Madagascar: The Remote North

Sample itinerary – please note that we only run these remote Madagascar trips by request and not as standard set departures. The below is just a possible guideline itinerary for you to do but we recommend sending us a wish-list of “clean-up” bird species you haven’t yet seen in Madagascar (after you’ve done the normal set departures) and we can then put together the optimal itinerary for you.

Slender-billed Flufftail, one of the many rare and range-restricted species that we’ll be on the lookout for (photo Alan Van Norman).

Our “Remote North” Madagascar tour is good for serious listers who may have already done the classic Madagascar birding circuit which generally allows for birders to see around 80 percent of the island’s endemics. To find the remaining range-restricted Malagasy endemics, one needs to visit several remote sites which are not included on traditional birding tours. This special tour allows birders to connect with some of the rarest, most range-restricted, and threatened species on the planet. These include Madagascar Pochard, Madagascar Serpent Eagle (this can be tricky unless we are able to find nest sites and the Peregrine Fund allows access) Slender-billed Flufftail, and Red Owl. Not only is the birding spectacular, but so too is the scenery and the variety in the fauna and flora that one picks up along the way. The trip, however, has days of driving on awful roads, and some camping. But the birds available soon make one forget about the lack of common luxuries. But it is better to join our standard tours if you want proper accommodation and want to see a great deal of what Madagascar has to offer – this trip is for those who want to get closer to “cleaning up”.

The Critically Endangered (IUCN) Madagascar Pochard is one of our targets on this trip.