birds
MADAGASCAN Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forest
In the right national park, the birds of the Madagascan woodlands are easily seen and include spectacular endemic species...
Family Mesitornithidae: 'Mesites'
The Mesites are a family of birds only found in Madagascar. They are shy and difficult to see.
(walking trail, Ankarafantsika National Park)'White-breasted Mesite'.
Family Cuculidae: Cuckoos and 'Couas'
Coua spp.
Coua are only found in Madagascar. They are related to the ground-cuckoos, and typically have a patch of blue skin around the face. Of the nine species in Madagascar, six are found in the woodlands.
(walking trail, Ankarafantsika National Park)'Red-capped Coua'.
(walking trail, Ankarafantsika National Park)'Crested Coua'.
Centropus spp. 'Coucals'
Madagascan Coucal (Ankarafantsika National Park).
Family Phalacrocoracidae: Cormorants
(Lake, Ankarafantsika National Park)'Reed Cormorant'.
Family Ardeidae: Herons
(Lake, Ankarafantsika National Park)Cattle Egret, in breeding plumage.
(Lake, Ankarafantsika National Park).Ardea humbloti, 'Humblot's Heron', 'Madagascar Heron'.
Family Accipitridae: Eagles
(Ankarafantsika National Park)'Frances Sparrowhawk'.
(Lake, Ankarafantsika National Park).Haliaeetus vociferoides, 'Madagascar Fish Eagle', 'Madagascar Sea-eagle'.
Family Leptosomidae: Cuckoo-Roller
An endemic family to Madagascar that only includes one species! It is in a different family from the 'true rollers'.
(Ankarafantsika National Park HQ)'Cuckoo-Roller'. A strange looking bird that is not related to Cuckoos or Rollers. (Ankarafantsika National Park).
Family Upupidae: Hoopoes
(Ankarafantsika National Park HQ)'Madagascan Hoopoe'.
Family Meropidae: Bee-eaters
(Ankarafantsika National Park)'Olive Bee-eater'.
Family Alcedinidae: Kingfishers
(Ankarafantsika National Park)There are two species of Kingfisher in Madagascar, and both are endemic to Madagascar and some surrounding islands.
(Ankarafantsika National Park centre)Corythornis vintsioides, 'Madagascan Malachite Kingfisher'. Endemic to the forests of Madagascar and surrounding islands.
(near Lake, Ankarafantsika National Park)Corythornis madagascariensis, 'Madagascan Pygmy Kingfisher'. Endemic to the dry forests of Madagascar.
Family Coraciidae: Rollers
(Ankarafantsika National Park HQ)'Broad-billed Roller'.
Family Falconidae: 'Falcons'
Falco newtoni, 'Malagasy Kestrel'. Endemic to Madagascar and surrounding islands.
Family Philepittidae: Asities
A small family restricted to Madagascar.
When Asity build their nest, they just weave a ball, then poke a hole in it afterwards to make an entrance; sort of like building a house and forgetting to put a door in.
(Walking trail, Ankarafantsika National Park)Philepitta schlegeli, 'Schlegels Asity'.
Family Vangidae
The biggest family of birds in Madagascar are the Vanga. They once made up their own group endemic to Madagascar, but this family has been expanded to include species in Africa and Asia. Within Madagascar, this fascinating group of related birds has exploded into a range of niches, and thus there are many very different looking species.
(Ankarafantsika National Park)Schetba rufa, 'Rufous Vanga'.
(trail, Ankarafantsika National Park)Cyanolanius madagascarinus, 'Madagascan Blue Vanga'.
(National Park HQ, Ankarafantsika National Park)Leptopterus chabert, 'Chabert Vanga'.
(Ankarafantsika National Park)Falculea palliata, 'Sickle-bill Vanga'.
Family Dicruridae: 'Drongoes'
(Ankarafantsika National Park)Dicrurus forficatus, 'Crested Drongo'.
Family Bernieridae: 'Malagasy Warblers'
A small family birds endemic to Madagascar.
(Ankarafantsika National Park)Bernieria madagascariensis, 'Long-billed Tetraka'.
Family Pycnonotidae: Bulbuls
(Ankarafantsika National Park)Hypsipetes madagascariensis, 'Madagascan Bulbul'.
Family Monarchidae: 'Flycatchers'
(Ankarafantsika National Park)
(walking trail, Ankarafantsika National Park)Terpsiphone mutata, 'Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher'.
(Ankarafantsika National Park)'Madagascar Paradise Flycatcher' white form.
Family Muscicapidae: 'Old World Flycatchers'
(HQ, Ankarafantsika National Park)Copsychus albospecularis, 'Madagascan Magpie-Robin'.
Family Nectariniidae: 'Sunbirds'
(Ankarafantsika National Park)Cinnyris sovimanga, 'Souimanga Sunbird'.