Indian Ocean Islands - Mauritius, Rodrigues, Reunion & Seychelles 2021

2021 Prices are an estimate, dates are not confirmed and may change. Sprinkled on the tropical seas off East Africa are a series of islands where paradise is defined! On our exploration of these idyllic isles, we will search for birds in the most spectacular scenery, be it rugged, forest-clad volcanic peaks, verdant forest patches or white, shell-laden beaches, fringed by warm water and teeming coral reefs. We hope to find over 35 regional endemics, including some of the world’s rarest and most sought-after birds. We begin our journey on the granitic formation of the Seychelles, which is often thought of as the most beautiful islands in the world. Here we will explore a numbers of the isles to observe some of the planet’s rarest birds, as well as some of the world’s greatest tropical seabird colonies. The fabulous coal-black Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher, Seychelles Scops Owl, Seychelles Magpie-Robin and Seychelles Blue Pigeon are included in this bounty. Nesting seabird colonies showcase hundreds of thousands of Sooty Terns, lesser numbers of Bridled and Fairy Tern, Wedge-tailed and Audubon’s Shearwaters, Great and Lesser Frigatebird, Brown and Lesser Noddy and more than 20,000 White-tailed Tropicbird! Island wildlife is generally susceptible to extinction and the islands of this area are no exception, with birds like the proverbial and rather unfortunate Dodo serving as stark reminders of Mans’ heavy hand in these sensitive environments. During the opening days of our explorations in Mauritius, we target Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon and Mauritius Parakeet, all recently snatched back from the jaws of extinction. Highlights include a visit to the dramatic Black River Gorges National Park, a boat trip to search for the rare Trinidade Petrel, and an overnight visit to the far-flung Rodrigues Island for its two endemic landbirds: a warbler and a unique yellow fody. After the splendors of Mauritius, we visit the French governed Réunion, a rugged volcanic island, rich in land endemics and well-endowed with a range of special sea birds. We will search the tropical waters here for Barau’s and Mascarene Petrel and, whilst ambling forest trails in the footprints of pirates, search for Reunion Cuckoo-shrike, 2 endemic white-eyes and Reunion Bulbul. Our exploration of these tropical islands is a fantastic birding getaway in its own right and serves as a perfect pre-tour to the Comoros or as an add-on to our Madagascar tours. We welcome you to join us as we island-hop with binoculars in hand in our quest to find the birds of these heavenly Indian Ocean isles.