Birding Madagascar, with a side of South Africa (Or, Birding Gondwana Pt 4)

With Gregg Recer

Lemurs, and chameleons, and bizarre weevils, oh my! Or, if you prefer, ground-rollers, and asities, and vangas, oh my! Whichever, we are definitely not in Kansas anymore. Madagascar is the third-largest tropical island, as well as the second-largest island country, in the world. Although originally at the center of the Gondwana supercontinent, it has been isolated from other land masses for about 90 million years. The result is a very high degree of endemism in its birds, as well as other fauna and flora. Five bird families (and two orders) are unique to the island and, of course, all eight families of lemurs occur (or occurred) only there as well. The diversity and uniqueness of lizards on the island is also quite stunning. Gregg Recer and Cathy Graichen visited the country on a birding tour in 2023 and this talk will share their experiences throughout the island. As a bonus, we'll throw in some scenery and birds from nearby South Africa.

Gregg Recer is a former HMBC president. He and his wife, Cathy Graichen, have been HMBC members since 1989 and have been focused on world birding for the last 20 years.