Our three-week Comprehensive Madagascar birding and wildlife tours are set to take in as much of this biological melting pot as possible during our time here. Madagascar’s size and millions of years of isolation have led to a remarkable selection of utterly unique and often spectacular fauna and flora. We will explore a number of this island’s most awe-inspiring habitats – from the bird-rich sites of the eastern rainforest zone and the astonishing Spiny Desert around Ifaty to the deciduous woodlands of the north-west and everything Tolkienesque in between – as we search for our quarry.
Equally as (if not more) awe-inspiring than the habitats is this island’s avifauna, whose presence in the flesh make superlatives seem inadequate, and we hope to see representatives of all of Madagascar’s endemic bird families during our time here: ground rollers; Cuckoo Roller; mesites; Malagasy warblers and vangas! Other than endemic families, we also stand a chance to see Madagascar Fish Eagle, Madagascar Sacred Ibis, Red-breasted Coua, Yellow-bellied Sunbird-Asity, Benson’s Rock Thrush and Appert’s Tetraka.
Besides the birds, we experience up to 27 lemur species (including the regal Indri and world-famous dancing Sifakas), other mammals from civets to strange tenrecs (the planet’s most primitive mammals), dozens of species of chameleons, cryptic leaf-tailed geckos and other bizarre reptiles and amphibians, and even some of the world’s most outlandish insects (such as the celebrated Giraffe-necked Weevil)!
Join us for a truly comprehensive birding and wildlife tour of this otherworldly land!
Subdesert, Brown & White-breasted Mesite, Cuckoo Roller, Long-tailed Ground Roller, Blue & Red-breasted Coua, Schlegel’s & Velvet Asity, Nuthatch & Sickle-billed Vanga, Yellow-bellied Sunbird-Asity, Forest Rock Thrush, Appert’s Tetraka, Madagascar Plover, Thamnornis, Madagascar & Madagascar Sacred Ibis, Madagascar Fish Eagle, Henst’s Goshawk, Bernier’s Teal , Madagascar Wood Rail, Brown Emutail
Indri, Ring-tailed Lemur, Diademed & Verreaux’s Sifaka, Golden & Greater Bamboo Lemur, Golden-brown Mouse Lemur, Hubbard’s Sportive Lemur, Fosa
rainforest, riparian forest, deciduous woodland, spiny desert, mudflats, wetlands
warm to very hot, cooler evenings in highlands, some rainfall possible
moderate to brisk
spiny forest, Berenty, strange herps & insects, coral reefs, shopping, culture
You have made a very good decision in hiring David Erterius. He is a great young man and will be a very good guide for your company.
Our leader, Rob Williams, was extremely knowledgeable, had a good sense of humour and was keen to see as many species as possible. He helped group members locate more difficult species.
Adam Walleyn went above and beyond to find just about everything there was to see. His knowledge of herps, mammals and birds is very comprehensive.
Excellent tour overall. Adam Walleyn is probably the best overall bird tour guide I have had the pleasure of touring with. He not only knows the birds and wildlife, but is great at handling all types of people and doing whatever he can to make the tour fun, pleasant, and productive. He was always respectful of participants, and…
Our guide, Adam Walleyn, was exceptional. His knowledge and enthusiasm is unparalleled.
David was a terrific guide and traveling companion. He managed everything from birding to people to logistics like a veteran. We’d love to travel with him again any time
David is a terrific guide – very friendly and lovely to travel with.
We take our hats off to Gareth Robbins, who worked day and night to make the tour work in the most effective way, taking the local infrastructure into consideration.
Our Madagascar experience surpassed our wildest dreams. We didn’t even realise it was a ‘birding trip’ but David ensured that we saw much much more. The birds were great anyway, especially the pursuit of the magical Helmet Vanga! An unforgettable experience!
Gareth Robbins made special efforts to ensure everyone saw the wildlife. An amazing tour.
This was our first tour with Rockjumper and it was absolutely fabulous. Adam Walleyn is by far the best bird guide we have ever had the privilege of working with. His combined qualities as the overall tour leader in terms of personality, ability to deal with whatever got thrown at him and interactive skills were all…
Adam Walleyn was amazing, and we will definitely be looking into arranging a private Rockjumper tour with him in the future. Not only did he have extensive knowledge of the birds, but also the other flora and fauna, as well as some of the historical aspects of Madagascar.
In addition to his obvious birding skills, Gareth Robbins’ ability to handle all types of situations was remarkable. He was an excellent travelling companion, and his humour made the tour so much more enjoyable. What a great tour this was. I also want to say that the entire staff did a wonderful job, like they…
Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect since this was my first birding specific trip, and it exceeded my expectations. Seeing all the endemic birds, mammals and reptiles was a once in a lifetime experience I will always remember. Adam Walleyn is a great guide who is extremely knowledgeable about most things “Madagascar.” And he…
I’d like to thank you all for a fantastic Madagascar Comprehensive trip. Crystal and Alison were so helpful with all the pre-trip stuff; Glen and Fano made the trip so smooth and successful in every way and the local guides were fantastically skilled.
David Hoddinott is the best!! He is tenacious about getting all participants on all birds!
Recently back at home from our fantastic tour in Madagascar, I wanted to offer thanks to all for the excellent times we enjoyed. For us, the exuberant and superbly-skilled leadership of Rich Lindie was a delight and gave us such a greater measure of understanding to the natural wonders as well as a bit of the cultural aspects of the unique island. We had a great time, and we certainly saw a tremendous variety of the birds, mammals, and many other creatures as well as strange and wonderful plant life of the “Eighth Continent”. Thanks to Cuan and all the staff for assisting in the planning stages. Above all, however, thanks to Rich for giving his all to ensure a successful and thoroughly delightful tour…. From start to finish, a most memorable trip, and our highest recommendation to Rockjumper for the entire experience.
With Adam Walleyn as our guide, it was hard to imagine how the trip could have been any better. Madagascar is certainly a challenging place, but his experience and ability to help us know what to expect were invaluable. As far as seeing birds, my expectations were exceeded. A great trip.
Just a short note to say that I thought Heinz did a great job with the Masoala extension—he’s a a sharp birder, energetic, and very personable with a lot of good stories! I look forward to traveling on another trip with him…
