COMORO ISLANDS – An Indian Ocean endemics adventure

PRICE INFORMATION

Birdquest Inclusions: Our tour prices include surface transportation, accommodations, meals and entrance fees.

We also include all tipping for local guides, drivers and accommodation/restaurant staff.

We also include these flights:

Deposit: 20% of the total tour price. Our office will let you know what deposit amount is due, in order to confirm your booking, following receipt of your online booking form.

TO BOOK THIS TOUR: Click here (you will need the tour dates)

The single supplement will not apply if you indicate on booking that you prefer to share a room and there is a room-mate of the same sex available.

This tour is priced in US Dollars. Amounts shown in other currencies are indicative.

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency will be pleased to arrange your air travel on request, or you may arrange this yourself if you prefer.

COMORO ISLANDS BIRDING TOUR: DETAILED ITINERARY

Comoro Islands: Day 1  Our Comoro Islands birding tour begins this evening at Moroni on the island of Grande Comore, where we will stay for three nights.

(There are frequent international connections into Moroni via Nairobi.)

Comoro Islands: Days 2-3  Grande Comore (or Grand Comoro), otherwise known as Ngazidja, is the largest and westernmost of the Comoro Islands. During our three days on the island we will explore various areas in the highlands, concentrating on the area around Mount Karthala, which has the largest crater of any of the world’s active volcanoes!

Grand Comoro single island endemics that we should find during our exploration of the island include the critically endangered Grand Comoro Drongo, Grand Comoro Bulbul (now treated as a separate species from the bulbuls on Mohéli), the interesting Humblot’s Flycatcher (the sole representative of the genus Humblotia), Grand Comoro Brush-Warbler, Kirk’s White-eye (split from Madagascar) and the iridescent Grand Comoro Green Sunbird (now sometimes split from Malagasy Green).

On the upper slopes of Mount Karthala we will search for the endemic Karthala (or Grand Comoro) Scops Owl and the endemic Karthala White-eye, both of which we should find.

We will also have our first chance to see a number of endemics shared between islands, including Comoros Olive Pigeon, the attractive Comoros Blue Pigeon, Comoros Cuckooshrike (the endemic Grand Comoro subspecies), Comoros Thrush (a species which surely merits a three way split), the attractive Humblot’s Sunbird, and Comoros (or Red-headed) Fody, again of an endemic Grand Comoro subspecies.

In addition we will look out for the Grand Comoro forms of Frances’s Sparrowhawk, Lesser Vasa Parrot, Malagasy Spinetail, Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher and African Stonechat (another potential split). Malagasy Harrier is surprisingly common on the island, and around the coast we should find the Comoros endemic subspecies of Striated Heron and Malagasy (or Malagasy Malachite) Kingfisher.

The Comoros are also home to a number of introduced species such as Ring-necked (or Cape Turtle) and Tambourine Doves, Grey-headed Lovebird, Bronze Mannikin and House Sparrow.

Comoro Islands: Day 4  After some final birding on Grande Comore we will take a flight to the island of Mohéli for a two nights stay. Once we have arrived on the island we will make our way to our accommodation.

Comoro Islands: Day 5  Mohéli, also known as Mwali, is home to four single island endemics, as well as three others that are shared with Grande Comore. During our visit we will explore the remnant montane forest of the central spine of the island where we should find the uncommon endemic Mohéli (or Benson’s) Brush Warbler, the endemic Mohéli Bulbul (a recent split) and the endemic Comoros Blue Vanga (a recently proposed split from Blue Vanga and the sole representative of this family outside of Madagascar). With just a little luck we will come across the rarely observed Comoros Green Pigeon (split from Madagascan), which is endemic to the Comoro Islands in general. After dark, we will try for the recently described endemic Mohéli Scops Owl, which we have an excellent chance of seeing as well as hearing its weird screaming calls.

In addition, we should also find the local forms of Humblot’s Sunbird, Comoros Thrush (the distinctive local form is probably a good species) and, with luck, the rare Mohéli form of the Comoros Cuckooshrike (split from Ashy). Other species we may well encounter include the Mohéli forms of Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher, Malagasy White-eye, Malagasy Green Sunbird and Comoros (or Red-headed) Fody.

Off the coast, we are likely to see Lesser Frigatebirds and attractive Masked Boobies, and we also have a good chance of seeing the endemic temptator form of the Persian (or Arabian) Shearwater.

Comoro Islands: Day 6  After a final morning on Mohéli, we will take a flight to Anjouan for a two nights stay. In the evening, if time permits, we will have our first opportunity to look for the rather elusive endemic Anjouan Scops Owl.

Comoro Islands: Day 7  Anjouan, also known as Ndzuwani or Nzwani, is the easternmost of the three islands which make up the Union of Comoros and is home to three single-island endemics. Two of these, Anjouan Sunbird (split from Souimanga) and Anjouan Brush Warbler (split from Malagasy) are easy to find, and even occur in the town. Sadly, the natural vegetation on Anjouan had been devastated, and it is difficult to find any decent forest. Much more time will be spent tracking down the endearing Anjouan Scops Owl, which may well prove a little challenging as it seems to require reasonable habitat!

Other species we will be looking for include the scaly Anjouan form of the endemic Comoros Thrush (another likely split), as well as the Comoros form of the Greater Vasa Parrot and the Anjouan forms of Cuckoo-Roller, Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher, Malagasy White-eye and Comoros Fody. We will also hope to see the scarcer endemic island taxa, including the Anjouan forms of Frances’s Sparrowhawk (which may already be extinct!) and Crested Drongo.

Comoro Islands: Day 8  This morning we will take a flight from Anjouan across to Dzaoudzi, the capital of the two islands that comprise Mayotte (an overseas territory of France).

Situated at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between Madagascar and Africa, Mayotte (officially known by the title ‘The Departmental Collectivity of Mayotte’) is an Overseas Territory of France consisting of two main islands (Grande-Terre or Mahoré, and Petite-Terre or Pamandzi) and several islets. The territory has been politically separate from the rest of the Comoros since the 1970s.

On arrival, we will travel by ferry across to Grand Terre and on the short distance to our accommodation for a two nights stay. En route we are likely to find the endemic Mayotte White-eye (split from Malagasy), and will call in at a park where we may well find the endemic Mayotte form of the Comoros (or Red-headed) Fody.

Comoro Islands: Day 9  Our time on Grande Terre will largely be spent exploring the slopes of Mont Combani (480m). Here our time will be devoted to finding the three additional endemics that are restricted to Mayotte, as well as some other more widespread Comoro Islands endemics. We will take a jeep track up the mountain to search for the endemic Mayotte Drongo and endemic Mayotte Sunbird (both of which should be relatively easy to find) and after dark we will search for the endemic Mayotte Scops Owl (split from Rainforest) which is common and easy to see. We should also find two more widespread Comoros endemics; namely Comoros Olive Pigeon and the gorgeous Comoros Blue Pigeon.

With the current trend in splitting, especially of small island forms, we will be on the lookout for all of the endemic taxa throughout the Comoros, and here on Mayotte these include the Mayotte forms of Frances’s Sparrowhawk and Malagasy Paradise Flycatcher.

Other species we may well encounter include Malagasy Turtle Dove and Cuckoo-Roller (the latter, curiously, of the mainland Madagascar form).

Off the coastline, we may turn up both Sooty and Bridled Terns, and Brown Noddy.

Comoro Islands: Day 10  This morning we will travel back to Petite-Terre (where Dzaoudzi is situated), spending some time looking around Pamandzi Lagoon. Elegant White-tailed Tropicbirds breed on the island and the lagoon often holds the superb Crab-plover (the sole member of its family) as well as a good selection of other species, including Peregrine, Greater Crested Tern and the Comoros forms of Striated Heron and Malagasy Swift.

Our Comoro Islands birding tour ends this afternoon at Dzaoudzi airport on Mayotte island.