutilus)

Torotoroka Scops-owl (Otus madagascariensis)

White-browed Owl (Athene superciliaris)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 30 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019

Cuckoo-Roller (Leptosomus discolor)

Madagascar Hoopoe (Upupa marginata)

Malagasy (Malachite) Kingfisher (Corythornis vintsioides)

Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher (Corythornis madagascariensis)

Madagascar (Olive) Bee-eater (Merops superciliosus)

Broad-billed Roller (Eurystomus glaucurus)

Short-legged Ground-Roller ( leptosomus)

Scaly Ground-Roller (Brachypteracias squamiger) Heard only

Pitta-like Ground-Roller ( pittoides)

Rufous-headed Ground-Roller (Atelornis crossleyi)

Long-tailed Ground-Roller (Uratelornis chimaera)

Madagascar Kestrel (Falco newtoni)

Banded Kestrel (Falco zoniventris)

*Eleonora’s Falcon (Falco eleonorae)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 31 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 Greater Vasa-Parrot (Mascarinus vasa)

Lesser Vasa-Parrot (Mascarinus nigra)

Grey-headed Lovebird (Agapornis canus)

Velvet Asity ( castanea)

*Schlegel’s Asity (Philepitta schlegelii)

Common Sunbird-Asity ( coruscans)

Archbold’s Newtonia (Newtonia archboldi)

Common Newtonia (Newtonia brunneicauda)

Dark Newtonia (Newtonia amphichroa)

Tylas Vanga (Tylas eduardii)

Red-tailed Vanga (Calicalius madagascariensis)

Red-shouldered Vanga (Calicalius rufocarpalis)

Nuthatch-Vanga (Hypositta corallirostris)

Chabert’s Vanga (Leptopterus chabert)

Crossley’s Vanga (Mystacornis crossleyi)

Blue Vanga (Cyanolanius madagascarinus)

*Hook-billed Vanga (Vanga curvirostris)

Ward’s (Flycatcher) Vanga (Pseudobias wardi)

Rufous Vanga (Schetba rufa)

*Sickle-billed Vanga (Falculea palliata)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 32 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 *White-headed Vanga (Artamella viridis)

Lafresnaye’s Vanga ( xenopirostris)

*Van Dam’s Vanga (Xenopirostris damii)

Ashy Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina cinerea)

Crested Drongo (Dicrurus forficatus)

Madagascar Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone mutata)

Pied Crow (Corvus albus)

Madagascar Lark (Mirafra hova)

Plain (Brown-throated) Martin ( paludicola)

Mascarene Martin ( borbonica)

Barn ( rustica)

Madagascar (Hypsipetes madagascariensis)

Madagascar Brush-Warbler (Nesillas typica)

Subdesert Brush-Warbler (Nesillas lantzii)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 33 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 Madagascar Swamp-Warbler (Acrocephalus newtoni)

White-throated Oxylabes (Oxylabes madagascariensis)

Long-billed Bernieria (Bernieria madagascariensis)

Thamnornis (Thamnornis chloropetoides)

Spectacled Tetraka ( zosterops)

Appert’s Tetraka (Xanthomixis apperti)

Common Jery (Neomixis tenella)

Green Jery (Neomixis viridis)

Stripe-throated Jery (Neomixis striatigula)

Madagascar Cisticola (Cisticola cherina)

Madagascar White-eye (Zosterops maderaspatanus)

Madagascar Magpie-Robin (Copsychus albospecularis)

Forest Rock-Thrush (Monticola sharpei)

Littoral Rock-Thrush (Monticola imerina)

Madagascar (African) Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola sibilla)

Madagascar Starling (Hartlaubius aurata)

Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) Introduced

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 34 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019

Souimanga Sunbird ( souimanga)

Madagascar Green Sunbird (Cinnyris notatus)

Madagascar Wagtail (Motacilla flaviventris)

Nelicourvi Weaver (Ploceus nelicourvi)

Sakalava Weaver (Ploceus sakalava)

Red Fody (Foudia madagascariensis)

Forest Fody (Foudia omissa)

*House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Introduced

Madagascar Munia (Lonchura nana)

MAMMALS

Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec (Echinops telfari)

*Fat-tailed Dwarf Lemur (Cheirogaleus medius)

*Golden-brown Mouse Lemur (Microcebus ravelobensis)

Grey-brown Mouse-Lemur (Microcebus griseorufus)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 35 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019

Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta)

Eastern Lesser Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur griseus)

*Milne-Edward’s Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur edwardsi)

White-footed Sportive Lemur (Lepilemur leucopus)

Indri (Indri indri)

Eastern Avahi (Avahi laniger)

*Western Avahi (Avahi occidentalis)

Diademed Sifaka (Propithecus diadema)

*Coquerel’s Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli)

Verreaux’s Sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi)

*Western Tuft-tailed Rat (Eliurus myoxinus)

Lowland Red Forest Rat (Nesomys audeberti)

Commerson’s Leafnosed Bat (Hipposideros commersoni)

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 36 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019

Short-horned Chameleon (Calumma brevicornis)

Nose-horned Chameleon (Calumma nasuta)

Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii)

*Rhinoceros Chameleon (Furcifer rhinoceratus)

Oustalet’s Chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti)

Warty Chameleon (Furcifer verrucosus)

Canopy Chameleon (Furcifer willsii)

Three-eyed (Chalarodon madagascariensis)

Spiny-tailed Iguana (Oplurus cyclurus)

Four-spotted Iguana (Oplurus quadrimaculatus)

*Cuvier’s Iguana (Oplurus cuvieri)

Sikora Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus sikorae)

(Lygodactylus tolampi)

Mercator Tropical House Gecko (Hemidactylus mercatorius)

*Madagascar Day Gecko ( madagascariensis)

Standing’s Day Gecko (Phelsuma standingii)

Brown Day Gecko (Phelsuma mutabilis)

Lineated Day Gecko (Phelsuma lineata)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 37 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019 Madagascar Plated Lizard ( madagascariensis)

*Stripe-tailed Plated Lizard (Zonosaurus Laticauda)

(Trachylepis madagascariensis)

Madagascar Tree Boa (Sanzinia madagascariensis)

Dumeril’s Ground Boa (Acrantophis dumerili)

Giant Hog-nosed (Leioheterodon madagascariensis)

Modest Hog-nosed Snake (Leioheterodon modestus)

Mahafaly Sand Snake (Mimophis mahfalensis)

( miniatus)

Green Tree (Boophis viridis)

Red-backed Tree Frog (Boophis rappiodes)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 38 Madagascar Highlights and Ampijoroa-Betsiboka Pre-trip, 2019