The word “Yucatán” conjures images of endless turquoise seas and ancient Mayan ruins hidden beneath dense jungle. You'll experience all of this on our tour, as well as a unique regional cuisine and up to 16 regionally endemic bird species. We'll visit a wide array of habitats, from mangrove-lined salt flats and desert scrub to lush canopy rain forest and tropical savanna. An archaeologist’s dream, we also visit an extensive list of spectacular Mayan ruin sites: Chichén Itzá, Cobá, Calakmul, Palenque, Bonampak, and Yaxchilán. Among them, they offer chances to see heart-stopping birds, like Keel-billed Toucan, Red-capped Manakin, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Ocellated Turkey, and Scarlet Macaw, as well as monkeys and even wild cats. This tour is timed to coincide with the spring migration of North American migrant songbirds, ensuring a magical experience.

Day 1: Arrival in Cancún. You will be transferred to a comfortable hotel where you should take advantage of the easy-going Caribbean atmosphere and relax.

Day 2: Cancún and Chichén Itzá. We'll start birding this morning in a superb botanical garden, just south of town. While searching for Rose-throated Tanager and Yucatán Vireo, we should be entertained by some more widespread birds like Cinnamon Hummingbird and Rufous-browed Peppershrike. Continuing west, we'll stop at the breathtaking ruins of Chichén Itzá. Here we hope to see birds more typical of the Yucatán mainland, such as Turquoise-browed Motmot, Yucatán Jay, and Orange Oriole.

Day 3: Río Lagartos. Situated on the north coast of the Yucatán, Río Lagartos is most famous as a location to see hundreds of American Flamingos. Habitats are varied, from salt flats and mangroves to thorn forest and desert-like scrub. The thorn forest supports three birds we cannot see elsewhere: White-lored Gnatcatcher, Yucatán Wren, and the gorgeous little Mexican Sheartail. We'll also keep an eye out for Lesser Roadrunner and Yucatán (Black-throated) Bobwhite. A boat ride through the mangroves may yield Boat-billed Heron, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Mangrove Cuckoo, Mangrove Vireo, or even a sprightly American Pygmy Kingfisher.

Day 4: Cobá and Felipe Carillo Puerto. After an early morning rise, we'll head south toward lush coastal forest. First, we'll stop at Cobá, a ruins site famous for a population of Spotted Rail. Among the ruins we’ll search for Yucatán Woodpecker, Yucatán Amazon, and White-browed Wren. We continue south to Felipe Carillo Puerto for the night, where we'll go out to look for Yucatán Nightjar and Yucatán Poorwill after dusk.

Day 5: Felipe Carillo Puerto to Xpujil. After morning birding and lunch at Felipe Carillo Puerto, we'll drive toward the Belizean border, and then west to our hotel in the village of Xpujil.

Day 6: Calakmul. Just north of the Guatemalan border, Calakmul Biosphere Reserve is the northern end of an enormous tract of pristine lowland tropical rainforest that covers more than 5.5 million acres of Guatemala, Mexico, and Belize; it’s the largest untouched expanse of tropical forest in the Americas outside the Amazon. Five species of wild cat and three species of monkey live here, and the birds are equally thrilling. This is the only place in Mexico where there is a decent chance of seeing Ocellated Turkey. Other exciting possibilities include Black-headed Shrike-Tanager, Great Curassow, Agami Heron, and Royal Flycatcher.

Day 7: Calakmul to Palenque. After morning birding, we'll continue west to Palenque. On the way, we'll stop to look for Jabiru, Sungrebe, Pinnated Bittern, and Black-collared Hawk. Nearby savannas should yield Fork-tailed Flycatcher and Double-striped Thick-knee. Finally, we’ll settle into our hotel at Palenque, where we spend the next six nights.

Day 8: Palenque. The first few minutes of daylight here will quickly assure you that Palenque's reputations as both a phenomenal archaeological site and an exquisite birding destination are well-earned. As we traverse the ancient temples, birds vary from the ridiculously colorful Keel-billed Toucan and Lovely Cotinga to the subdued and enigmatic Great Tinamou and Mexican Antthrush.

Days 9-12: Bonampak and Yaxchilán. Further east, these jungle-cloaked ruins offer birds that Palenque doesn't, including Mealy Amazon, White-whiskered Puffbird, and Purple-crowned Fairy. Hummingbird diversity can be impressive: Long-billed Hermit, Wedge-tailed Sabrewing, Violet Sabrewing, and Black-crested Coquette are just a few of the possibilities.  Yaxchilán is the only reliable site in Mexico for the magnificent Scarlet Macaw, one of our main targets. To get to Yaxchilán, we'll take a pleasant boat ride down the Río Usumacinta, giving us a chance at Collared Plover and a great vantage point for looking for soaring birds like King Vulture and White Hawk.  We’ll spend these four days based in Frontera Corozal, on the border with Guatemala.  With a little luck, we may find a Short-tailed Nighthawk flying over our hotel at dusk.

Day 13: Palenque to Cancún. After a morning birding the Palenque area, we'll head back to Cancún for a final celebratory dinner.

Day 14: Departure. The tour ends this morning in Cancún.

Cozumel Extension (4 days)
Starting and ending in Cancún, this extension starts after the main tour. Of the four island endemics, Cozumel Wren, Cozumel Vireo, and Cozumel Emerald should show themselves without too much effort. There are many endemic subspecies on Cozumel as well: Western Spindalis, Bananaquit, Roadside Hawk, and Rufous-browed Peppershike all have distinctive populations that should pique our interest. Though present on the mainland as well, Yucatán (Yellow-lored) Amazon, Black Catbird, Yucatán Vireo, and Rose-throated Tanager are often easier to see on the island. Cozumel offers a unique mix of these mainland species plus Caribbean birds like Caribbean Elaenia and White-crowned Pigeon. An added bonus is a load of migrants, such as Black-throated Blue, Prairie, and Cape May Warblers. Afternoon birding is optional; those wishing to enjoy the beach or go snorkeling are encouraged to do so.

TOUR INFO:

CLIMATE: Warm to hot. Usually dry but some rain is possible.

DIFFICULTY: Easy. Almost all birding is done from roads, level trails, and boats.

ACCOMMODATION: Excellent in most places, but at the remote ruins sites even the best hotels are basic.