BIRDING AFRICA THE AFRICA SPECIALISTS Indian Ocean Special Tour Leaflet 2022 © Colin Rogers Barau's Petrel 23 October - 11 November 2022 Indian Ocean Special Moheli Scops Owl Tour leader: Michael Mills BIRDING AFRICA THE AFRICA SPECIALISTS Birding Africa Tour Summary Tour Africa Birding Summary Tour Africa Birding Indian Ocean Island • Back-to-back tours covering virtually all the non- Madagascan endemics of the western Indian Ocean • Visit all four the Comoros Islands, including Mayotte Mills © Michael Michael's incredible focus, dedication and ability to • See the Granitic Seychelles and locate and show Africa's toughest birds is probably unequalled on the continent. He has led dozens of Our back-to-back tours, one to Comoros Islands two endemics, before we move onto the Seychelles. Mascarene Islands (Reunion, tours across Africa and his experience in locating and one to Seychelles and the Mascarene Islands, Th e highlands of Mahé hold the greatest number Mauritius and Rodrigues) birds on just the soft est of calls or briefest of views off er a unique opportunity to see virtually all non- of endemics here, but we will also visit La Digue, impresses those who travelled with him. Madagascar endemic birds of the western Indian Cousin, Aride and Praslin, in search of all of the • Pink Pigeon, Seychelles Kestrel, Ocean Islands. Th e only island group with endemics endemics of the granitic Seychelles. Mauritius Kestrel, 5 scops owls, Dates not covered is the far-fl ung Aldabra Group. Humblot's Flycatcher, seabirds Comoros 23-31 Oct 2022 In Comoros we start off on Grande Comore Tour Focus Island, where most of our time will be spent on Seychelles and Mascarenes the impressive volcano of Mount Karthala with its Th e Comoros, Mascarenes and Seychelles Islands 1-11 Nov 2022 endemic-rich forests. A short plane-hop to Moheli off er a total of more than 50 bird endemics, Madagascar 13-29 Nov 2022 allows us to target all the single-island endemics plus impressive seabird spectacles, spectacular during the two-night stay, before we take a boat landscapes, unique plants and varied cultures, © Colin Rogers trip to Anjouan Island for two more nights and off ering ample for both the world lister and more Pro�isional Prices (+ Single) several more endemics. Finally we end on Mayotte, generalist birders. Comoros $3495 + $450 politically part of France, where we hope to see our Th is trip has a strong focus on watching birds, Seychelles and Mascarenes fourth scops owl. but there are opportunities too for some mammal $5695 + $595 Regular fl ights between Mayotte and Reunion make watching and very good chances for photography. Both $9495 + $995 it easy for us to get to the start of the Seychelles and We will also take a few pelagic/seabird trips. Mascarenes Tour. We start off in the highlands of Let us know if you have target species or want to Includes numerous internal flights. Reunion, and also watch fl ocks of Barau's Petrels know more about the species we might encounter. coming near inshore in the evening. A species list will be handed out to you at the start of the tour and is available beforehand upon request. Book online A short fl ight brings us to Mauritius, where our birding focuses on the famous Black River Gorges Th e tour is timed to coincide with the peak time for Visit www.birdingafrica.com and Ile Aigrettes, and we take a pelagic trip to birding across the region as a whole. We expect to Deposit ($150) by credit card Round Island with its unique hybrid swarm of encounter a small amount of rain. Most days will petrels. A day trip to Rodrigues sees us making the be warm and tropical, although the highlands in Pink Pigeon Email [email protected] short fl ight there and back in search of the island's Reunion can be cool. 2 | Indian Ocean Special 2022 Indian Ocean Special 2022 | 3 Accommodation and meals International flights INTRODUCTION Accommodation and meals are generally of a good Please plan to arrive by the night of the following international standard, although they are a bit dates: The numerous islands of the western Indian Ocean, volcanic landscape on Reunion is spectacular, and more basic on the Comoros islands of Moheli and surrounding Madagascar, together hold more than the highlands steep. We start off in the highlands of • Comoros: 23 October on Grande Comore Anjouan. All rooms have private ablutions. We plan 50 endemic birds. Each set of islands has a unique northern Reunion looking for the rarest endemic, Island. to do no camping on the Comoros. and distinctive evolutionary and human history, Reunion Cuckooshrike, alongside Reunion Bulbul, • Seychelles and Mascarenes: 1 November at St which together make for a fascinating region to Reunion, Grey White-eye, Reunion Olive White- Birding Africa Tour Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Meals are generally Western-style. Please advise if Leaflet Tour Africa Birding Denis on Reunion visit. We offer two back-to-back tours, the first to eye, Reunion Stonechat, Mascarene Paradise you are vegetarian and what foods you enjoy, so that Comoros and the second to Reunion, Mauritius, Flycatcher and Mascarene Swiftlet. Reunion Harrier we can cater for you. Departure at the end of the trip not before the Rodrigues and the granitic Seychelles, allowing you is more common in the lowlands, and offshore we'll following dates. Water is not safe to drink so we supply to sample the entire region in one go. watch for Barau's Petrel and Tropical Shearwater, but the very rare Mascarene Petrel being the only complimentary bottled water throughout the trips. • Comoros: the night of 31 October from The four main islands of the Comoros lie to the endemic that we are unlikely to see. Mayotte north-west of Madagascar, between Madagascar and the African mainland. Three islands form the Mauritius and Rodrigues island together hold • Seychelles: the afternoon of 11 November Walking Republic of Comoros, whereas Mayotte is part of another ten endemics. In the forests of the famous from Victoria on Mahé The Comoro Islands require a moderate degree France. They are a chain of volcanic islands, with Black River Gorges we should encounter Pink of fitness, with one tougher walk. The Seychelles Please email [email protected] a copy Grande Comore in the west the youngest (and Pigeon, Echo Parakeet, Mauritius Cuckooshrike, and Mascarene Islands Tour requires very little of your proposed flight details for approval before possessing the highest mountain, Mount Karthala) Mauritius Bulbul, Mauritius Grey White-eye and walking, with one slightly longer hike on Reunion. paying for your ticket. and Mayotte in the east the oldest and flattest. Mauritius Fody. Mauritius Kestrel is harder to track Conditions underfoot can be muddy at times. Each island has it's own endemics, but it is the down and will require a special outing to find, and largest, Grande Comore, which holds the greatest a visit to Ile Aigrettes is likely to turn up Mauritius Group size number of species. We spend two nights on each Olive White-eye which is now very rare on the Maximum 10 participants. of the Comoro Islands, except Mayotte where the mainland. A day trip to Rodrigues island will enable endemic scops owl is easily seen in the day, and aim us to look for Rodrigues Warbler and Rodrigues to see all endemic birds of the region, of which there Fody. We'll also take a pelagic trip off northern are more than 20, plus many other potential splits Mauritius to Round Island, where a hybrid swarm currently recognised as endemic subspecies. Each of petrels breed known as Round Islands Petrels, island has an endemic scops owl, and other diverse and other seabirds include Masked Booby, Wedge- groups represented on all or most islands include tailed Shearwater and Red-tailed Tropicbird. white-eyes, drongos, thrushes, sunbirds, fodies, Finally, the granitic Seychelles are the most remote bulbuls and paradise flycatchers. Top birds include islands of the region, lying more than 1000 km Humblot's Flycatcher on Mount Karthala, Comoros north-east of Madagascar. The main island of Mahé Cuckooshrike, Comoro Blue Cuckooshrike, holds the greatest number of endemics, and in it's Cuckoo Roller, Comoros Blue Pigeon, Comoros highland forests we will search for Seychelles Blue Green Pigeon and Comoros Olive Pigeon. Pigeon, Seychelles Scops Owl, Seychelles Swiftlet, The Mascarene Islands and Seychelles are oceanic Seychelles Kestrel, Seychelles Bulbul, Seychelles islands, located south-east and north-east of White-eye and Seychelles Sunbird. The remaining Madagascar, respectively. The Mascarene Islands, endemics are confined either to single islands sadly, are more famous for the birds they have lost (Seychelles Black Parrot on Praslin and Seychelles (Dodo and Solitaire) than the birds they still hold, Paradise Flycatcher on La Digue), or several small but some of the greatest conservation successes islands such as Cousin and Aride (Seychelles globally mean that it is still possible to see Pink Warbler, Seychelles Magpie-Robin and Seychelles Pigeons and Mauritius Kestrels, birds that were Fody), where spectacular seabird colonies are an teetering on the brink of extinction 50 years ago. added feature, with hoards of breeding Lesser Similar successes have saved many of the remaining Noddy, Brown Noddy, White Tern and Sooty Tern, landbirds on the Seychelles. smaller numbers of Bridled Tern, and a roost of Greater Frigatebird. We will also look for Crab The three main Mascarene Islands are Reunion, Plover on Mahé. © Colin Rogers White Tern part of France, Mauritius and Rodrigues. The active 4 | Indian Ocean Special 2022 Indian Ocean Special 2022 | 5 DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY 28 Oct: Moheli to Anjouan 31 Oct: Mayotte Today we transfer to the second largest island, Our final day in the Comoros will be split between Anjouan, some 60 km east of Moheli.