Usually, this readily accessible montane rainforest (3 hours drive east of Antananarivo) provides a perfect introduction to Madagascar birding. A 3-day stay here will allow you to explore Perinet, the nearby Mantadia National Park and also one of the local marshes. In Perinet (Analamazaotra/Andasibe) itself, you should tick off many generally distributed Malagasy endemics. Local specials include the Red-fronted Coua, Rand's Warbler, Coral-billed Nuthatch Vanga and Tylas. With luck, you'll see Madagascar Wood-rail, Madagascar Flufftail and Collared Nightjar.
A second day in the area should be used for the 10,000 hactares Mantadia National Park, a great example of primary montane rainforest. This new park is deservedly becoming one of Madagascar's most visited birding hotspots. Its denizens include all 4 the rainforest-dwelling ground-rollers, the 3 oxylabes, all 3 rainforest-dependent asitys, Forest Rock-thrush and Brown Emutail. The bizarre Helmet Vanga is now known to occur there too. NB Two marshes in the area - Torotorofotsy and Ampasipotsy - hold Meller's Duck, Madagascar Snipe, Madagascar Rail, Madagascar Grebe, Grey Emutail and Madagascar Swamp Warbler, among others. This is possibly the best place in which to seek the ultra rare Slender - billed Flufftail.
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Exceptional birding is to be done in this park, which protects the largest remaining Malagasy lowland rainforest. Aside from nearly all the broadly distributed rainforest endemics, specials like the Brown Mesite, Red-breasted Coua, Scaly Ground-roller and the Helmet and Bernier's Vangas, abound.
Read MoreBest birds along the road are Madagascar Cuckoo Hawk, Forest Rock Thrush, Dark Newtonia and Mad. Starling. Others include; Wedge-tailed Jery, Green Jery and Rand's Warbler, Nelicourvi Weaver, Malagasy White-eye and both Souimanga,Rufous Mouse Lemur,Blue Coua and Malagasy Green Sunbirds.
Read MoreIfaty is also an excellent place in which to seek the uncommon Banded Kestrel, as well as the White-browed Owl (before dawn); Madagascar Nightjar and Madagascar Buttonquail.
Read MoreOther birds seen at Spiny Forest Reserve include; Banded Kestrel, SubdesertMesite, Green-capped, Running and Crested Coua, Long-tailed Ground-Roller, SubdesertTetraka, Sickle-billed and Lafresnaye'sVanga and Archbold'sNewtonia.
Read MoreThe local specials are mostly not hard to find: look for White-breasted Mesite, Coquerel's and Red-capped Couas and Van Dam's Vanga. Less easily seen is the Schlegel's Asity. Several vangas are quite common, including the Sicklebill, Rufous, Hook-billed, Blue and Chabert'sVangas. Raptors abound, including the very rare Madagascar Fish Eagle, Madagascar Gymnogene, Madagascar Buzzard, Madagascar Sparrowhawk and Frances's Sparrowhawk.
Read MoreBirds of Zombitse: White-faced Whistling-Duck, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Knob-billed Duck, African Pygmy-Goose, Blue-billed Teal, Helmeted Guineafowl, Madagascar Partridge, Common Quailm, Harlequin Quail, Little Grebe, Madagascar Grebe, Malagasy Turtle-Dove,
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