Photographer: Jonathan Rossouw   Destination: Madagascar

Birders in general are obsessed by keeping lists, be it lifelists, yard lists, year lists, regional lists and a million other variants! I see it as a form of collecting, something that many of us did as kids (coins, stamps, stickers etc) and have carried on into our adult lives. Collecting bird sightings is in my opinion one of the purest and healthiest forms of collecting, it imparts a joy and appreciation of the natural world, a commitment to conservation, encouraging a lifetime of travel adventures and opportunities to befriend like-minded people. One of the popular lists that some birders keep is that of “blue birds” and the spectacular Blue Vanga is admittedly one of the greatest of the blue birds on our planet!

This stunning image taken just a few days ago by Jonathan Rossouw in Perinet, Madagascar really illustrates the blueness of this species, from its beak and eyes to its vivid upperparts! Vangas belong to a group of birds endemic to Madagascar and the Comoros Islands and they are one of six bird families restricted to this region, thus making Madagascar an essential birding destination. The birding season in Madagascar is limited to just the months of October and November and a few final places are available on our 2009 Rockjumper departures. We have already started taking bookings for our 2010 Madagascar season. Please contact us for more details.