Site Report: Toliara, Madagascar

Running Coua (Coua cursor)

Madagascar Lark (Eremopterix hova)

Malagasy Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone mutata)

Madagascar Magpie-Robin (Copsychus albospecularis) - Male

Olive-capped Coua (Coua olivaceiceps)

Crested Drongo (Dicrurus forficatus)

Subdesert Brush-Warbler (Nesillas lantzii)

Verreaux's Coua (Coua verreauxi)

Sakalava Weaver (Ploceus sakalava)

Madagascar Cisticola (Cisticola cherina)

Madagascar Magpie-Robin (Copsychus albospecularis) - Female

Olive Bee-eater (Merops superciliosus)

Madagascar Munia (Lonchura nana)

Kittlitz's Plover (Charadrius pecuarius)

Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris sovimanga) - Male

Malagasy Kestrel (Falco newtoni)

Red-shouldered Vanga (Calicalicus rufocarpalis)

Common Newtonia (Newtonia brunneicauda)

Chabert Vanga (Leptopterus chabert)

Malagasy Swift (Apus balstoni)

Commerson's Leaf-nosed Bat (Hipposideros commersonii)

The Toliara area is mostly dry and brushy with some remnant patches containing very large baobob trees.

Map of Site Report: Toliara, Madagascar

2017-10-31: Signs were posted in the domestic airport warning of both plague and ebola. We flew to Tolaira anyway for the first real leg of the trip. In the afternoon, we headed over to the Arboretum d'Antsokay. The guides were very determined to find Coua's and other birds, running around in the scrub and blasting their phones with bird calls. Too bad, I was hoping to get away from all the tech.
2017-11-01: We woke up very early to drive out to a formerly forested area known as La Table. Even now, there are people cutting the very sparse forest in search of charcoal. Plus the burning of every patch of grass. My arms got pretty scratched up bushwhacking through spiky shrub land. For fun, we stopped at a bunch of swampy and dune areas in search of the Littoral Rock Thrush who never showed.

Kingdom: Animals (44 records)

Phylum: Chordates (44 records)

Class: Birds (43 records)

Order: Anseriformes (1 record)
- Family: Swans, Geese, and Ducks
- Blue-billed Teal (Spatula hottentota)

Order: Cranes, Rails, and Allies (1 record)
- Family: Rails, Gallinules, and Allies
- Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla)

Order: Cuckoos (4 records)
- Family: Coucals
- Malagasy Coucal (Centropus toulou)
- Family: Cuckoos
- Olive-capped Coua (Coua olivaceiceps)
- Running Coua (Coua cursor)
- Verreaux's Coua (Coua verreauxi)

Order: Doves and Pigeons (2 records)
- Family: Pigeons and Doves
- Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis)
- Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)

Order: Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies (1 record)
- Family: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

Order: Hummingbirds and Swifts (1 record)
- Family: Swifts
- Malagasy Swift (Apus balstoni)

Order: Kingfishers, Bee-eaters, Motmots (1 record)
- Family: Bee-eaters
- Olive Bee-eater (Merops superciliosus)

Order: Owls And Nightjars (1 record)
- Family: Nighthawks and Nightjars
- Madagascar Nightjar (Caprimulgus madagascariensis)

Order: Parrots (1 record)
- Family: New World Parrots
- Gray-headed Lovebird (Agapornis canus)

Order: Pelicans (8 records)
- Family: Falcons and Caracaras
- Malagasy Kestrel (Falco newtoni)
- Family: Flamingos
- Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)
- Family: Herons
- Great Egret (Ardea alba)
- Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis)
- Family: Sandpipers and Allies
- Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
- Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)
- Eurasian Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)
- Family: Stilts and Avocets
- Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Order: Perching Birds (18 records)
- Family: Drongos
- Crested Drongo (Dicrurus forficatus)
- Family: Jays and Crows
- Chabert Vanga (Leptopterus chabert)
- Pied Crow (Corvus albus)
- Family: Larks
- Madagascar Lark (Eremopterix hova)
- Family: Old World Sparrows
- Madagascar Munia (Lepidopygia nana)
- Sakalava Weaver (Ploceus sakalava)
- Family: Old World Warblers and Gnatcatchers
- Common Jery (Neomixis tenella)
- Common Newtonia (Newtonia brunneicauda)
- Madagascar Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus newtoni)
- Family: Paradise-flycatcher
- Malagasy Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone mutata)
- Family: Prinias and Apalis
- Madagascar Cisticola (Cisticola cherina)
- Family: Reed Warblers and Allies
- Subdesert Brush-Warbler (Nesillas lantzii)
- Family: Starlings and Mynas
- Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)
- Family: Sunbirds
- Souimanga Sunbird (Cinnyris sovimanga)
- Family: Swallows
- Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
- Mascarene Martin (Phedina borbonica)
- Family: Thrushes and Allies
- Madagascar Magpie-Robin (Copsychus albospecularis)
- Family: Vangas
- Red-shouldered Vanga (Calicalicus rufocarpalis)

Order: Shorebirds and Allies (4 records)
- Family: Buttonquail
- Madagascar Buttonquail (Turnix nigricollis)

Class: Mammals (1 record)

Order: Bats (1 record)
- Family: Rhinonycteridae
- Commerson's Leaf-nosed Bat (Hipposideros commersonii)