Madagascar bird checklist
283 bird species in 69 families have been recorded in Madagascar, according to eBird; about 268 of them are seen regularly, and the rest are rarities, vagrants and escaped or introduced birds. Download the full list as a PDF, or tick birds off on your phone, with counts and notes, even without signal.
Species data: eBird.org, updated · How these lists are made
The most common birds in Madagascar right now
1Curlew Sandpiper
2Common Greenshank
3Common Ringed Plover
4Great Egret
5Black-crowned Night Heron
6Black-winged Stilt
7Black Kite
8Common Myna
9Western Cattle-Egret
10Little Egret
Madagascar bird checklist
283 species · loading the checklist tools…
Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl
- White-faced Whistling-Duck
- Fulvous Whistling-Duck
- White-backed Duck
- Swan Goose
- Knob-billed Duck
- Egyptian Goose
- Muscovy Duck
- African Pygmy-Goose
- Blue-billed Teal
- Meller's Duck
- Mallard
- Red-billed Duck
- Bernier's Teal
- Madagascar Pochard
Guineafowl
- Helmeted Guineafowl
Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
- Red Junglefowl
- Madagascar Partridge
- Common Quail
- Harlequin Quail
Pigeons and Doves
- Rock Pigeon
- Malagasy Turtle-Dove
- Namaqua Dove
- Madagascar Green-Pigeon
- Madagascar Blue-Pigeon
Mesites
- White-breasted Mesite
- Brown Mesite
- Subdesert Mesite
Sandgrouse
- Madagascar Sandgrouse
Cuckoos
- Crested Coua
- Verreaux's Coua
- Blue Coua
- Red-capped Coua
- Olive-capped Coua
- Red-fronted Coua
- Coquerel's Coua
- Running Coua
- Giant Coua
- Red-breasted Coua
- Malagasy Coucal
- Madagascar Cuckoo
Nightjars and Allies
- Collared Nightjar
- Madagascar Nightjar
Swifts
- Madagascar Spinetail
- Alpine Swift
- Malagasy Swift
- Little Swift
- African Palm Swift
- Malagasy Palm Swift
Flufftails
- Madagascar Forest Rail
- Tsingy Forest Rail
- Madagascar Flufftail
- Slender-billed Flufftail
Rails, Gallinules, and Coots
- Madagascar Rail
- White-throated Rail
- Eurasian Moorhen
- Red-knobbed Coot
- Allen's Gallinule
- African Swamphen
- Baillon's Crake
- Sakalava Rail
Stilts and Avocets
- Black-winged Stilt
Plovers and Lapwings
- Black-bellied Plover
- Pacific Golden-Plover
- Common Ringed Plover
- Three-banded Plover
- Oriental Plover
- Tibetan Sand-Plover
- Greater Sand-Plover
- Madagascar Plover
- Kittlitz's Plover
- White-fronted Plover
Painted-Snipes
- Greater Painted-Snipe
Jacanas
- Madagascar Jacana
Sandpipers and Allies
- Eurasian Whimbrel
- Eurasian Curlew
- Bar-tailed Godwit
- Madagascar Snipe
- Red-necked Phalarope
- Terek Sandpiper
- Common Sandpiper
- Marsh Sandpiper
- Wood Sandpiper
- Common Greenshank
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Ruff
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper
- Sanderling
- Dunlin
- Little Stint
- Pectoral Sandpiper
Buttonquail
- Madagascar Buttonquail
Crab-Plover
- Crab-Plover
Pratincoles and Coursers
- Madagascar Pratincole
- Oriental Pratincole
Skuas and Jaegers
- Long-tailed Jaeger
- Parasitic Jaeger
- Pomarine Jaeger
- Brown Skua
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
- Gray-hooded Gull
- Sooty Gull
- Kelp Gull
- Brown Noddy
- Lesser Noddy
- Sooty Tern
- Bridled Tern
- Little Tern
- Saunders's Tern
- Gull-billed Tern
- Caspian Tern
- Whiskered Tern
- White-winged Tern
- Common Tern
- Black-naped Tern
- Roseate Tern
- Sandwich Tern
- Lesser Crested Tern
- Great Crested Tern
Flamingos
- Greater Flamingo
- Lesser Flamingo
Grebes
- Little Grebe
- Madagascar Grebe
Tropicbirds
- White-tailed Tropicbird
- Red-tailed Tropicbird
Albatrosses
- Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross
Southern Storm-Petrels
- Wilson's Storm-Petrel
- White-faced Storm-Petrel
Shearwaters and Petrels
- Pintado Petrel
- Great-winged Petrel
- Soft-plumaged Petrel
- Barau's Petrel
- Bulwer's Petrel
- Cory's Shearwater
- Flesh-footed Shearwater
- Wedge-tailed Shearwater
- Tropical Shearwater
Storks
- African Openbill
- Yellow-billed Stork
Frigatebirds
- Lesser Frigatebird
- Great Frigatebird
Boobies and Gannets
- Cape Gannet
- Red-footed Booby
- Brown Booby
- Masked Booby
Anhingas
- African Darter
Cormorants and Shags
- Reed Cormorant
Ibises and Spoonbills
- Glossy Ibis
- Madagascar Ibis
- Malagasy Sacred Ibis
- African Spoonbill
Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Little Bittern
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Black Heron
- Little Egret
- Little Heron
- Squacco Heron
- Malagasy Pond-Heron
- Western Cattle-Egret
- Great Egret
- Gray Heron
- Purple Heron
- Humblot's Heron
- Goliath Heron
Hamerkop
- Hamerkop
Osprey
- Osprey
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Madagascar Harrier-Hawk
- Madagascar Serpent-Eagle
- Madagascar Cuckoo-Hawk
- Bat Hawk
- Frances's Sparrowhawk
- Madagascar Sparrowhawk
- Henst's Goshawk
- Malagasy Harrier
- Pallid Harrier
- Black Kite
- Madagascar Fish-Eagle
- Madagascar Buzzard
Barn-Owls
- Western Barn Owl
- Red Owl
Owls
- Madagascar Scops-Owl
- White-browed Owl
- Long-eared Owl
- Madagascar Owl
- Marsh Owl
Cuckoo-roller
- Cuckoo-roller
Hoopoes
- Madagascar Hoopoe
Bee-eaters
- Olive Bee-eater
Kingfishers
- Malagasy Kingfisher
- Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher
Rollers
- Broad-billed Roller
Ground-Rollers
- Scaly Ground-Roller
- Short-legged Ground-Roller
- Long-tailed Ground-Roller
- Pitta-like Ground-Roller
- Rufous-headed Ground-Roller
Falcons and Caracaras
- Malagasy Kestrel
- Banded Kestrel
- Eleonora's Falcon
- Sooty Falcon
- Peregrine Falcon
Old World Parrots
- Greater Vasa Parrot
- Lesser Vasa Parrot
- Gray-headed Lovebird
Asities
- Velvet Asity
- Schlegel's Asity
- Common Sunbird-Asity
- Yellow-bellied Sunbird-Asity
Cuckooshrikes
- Madagascar Cuckooshrike
Old World Orioles
- Eurasian Golden Oriole
Vangas, Helmetshrikes, and Allies
- Archbold's Newtonia
- Common Newtonia
- Dark Newtonia
- Red-tailed Newtonia
- Tylas Vanga
- Red-tailed Vanga
- Red-shouldered Vanga
- Nuthatch-Vanga
- Chabert Vanga
- Crossley's Vanga
- Madagascar Blue Vanga
- Hook-billed Vanga
- Ward's Vanga
- Rufous Vanga
- Helmet Vanga
- Bernier's Vanga
- Sickle-billed Vanga
- White-headed Vanga
- Pollen's Vanga
- Lafresnaye's Vanga
- Van Dam's Vanga
Drongos
- Crested Drongo
Monarch Flycatchers
- Malagasy Paradise-Flycatcher
Crows, Jays, and Magpies
- House Crow
- Pied Crow
Larks
- Madagascar Lark
Cisticolas and Allies
- Common Jery
- Green Jery
- Stripe-throated Jery
- Madagascar Cisticola
Reed Warblers and Allies
- Malagasy Brush-Warbler
- Subdesert Brush-Warbler
- Madagascar Swamp Warbler
Grassbirds and Allies
- Gray Emutail
- Brown Emutail
Malagasy Warblers
- White-throated Oxylabes
- Long-billed Bernieria
- Cryptic Warbler
- Wedge-tailed Jery
- Thamnornis
- Madagascar Yellowbrow
- Dusky Tetraka
- Spectacled Tetraka
- Appert's Tetraka
- Gray-crowned Tetraka
- Rand's Warbler
Swallows
- Mascarene Martin
- Plain Martin
- Madagascar Martin
- Bank Swallow
- Barn Swallow
- Western House-Martin
Bulbuls
- Malagasy Bulbul
White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies
- Malagasy White-eye
Starlings
- Wattled Starling
- Common Myna
- Madagascar Starling
Old World Flycatchers
- Madagascar Magpie-Robin
- Littoral Rock-Thrush
- Amber Mountain Rock-Thrush
- Forest Rock-Thrush
- African Stonechat
- Northern Wheatear
Sunbirds and Spiderhunters
- Souimanga Sunbird
- Malagasy Sunbird
Weavers and Allies
- Nelicourvi Weaver
- Sakalava Weaver
- Red Fody
- Forest Fody
Waxbills and Allies
- Madagascar Munia
- Common Waxbill
Old World Sparrows
- House Sparrow
Wagtails and Pipits
- Madagascar Wagtail
- White Wagtail
Most common birds in Madagascar
Ranked by how recently and how widely each was reported to eBird in the 30 days to 2026-10-13, and whether it is one of Madagascar’s regular birds. The list follows the seasons: migrants rise in spring and autumn.
- Curlew SandpiperCalidris ferruginea
- Common GreenshankTringa nebularia
- Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
- Great EgretArdea alba
- Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus
- Black KiteMilvus migrans
- Common MynaAcridotheres tristis
- Western Cattle-EgretArdea ibis
- Little EgretEgretta garzetta
- Eurasian MoorhenGallinula chloropus
- Pied CrowCorvus albus
- Kittlitz's PloverAnarhynchus pecuarius
- Common SandpiperActitis hypoleucos
- Malagasy Palm SwiftCypsiurus gracilis
- Namaqua DoveOena capensis
- Three-banded PloverThinornis tricollaris
- Madagascar NightjarCaprimulgus madagascariensis
- Red FodyFoudia madagascariensis
- Malagasy BulbulHypsipetes madagascariensis
Largest bird families in Madagascar
Among its regular birds.
- Vangas, Helmetshrikes, and Allies21
- Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers19
- Sandpipers and Allies18
- Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns13
- Hawks, Eagles, and Kites12
- Cuckoos12
- Malagasy Warblers11
- Plovers and Lapwings10
Reported in the last 30 days
213 species reported to eBird in Madagascar in the 30 days to 2026-10-13. The 40 most recently reported:
Madagascar Nightjar, Western Barn Owl, Common Ringed Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Kittlitz's Plover, Three-banded Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Malagasy Palm Swift, Black Kite, Malagasy Kestrel, Madagascar Magpie-Robin, White-headed Vanga, Black-crowned Night Heron, Sakalava Weaver, Pied Crow, Namaqua Dove, Crested Coua, Common Myna, Great Egret, Malagasy Coucal, Souimanga Sunbird, Madagascar Cisticola, Malagasy Bulbul, Little Egret, Malagasy Swift, Western Cattle-Egret, Malagasy Paradise-Flycatcher, Crested Drongo, Madagascar Hoopoe, Gray-headed Lovebird, Chabert Vanga, Hook-billed Vanga, Olive Bee-eater, Common Jery, Greater Vasa Parrot, Stripe-throated Jery, Running Coua, Malagasy Turtle-Dove, Malagasy White-eye, …
Get to know some of them
Eurasian Moorhen
Pied Crow
Common Sandpiper
Squacco Heron
Little Stint
White-faced Whistling-Duck
Little Grebe
House Sparrow
Gray Heron
Purple Heron
Little Swift
Great Crested Tern
Rock Pigeon
Red-tailed Tropicbird
Sanderling