IFATY, SALTWORKS & COAST

MADAGASCAR

TOLIARA (Ifaty), (-)

23o08´S/43o36´E 60ha, 3m, low spiny xerophyte vegetation 

August to December ()

Birding Site Guide

This area of coastal tall dry spiny forest vegetation with Baobab and Octopus trees are in the SW and as such a scarce habitat it holds some restricted range species. From the airport at Tulear there is a rough, bad sandy track north to Ifaty, which takes about one and a half hours.

There are 3 forest patches the biggest 45ha of spiny forest, then Moussa Forest and Village des Tortues (owned by a French NGO tortoises and turtles conservation group). The specialities include Sub-desert Mesite, Banded Kestrel, White-browed Owl, Madagascar Nightjar, Madagascar Buttonquail, Archibold’s Newtonia, Thamnornis Warbler, Lafresnay’s Vanga, Long-tailed Ground Roller, Running Coua and Sub-Desert Brush-Warbler.

 

Nearby are the salt works which are worth a look for Madagascar Plover. Then there are coastal marshes to the south where species such as Red-knobbed Coot, Little Bittern, Baillon’s Crake and Hottentot Teal may be seen.

An excellent report and tour operator to try is Rockjumper Tours

ROCKJUMPER MADAGASCAR BIRD REPORT 2008

ROCKJUMPER MADAGASCAR BIRD REPORT 2007

Mammals: White-footed Sportive Lemur Lepilemur leucopus.

LEMURS CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

The ocean has coral reefs to look at.

Tree families include Didieria, Boabab and Euphorbia. The biggest patch of spiny forest has the largest Baobab tree in the south-west, over 12m in circumference and possibly 1200 years old.

For lists of all the endemics look here. MADAGASCAR LIVING NATIONAL TREASURES

Author: BSG

 

www.birdingsiteguide.com