Madagascar Birding Tour: 6-day Berenty Reserve Extension October 2020/2021

The small, private Berenty Reserve, situated at the southern tip of Madagascar, is one of the island’s best-known and most frequently visited nature reserves. Stretching along the Mandrare River, it is composed of deciduous riverine gallery forest and a small stretch of spiny forest, where virtually all the plants are covered in thorns.

Although most famous for its dense lemur population, with hundreds of individuals per square kilometer (research on lemurs has been continuing here for more than three decades), the reserve is also a haven for birdwatchers, boasting a high number of endemic species. With luck we might be able to find Madagascan Sandgrouse, Madagascan Green Pigeon, Torotoroka Scops Owl, and perhaps even Madagascan Cuckoo-Hawk here.

This extension to our Best of Madagascar: 14-day Birding and Wildlife Tour can also be booked as a stand-alone tour. It can also be combined, preceding the main tour, with our Madagascar: 6-day Masoala Penisula Pre-tour and, preceding that, with our Madagascar: 7-day Northwest (Ankarafantsika/Betsiboka Delta) Pre-tour.

Itinerary (6 days/5 nights)

Day 1. Arrival in Fort Dauphin
We will take a flight from Antananarivo or Tulear to Fort Dauphin. After arrival we will transfer to our hotel.
Overnight: Croix du Sud, Fort Dauphin

Day 2. Transfer to Berenty, birding Berenty Reserve
An early departure will take us on our way for the two- to three-hour drive to the Berenty Reserve. Our interesting drive from Fort Dauphin with its rice paddies and tropical forests through vast sisal plantations to the famous dry spiny forest that once covered large areas of this part of Madagascar, but sadly today exists only in small patches, will probably allow us to find Sakalava Weaver and Namaqua Dove on the way.
In the afternoon and during an evening outing we will start to explore this magnificent park.
Overnight: Berenty Lodge, Berenty

Day 3. Birding Berenty Reserve
Exploring Berenty Reserve for a full day, we hope to find Madagascan Sandgrouse, Madagascan Green Pigeon, Madagascan Buttonquail, Malagasy Turtle Dove, Madagascan Sparrowhawk, Giant, Crested, Running, and Red-capped Couas, Chabert, Hook-billed, and Sickle-billed Vangas, Grey Emutail, Grey-headed Lovebird, Subdesert Brush Warbler, and Humblot’s Heron, and possibly also Madagascan Cuckoo-Hawk, which is, however, difficult to find.
On night outings we will hunt for Rainforest Scops Owl, White-browed Hawk-Owl, and Torotoroka Scops Owl.
Lemurs will keep us entertained throughout. During the day we will marvel at the antics of Ring-tailed Lemur and Verreaux’s Sifaka, while at might we might be lucky enough to encounter White-footed Sportive Lemur, Grey Mouse Lemur, and Grey-brown Mouse Lemur.
Overnight: Berenty Lodge, Berenty

Day 4. Birding Berenty Reserve, transfer to Fort Dauphin
We will spend the morning once more at Berenty Reserve, searching for species we might have missed before.
In the afternoon we will transfer back to Fort Dauphin.
Overnight: Croix du Sud, Fort Dauphin

Day 5. Flight to Antananarivo
Today we will fly back to Antananarivo and transfer to our hotel.
Overnight: Relais des Plateaux, Antananarivo

Day 6. Departure
Today your international flights will leave for home.

Please note that the itinerary cannot be guaranteed as it is only a rough guide and can be changed (usually slightly) due to factors such as availability of accommodation, updated information on the state of accommodation, roads, or birding sites, the discretion of the guides and other factors.

This is a sample trip report. Please email us (info@birdingecotours.com) for more trip reports from this destination.