Tropical Birding is an international tour operator specializing in birding, nature, and nature photography tours. We’ve been in business for twenty years, and now run over 100 tours per year with a list of destinations over 70 countries and growing. Southern Ground-Hornbill Marvelous Saptuletail Silver-eared Mesia Splendid Fairywren Ivory-billed Aracari Bengal Tiger Cape Gannet Crested Partridge White-eared Puffbird Short-beaked Echidna Shoebill Rainbow Bee-eater Ecuadorian Hillstar White-fronted Chat Cheetah Southern Ground-Hornbill Marvelous Saptuletail Silver-eared Mesia Splendid Fairywren Ivory-billed Aracari Bengal Tiger Cape Gannet Crested Partridge White-eared Puffbird Short-beaked Echidna Shoebill Rainbow Bee-eater Ecuadorian Hillstar White-fronted Chat Cheetah Welcome To Tropical Birding Tours Our story began back in 2001 when three friends abandoned promising careers in science so that they could go birding and call it ‘work'. Diligent and caring staff, great products and loyal clients have helped us grow, and we now offer various nature-based travel experiences to over 60 global destinations, running more than 150 tours a year. Our main goal will always be to show you the natural world we love, from flocks of tanagers in the Andes to Clouded Leopards in Borneo, and we want to share it with you. Hope to see you in the field soon… Recent Trip Reports: Mexico and Guatemala - February-March 2026 Tanzania custom tour - February-March 2026 Namibia custom tour - October 2025 Hawaii - Feb-Mar 2026 Falkland Islands BWC Tour - Dec 2025 Thailand - Jan-Feb 2026

Colombia: Birding the Amazon, Foothills & Llanos Tour Overview: Colombia sits squarely within the tropics and is rightly world famous for its epic diversity of birds and other wildlife. If there is one tour in Colombia where this is starkly obvious to attendees, this is it. This tour sees interesting species, but also impressive volumes of birds too. Bird-packed wetlands typify the experience in the Colombian Llanos, one of the largest wetlands in the world, combined with the extraordinary diversity of the Amazon rainforest, it will be patently obvious you are birding within an area of extreme species richness. Along with the birds, this tour also offers a great natural history experience, with Giant Anteater, Capybaras, Pink Dolphins, and even wild cats all possible by covering these two classic natural areas. While the experience of birding vast ranchlands and gallery forests in the Llanos will bring sights of masses of Orinoco Geese, spoonbills, ibises (including the shockingly bright Scarlet), sunbitterns, storks (including the mighty Jabiru), and herons vying for a place to feed on the massive wet areas, there are also specialty birds like White-bearded Flycatcher and Pale-headed Jacamar that are easily found in the Llanos too. For the Amazon section, there are two markedly different areas covered, which have both become legendary in Colombian birding, having been well kept secrets for some time! On the main tour we cover the rich Inírida area, while an extension is offered to Mitu for those who have more time and cannot leave without coming face-to-face with Guianan Cock-of-the-rock. Inírida is the only reliable place in Colombia to see Capuchinbird, making this a rich tour for cotingas among others! These Amazon areas offer an eclectic mix of Amazonian birds and also Guaianan Shield species too, so that there is plenty on offer for Amazon first timers, and also experienced hands looking for different species from their previous Amazonian trips elsewhere. Overall, this is a truly epic natural history experience with plenty for the naturalist and hard-core birder alike. Some of the numbers offered on this tour are mind boggling – 7 species of ibis, more than 10 species of Jacamar, 5 species of macaw, all 5 American kingfishers, 6 species of trogon, 7 species of toucan, and much, much more besides are on a long and impressive “shopping list”! Scarlet Ibis Nick Athanas Wire-tailed Manakin Nick Athanas Rose-breasted Chat Nick Athanas Sunbitterns Nick Athanas Guainan Cock-of-the-rock Nick Athanas Black-capped Donacobius Nick Athanas Collared Puffbird Nick Athanas Yapacana Antbird Nick Athanas Spotted Puffbird Nick Athanas Green-tailed Jacamar Nick Athanas Black-crested Antshrike Nick Athanas Hoatzin Sam Woods Yellow-bellied Dacnis Nick Athanas Horned Screamer Nick Athanas Jabiru Nick Athanas Bronzy Jacamar Nick Athanas Capybara Nick Athanas White-naped Seedeater Nick Athanas Orinoco Softtail Nick Athanas Orinoco Piculet Nick Athanas Pied Lapwing Nick Athanas Giant Anteater Nick Athanas Black Manakin Nick Athanas Capuchinbird Nick Athanas Ladder-tailed Nightjar Nick Athanas Tour Details: 2027 Main Tour: 10 - 23 February $8990; single supplement: $500 Extension : 4 - 10 February $4130; single supplement: $120 Length: 14 Days (20 Days w/ Extension) Starting City: Bogotá Ending City: Bogotá Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Birding Group size : 9 + 1-2 Leaders (for small groups, the tour will be led by a local Colombian leader, and for larger groups a TB guide will also join ) Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report Colombia Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Note: The order in which these sites are visited is often changed for logistical reasons, recent sightings, recommendations by the local guide, and other factors. Day 1: Arrival in Bogota The tour starts with a dinner meeting in Colombia’s 2-mile-high capital city. A single night will be spent in an airport hotel. There is no birding planned for this day. Day 2: Bogota to Inírida - Caño Culebra Trail (Amazon) Following a short flight east to Inírida, we will find ourselves in the Amazon, close to the border of Venezuela. We will have an extended stay in Inírida , staying at the same comfortable hotel for five nights, where we can enjoy the Amazon with no need to compromise on home comforts. After arriving, we will have time to explore our first local birding hotspot, the Caño Culebra Trail, which will offer delectable birds like Spotted Puffbird, Brown, Bronzy and Paradise Jacamars, Golden-spangled Piculet, Scarlet Macaw, Cherrie’s Antwren, Black Manakin, and Pompadour Cotinga right off the bat! Day 3: Inírida - Caño Carbon & Sabanitas Trail (Amazon) Staying in a central location here is superb for dipping into numerous surrounding birding sites, with a varied offering of habitats to bird within. While the Amazon may seem like nothing more than a uniformity of lowland rainforest, it is far from that, and we will see this first hand through our stay in this area. Our visit to the Sabanitas Community is likely to be one of the highlights of the overall tour, as we go after the extraordinary Capuchinbird at one of its only reliable site in the country. This amazing cotinga is not alone in this area, which holds 7 different species from the family, including Pompadour and Spangled Cotingas and Amazonian Umbrellabird. This place is also rich in parrots, with at least 15 species occurring in this area alone, including Black-headed Parrot and Brown-throated Parakeet. We will be on the lookout for specialties like Imeri Warbling-Antbird, Pale-bellied Mourner, and Yellow-crowned Manakin. The day will also give us a chance to see the scarce Red-shouldered Tanager, and more widespread Amazonian birds like Epaulet Oriole, Cream-colored Woodpecker, and Turquoise Tanager. Day 4. Inírida - Kenke Reserve and Cerros de Mavecure (Amazon) We'll spend a few hours in a small community reserve south of town to target the rare Yapacana Antbird along with various other species like Bronzy Jacamar, Spotted Puffbird, Spot-winged Antbird, Coraya Wren, and others. There are recent records of Gray-bellied Antbird here too. Afterwards, we'll take a long boat trip to visit one of the region's most famous landmarks, the Mavecure Hills, which are comprised of three sandstone mountains that rise up 300 meters above Inírida river. It is one of the area’s most popular destinations thanks to the impressive landscape. Orange-breasted Falcons sometimes nest on the cliffs, and we will also see a variety of river species including Black-collared Swallow. Day 5: Inírida - Matraca Trail & Caño Cunubén (Amazon) Today we will continue to explore the Inírida area, which holds both widespread Amazonian species along with specialties of the Guianan Shield. Of particular interest in this area is the Green-tailed Jacamar, Orinoco Piculet, and Orinoco Softail, all specialties. This is also one of few places in Colombia for Ringed Woodpecker. Other highlights could include Black-crested Antshrike, Black-chinned Antbird, Curve-billed Scythebill, Varzea Schiffornis, and Black Bushbird. Trogons are conspicuous in this area too, with five species on offer. Wild Muscovy Ducks, Green Ibis, and Large-billed and Yellow-billed Terns might be sighted on and around the Rio Inírida , or Black-collared Hawks surveying from the river edge, and all five neotropical kingfishers are in play too, including the tiny American Pygmy-Kingfisher and Green-and-rufous Kingfisher. This area is also a famed location for seeing Pink River Dolphins, and we have a good chance to see them there. Day 6: Inírida - Paujil Trail and Caño La Rompida (Amazon) In the morning we will cross the river and bird another trail. The Paujil trail most of the same species at the Matraca Trail, giving us another chance to see them along with other birds like Rose-breasted Chat, Blackish-gray Antshrike, Collared and Chestnut-capped Puffbirds, Cream-colored Woodpecker, Amazonian Streaked-Antwren, Velvet-fronted Grackle, and many more. In the afternoon, we will take the boat north to the Guaviare River and bird riverine forest that can be superb even in the afternoon. "Inirida" Antshrike is our prime target - this bird is either an undescribed subspecies of Chestnut-backed Antshrike or a totally new species. Other birds here include White-eared Jacamar, Plain-crowned Spinetail, Black-capped Donacobius, and Amazonian Umbrellabird. Day 7: Inírida - Caño Vitina (Amazon) to Villavicencio (Andean Foothills) Our final site in the Inírida area will be Caño Vitina, a combination of scrub, savanna and white sand forest on the eastern side of the river, with a varied mix of birds too. Green-tailed Goldenthroat, Orinoco and Golden-spangled Piculets, Brown-banded Puffbird, Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet, Orange-cheeked Parrot, Golden-headed Manakin, Plain-crested Elaenia, Purple-breasted Cotinga, Opal-rumped, Black-faced and Red-shouldered Tanagers, Plumbeous Euphonia, and White-naped Seedeater are just some of the birds possible during our final time around Inírida. Later on, we will leave the Amazon behind and fly into the Andean foothills of the East slope of the Andes. We will spend two nights in the a pleasant hacienda in the Andean foothills. Day 8: Bavaria Forest & Hacienda Camana (Andean Foothills) The day will be spent birding forest in the foothills on the east slope of the Andes. This will be steep diversion from our birding in the Amazon and Llanos, and provide us with ample opportunity to boost our trip list with some very different foothill birds. Part of the day will involve a visit to Bavaria Reserve, owned by a beer brewing company, where we will find an exciting mix of Amazonian and foothill species that could include species like Gray-chinned Hermit, Golden-tailed Sapphire, Blue-fronted Lancebill, White-chinned Jacamar, White-chested Puffbird, Yellow-billed Nunbird, Scaled Piculet, Red-stained Woodpecker, Striolated and White-bearded Manakins, Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher, Purple-throated Euphonia and Magpie, Speckled, Yellow-bellied, Masked, and Paradise Tanagers. A second night will be spent in Hacienda Camana. Day 9: Universidad de Los Llanos to Yopal We will spend much of the day birding the transition zone between the Andean foothills and the Llanos, at the Universidad de Los Llanos, an interesting mix of six habitat types, including artificial ponds, cropland, riparian forest and secondary growth, that boasts a bird list in excess of 200 species. White-faced Whistling-Duck, Greater Ani, Hoatzin, Wattled Jacana, Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Cocoi and Capped Herons, Scarlet Ibis and Roseate Spoonbill can be found arounds the wetlands. Other species of interest could be Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Spectacled Parrotlet, Brown-throated Parakeet, Bicolored Wren, Spectacled Thrush, Red-breasted Meadowlark, Venezuela Troupial, Oriole Blackbird, and Gray Seedeater. The night will be spent on the plains, in Yopal, the capital of the department of Casanare. Day 10: Yopal to Hato La Aurora Nature Reserve (Llanos) On this day we will transfer into the true plains of the Llanos, and base ourselves out of the cattle ranch of Hato La Aurora, where we will spend the best part of three days exploring the wetlands, savanna and gallery forests of this amazing region of South America that spans into Venezuela too. Three nights will be spent on this wonderful ranch and nature reserve. Days 11-12: Hato La Aurora Reserve (Llanos) Two full days will be spent covering this extensive area, which is stacked with plentiful birds and comes with the classic cowboy culture of the llanos ranches. This will provide the easiest birding on this tour and also plentiful photo opportunities. Two major targets will be Pale-headed Jacamar and White-bearded Flycatcher, two key Llanos specialties for which this area is good for, and they are usually easy to see right around the lodge. On the long list of other possibilities at this spectacular site are Orinoco Goose, Brazilian Teal, Crested Bobwhite, Crestless Curassow, Horned Screamer, Sharp-tailed Ibis, Whistling Heron, Nacunda Nighthawk, White-tailed Nightjar, Double-striped Thick-knee, Wire-tailed Manakin, Jabiru, King Vulture, Laughing Falcon, Savanna Hawk, Masked Cardinal, Yellow Oriole, Carib Crackle, and Oriole Blackbird. We may also find mammals, like Capybara, Giant Anteater, monkeys, and possibly even a Jaguar (they are seen here every month or so). Day 13: La Aurora to Yopal (Llanos); fly to Bogota After our final Llanos experience, we will return to the city of Yopal, where will take a flight back to Bogota for the final night before departures out the next day. The night will be spent in a nice hotel not far from the airport. Day 14. Departures from Bogota The tour ends this morning with transfers to the airport. Mitu Pre-Extension Note: the exact itinerary will likely be slightly different, based on factors such as weather, recent sighting, new birding locations,, recommendations from the local guide, etc. Day 1: Arrival in Bogota The extension starts with a dinner meeting in Colombia’s 8600 ft high capital city. A single night will be spent in an airport hotel. There is no birding planned for this day. Day 2: Fly to Mitu; Urania Secondary Forest We will take an early morning flight east to Mitu, in the heart of the Amazon. After arrival, we will start our birding near the town where secondary forest provides easy and productive birding. In this patchy growth, we will search for Green-tailed Goldenthroat, Versicolored Emerald, Kawall’s Parrot, Red-bellied Macaw, Amazonian Streaked Antwren, Amazonian Scrub-Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Red-rumped Cacique, Masked Tanager, Epaulet Oriole, and others. Five nights will be spent in a comfortable, air-conditioned hotel in Mitú, nearby all of the birding sites on the extension. Day 3: Santa Cruz and MCH Trail, Guianan Cock-of-the-rock lek The highlight of today, or of the entire tour, will be a dawn time visit to the site where Guianan Cock-of-the-rocks come to display daily. There will be plenty of other species to take in after that, with this area at the heart of crazy levels of diversity. Some of the other possible highlights in this area could include Gray-legged Tinamou, Fiery Topaz, Gould’s Jewelfront, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, Red-throated Caracara, Pavonine Quetzal, Amazonian Trogon, Amazonian Motmot, Tawny-tufted Toucanet, Blackish-gray and Pearly Antshrikes, Black-headed and Gray-bellied Antbirds, Slender-billed Xenops, Chestnut-belted Gnateater, Striated Antthrush, Black-collared Swallow, Musician Wren, Plum-throated and Pompadour Cotingas, White-browed Purpletuft, Ringed Antpipit, and a dizzy variety of tanagers, including Opal-crowned and Yellow-backed Tanagers, and White-bellied and Yellow-bellied Dacnis. Day 4: Pueblo Nuevo & Bocatoma Terra Firme Forests At first sight, the Amazon appears like a uniform carpet of lowland rainforest. However, this is not the case, as various forest types are hidden within this, and the Amazon forest in Mitú is especially diverse in this regard. Over the first few days we will have experienced the White Sand Forest, which brings its own specialties. On these days though, we will move into Terra Firme forest and explore the birding communities there instead. On a very long list of possible species are Variegated Tinamou, Ruddy Quail-Dove, Black-billed Cuckoo, Straight-billed Hermit, Yellow-billed, Bronzy, Paradise and Great Jacamars, Red-necked and Yellow-throated Woodpeckers, Black-headed Parrot, Curve-billed Scythebill, Banded and Yellow-browed Antbirds, Yellow-throated Antwren, Brown-winged Schiffornis and Royal Flycatcher. Day 5: Ceima Cachivera & Cerro Guacamayas The counter view to the idea of the Amazon as a uniform environment of lowland rainforest will continue today as we visit a scenic part of the Amazon with some low hills, where you can get great views of the surrounding landscapes. Our last full day in Mitú, will also display the ridiculous species richness of this area once more. These sites hold 12 species of woodpecker (including Golden-green, and Lafresnaye’s and Orinoco Piculets), 11 species of puffbird (including Brown-banded), 9 species of manakin (including Striolated), 7 species of toucan, 6 species of trogon, and 6 species of Jacamar, as well as Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, should we need a second stab at that marquee species too. Other species of interest include Scaled Pigeon, Pale-tailed Barbthroat, Screaming Piha, Spangled Cotinga, and a dazzling variety of tanagers, including Magpie, Paradise, Turquoise, Opal-rumped and Opal-crowned, Flame-crested and Fulvous-crested, Black-faced, Green-and-gold, and Swallow Tanagers! Day 6: Bocatoma White Sand Forest and close to a pipeline road that passes through superb White Sand Forest. Even on this first day we will be seeking some of the best birds of both the main tour and extension, including Red-fan Parrot, Azure-naped Jay, and Chestnut-crested and White-plumed Antbird (if we encounter an antswarm). Other possible highlights are Spotted Puffbird, Rusty-breasted Nunlet, Collared Gnatwren, Saffron-crested Tyrant-Manakin, Cinnamon Manakin-Tyrant, Short-billed Honeycreeper, and Yellow-green Grosbeak. Day 7 (same as Day 1 of the main tour): Mitu to Bogotá Depending on flight schedules, we should have time for another morning of birding. We'll use this to target anything we have missed previously on the extension. In the afternoon, we will fly back to Bogota and spend the night in a hotel near the airport. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. Early starts are necessary since birding is almost always best early in the morning. There will be some meals taken in the field for lunch, to ensure we can spend the maximum amount of time at the more remote bird sites. There will also be optional night birding outings in both the Amazon and Llanos, with the chance to see nightbirds or other animals. There are no especially long drives on this tour, as the flights cover the biggest distances needed, with most drives and boat rides to get to places being two hours or less. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Moderate. There will be a mixture of trail birding and road birding. Most of the trails and roads are flat or only slightly inclined, with only a few days involving steeper areas. Quite a bit of walking is required, and you can expect to walk at least 3 miles (4.8 km) per day on most days. There are no high elevations on this tour, except the arrival and departure from Bogota, which lies at 8530ft/2600m. Much of the birding in the Llanos is done from "safari" trucks. These are trucks with padded bench seats bolted onto the back. These seats are not particularly comfortable, and combined with the rough 4x4 tracks that are used here, they could be problematic for anyone who suffers from back pain - please contact us if you are unsure about booking. CLIMATE: Largely hot and humid in the Amazon (i.e. Mitu and Inírida), with temperatures of 73°F to 87°F in general, and it is rarely below 71°F or above 94°F. It will be a little cooler (but not cold) in the Andean foothills for a few days of the main tour. The Amazon has a wet climate year-round, and although timed for the dry season it can rain at any time. Our time in the Llanos should be dry, with the more predictable climate there, with the timing of our tour planned for the distinct dry season there. Some rain can be expected in the Andean foothills and Amazon, and so rain gear is essential. The tour starts and ends in Bogota, which is quite chilly in the morning and at night. ACCOMMODATION: Except for Bogota, we stay in modest hotels and ecolodges - comfortable but not luxurious by any means. They all have private bathrooms and electricity, but lack hot water. The climate is hot enough that most people find this tolerable. Slow wi-fi is available in the common areas but not in the rooms themselves. In Bogota, we stay in a excellent, modern four-star hotel with all the expected amenities. PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a birding tour, but casual photographers will have great opportunities to photograph birds at some feeders on the tour in the Andean foothills, and also in the Llanos, which provides excellent photography on the fly. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Tourist visas are currently not required for citizens of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and EU countries. Canadian citizens are required to pay a reciprocity fee on arrival. Visas are currently only required for a few nationalities, mostly from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Travel requirements are subject to change; if you are unsure, please check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff for help. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Domestic flights required for this tour; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 14 if only taking the main tour; (a further 7 nights prior to that if also taking the Mitu Extension); meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 15 if only taking the main tour (additional meals from dinner on day 1 of the extension to lunch on day 7 of the extension if taking that too); safe drinking water throughout; expert bilingual tour leader with scope and audio gear from the evening of day 1 to the night of day 14 of the main tour if only taking that part (additionally from dinner on day 1 through the dinner on day 7 of the Extension if taking that too); local guides in the Amazon and Llanos; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person (transfers may be shared with other participants of the same tour if they are on the same flight); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary in a suitable vehicle(s) with a local driver(s); boat transport where needed in the Amazon; entrance fees to birding sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Tips (note that tips are NOT included in this tour, since for small groups the tour will be led by a superb local Colombia guide and a TB guide will not be there to dole out tips ); international flights; excess luggage charges; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

Mexico & Guatemala: Yucatán, Cozumel, & Tikal Tour Overview: The Yucatán Peninsula is a land of endless turquoise seas and ancient Mayan ruins hidden beneath dense jungle. We’ll visit a wide array of habitats, from mangrove-lined salt flats and desert scrub to lush rainforest and tropical savanna. We target endemics such as Cozumel Wren, Yucatan Jay, Mexican Sheartail, and Yucatan Woodpecker along with scores of more widespread but equally intriguing species like Ocellated Turkey, Gray-throated Chat, and Black-throated Shrike-Tanager. It’s also an archaeologist’s dream, and we will visit several spectacular Mayan ruin sites, including Chichén Itzá, Cobá, and Tikal in Guatemala. It’s tough to beat seeing trees full of toucans from atop an ancient pyramid! We have totally redesigned this tour to increase chances at seeing some of the tougher species like Yucatan Gnatcatcher, and now include Tikal in Guatemala. Tikal is arguably the most impressive of all the Mayan archaeological sites, and it is surrounded by pristine forest with miles of trails teeming with birds. Chichén Itzá Nick Athanas Yucatan Jay Ken Behrens Western Spindalis Ken Behrens Gartered Trogon Sam Woods Green Jay Ken Behrens Yucatan Nightjar Ken Behrens Lesson's Motmot Sam Woods Red-throated Ant-Tanager Andres Vasquez Turquoise-browed Motmot Sam Woods Yucatan Vireo Ken Behrens Blue Bunting Ken Behrens Singing Quail Ken Behrens Black Catbird Ken Behrens Cape May Warbler Sam Woods Red-legged Honeycreeper Sam Woods Yucatan Woodpecker Nick Athanas Vermilion Flycatcher Sam Woods Magnolia Warbler Sam Woods Painted Bunting Nick Athanas Great Kiskadee Sam Woods Black-throated Green Warbler Sam Woods Green Kingfisher Sam Woods Yellow-rumped Warbler Sam Woods Chichén Itzá Nick Athanas Yucatan Jay Ken Behrens Western Spindalis Ken Behrens Gartered Trogon Sam Woods Green Jay Ken Behrens Yucatan Nightjar Ken Behrens Lesson's Motmot Sam Woods Red-throated Ant-Tanager Andres Vasquez Turquoise-browed Motmot Sam Woods Yucatan Vireo Ken Behrens Blue Bunting Ken Behrens Singing Quail Ken Behrens Black Catbird Ken Behrens Cape May Warbler Sam Woods Red-legged Honeycreeper Sam Woods Yucatan Woodpecker Nick Athanas Vermilion Flycatcher Sam Woods Magnolia Warbler Sam Woods Painted Bunting Nick Athanas Great Kiskadee Sam Woods Black-throated Green Warbler Sam Woods Green Kingfisher Sam Woods Yellow-rumped Warbler Sam Woods Tour Details: 2027 27 February - 8 March $5550; single supplement: $600 This price does not include the flight from Cancun to Flores, which typically costs around $300, subject to change. Length: 10 Days Starting City: Mérida, Mexico Ending City: Flores, Guatemala Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Birding Group size: 9 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report Mexico Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Arrival in Mérida The tour begins this evening in Mérida. No birding is planned for today, but transportation from the airport to the hotel will be available. Mérida is often called the cultural capital of the Yucatán and a very safe city. Some people may wish to arrive a day or two early to explore its museums, plazas, or take a day trip to Uxmal. Day 2: Mérida to Rio Lagartos We'll begin our birding north of the city, targeting the scarce and local Yucatan Gnatcatcher, found only in the northwest corner of the Yucatán Peninsula. We'll have the chance to see plenty of other species too, such as Black-throated Bobwhite, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Yucatan Woodpecker, White-fronted Parrot, Olive-throated Parakeet, Orange Oriole, and Cinnamon-bellied Saltator. In the afternoon, we head to Río Lagartos, where we spend two nights. 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 two more endemic species, Yucatán Wren and the gorgeous little Mexican Sheartail (which visits feedes in town). We’ll also keep an eye out for Lesser Roadrunner and have more chances to see 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: Río Lagartos, Ek Balam, and Chichén Itzá We have another morning to target anything we haven't seen yet. Often we are have seen all the thornscrub species, so we have time to visit the Ek Balam archaeological site. While not as famous as Chichén Itzá, it is much less crowded with better birding, and we'll have our first chances to see Lesson's Motmot, Gartered Trogon, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Black-headed Saltator, Spot-breasted Wren, and others. In the afternoon, we visit the breathtaking ruins of Chichén Itzá. This is mainly a cultural site and birding is rather limited due to the crowds, but we may see a few species typical of the Yucatán, such as Turquoise-browed Motmot, Yucatan Jay, and Orange Oriole. We spend one night in nearby Valladolid. Day 5: Cobá and Cozumel After an early morning rise, we’ll head south towards lush coastal forest. The first stop is Cobá, a ruins site situated in very nice forest. Among the ruins we’ll have our first chance to see one of the Yucatán's most iconic species, the spectacular Ocellated Turkey. We'll also search for Thicket Tinamou, Black-headed Trogon, Yucatan Woodpecker, Northern Bentbill, Gray-collared Becard, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Yellow-winged Tanager, White-bellied Emerald, Eye-ringed Flatbill, and Pale-billed Woodpecker, among many others. Wintering North American warblers are often here in an abundance and it is not unusual to see five or more species in a morning. In the afternoon, we'll head to the coast at Playa del Carmen and take the fast passenger ferry to the island of Cozumel, where we spend two nights. Day 6: Cozumel Cozumel is a small island off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula that is popular vacation spot and cruise ship destination. However, birders are attracted to it as well for its endemic species. Of the four island endemics, Cozumel Wren, Cozumel Vireo, and Cozumel Emerald should show themselves without too much effort; Cozumel Thrasher is sadly likely extinct. There are many endemic subspecies on Cozumel as well: Western Spindalis, Bananaquit, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Roadside Hawk, and Rufous-browed Peppershike all have distinctive populations that should pique our interest. 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 Yellow-throated, Black-and-white, and sometimes even a Cape May or a Prairie. Day 7: Cozumel to Cancún, fly to Flores After another few hours of birding on Cozumel, we'll take the passenger ferry back to the mainland and transfer to Cancún Airport. At time of writing, the flight was scheduled to depart Cancún at 2:10pm and arrive in Flores at 6:45pm, with a layover in Guatemala City. We spend one night in Flores. Days 8-9: Tikal Tikal is world famous as one of the largest archeological sites and urban centers of the Maya civilization. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is also surrounded by tall semi-evergreen forest, making it a wonderful place to go birding. Spectacular ground-dwelling birds like Ocellated Turkey and Great Curassow are usually easy to see here, and with luck we could find several species of tinamou. Some of the other mouth-watering possibilities here include Tody Motmot, Rose-throated Tanager, Keel-billed Toucan, White-necked Puffbird, Black-throated Shrike-Tanager, Pheasant Cuckoo, Red-capped and White-collared Manakins, Gray-throated Chat, Orange-breasted Falcon, Mayan Antthrush, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Gray-headed Kite, White Hawk, Tropical Royal Flycatcher, and several species of colorful parrots and trogons. We'll spend two nights at a lodge nestled inside the forest and within walking distance of the archaeological site. Day 10: Tikal to Flores and departure After another morning to take in the splendors of Tikal, we will have a mid-afternoon transfer to the airport in Flores, where the tour ends. There are evening flights out of Flores to Guatamala City that connect well with late evening international flights. If you would prefer to spend the night in Flores and take a morning flight instead, we can assist with making the bookings. This is not a bad idea if you have the time, since flying out of Flores the same day can be very tiring, often with a very long layover in Guatemala City and a 1:00am red-eye international flight. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. Start times will typically be 5:30-6:30am. Many days will involve at least a couple of hours of driving (in the middle of the day whenever possible). There will be a few chances for a mid-day break, but these will be the exception rather than the norm. Hotels rarely offer early breakfasts, we so we will have several packed breakfasts and some "convenience store" breakfasts. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY : Moderate. Almost all of our walking along flat or slightly inclined roads or easy trails, however expect to put in a lot of miles, especially at Tikal. On most days you can expect to walk at least 3 miles (4.8 km), and up to 6 miles or more (10km+) at Tikal. Some of the temples at the archaeological sites can be climbed, though this is optional; if you would rather not do it, you can wait at the bottom for a little while and admire the scenery while the rest of the group goes up. CLIMATE: Generally warm to hot in the day and a bit cool at night, from 65°F-95°F (18°C-35 °C). However, cold fronts occasionally bring cooler weather. Some rain is possible, especially in Tikal, but it is usually quite dry this time of year. ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent. All of the hotels have typical amenities, including Wi-Fi, though the Wi-Fi sometimes only works in the common areas. PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a birding tour, but there are some good photography opportunities for casual photographers. These tend to be best in the drier forest and scrub near the coast. In the taller and more humid forests elsewhere, the photography can be difficult. There are almost no feeders on this trip. Note that tripods and high-end camera gear are not allowed in Mexican archaeological sites without special permits that are difficult and expensive to obtain - Tikal in Guatemala does not have these restrictions. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; it must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Citizens of the US, Canada, EU, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, do not currently require a tourist visas for Mexico and Guatemala. For other nationalities, please check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff if you are unsure. Travel requirements are subject to change; it is a good idea to double check six weeks before the trip. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips for drivers (if used) and restaurants; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 9; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to lunch on day 10; reasonable non-alcoholic drinks during meals; safe drinking water only between meals; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio playback gear from the evening of day 1 to the afternoon of day 10; arrival airport transfer on day 1 (transfers will be via a hotel shuttle bus if one is available and may be shared with other tour participants if they arrive/depart at the same time); ground transport in suitable vehicle(s) from the morning of day 2 to the morning of day 7; group transfer from Playa del Carmen to Cancun on day 7; group airport transfer in Flores on day 7; group transfer from Flores to Tikal on day 8; group transfer from Tikal to Flores on day 10; roundtrip ferry ticket from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel; entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Flights (Tropical Birding can book the Cancun-Flores flight for you and add it to your invoice - it typically costs around $270, subject to change); optional tips to the tour leader; tips to baggage carriers if you require their services; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it! Mexico Yucatan Review Anchor

Belize: Birding with a Camera (BwC) Tour Overview: Belize is a tiny country that punches well above its weight in terms of birding; in spite of being comparable in size to the small US state of Massachusetts, it can boast nearly 600 species of birds, 80% (more than 450 species) of which are tropical residents. These are bolstered in this season by wintering or migrant orioles, warblers, vireos and thrushes that breed in North America. Classic tropical groups are well presented and expected, like toucans, trogons, motmots, puffbirds, jacamars, antbirds and woodcreepers. In addition to these, multiple species of hummingbirds, parrots and tanagers can be anticipated too. We will also be on the lookout for regional specialties like the outstanding Ocellated Turkey, Yucatan Jay, Yucatan Woodpecker, Yellow-headed Amazon, Tody Motmot, Rufous-breasted Spinetail, Yucatan Flycatcher, Gray-throated Chat, Black Catbird, Green-backed Sparrow, and Yellow-winged and Rose-throated Tanagers. Being just two hours flight from Houston, it is also incredibly convenient for those looking to make their first forays into tropical birding outside of North America. It does not involve a long flight, has plentiful birding, comfortable lodging to be based for it, all of which is readily accessible without any very long drives in a small country that does not have the daunting, extreme totals of species of tropical destinations further south. This makes it one of the natural choices for first tropical trips. Being so small, Belize can be covered comprehensively in a short tour like this, which only requires 5 days of vacation time. There is no catch, it really is this good! Red-capped Manakin Andres Vasquez Tody Motmot Andres Vasquez Collared Aracari Andres Vasquez Pale-billed Woodcreeper Andres Vasquez Red-throated Ant-Tanager Andres Vasquez Yucatan Jay Pablo Cervantes Laughing Falcon Alex Luna Black Catbird Andres Vasquez Northern Jacana Pablo Cervantes American Pygmy Kingfisher Andres Vasquez Tropical Royal Flycatcher Andres Vasquez Ocellated Turkey Andres Vasquez Stub-tailed Spadebill Andres Vasquez Black Catbird Andres Vasquez Black-crowned Tityra & Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Andres Vasquez Black-faced Grosbeak Andres Vasquez Green Kingfisher Sam Wooda Great Currasow Sam Woods Black-headed Saltator Sam Woods Agami Heron Sam Woods Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Sam Woods Red-capped Manakin Andres Vasquez Tody Motmot Andres Vasquez Collared Aracari Andres Vasquez Pale-billed Woodcreeper Andres Vasquez Red-throated Ant-Tanager Andres Vasquez Yucatan Jay Pablo Cervantes Laughing Falcon Alex Luna Black Catbird Andres Vasquez Northern Jacana Pablo Cervantes American Pygmy Kingfisher Andres Vasquez Tropical Royal Flycatcher Andres Vasquez Ocellated Turkey Andres Vasquez Stub-tailed Spadebill Andres Vasquez Black Catbird Andres Vasquez Black-crowned Tityra & Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl Andres Vasquez Black-faced Grosbeak Andres Vasquez Green Kingfisher Sam Wooda Great Currasow Sam Woods Black-headed Saltator Sam Woods Agami Heron Sam Woods Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Sam Woods Tour Details: 2027 3 - 11 April $5720; s ingle supplement: $840 Length: 9 Days Starting City: Belize City Ending City: Belize Pace: Relaxed Physical Difficulty: Easy Focus: Birding, Photography, Wildlife Group size: 8 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Check out our Virtual Tour Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Arrival in Belize City After arrival in the capital, you will be transferred to a modern business style hotel, where the tour will start with a welcome dinner on this day, before departing for birding on the next morning. Night Belize City. Day 2: Belize City to La Milpa On this short tour, we do not hang around, and within just a few hour’s drive northwards of the capital we will arrive at La Milpa, near the uppermost border with Guatemala, and one of the country’s premier birding and tropical research sites. This will give us almost a full day on site on this day and another the next, which will be required due to the long, long list of stunning birds featuring there. Fortunately, one of the main target birds for the site, the stunning Ocellated Turkey, is also one of the easiest to both see and photograph, and we can feel confident we will get this one before the day is out. At lunchtime, we can open our own “hummingbird appreciation society”, as it were, as we dine while enjoying and photographing hummingbirds zipping in and out of the feeders right beside our table! The usual attendees include widespread species like Green-breasted Mango, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird and the striking White-necked Jacobin, as well as Wedge-tailed Sabrewing, and White-bellied Emerald. Another gorgeous hummingbird usually found on the property is Purple-crowned Fairy but it only very rarely visits the feeder. The birding at this site will be a combination of easy trail walking, and road birding, searching forest edge, inside the forest and right around the lodge for birds, and other animals like Yucatan Black Howler monkey, and Black-handed Spider-Monkey. Two nights will be spent in a comfortable lodge in La Milpa, with birding starting right on the doorstep. Day 3: La Milpa A full day will be spent exploring a variety of trails at La Milpa. While the photography is harder inside the darker forest than at the edge around the lodge itself, which is more open, as is the nearby road birding. The major specialty for inside the forest is the inconspicuous Tody Motmot, which we will spend some time looking for, and the enigmatic Royal Flycatcher too. The latter is often found conveniently close to the lodge. Another trickier interior forest species is the Stub-tailed Spadebill, which requires some effort to see. Red-capped Manakin and Great Tinamous also roam the forest here. Other specialties that we will seek at La Milpa include, Gray-throated Chat, Green-backed Sparrow, and Rose-throated and Yellow-winged Tanagers. There is an extremely extensive list of classic tropical birds found at this site to have any new tropical birder salivating at the prospect, from toucans to trogons to manakins to motmots, all the key groups are covered. Some of the huge list of possibilities here include: Slaty-tailed and Black-headed Trogons, Lesson’s Motmot, Collared Aracari, Keel-billed Toucan, Squirrel Cuckoo, Brown-hooded and Red-lored Parrots, Olive-throated Parakeet, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Barred Antshrike, Northern Bentbill (an odd flycatcher), Spot-breasted and White-bellied Wrens, Blue Bunting, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Black-headed Saltator, and Yellow-throated Euphonia. While in the more open areas along the road and around the lodge, we will keep a look out for raptors, like Roadside and White Hawks and the magnificent King Vulture. Migrant birds from North America that may be present during our visit include Hooded and Black-and-white Warblers, American Redstart, and Ovenbird. At night Mottled Owl is often found close to the lodge, and the odd, bark-like Northern Potoo is also possible too. Day 4: La Milpa to Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary On this day we will drive south to another elite Belize birding site, Crooked Tree, which as well as forest to bird in, has lagoons and wetland birds too to add to the enjoyment and diversity of our bird list. We will spend two nights at the excellent Bird’s Eye View Lodge, directly overlooking the impressive Crooked Tree Lagoon. In the afternoon, we will begin our exploration of the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, an area of lagoons, mangroves, secondary forest, pine forest, and scrub that offers up plentiful new birds for our tour. We will have a full afternoon to do this, and another full day beyond that too, to bird on foot from the lodge, along roads nearby, and by boat. The open country style of birding in some local areas, and the selection of waterbirds will enhance our bird photography opportunities at this particular site. At dusk we can listen out for the Common Pauraque, a vocal and conspicuous nightjar. Day 5: Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary We will take a boat trip on the huge lagoon for several hours to search for birds among the mangroves, like Northern Jacana, Boat-billed Heron, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Snail Kite, Great Black Hawk, American Pygmy-, Green and Ringed Kingfishers, Mangrove Vireo, Russet-naped Wood-Rail, “Mangrove” Yellow Warbler, and Mangrove Swallow. While of interest there are many widespread tropical species wherever we look here, we will also be on the hunt for regional specialties like large conspicuous flocks of black-and-blue Yucatan Jays and Yellow-lored (Yucatan) Parrots in the secondary forest, and Black Catbird and Rufous-breasted Spinetail in more open, scrubby areas. Other birds we might find within the fascinating variety of habitats available to us near the lodge include Jabiru, Wood Stork, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Plain Chachalaca, Lineated, Golden-fronted and Yucatan Woodpeckers, Black-collared Hawk, Laughing and Bat Falcons, Caspian Tern, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Yellow-headed and White-fronted Parrots, Ivory-billed Woodcreeper, Fork-tailed and Common Tody and Vermilion Flycatchers, Great Kiskadee, Rose-throated Becard, Brown Jay, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Grace’s Warbler (in the pines), and White-collared Seedeater. A second night will be spent at our beautifully located lodge, right on the edge of the Crooked Tree Lagoon. Day 6: Crooked Tree to Mountain Pine Ridge After a final morning birding some of the many spots around Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, we will depart for San Antonio, after lunch for the longest transfer of the tour (4hrs), as we head south into the low mountains and pine forests of the San Ignacio region. Two nights will be spent at Mariposa Jungle Lodge, a series of luxurious cabins closer to the western border with Guatemala. After dinner, we can look for nightbirds, for those who wish to do so, as Northern Potoo, Yucatan Poorwill (scarce), and Common Pauraque all occur in the nearby area. Day 7: Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve We’ll have a full day to explore the cooler pine-dominated forests of this reserve, a short drive from our lodge. These forests are markedly different in climate and appearance to the lowland forests experienced around La Milpa. It is famed for its diversity of raptors, with roadside birding on the ridge top itself being the best place to search for King Vulture, Plumbeous and Swallow-tailed Kites, and Gray, Short-tailed and White Hawks. Rare raptor species there include Orange-breasted Falcon, Black-and-white and Black Hawk-Eagles. Raptors will not be the only things on the menu though, as other species we will be seeking include Azure-crowned Hummingbird, Golden-olive and Pale-billed Woodpeckers, Rufous-capped Warbler, Green and Brown Jays, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Cabanis’s Wren, Masked Tityra, Rusty and Olive Sparrows, Golden-hooded and Hepatic Tanagers, Yellow-backed and Yellow-tailed Orioles, Yellow-faced Grassquit, and Black-headed Siskin. Wintering boreal migrants could include Plumbeous Vireo, Yellow-throated, Grace’s and Magnolia Warblers. A second night will be spent within the comfortable surroundings of Mariposa Jungle Lodge. Day 8: Mountain Pine Ridge to Belize City During the morning we will likely return to Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve for a short time, before setting off for the journey east to Belize City. Time permitting, on the way, we may make a stop off at Blue Hole National Park, where we could find other forest birds like Gartered Trogon, Lesson’s Motmot, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Dot-winged Antwren, Bright-rumped Attila, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Northern Schiffornis, Rose-throated Becard, Lesser Greenlet, Yellow-green Vireo, White-breasted Wood- and Spot-breasted Wrens, Crimson-collared Tanager, Blue-black Grosbeak, and Olive-backed Euphonia. We will reach Belize City in the afternoon, and may take some time to bird the coast (time permitting). In the evening we will take a farewell dinner, and reflect on what will have been an amazing week-long birding experience within a destination that is firmly ON the beaten track for good reason; by this time, you will all understand why, after observing and photographing an abundance of tropical species in this small and peaceful Central American nation. Day 9: Departure from Belize City An airport shuttle will be provided to transfer you out at whatever time you need to connect with your international flights out. Trip Considerations PACE: Relaxed. This tour is designed to be an introduction to Neotropical birds, and is run at a fairly relaxed pace; the guide will attempt to show you representatives of all the major neotropical families, even if they are common birds. Generally speaking, the places in Belize do not start serving breakfast before 06:00-06:30am, and so the usual plan for the days will be some optional pre-breakfast birding for an hour or two before breakfast, then return to the lodges for breakfast. Therefore, all the breakfasts will be taken at the places that we stay at. Lunches on five out of the seven birding days will be taken at our lodging, on one of the days a lunch will be taken at a roadside restaurant, and on one day only we will need to take a field lunch for the full day at Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, where there are no significant eateries on site. All dinners will be taken at our accommodations. As the middle of the day in La Milpa and Crooked Tree is very hot and humid, there will be breaks taken in the middle of the day to relax at the accommodations (or optionally bird the grounds on your own). The only day this will not be possible will be for day 7 for the full day of birding at Mountain Pine Ridge, when will not return to the lodge for lunch but have a field lunch. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy. The birding on this tour is a mix of birding along roads and forest trails, and by boat for several hours on one day too at the Crooked Tree Lagoon. While there are trails in the forest at La Milpa, these are considered easy with most of them being flat, or with only short inclines. There are also level trails we may take at Crooked Tree, but these involve easy walking in an open area, where the heat is more of an issue than the walking in terms of difficulty! The tour covers high elevations on just two days of the tour at Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, where the highest point of the road reaches around 1000m/3280ft, although for the most part, even at this site, we will be birding at around 700m/2300ft or lower. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that altitude should be an issue for anyone on this tour, as these problems usually occur at significantly higher altitudes than this. The other five days of birding on the tour are in the hot tropical lowlands. CLIMATE: This is timed for the least hot and, more significantly, the driest season in Belize, which has two seasons only dry and wet (June-Nov), with March being in the heart of the dry season. In this very dry part of the year, we may experience no rain at all, but the occasional shower may still occur, and so light rain gear should be carried just in case. The temperatures actually change little though year round. The average temperatures in the lowlands at this time (e.g. Belize City, La Mila, and Crooked Tree), are likely to be between 22-30C/72-86F, while in the mountains at Mountain Pine Ridge it will be cooler, but not cold, with temperatures a few degrees lower. The climate is quite similar to Central and Southern Florida. ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent, all have private, en-suite bathrooms, full-time hot water, and electricity. Electricity is 24-hours everywhere, although at La Milpa, which is solar powered, there may be periods of the night when it is not available. Wi-fi is also available in all lodges, though often it only works in the public areas and not the rooms. EXPECTATIONS: This is a Birding with a Camera® tour, which means that we will see a decent number of species, and spend time photographing them when possible. Bird photography is especially good at the hummingbird feeders at La Milpa and also during our stay at Crooked Tree. GEAR: Binoculars are essential. A 300 mm camera lens with teleconverter or a 100-400 mm zoom work well in most areas. Longer lenses such as 500-600 are fine if you have them, but they can be tiring to carry on some of the walks. Both digital SLRs and the new lighter, faster, mirrorless, micro 4/3 cameras could both be suitable. WHEN TO GO: There are just two seasons in Belize, the dry season and the green or wet season. The wet season runs from June to November, and while birding can be good, it is preferable to go in the dry season unless you can’t visit any other time. Peak time to go is from the months of December to March, as this is when the tropical residents are also boosted by North American migrants, like warblers, vireos, orioles and thrushes. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for a minimum of six months past your intended stay. Visas are currently not required for citizens of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and all Western European countries. Travel requirements are subject to change; if you are unsure, please check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff for help. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to drivers, local guides, and lodge/restaurant staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 8; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 9 (if you have a very early departing flight, you may miss the included breakfast on the last day); safe drinking water whenever needed; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio gear from the evening of day 1 to the evening of day 8; airport transfers as part of a scheduled airport shuttle service attached to our Belize City hotel. Ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 2 to day 8 (for smaller groups the guide will drive and, for larger groups, there will be a driver); entrance fees to all birding sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the TROPICAL BIRDING tour leader; tips for luggage porters if you require their services; international flights; airport departure tax (there is a departure tax payable only in US Dollars of $56 currently, although most US airlines now include this within your ticket price, not all airlines worldwide do so, therefore PLEASE CHECK THIS WITH YOUR AIRLINE WHEN YOU BOOK THE TICKET); snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Belize Review Anchor Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

Puerto Rico: Enchanted Island Endemics - Birding Tour Tour Overview: Puerto Rico is known as the “Island of Enchantment” by virtue of its beautiful landscapes. Although it is a US Territory, it feels a world away from there, being located in the Greater Antilles island group, within the West Indies of the Caribbean. Much of the birdlife is unique to the island or region, which includes three specialty Caribbean bird families, and seventeen island endemic bird species. Puerto Rico is a small territory (equal to the US state of Connecticut) , and so we will be able to cover the north, northeast, and very different, drier southwest of the island during this 6-day tour. We will be seeking some of the most treasured local specialties, such as Puerto Rican Tody, Puerto Rican Spindalis, Puerto Rican Tanager, Elfin Woods and Adelaide’s Warblers, and a handful of exquisite local hummingbirds. Three of these occupy key families of the Caribbean, Todies, Spindalises and Puerto Rican Tanager; all of which are typically easily located. This makes for a perfect late winter getaway, with a real chance of finding most of our local targets, along with a host of wintering waterbirds and songbirds to enhance the bird list even further. Puerto Rican Tody Sam Woods Puerto Rican Woodpecker Keith Barnes Adelaide's Warbler Sam Woods Puerto Rican Mango Sam Woods Puerto Rican Tanager Sam Woods Puerto Rican Parrot Sam Woods Loggerhead Kingbird Sam Woods Pearly-eyed Thrasher Keith Barnes Yellow-shouldered Blackbird Keith Barnes Greater Antillean Grackle Sam Woods Zenida Dove Sam Woods Mangrove Cuckoo Andrew Spenser Black-faced Grassquit Ben Knoot Yellow Warbler Sam Woods Lesser Antillean Pewee Keith Barnes Puerto Rican Spindalis Sam Woods Laguna Cartagena Sam Woods Key West Quail-Dove Sam Woods Puerto Rican Tody Keith Barnes White-tailed Tropicbird Sam Woods Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo Keith Barnes Clapper Rail Sam Woods Scaly-naped Pigeon Sam Woods Puerto Rican Flycatcher Sam Woods Puerto Rican Tody Sam Woods Puerto Rican Woodpecker Keith Barnes Adelaide's Warbler Sam Woods Puerto Rican Mango Sam Woods Puerto Rican Tanager Sam Woods Puerto Rican Parrot Sam Woods Loggerhead Kingbird Sam Woods Pearly-eyed Thrasher Keith Barnes Yellow-shouldered Blackbird Keith Barnes Greater Antillean Grackle Sam Woods Zenida Dove Sam Woods Mangrove Cuckoo Andrew Spenser Black-faced Grassquit Ben Knoot Yellow Warbler Sam Woods Lesser Antillean Pewee Keith Barnes Puerto Rican Spindalis Sam Woods Laguna Cartagena Sam Woods Key West Quail-Dove Sam Woods Puerto Rican Tody Keith Barnes White-tailed Tropicbird Sam Woods Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo Keith Barnes Clapper Rail Sam Woods Scaly-naped Pigeon Sam Woods Puerto Rican Flycatcher Sam Woods Tour Details: 2027 30 March - 4 April $4050; single supplement: $720 This tour links up with Jamaica: The Caribbean Introtour Length : 6 Days Starting City : San Juan Ending City : San Juan Pace : Relaxed/Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy Focus : Birding Group size : 8 + 1 leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Arrival in San Juan; transfer to Manati Following an early afternoon arrival in the Puerto Rican capital, at 13h00 we will gather and drive west towards Manati, perhaps picking up the first of our Puerto Rican endemics in the afternoon, including Puerto Rican Woodpecker. In the evening we will make our first foray into night birding, checking a local forest for the endemic Puerto Rican Screech-Owl. Day 2: Manati to Southwest Puerto Rico The first option of the morning will depend on local regulations at the time. If possible, we will check a local protected area for Puerto Rican Parrot, the toughest and rarest of the endemics, Critically Endangered with a global population numbering in the low hundreds this is one of Earth’s rarest birds. After that, we will check another local reserve for hummingbirds. Puerto Rican Emerald, Puerto Rican Mango and Green Mango all occur there. After this stop, we will head south to the drier southwest corner of the island, visiting some wonderful wetland areas (Laguna Cartagena) in the afternoon, which could yield West Indian Whistling-Duck, Masked Duck, Least Grebe, and a host of ducks, shorebirds, and other waterbirds. The scrubby edges are also home to Caribbean Elaenia, Puerto Rican Flycatcher, Gray and Loggerhead Kingbirds, Pearly-eyed Thrasher, Black-faced Grassquit, and the lemon-yellow Adelaide’s Warbler. We will check into a delightful coastal resort near the town of Guanica for a three-night stay, checking the mangroves on the edge of town for the endangered Yellow-shouldered Blackbird coming into roost in the afternoon. Day 3: Maricao State Forest and Cabo Rojo In complete contrast to our afternoon in the coastal lowlands, the afternoon before, we will welcome the shade and elevation of the forest on this morning (around 2600ft/800m), when we visit Maricao State Forest, north of our base. This beautiful area of montane forest hosts some real top-quality specialties, we will seek out Elfin Woods Warbler among the forest vines, and small, active groups of Puerto Rican Tanagers (an endemic family) roaming the mid-story. Other island specialties we will be seeking, include the shimmering Green Mango, striking Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo, Puerto Rican Vireo, the scarce Antillean Euphonia, Puerto Rican Bullfinch, and the tangerine-breasted Puerto Rican Spindalis. Wintering warblers from the boreal north may also be present, like Black-throated Blue and Black-and-white Warblers, and American Redstart. There may be time in the afternoon, to cover some more coastal areas west of La Parguera, for another dose of shorebirds and wetland species. In the evening, we will check a local spot for the local Puerto Rican Nightjar, before returning to our delightful beachside hotel. Day 4: Wildcard day in Southwest Puerto Rico Today will have some flexibility to it, and it is deliberately left open so we can roam where need to, depending on how we have done with the other endemics of Puerto Rico. We will pick sites, depending on what gaps we are seeking to fill on our list. There are nearby mountain rainforests, like Maricao, coastal scrub sites all around, and humid forests to the south, all within easy reach. Whatever, we decide, we will return to Guanica on the south coast for a final night. Day 5: Guanica to Northeast Puerto Rico We will swap the dry southwest of the island, for the wetter northeast corner, where we will be seeking two particular hummingbirds; Green-throated Carib and Antillean Crested Hummingbird. These will be searched for at a variety of sites near Naguabo, where we will stay for the final night of the tour. Day 6: Departures from San Juan After breakfast, we shall pack up and leave for the airport as a group, maybe stopping for any of the hummers, or other targets, if we still need them, completing our circumnavigation of Puerto Rico by getting to the airport in time for departures after midday (12h00). Trip Considerations PACE: Easy. While early starts and long days are required, this is not a physically difficult tour. Sunrise is at around 7am in this season, so breakfasts are likely to be taken at around 6am with a 6:30am departure. Sunset is at around 6pm. There will be several nights of the tour dedicated to finding the two local endemic nightbirds. This will be done before dinner for those who wish to do this; others who do not can take an earlier dinner if required. These are optional though, and can be sat out if desired. The pace is fairly relaxed. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy. The walking on this trip is generally easy, with no steep or difficult hikes. Most of the walks will be on roads, or on short, forest trails. The highest point of the tour will be on day 3 at Maricao, at only 2600ft /800m. Puerto Rico is small, with the longest drive being from southwest to northeast Puerto Rico on day 5, at around 3 hours. Generally speaking the road conditions are good, with most of these being paved, with only short sections of bad paved road, or dirt road. ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent. All places have en-suite bathrooms, full time electricity, and Internet. CLIMATE: At this time of year, some of the coolest temperatures are recorded, and it is typically the driest time of year. In short, this is the most pleasant time to visit, as it is not so hot, and avoids the rainy season. That said, it is still hot and humid in the lowlands. Average temperatures at this time of year through the region are 72F – 84F (22 – 29C), so it is still very hot in the lowlands of the Caribbean, even in this cool, dry season. In February, there are around 13 days of rainfall. WHEN TO GO: This part of the Caribbean is generally cooler and drier at this time of year, and therefore has been timed for the most pleasant time to bird it (i.e. December to March). This is also the time of year when the Caribbean residents are supplemented by a substantial number of boreal migrants wintering from North America, making this arguably the optimum birding season. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: Entry requirements are the same as for the United States. For US citizens, there are no special travel requirements. Tropical Birding cannot be responsible for changes in entrance policy or restriction levied by the US government. Citizens of Canada may enter the US with a valid passport, and do not need to obtain a visa. For citizens of the 38 countries on the visa waiver list (including the UK, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Japan), you can enter the US with a valid passport and a completed Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which can be applied for online. For all passports, the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Citizens of all other countries will need to apply for a US visa. Travel requirements are subject to change; please double check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff if you are unsure. Those who need to apply for an ESTA or Visa should do so long in advance of the tour, as these can take days weeks to be issued. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to all people, EXCEPT porters and Tropical Birding guide; accommodation from night of day 1 through night of day 5; meals from dinner on day 1 through to breakfast on day 6; one group arrival airport pick-up, and one departure airport drop off by the tour leader (specific times of this will be confirmed by the Tropical Birding Tours office); ground transport to all the sites listed on the itinerary in a suitable modern rental vehicle with the tour leader driving; entrance fees to all sites on the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the Tropical Birding tour leader; tips for any luggage porters (if you require their services); any flights; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included (drinking water is the only included drink); alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. PR Review Anchor Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

Alaska: Photo Tour Tour Overview: Alaska is a vast and beautiful state with an incredible array of photographic opportunities, especially when it comes to breeding birds in the summer months. Though the actual species quantity isn’t all that high, the quality is far beyond measure. Breeding shorebirds like Pacific Golden Plover, breeding waterfowl like King Eider and passerines like Bluethroat more than make up for the lower number of species. And those birds are just the tip of the iceberg. There is an amazing diversity and this tour aims to photograph as much as possible but looking for great quality. If you wish to see more of the species, we recommend checking out our Alaska: Breeding Birds and Mammals in the Tundra tour. Please read the notes below for important information regarding this tour. Steller's Eider Keith Barnes Crested Auklet Iain Campbell Spruce Grouse Nick Athanas Least Auklet Keith Barnes Snowy Owl Keith Barnes Spectacled Eider Nick Athanas Willow Ptarmigan Sam Woods Sabine's Gull Nick Athanas Red Phalarope Nick Athanas Yellow-billed Loon Lisle Gwynn Dunlin Nick Athanas Steller's Eider Keith Barnes Crested Auklet Iain Campbell Spruce Grouse Nick Athanas Least Auklet Keith Barnes Snowy Owl Keith Barnes Spectacled Eider Nick Athanas Willow Ptarmigan Sam Woods Sabine's Gull Nick Athanas Red Phalarope Nick Athanas Yellow-billed Loon Lisle Gwynn Dunlin Nick Athanas Steller's Eider Keith Barnes Crested Auklet Iain Campbell Spruce Grouse Nick Athanas Least Auklet Keith Barnes Snowy Owl Keith Barnes Spectacled Eider Nick Athanas Willow Ptarmigan Sam Woods Sabine's Gull Nick Athanas Red Phalarope Nick Athanas Yellow-billed Loon Lisle Gwynn Dunlin Nick Athanas Tour Details: 2027 Main Tour: Dates TBA (June) Price: TBA (2026: $12,890; single supplement: $2040) Extension: Dates TBA (June) Please contact us for details of the extension Length: 14 Days (18 Days w/ Extension) Starting City: Anchorage Ending City: Anchorage Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy/Moderate Focus: Photography, Wildlife Group size: 6 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary *IMPORTANT INFO: While many of the subjects on this tour can be photographed with relative ease, a good deal of species will require some more effort/equipment. If you want to make the most of this tour, you will be required to walk through some of the tundra. The tundra around Nome is made up of grassy tussocks which can be some difficult walking but is not dangerous, just somewhat strenuous. We will never walk more than about 1/2 mile but keep in mind the walking won’t be on flat, level ground. The Tundra around Utqiagvik is boggy and can sometimes be a little slippery but is less strenuous than Nome. Additionally, WADERS ARE REQUIRED to make the most of this tour. The meal plan on this tour is a little different than normal tours because of the photography schedule. We will have a brunch (around 10:30am) and then a dinner (around 5:30pm). There will be plenty of snacks to supplement in between. The sleep schedule is also very different to normal tours. During this time of year, Alaska is mostly daylight so the “golden hours” are a lot different than normal locations. Your rough schedule will be; Photography from about 5:30am - 10am, Brunch, Sleep (as if it were night time), wake up for dinner (around 5:30pm), then photography until about 12:30am, then a nap from about 1am to 4:30am and repeat. It is essentially a reversal of a normal sleep-nap schedule but is the best way to do Alaska. Day 1: Arrival Day The tour will begin on this afternoon. Guests should arrive before 4pm on this day or plan to arrive a day earlier. We will go to a local park around Anchorage to look for a couple of target species like, Boreal Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Orange-crowned Warbler, and most importantly Spruce Grouse, our biggest target. Day 2: Anchorage to Nome Depending on our flight time to Nome we will either kill a few hours in the morning targeting more species or we will travel to Nome. Once we travel to Nome, we will pick up our rental vehicle, check into our hotel, allow the midday heat and light to dissipate, grab dinner and then go out for the evening. The next four days will be spent in Nome. Days 3-6: Nome Nome is full of fascinating species. There are only several roads to drive so the plan is simple, drive these roads at strategic times in order to photograph as much as possible. Target species for these roads are; Willow and Rock Ptarmigan, Bluethroat, Arctic, Blackpoll, Yellow, and Wilson’s Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Fox, White-crowned, Golden-crowned and American Tree Sparrows, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Northern Wheatear, Lapland Longspur, Hoary and Common Redpoll, Rough-legged Hawk, Long-tailed Jaeger, Aleutian Tern, Red-throated Loon, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, and a host of shorebirds like; Pacific and American Golden Plover, Surfbird, Red Knot, Whimbrel, Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Semi-palmated Plover, Black-bellied Plover and Red-necked Phalarope. And we of course keep our eyes out for the desirable mammals like the striking Musk Ox. Day 7: Nome to Anchorage Depending on our departure flights from Nome, we may have another morning to do some photography but if not, we will catch our flight back to Anchorage. Because of the unique layout of Alaska, there are no direct flights from Nome to Utqiagvik so we have to return to Anchorage. There is also only one flight per day to each location so depending on flights, we may be forced to spend 24hrs or so around anchorage. If this is the case, we will get another rental car for the 24hrs and see what else we can photograph around anchorage or nearby hotspots. Day 8: Anchorage to Utqiagvik (formally Barrow) Today we head up to Utqiagvik (formally Barrow). Upon arrival, we will grab our rental vehicle, check into the hotel and again, let the heat and midday light dissipate. We will grab our dinner and then head out for some great bird photography. Utqiagvik is a really cool place. Boggy Tundra attracts a variety of species and due to the 24 hour daylight, we can photograph to our hearts desire. Birds like; King, Steller’s, and Spectacled Eider, Snow Bunting, Lapland Longspur, Hudsonian Godwit, Red and Red-necked Phalarope, Dunlin, Pectoral Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Greater White-fronted Goose, Northern Pintail, Long-tailed Duck, Pacific Loon and other potential (but harder) birds like Snowy Owl, Pomarine and Parasitic Jaeger and Sabine’s Gull. The next five nights will be spent in Utqiagvik. Day 9-12: Utqiagvik We have four full days based in Utqiagvik in order to maximize chances of getting fantastic photos of all the special birds. Day 13: Utqiagvik to Anchorage Depending on our departure flights from Utqiagvik, we may have another morning to do some photography but if not, we will catch our flight back to Anchorage. A night will be spent in Anchorage, before departures out the next day, for those not joining the St. Paul extension. Day 14: Departure from Anchorage The tour ends this morning. The hotel has a free airport shuttle, so you can leave whenever you wish. Post-tour Extension: St. Paul Island Have you ever dreamed of an island full of breeding alcids? Where Tufted and Horned Puffin, Least, Parakeet, and Crested Auklets, Common and Thick-billed Murre, a host of gulls and the gorgeous Red-faced Cormorant and highly sought after Rock Sandpiper all breed and showcase their best plumages and songs? Then this island could be just what you’ve been looking for. This is also one of the best places for Arctic Fox and Northern Fur Seal while we also enjoy stuffing lava rock cliffs, epic rollings hills covered in wildflowers and of course, the stunning sights and sounds of the raging sea below. It is a great way to round out this already awesome tour. Two full days will be spent on the island. There is not a lot of variety so we will be spending this time trying to get the very best photos of a few species, but it is well worth it. Day 1: Anchorage to St. Paul We will take a morning flight out of Anchorage to the island of St. Paul, where we will spend 4 nights. This day is also the departure day for the main tour. Days 2-3 : St. Paul Two full days will be spent photographing birds on St. Paul. Day 4 : St. Paul to Anchorage We will depart St. Paul for Anchorage. After arrival in Anchorage, there are no more activities, and so you are free to leave Anchorage at any time you wish after arrival in Anchorage on this day. Please check with the office about flight schedules from St. Paul before booking your departing flight. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. While we don’t tend to move large distances on any particular day in Alaska, the days are very long (in the Land of the Midnight Sun). Start times often tend to be quite reasonable (around 7 to 8 AM). On some days there may be optional post-dinner excursions. Most meals are usually in good local restaurants, though we will take packed lunches on several days. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate. You can expect to walk several miles per day, sometimes more, and while the walking is usually easy there are some exceptions. The hardest hike is the attempt for Bristle-thighed Curlew, where we may walk up to 3 miles roundtrip over tundra that can have large grass hummocks (rubber boots are essential on this day). There is also the opportunity to walk into the tundra around Barrow, which while flat can often be quite wet (again, rubber boots are needed, and photographers may wish to bring waders). CLIMATE: Variable. Alaska often experiences quite a range of conditions throughout late spring and summer, and temperatures can be at times quite warm (even up to a balmy 80°F/27°C in the Anchorage area in some years) to downright cold around Barrow (at times below freezing). Wind is also a prominent feature in coastal Alaska, especially around Barrow, and can make the apparent temperature seem much colder. Good, winter clothing and good quality rain gear are essential on this tour as are rubber boots (waders can be useful too but not essential). Rain is also possible throughout the tour, and occasionally some light snow falls at Barrow or Nome. Normal daytime highs in this season are: Anchorage, lows of 40-48 °F and highs of 56-63°F (4.5-9°C and 13.5-17.5°C respectively ). In Nome, temperatures are usually between 45-70°F (7-21°C), and in Barrow between 32-55°F (0-13°C). ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent. All of the hotels and motels on the main tour and pre-tour extension have typical good amenities, including Wi-Fi, full-time electricity and en-suite facilities. On the St. Paul Extension, there a limited number of rooms with private bathrooms. We always request these rooms for our clients, but sometimes they are unavailable, in which case bathrooms will be shared between hotel guests, although the rooms are decent and Wi-Fi works well there. PHOTOGRAPHY: Alaska ranks as among the best photography destinations in the world, and chances for photos will be abundant. On this excellent birding and photography tour, the chances at all sites for getting good bird photos are high. In Nome, the nesting shorebirds, jaegers, loons, and sometimes raptors too can provide good shots, while in Barrow the arctic nesting shorebirds like Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin and Western Sandpiper, may also be supported by some of the eiders for mini photo shoots, along with the plentiful tame long-tailed ducks and Greater White-fronted Geese. Both Barrow and Nome have ptarmigans (both Rock and Willow), and Lapland Longspurs, which are all typically tame. Aside from the birds, mammals like Muskox in Nome, and Sea Otters around Seward Harbor are often photographed too. Arguably, the most exciting bird photography of the entire tour is on St. Paul, on the extension, where species like Tufted and Horned Puffins, Least and Parakeet Auklets, Red-faced Cormorants, both Black-legged and Red-legged Kittiwakes, in addition to Rock Sandpipers, and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches are all near assured on each visit to perform. There is also plentiful chances to photograph the abundant Arctic Foxes and Northern Fur-Seals on the island too. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: For US citizens, no special requirements are necessary to visit Alaska. Citizens of Canada may enter the US with a valid passport, and do not need to obtain a visa. For citizens of the 38 countries on the visa waiver list (including the UK, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Japan – click here for the full list ), you can enter the US with a valid passport and a completed Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which should be applied for online IN ADVANCE OF THE TOUR. For all passports, the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Citizens of all other countries will need to apply for a US visa. Travel requirements are subject to change; please double check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff if you are unsure. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Main tour : Accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 13; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 14; reasonable non-alcoholic drinks at meals; safe drinking water only between meals; round-trip flight from Anchorage to Nome; round-trip flight from Anchorage to Barrow; Tropical Birding tour leader with audio playback gear from the evening of day 1 to the evening of day 13; ground transport for the group in a suitable vehicle driven by the guide from the morning of day 2 to the afternoon of day 13; airport shuttle bus on day 1 and day 14; tips for included meals; entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance). Post-tour extension : Please contact us about what is included in the St. Paul extension. WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Tips other than those for included meals; flights from your home city to Anchorage; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

Colombia: The Introtour Tour Overview: This tour is designed for people with limited time, who would like to have a one-off, short, tour to Colombia, based out of one Andean lodge. Therefore, minimal unpacking is required, and only short travel times are involved. The tour is centered at one good mountain lodge close to the city of Cali. Known as the “branch of heaven” to locals, Cali is scenically beautiful, situated in the beautiful Cauca Valley, in the Cordillera of the Western Andes, which features a number of specialty birds. Highly desired species like Multicolored Tanager, Crested Ant-Tanager, Toucan Barbet, Saffron-headed Parrot, and Purplish-mantled Tanager are all likely on this tour. There are also direct flights from a number of US cities to Cali (e.g. Miami, New York, and Orlando), and also from Madrid in Europe, to make it very accessible from these areas of the world. Multicolored Tanager Pablo Cervantes Daza Scarlet-and-white Tanager Andres Vasquez Rose-faced Parrot Sam Woods Southern Emerald Toucanet Andres Vasquez Velvet-purple Coronet Sam Woods Choco Toucan Sam Woods Metallic-green Tanager Sam Woods Spectacled Parrotlets Dorian Anderson Toucan Barbet Sam Woods Purplish-mantled Tanager Sam Woods Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager Sam Woods Red-headed Barbet Sam Woods Golden-headed Quetzal Sam Woods Spot-crowned Barbet Andres Vasquez Black Solitaire Sam Woods Grayish Piculet Nick Athanas Ocellated Antbird Andres Vasquez Andean Motmot Sam Woods Beryl-spangled Tanager Sam Woods Golden Tanager Sam Woods Colombian Chachalaca Nick Athanas Scrub Tanager Nick Athanas Tooth-billed Hummingbird Sam Woods Crimson-rumped Toucanet Sam Woods Golden-naped Tanager Sam Woods Tour Details: 2027 6 - 13 April Price: TBA (2026: $4995; single supplement: $720) Length: 8 Days Starting City: Cali Ending City: Cali Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Birding Group size: 8-9 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report Colombia Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Arrival in Cali After arrival in Cali, you will be transferred to a nice Cali hotel for a single night. The tour starts with a dinner time meeting that evening. There is no birding planned for this day. Day 2: Laguna de Sonso to Araucana Lodge Before we set off for our lodge, we will spend a good part of the day birding Laguna de Sonso Reserve to the north of Cali. This 2045 hectare reserve centers around a lake surrounded by Tropical Dry Forest, so there are both plentiful waterbirds and key songbirds on site. The wetlands hold species like Horned Screamer, Comb Duck, 3 species of whistling-ducks, Pinnated and Least Bitterns, Bare-faced and Buff-necked Ibises, Blackish Rail and Wattled Jacana. Other birds of interest in the open areas, include Snail Kite, Crested Bobwhite, Aplomado Falcon, and Pied Water-Tyrant. The surrounding vegetation is home to some Colombian endemics, like Grayish Piculet and Apical Flycatcher, as well as Bar-crested Antshrike. Other species of interest are Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, Spectacled Parrotlet, Dwarf and Striped Cuckoos, Jet Antbird, roosting Common Potoo, Cinereous Becard, Yellow and Yellow-backed Orioles, and Oriole Blackbird. After much of the day there, we will, travel to our home for the next five nights, Araucana Lodge, just a few hours drive away. Day 3: Upper Anchicaya Valley and Doña Dora The Anchicaya Valley comprises a road passing through multiple elevations, ranging from humid tropical lowlands into the Neotropical Cloud Forest in the foothills of the endemic rich Choco bioregion. We will concentrate on the upper part of this road, as we will be covering lowlands well during the next day’s birding, and have lunch at small reserve with great feeders. This area is home to spectacular species like, Violet-tailed Sylph, Velvet-purple Coronet, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, Empress Brilliant, Rufous-gaped Hillstar, Moustached Puffbird, Toucan Barbet, Grayish Piculet (a Colombian endemic), Uniform Treehunter, Club-winged Manakin, Sooty-headed Wren, Black Solitaire, Black-headed Brushfinch, Yellow-collared Chlorophonia, Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager, Purplish-mantled Tanager, Glistening-green Tanager, and Crested Ant-Tanager (another country endemic). Day 4. San Cipriano This site will involve a day trip to lower elevations, with the sire firmly placed in the tropical lowlands, and offering a swathe of endemic bird species to this Choco bioregion. It is home to some highly sort after species and lowland Choco specialties, like the shy Berlepsch's Tinamou, Baudo Guan, Dusky Pigeon, Tooth-billed Hummingbird, Uniform Crake, Five-colored Barbet, Choco Toucan, Rose-faced and Saffron-headed Parrots, Sapayoa, Stub-tailed Antbird, Thicket Antpitta, Black-tipped Cotinga, Pacific Flatbill, White-ringed Flycatcher, Slate-throated Gnatcatcher, and Lemon-spectacled, Scarlet-browed, and Blue-whiskered Tanagers. Day 5. Araucana Lodge and other nearby areas On this day we will stay close to home birding the lodge property feeders, and also other nearby sites. Some endemics maybe in the mix, like Colombian Chachalaca, Grayish Piculet and Parker’s Antbird, as well as a flurry of hummingbirds at the lodge, such as Long-billed Starthroat, Western Emerald, Purple-throated Woodstar, Black-throated Mango, and Green Hermit. Other species of note could be Andean Motmot, Scarlet-fronted Parakeet, Spectacled Parrotlet, Green Jay, and an assortment of tanagers, like Bay-headed, Golden, Blue-necked, Flame-rumped and Crimson-backed Tanagers, and Black-winged Saltator. Day 6. Florida and La Minga After two days away from it, we will return to Neotropical Cloud Forest today, with some great birding around La Minga Ecolodge, situated in the Bitaco River Forest Reserve, and boasting a bird list in excess of 300 species. The hummingbirds present could include some gorgeous species, like Long-tailed Sylph, White-booted Racket-tail, while other attractive species in the reserve include Golden-headed and Crested Quetzal, Southern Emerald-Toucanet, Collared Trogon, Green-and-black Fruiteater, and Saffron-crowned and Multicolored Tanagers. Other highlights might include Whiskered and Chestnut-breasted Wrens, Narino Tapaculo and Rusty Flowerpiercer. Day 7. Bosque de Niebla, km18 to Cali Our final forest birding will be done around the Bosque del Niebla, a good site for the furtive Chestnut Wood-Quail, Tawny-bellied Hermit, Red-headed Barbet, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Scaled Antpitta, Golden-winged Manakin, Golden-rumped Euphonia, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, White-naped Brushfinch, Golden-naped, Beryl-spangled, and Metallic Green Tanagers, and Oleaginous Hemispingus. In the afternoon, we will return to Cali for a single night in readiness for flights out the next day. Day 8: Departures from Cali The tour ends this morning with transfers to the international airport. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. Early starts are necessary since birding is almost always best early in the morning, as is standard with many bird tours. Finishing late afternoon, or even in the evening will occur on some days too. On a couple of days, lunch may be taken in the field at a birding site, to ensure we can spend the maximum amount of time at the more remote bird sites. There will also be optional night birding outings on a couple of days. There are no especially long drives on this tour, all being around 2 hours or less. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Moderate. The birding is done mostly on roads and easy trails, but there are a couple of slightly more difficult trails that we may bird as well. Although this is a mountain-based tour, the elevations are not high, with the tour generally covering elevations between 3280ft/1000m in Cali to around 4920ft/1500m in the Anchicaya Valley. CLIMATE: The Cauca Valley, where Cali is located, has a humid climate, temperatures generally ranging from around 12C (53F) to 25C (70F) in the day, but sometimes reaching 30C (85F). Although we will be visiting during the drier months of the year, it is within the wet, tropical Choco bioregion, where rain often falls on about half of the days of each month, and therefore rain gear is essential and should be brought on all outings. ACCOMMODATION: Very good throughout, with only two very good hotels and lodges used the entire tour. Large rooms, en-suite facilities, 24-hour hot water, 24-hour electricity and WIFI is available in all accommodations used. This is a very comfortable way to see some of Colombia’s best birds. PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a birding tour, but casual photographers will have great opportunities to photograph birds at some of the feeders visited on this tour, which are among the best in Colombia. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Tourist visas are currently not required for citizens of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and EU countries. Canadian citizens are required to pay a reciprocity fee on arrival. Visas are currently only required for a few nationalities, mostly from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Travel requirements are subject to change; if you are unsure, please check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff for help. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to drivers, local guides, and lodge staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 7; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 8; safe drinking water throughout; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio gear from the evening of day 1 to the night of day 7; local guides where required; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person (transfers may be shared with other participants of the same tour if they are on the same flight); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary in a suitable vehicle with a local driver; entrance fees to birding sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the tour leader; tips for luggage porters in any hotels/lodges (if you require their services); international flights; excess luggage charges; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

Dominican Republic: Birding for Hispaniolan Specialties and Endemic Caribbean Bird Families *This tour is currently only being offered as a Custom Tour. Please Contact Us for further details Tour Overview: The Caribbean is full of endemic birds and unique bird families only found there, which is illustrated well on this tour. More than 30 bird species are only found on the island of Hispaniola and there are no less than five bird families endemic to the Caribbean (Todies, Spindalises, Hispaniolan Tanagers, Chat-Tanagers, and Palmchat). The latter three of these are only found on this Caribbean island. Among the specialties we will be seeking are Broad-billed and Narrow-billed Todies (Hispaniola is the only island with more than one tody species), Ashy-faced Owl, Least Pauraque, Hispaniolan Parrot, Palmchat, Golden Swallow, La Selle Thrush, Hispaniolan Crossbill, and the critically endangered Ridgway’s Hawk. Aside from the island endemics, we will also be on the lookout for more widespread Caribbean birds, like West Indian Whistling-Duck, Caribbean Martin, the handsome black-and-red Greater Antillean Bullfinch, and one of the world’s smallest birds, the tiny Vervain Hummingbird that is only marginally larger than Cuba’s Bee Hummingbird; (that holds the title of world’s smallest bird). We will also take a boat ride on a flamingo-studded lagoon, where Magnificent Frigatebirds will be nesting too, visit a nesting cliff for White-tailed Tropicbirds, and scour saltpans for a variety of wetland birds like Reddish Egrets and a host of wintering shorebirds. We will also be birding in dry deciduous forests, native pine forests, and high elevation cloud forests in order to track down the varied list of endemic birds. There is clearly a lot to love about the Dominican Republic away from their internationally famous beaches and the fascinating historical district of Santo Domingo. Broad-billed Tody Sam Woods Hispaniolan Trogon Sam Woods Hispaniolan Crossbill Sam Woods Ashy-faced Owl Sam Woods Hispaniolan Woodpecker Sam Woods Palmchat Sam Woods Laguna Olviedo Sam Woods Narrow-billed Tody Sam Woods Antillean Piculet Sam Woods Ridgway's Hawk Sam Woods Paraiso Cano Hondo Sam Woods White-fronted Quail-Dove Sam Woods White-tailed Tropicbird Sam Woods Broad-billed Tody Sam Woods Hispaniolan Palm Crow Sam Woods Dominican Republic coastline Sam Woods Ruddy Quail-Dove Sam Woods Hispaniolan Trogon Sam Woods White Ibis Sam Woods Cacoa Sam Woods Broad-billed Tody Sam Woods Hispaniolan Trogon Sam Woods Hispaniolan Crossbill Sam Woods Ashy-faced Owl Sam Woods Hispaniolan Woodpecker Sam Woods Palmchat Sam Woods Laguna Olviedo Sam Woods Narrow-billed Tody Sam Woods Antillean Piculet Sam Woods Ridgway's Hawk Sam Woods Paraiso Cano Hondo Sam Woods White-fronted Quail-Dove Sam Woods White-tailed Tropicbird Sam Woods Broad-billed Tody Sam Woods Hispaniolan Palm Crow Sam Woods Dominican Republic coastline Sam Woods Ruddy Quail-Dove Sam Woods Hispaniolan Trogon Sam Woods White Ibis Sam Woods Cacoa Sam Woods Tour Details: Length : 9 Days Starting City : Santo Domingo Ending City : Santo Domingo Pace : Moderate to Intense Physical Difficulty: Easy to Moderate Focus : Birding Group size : 8 + 1 TB leader + 1 local leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Arrival in Santo Domingo After arrival in the capital of the Dominican Republic, you will be transferred to our lovely hotel in the colonial district of the city. For those who have more time and wish to arrive early, there is plenty to do and see in this area (in terms of historical sites), and so we are happy to book you any extra nights you need before the tour. A single night will be spent in Santo Domingo. Day 2: National Botanical Gardens to Cano Hondo In the morning, we will travel just a short distance from our Santo Domingo hotel to the National Botanical Gardens, where we will start seeing endemic birds right away. One of the first of these is likely to be Palmchat, which abound within the palms in the park, and represent an endemic, monotypic, bird family to the island of Hispaniola. We will arrive first thing in the morning, when the local Hispaniolan Parakeets are at their most vocal and conspicuous often sitting atop the palms near the park entrance. This is a great place to catch up with some other Hispaniolan endemics and Caribbean specialties, like Hispaniolan Woodpecker, which will be wonderfully common throughout the tour, in addition to West Indian Whistling-Duck, Antillean Palm-Swift, Stolid Flycatcher, and Vervain Hummingbird, one of the tiniest birds on Earth, measuring just a minute bit more than Cuba’s Bee Hummingbird, which is officially the world’s smallest bird. After most of the morning in the park, we shall take off and drive towards the northeast coast and the city of Sabana del Mar. We will be heading for Cano Hondo, a hotel located within limestone hills inside Los Haitises National Park, where we shall spend one night. In the afternoon, we will bird the local forest patches, where we might find Antillean Piculet, Broad-billed Tody, or Black-whiskered Vireo. In the evening, we shall check some local sites for the endemic Ashy-faced Owl too. Day 3: Los Haitises to Santo Domingo The morning will be spent scouring the forested hills close to our hotel (walking distance) for the ultra-rare Ridgway’s Hawk. Although the bird is critically endangered, and numbers only just over 320 birds, a concerted conservation effort, funded by the Peregrine Fund and assisted by local communities has been reaping great rewards, with the species now in better shape and on the increase both locally and elsewhere die to re-introduction programs. Los Haitises is the core site for the species, and we shall visit a traditional nesting area for them in order to try and locate this key endemic. After lunch in Cano Hondo, we will pack up and head back to Santo Domingo for another night in the Colonial District. Day 4: Las Dunas and La Salinas de Bani Most of the key species and endemic birds on this tour are best looked for in the southwest of the island, in and around Sierra de Bahoruco National Park. This will take us two days to reach there, however, and this day will be the first part of the journey there. On the way, we shall stop off at Las Dunas, an area of sand dunes and scrub, which can be good for the Hispaniolan Oriole, one of the scarcer endemics. We could also come across Black-crowned Palm-Tanager or the handsome Greater Antillean Bullfinch in this area, the former being from a bird family that is endemic to Hispaniola, the Hispaniolan Tanagers. The nearby salt pans may also yield Reddish Egret among some wintering shorebirds and wetland birds. Even though it may be only day 4, we may have already seen three of the key bird families that are endemic to the Caribbean by this stage (Hispaniolan Tanagers, Todies and Palmchat). The night will be spent in Pedernales, in the southwest corner of the Dominican Republic. Day 5: El Aceitillar (Southern Sierra de Bahoruco) and Laguna Olviedo When people think of the Caribbean, native pine forests are often not within their thoughts, and are far removed from the picturebook images and travel brochure pictures of the Caribbean. However, that is where we will be focused for this morning. Pine Warblers are conspicuous residents of this forest, although we will be on the lookout for some of the scarcer inhabitants, like the endemic Hispaniolan Parrot and Hispaniolan Crossbill. We may also find Hispaniolan Spindalis there, and sometimes, the endangered Golden Swallow can be seen hawking insects above the forest. In the afternoon, we will travel east to Juan Esteban for the night, stopping off for a relaxing boat trip on Olviedo Lagoon, within Jaragua National Park to break up the journey. The highlight of this trip may well be a large flock of vibrant pink American Flamingos, although nesting frigatebirds and ibises may also hold our attention too. On the fringes of the lake, we may also find Hispaniolan Palm Crows inhabiting the coconut palms. A single night will be spent in Juan Esteban. Day 6: Cachote and Rabo de Gato (Sierra de Bahoruco) We will depart very early within 4-wheel drives to reach Cachote, at higher elevations in the Southeastern part of the Sierra de Bahoruco. This is the only reliable site for the very local, and elusive Eastern Chat-Tanager, which will be our principal target species there. This is from a fourth Caribbean family of interest to us on the tour, the Chat-Tanagers, which is restricted to the island of Hispaniola. Nature’s soundtrack to these highland forests will be the local Rufous-throated Solitaires, which we will also have a good chance to find. We are likely to get our first looks at our second tody of the tour, as Narrow-billed Tody replaces Broad-billed Tody in these higher cloud forests. With fortune, we may also find White-fronted Quail-Dove in Cachote too. After lunch back in Juan Esteban, we will depart for Duverge on the northern side of the Sierra. On this evening, we will have our first try for some of the nightbirds in the area, when we will be listening and searching for Least Pauraque and Hispaniolan Nightjar. Two nights will be spent in some apartments in Duverge with a cracking restaurant nearby, which caters to the odd whims and demands of birding groups. Day 7: Zapoten & Rabo de Gato (Northern Sierra de Bahoruco) The earliest start of the tour beckons on this day, though perhaps also one of the most productive and rewarding days for birding too. We will be visiting the highest elevations of the Northern Sierra de Bahoruco, and a pre-dawn arrival is a must for one particular species, La Selle Thrush, which frequently feeds on the road at dawn, then promptly melts back into the forest and is nigh on impossible to find after then! Sometimes they are joined on the road by Bicknell’s Thrush too. The other key high elevation species include Green-tailed and White-winged Warblers, which are not warblers at all but sit within the endemic Hispaniolan Tanager family. The skies may also hold Golden Swallow for us there, while the understory is home to the Western Chat-Tanager, which we hope to compliment sightings of Eastern Chat-Tanager from earlier on the tour. After a morning in the area, we will return to Duverge for a late lunch. In the afternoon, we will check local sites near Rabo de Gato for the rare Bay-breasted Cuckoo or scarce Flat-billed Vireo, before undertaking another night foray for nightjars or owls, should we still be missing any of these. Day 8: Puerto Escondido (Northern Sierra de Bahoruco) to Santo Domingo In the morning, we will check the dry forest on some of the lower slopes of the Sierra, close to the town of Puerto Escondido, where we hope to find Flat-billed Vireo, or (with some very good fortune), the rare Bay-breasted Cuckoo, one of the most difficult of all the island endemics on Hispaniola. We might also come across White-necked Crows or Olive-throated Parakeets there too. In the afternoon, we shall make our way back east to Santo Domingo for the final night of the tour. Day 9: Departures from Santo Domingo You are free to leave whenever you wish with no birding planned on this day. Trip Considerations PACE : Moderate to Intense. There are some long drives, and some very early starts on this tour in order to reach places at the key time, before dawn. On the drive up to Zapoten (on one day), this necessitates a 3:30am departure, which is the only way to reach there in time to see the La Selle Thrushes feeding on the road right at dawn. There are also quite a few nightbirds to be looked for and so there will be optional nightbirding on at 3-4 nights of the tour. All the lunches and dinners will be cooked meals, although quite a few field breakfasts (boxed breakfasts provided by the hotels) are required. These will be taken on 5 mornings. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY : Easy to Moderate. The walking on this trip is generally easy, with no particularly steep or difficult hikes. Most of the walks will be on roads, though these are often dirt roads on uneven ground, with some incline though not very steep. There may be a short time (a few hours), spent on a narrow forest trail to find the White-fronted Quail-Dove around Cachote. 4 days of the tour are spent in the mountains in the Sierra de Bahoruco, although the elevations are not especially high (the highest elevation site, Zapoten, visited for 1 morning only, only reaches about 5905ft/1800m). There are some long drives on this tour, the longest being on Days 2 & 3 (around 3 hours), Day 4 will take much of the day broken up with a few birding stops, and Day 8 (around 3 hours). The two-hour drives up to Cachote and Zapoten (on Days 6 & 7 respectively) will be on very bumpy, unpaved roads, when we will need to use 4-wheel drive vehicles to get there. ACCOMMODATION : Good to excellent. All places have en-suite bathrooms, full time electricity, and Internet. CLIMATE : Hot and humid in the lowlands (Days 1-4) with temperatures often reaching 90F (32C); significantly cooler in the mountains, when temperatures may even drop to into the 50sF (12C) in the very early morning at Zapoten, for example. WHEN TO GO : The Dominican Republic is generally cooler and drier during the first 4 months of the year, hence the timing of this tour to coincide with that season. However, please be aware that in recent years the weather conditions have been highly unusual and unpredictable, with sometimes very wet weather in the height of the dry season. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS : For citizens of most countries an E-Ticket is required for both entry and departure from the Dominican Republic for tourist purposes. This can be done online and needs to be completed to either enter or exit the country. For all passports, the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Travel requirements are subject to change; please double check with the nearest embassy or consulate or ask our office staff if you are unsure. WHAT’S INCLUDED? : Accommodation from night of day 1 through night of day 8; meals from dinner on day 1 through to breakfast on day 9; Tropical Birding leader from the evening of day 1 to the evening of day 8; one arrival airport and one departure airport transfer per person (these might be shared with some of the rest of the group or with other hotel guests, and might be a shared, official airport shuttle); tips for local guide and driver; ground transport to all the sites listed on the itinerary in a suitable modern vehicle with local driver; entrance fees to all sites on the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED? : Tips to Tropical Birding guide and hotel porters ONLY; flights; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it! PR Review Anchor

Western Queensland: Birding the Outback's World of Wild Habitats Tour Overview: Western Queensland is considered off the beaten track for many bird tours, but this is not your normal tour. This "habitat" tour will not only get you into areas not normally seen, but you will leave with an undertsanding of how and why the inland Australia ecosystems are like non other from other parts of the world. We target all the different savannas, spinifex environments, tussock grasslands and desert mulga woodlands. We will chase Opalton, Kalkadoon and Carpentarian Grasswrens are all possible by combining visits to the mining town of Mount Isa with the “dinosaur capital” of Winton. Along with these prized birds, we will also seek out the local Hall’s Babbler, spectacular Painted Finch (Firetail), Spinifex Pigeon, Spinifexbird, the handsome Rufous-crowned Emuwren, endangered Black-throated Finch and some more widespread, iconic Aussie species, like Emu and Budgerigar, in addition to Australian Bustard. This trip is designed to link with the eastern Australia trips, so we don't spend much time in the rainforests, but will drop into a "Dry Rainforest" on the way out west. Black-throated Finch Sam Woods Red-capped Robin Nick Athanas Kalkadoon Grasswren Sam Woods Painted Honeyeater Sam Woods Star Finch Sam Woods Purple-backd Fairywren Sam Woods Carpentarian Grasswren Sam Woods Zebra Finch Pablo Cervantes Daza Opalton Grasswren Sam Woods Yellow-tinted Honeyeater Sam Woods Spinifex Pigeon Sam Woods Rufous-crowned Emuwren Sam Woods Hall's Babbler NIck Athanas Black-throated Finch Sam Woods Red-capped Robin Nick Athanas Kalkadoon Grasswren Sam Woods Painted Honeyeater Sam Woods Star Finch Sam Woods Purple-backd Fairywren Sam Woods Carpentarian Grasswren Sam Woods Zebra Finch Pablo Cervantes Daza Opalton Grasswren Sam Woods Yellow-tinted Honeyeater Sam Woods Spinifex Pigeon Sam Woods Rufous-crowned Emuwren Sam Woods Hall's Babbler NIck Athanas Black-throated Finch Sam Woods Red-capped Robin Nick Athanas Kalkadoon Grasswren Sam Woods Painted Honeyeater Sam Woods Star Finch Sam Woods Purple-backd Fairywren Sam Woods Carpentarian Grasswren Sam Woods Zebra Finch Pablo Cervantes Daza Opalton Grasswren Sam Woods Yellow-tinted Honeyeater Sam Woods Spinifex Pigeon Sam Woods Rufous-crowned Emuwren Sam Woods Hall's Babbler NIck Athanas Tour Details: 2026 26 September - 4 October $6320; single supplement: $700 2027 26 September - 4 October $6760; single supplement: $750 Length: 9 Days Starting City: Cairns Ending City: Cairns Pace: Moderate/Intense Physical Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Birding Group size: 7 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary This itinerary is sometimes run in reverse order. Day 1: Arrival in Cairns We start the trip at Dinner on the first night. The night will be spent in Cairns. Day 2: Cairns to Hughendon On this morning we will head south of Cairns, making a special stop on in some Dry Sclerophyll Forest and Wet Sclerophyll Forest. This area south of Cairns offers some fascinating birding to break the journey south, in stark contrast to the Outback tropical savanna that we enjoy later. We then stop of a a Dry Rainforest where you see rainforest-like trees eeking out an existance in a sea of savanna landscapes In drier country of Open Eucalypt Savanna, towards the end of the journey, we may start seeing some birds more typical of the Queensland Outback, like Great Bowerbird, Black-faced Woodswallow, Red-winged Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, and Apostlebird. We spend the night in Hughendon Day 3: Hughendon to Winton We will drive west out of Charters Towers to Winton for a two-night stay. On the way we pass through a hugh area of Tropical Tussock Grassland, which is the analogous to a desert grassland from Africa or steppe from Asia. On teh way we look for Australain Bustard, Brolga, possible thousands of Australian Pratincoles and even a Flock Bronzewing if we are lucky. We will pass the first of the mesas of silcrete and laterite. Day 4: Winton This area in the Channel Country is most famous for cattle and sheep farms and its considerable dinosaur fossil finds than birds, but it holds some highly-desirable ones within easy reach. One of the most localized species in play is Opalton Grasswren, an extremely local endemic found within the clumps of spinifex grass in the Spinifex Eucalypt Savanna.. There are plenty of other birds to search for in this area though, including the local Hall’s Babbler in the Spinifex Mulga, reclusive Rufous-crowned Emuwren in the Rocky Spinifex, and the striking Chestnut-breasted Quail-Thrush, a terrestrial bird from the Grassy Mulga. Australian Bustards roam the Outback, as do Emus, while Spinifex Pigeon scurry among the rocky outcrops, and Hooded Robins occur in this sparsely wooded country. Other birds that we might see include a good mix of woodswallows, with Masked, White-browed and Little all occurring. We will be on the lookout for any blooming shrubs and trees that attract nectar-thirsty honeyeaters, like Grey-headed, and sometimes the nomadic Black and Painted honeyeaters too. In this season we might find active groups of Crimson Chats working the low shrubs, and Orange Chats can be around in some years too. A distinctive sound of this landscape are the numerous Crested Bellbirds. Other possible finds could be Bourke’s Parrot, or flocks of Budgerigars or Cockatiels, Spotted Bowerbird, delightful Purple-backed and White-winged fairywrens, and the dry-country-loving Red-browed Pardalote and Red-backed Kingfisher. Raptors overhead could include Little Eagles, while Zebra Finches are frequent in the grasslands. “Waterbirds” can also be found, including Australian Pratincole, Black-fronted Dotterel and Brolga. A second night will be spent in Winton. Day 5: Winton to Mount Isa After another morning in Bladensburg national Park where we search t mulgas and , we move north to Mount Isa for a two-night stay. Day 6: Mount Isa With a full day (and a morning) here, we will have plenty of time to search for our main targets and their supporting cast. Top on the agenda will be tracking down Mount Isa’s two most famous avian residents, the Kalkadoon and Carpentarian grasswrens. Among the other birds in this area though are some other highly-desired species, like Black-tailed Treecreeper in the Tetradonta Woodland, and rocky areas with stands of spinifex grass that hold the stunning Painted Finch, the comical Spinifex Pigeon and Spinifexbird. The Cloncurry form of Australian Ringneck also occurs, as does Purple-necked Rock-Wallaby. Another night will be spent in Mount Isa. Day 7: Mount Isa to Karumba After another morning among the wattle scrub, red rocks, and spinifex of Mount Isa, we move north to Karumba for the night, right on the edge of the Gulf of Carpentaria. A single night will be spent in Karumba. There should be some time in the late afternoon to begin exploring this area of tropical savanna, for species like, Yellow-tinted, Rufous-throated and White-gaped honeyeaters, Diamond Dove, Red-browed Pardalote, and Star Finch, which are characteristic of this area and the Northern territory to the west. Day 8: Karumba to Georgetown In the morning, we will focus on the coastal mangroves around Karumba, before driving east towards Cairns via Georgetown. A boat trip will be taken to search for mangrove specialists, like Red-headed Myzomela, White-breasted Whistler, Australian Yellow White-eye, and Mangrove Fantail. There will also be a chance for other interesting wetland birds like Rajah Shelduck, Sarus Crane, Brolga, Pink-eared Duck, and Far Eastern Curlew. During the journey eastwards, we make a short stop around Georgetown in the heart of Black-throated Finch country. The area also holds Masked and Zebra finches, and yet more waterbirds. Day 9: Georgetown to Cairns We spend a final morning birding around Georgetown with some great light for photo ops and then return to Cairns for an arrival around Noon. Tour finishes with an hour or two break before the Birding with a Camera Tour. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. This tour does target some special birds that require some early starts, at around 5:30am, and some field breakfasts too. There are a number of long drives on this tour, with some short sections of these on good, unpaved roads. A 4 x 4 vehicle however is not required. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: The walks on this trip are mostly easy, not involving any steep gradients or elevations, but will be on rocky and uneven ground at times. The toughest aspect of this trip is the climate, being very hot and dry much of the time. CLIMATE: The climate on this trip will be mostly a hot dry heat in the Outback, which forms the main part of the tour. In this season, the daytime temperatures range from around 15-32 C (60-90 F), with little rain likely. Around Cairns, and on the second morning the humidity will be high compared with the rest of the tour. ACCOMMODATION: For the sections outside of Cairns we will use the best accommodations available - medium level motels - in Cairns and Hughenden we will use good hotels. All lodgings have full time electricity and hot water and en-suite bathrooms. Internet will only be available in Cairns and Hughenden. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required for entry into Australia, which must be valid for at least six months beyond your departure. All visitors must obtain a visa or travel authorization in advance, however, this can usually be done online fairly painlessly; check the Australian immigration website, or ask our office staff for help if you are unsure. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Accommodation from night of day 1 through to night of day 8; meals from dinner on day 1 to dinner on day 8; safe drinking water between meals; most hotels in Australia provide a kettle and tea and coffee; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio gear from the afternoon of day 1 to the evening of day 8; transfer by taxi to the airports at the start and end of the tour; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary in a suitable vehicle driven by the tour leader; entrance fees to all birding sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the Tropical Birding tour leader; international flights; excess baggage fees; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, internet, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Aus West Review Anchor Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

Belize • Costa Rica • Guatemala • Mexico • Panama Select from the map or choose from the list below to view tours (Map not available on mobile device)

Costa Rica: Photo Tour Tour Overview: Costa Rica has long been a favorite among nature lover’s and wildlife photographers; a system of excellent lodges and a long-established network of well-protected areas, combined with easy access from North America, have made this a natural destination for them. Costa Rica is frequently noted as one of the greenest countries on Earth, with a long history of protecting wildlife areas, meaning that many animals and species normally difficult to approach, are amazingly photogenic, and even tame there, making this a top notch choice for the nature and bird photographer. Although it is a small country (the size of the US state of West Virginia), it is varied, with mountains dividing the north (Caribbean), and southern (Pacific) slopes from each other. We will visit the Caribbean side and the Pacific side, as well as the mountains that divide them, in order to give us a varied list of bird and animals to photograph from one end of the tour to the other. Among the major targets on this tour will be an array of "technicolor" tropical birds like hummingbirds, tanagers, toucans, parrots, and woodpeckers. And of course, no photo tour to Costa Rica would be complete without a visit to the highlands, and the realm of the resplendent Resplendent Quetzal, one of the most spectacular birds on Earth. Those with a wider interest than only birds, will also have the opportunity to shoot brightly adorned frogs too, within dedicated photo shoots for these, where such species as Strawberry and Black-and-green Poison Frogs and Red-eyed Treefrogs are likely to feature. Keel-billed Toucan Pablo Cervantes Daza Resplendent Quetzal Pablo Cervantes Daza Red-eyed Treefrog Sam Woods Collared Aracari Pablo Cervantes Daza Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth Sam Woods Red-headed Barbet Sam Woods Yellow-throated Toucan Pablo Cervantes Daza Northern Emerald Toucanet Sam Woods White-throated Mountain-Gem Lesson's Motmot Sam Woods Acorn Woodpecker Sam Woods Talamanca Hummingbird Sam Woods Flame-colored Tanager Sam Woods Fiery-throated Hummingbird Sam Woods White-throated Mountain-Gem Sam Woods White-nosed Coati Sam Woods Resplendent Quetzal Sam Woods Rufous-tailed Jacamar Sam Woods Pacific Screech-Owl Sam Woods King Vulture Pablo Cervantes Daza Great Curassow Pablo Cervantes Daza Orange-chinned Parakeet Sam Woods Masked Treefrog Sam Woods Green Honeycreeper Sam Woods Crested Guan Sam Woods Tour Details: 2027 20 February - 6 March $8740; single supplement: $1030 Length: 15 Days Starting City: San José Ending City: San José Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy/Moderate Focus: Bird and Wildlife Photography Group size: 6 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Please note: This itinerary is sometimes run in a different order than shown here, and we may substitute different lodges based on availability. Day-to-day activities may be modified at the tour leader's discretion based on various factors such as weather, recent sightings, etc. Day 1: Arrival in San José The tour begins this evening with dinner. After arrival in Costa Rica’s capital San José, you will be transferred to an excellent hotel. The hotel used is subject to availability, but many options have good chances to find birds right on the grounds. Day 2: San José to La Quinta Sarapiqui Today involves a bit of driving but before all of that, you will have a quick guided walk around some nearby hotspots with your local guide, targeting birds like; Spot-breasted Oriole, Rufous-naped Wren, Hoffmann's Woodpecker and potentially the very tricky Cinnamon Hummingbird . After this relaxing morning, we will spend the morning photographing at a little “hole in the wall” kind of place, but if you let the looks deter you, you would miss out on spectacular birds like Northern Emerald-Toucanet, Red-headed Barbet, Crimson-colored Tanager, Red-legged Honeyeater and if we're lucky, a Prong-billed Barbet. Hummingbirds are also on order here so we will be on the lookout for Violet Sabrewing, Green-crowned Brilliant, and possibly even the endemic Coppery-headed Emerald. This general vicinity is also home to another spectacular bird, the Bat Falcon. We will have lunch here and then move on to our hotel for the evening. Depending on time, we might have a little walk around a nearby garden where we might photograph Common Tody Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Elaenia and Mistletoe Tyrannulet. Day 3: Morning with Cope to Laguna del Lagarto We spend a great morning with local guide, Cope. This legend potentially has some great birds for us. His local spots often yield Crested and Spectacled Owl while his tremendous backyard pond and feeders offer a variety of birds like Red-legged Honeycreeper, Orange-chinned Parakeet, Chestnut-headed Oropendola and a host of colorful tanager species. After some food, we'll travel north towards Laguna del Lagarto where we'll spend the next three nights. Along the way, we may have time to visit "Frogs Heaven" where we can photograph Red-eyed Tree Frog and a variety of Poison Dart Frogs. Day 4: Laguna del Lagarto Today we will spend the morning in the King Vulture hide. Nothing can quite describe the feeling of watching vultures devour scraps of meat just feet from your face. You have to try this. Part of the afternoon will be spent photographing the perches around the lodge – it can be difficult to pull yourself away from these excellent setups! The targets here include Brown-hooded Parrot, Keel-billed Toucan and Collared Aracari. There will also be time free time to explore, have a rest, do some snake photography, or anything else you would like. Nights around the lodge can yield owls so we will take advantage of those opportunities as they come. Day 5: Laguna del Lagarto More time at Laguna del Lagarto is never a bad thing. We'll enjoy the feeders, and grounds for more incredible photo opportunities of the local tanagers, woodpeckers, hummingbirds and anything else we can get our lenses on. Day 6: Laguna de Lagarto to the Arenal Area Today we will drive to the Arenal area and hit several hotspots for photography. This will involve some easy walking but will hopefully give us chances as Broad-billed, Keel-billed and Rufous Motmots, White-throated Crake, a handful of common tanagers and a host of other typical forest birds like Hoffmann's Woodpecker, Gray-headed Chachalaca, and Barred Antshrike. We'll spend two nights near Arenal Volcano. Day 7: Three-wattled Bellbird and San Ramon Area Today we will spend a morning with one of the more iconic Costa Rican birds, Three-wattled Bellbird. We will link up with our local guide who will take us around and hopefully (it is of course never a guarantee) get our lenses on a great bird in a cool setting. Other birds typically available include the cute White-eared Ground Sparrow, Golden-olive Woodpecker and Yellow-faced Grassquit. After this lovely morning we will do a series of feeders to add to our photo collection. Birds like; Tawny-capped Euphonia, Speckled and Emerald Tanagers are all possibilities. Day 8: Arenal to the Volcan Tenorio region We will focus on two difficult hummingbirds, the Black-crested Coquette and the Snowcap. Other fun birds around include Yellow-throated Toucan, Tody Motmot and if we're lucky, we may set our eyes on a Baird’s Tapir or White-nosed Coati. We have one night in one of several lodges in the Bijagua area. Day 9: Volcan Tenorio to the Pacific We'll spend the morning in the Volcan Tenorio region, then we head to the dry Pacific. Here birds like Black-headed Trogon, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Boat-billed Flycatcher and Pacific Screech Owl await. We'll spend the night in one of the lodges near the Gulf of Nicoya. Day 10: La Ensenada to the Tarcoles Area La Ensenada is a large reserve with a lodge right on the Pacific coast. Along with a good variety of dry forest species, there is a lagoon out behind the lodge that can host a variety of great birds like Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Stork, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, and Northern Jacana. In the afternoon we drive south to the Tarcoles area, where we spend two nights. Day 11: Tarcoles area Today we have an early start as we take a boat ride on the Tarcol River for about 3 hours. There are two areas in particular we need to visit, the mangroves and the main river. The early morning will be spent on the open river and then we will retreat into the mangroves as the morning goes on. The river will hold targets like Yellow-headed Caracara, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Amazon, Ringed, Green, and American Pygmy Kingfishers, Crested Caracara, a host of shorebirds, Scarlet Macaw and a few raptors like Plumbeous Kite and Common Black Hawk. We will then meet up with a local guide in Orotina, who knows spots for Long-tailed Manakin, Lesser Ground-Cuckoo, Turquoise-browed Motmot and others. Year to year the spots and birds vary so we will just have to see what he has in store for us! Day 12: Tarcoles to the Talamanca Highlands After another morning with our local guide, we'll drive up into the Talamanca highlands and spend two nights at one of several excellent mountain lodges in the area. Day 13: Talamanca Highlands This scenic part of Costa Rica is wonderful, unique, and packed full of spectacular species. The first morning will be spent looking for our main target, the Resplendent Quetzal. During this time of year, the quetzals are typically nesting so we should have some great opportunities here, and should we not have any luck, we’ll have another chance tomorrow. We will spend the afternoon photographing the hummingbirds species, like Fiery-throated and Talamanca Hummingbirds, and also visit a lovely location down in the valley with more feeders that often bring in subjects like Acorn Woodpecker, several brushfinches and thrushes, and yet more hummingbirds, like White-throated Mountain Gem, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Scintillant Hummingbird, and a host of tanagers. Day 14: Talamanca Highlands to San José We have a number of options for our last morning, and we’ll make a plan based on whatever we are most eager to get better photos of. We may spend some time around our lodge photographing birds like Mountain Thrush, Fiery-throated and Talamanca Hummingbirds, Mountain Elaenia, Tufted Flycatcher, Black-capped Flycatcher, and Long-tailed and Black-and-Yellow Silky-flycatchers. We could try again for the quetzal if we weren’t lucky the day before, or we could revisit one of the feeding setups. It truly is a magical area. In the afternoon we drive back to San José for a final night. Day 15: Departure from San José The tour ends this morning with transfers to the airport; there are no photo shoots planned for this day, but you are welcome to do so on your own around the wonderful hotel grounds. Trip Considerations PACE: Relaxed. There may be some early mornings in order to capitalize on good light and activity, but most days will have several hours of downtime to relax or download photos – this is often in the late afternoon when the light may be poor and when it is more likely to rain or in the middle of the day at the lower elevations when it can be hot and slow. Drives of 3-4 hours are necessary on four days. These are done in the middle of the day whenever possible to maximize the use of the more productive morning and afternoon hours for photography. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate. A lot of the time is spent near feeders which are accessed by only short walks. There will be longer walks for opportunistic photography, though many of these may be considered optional if you would prefer to stay near the feeders. Targeting some birds such as Resplendent Quetzal may involve a longer walk depending on the location of any active nests. Most of the trip is at relatively low elevation. We may reach 9000 ft (2700 m) for a short period on one day, but most of our time in the highlands will be at no more than 7000 ft (2100 m). CLIMATE: In the lowlands, it is quite humid and temperatures usually vary from about 68°-95°F (20°-35°C). At the higher elevations it is much cooler, with temperatures ranging from about 46°-75°F (8°-24°C). Rain is possible anywhere. While we do not intend to shoot in heavy rain, it is a good idea to bring rain protection for both you and your gear in case we get caught out in an unexpected downpour. ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent. All have private, en-suite bathrooms, full-time hot water, and 24h electricity. Wi-fi is also available in all lodges, though often it only works in the public areas and not inside the rooms. WHEN TO GO: While we often schedule this tour from January to April (which averages drier), it can be run as a custom tour any time of the year. Even during the wetter months, rain typically comes in short, intense downpours, and bird activity can be superb when they finish. PHOTO PHILOSOPHY: Most of the time will be spent on birds coming to feeders and in areas near the feeders, with some time also spent in blinds. The rest of the time will be spent targeting birds along roads or short tracks/trails. This tour is all about getting nice photos of birds, and not about seeing large numbers of species. If you are a casual photographer and don’t want to miss seeing the harder forest species, you may enjoy one of our other Costa Rica tours more, such as the Costa Rica Introtour (a birding tour), or our Costa Rica Birding with a Camera , for something that sits between a birding tour and a photo tour. GEAR: A 500mm or 600mm is the best option for smaller birds and closeups, but a 300mm with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters also usually does a great job on this tour. A 500 or 600 may be overkill for some larger species, so a shorter prime lens or high-quality zoom is also very useful. A tripod is not strictly necessary, but if you have heavy camera gear, it can be nice to have so you don't have to carry your camera all the time. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Tourist visas are currently not required for citizens of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and all EU countries. Visas are currently only required of nationalities mainly in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Travel requirements are subject to change; if you are unsure, please check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff for help. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to drivers, local guides, and lodge/restaurant staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 14; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 15 (if you have a very early departing flight, you may miss the included breakfast on the last day); safe drinking water during meals (if eating at a restaurant that includes no drinks, reasonable non-alcoholic beverages will be provided for that meal); Tropical Birding tour leader from the evening of day 1 to the evening of day 14; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person (transfers may be shared with other participants of the same tour if they are on the same flight; if the San José hotel has a free airport shuttle, you will be encouraged to use it and private transfers will not be provided). Ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 2 to day 14 (for smaller groups the guide will drive and, for larger groups there will be a driver); one mangrove boat tour on the Tarcol River for the group; local guides where mentioned in the itinerary; entrance fees to all sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the tour leader; tips for luggage porters if you require their services; flights; airport departure tax; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it! Costa Ric Photo Review Anchor

Custom Tours Why Choose Custom? You have a specific group of people you enjoy traveling with (e.g. family, friends, bird clubs). For large enough groups, custom tours can cost the same or even less per person than a set- departure tour. Your schedule is very limited and you can only travel during very specific times. You have specific targets you are after, and want to spend extra time looking for them at the expense of common and widespread species. You want to be able to run the trip at a different pace than a typical set-departure tour. For example, maybe you don't want to get up quite so early, or you want to include other activities such as visiting museums, attending sporting events, or just chilling out on the beach for a day. On the flip side, maybe you want to go "all out" and try to cram a week's worth of birding into four or five days. You have special needs that cannot be easily accommodated on a normal tour. Custom tours for smaller groups do tend to cost a lot more per person than one of our set-departure tours, but the flexibility they offer makes then well worthwhile to some people. If you think a custom tour might be right for you, please Contact Us , and we will be happy to design an itinerary to suit your needs. Let us know as much as you can about what sort of trip you want, where you want to go, what you want to do, and how many people (if any) will be joining you. If you're not sure which destination is best for you, one of our guides can get back to you and offer some suggestions.

California Birding in the Fall Tour Overview: If you want to experience the thrill of fall migration on the West Coast, then this is the tour for you! California is an amazing birding destination, and our ten-day adventure is designed to showcase a wide sample of the state’s extensive avifauna. We’ll scour tidal mudflats and marshes on San Francisco Bay, walk through oak woodlands and chaparral in the Diablo Range, explore alpine elevations in the Sierra, venture into sagebrush at Mono Lake, and head offshore to experience California’s pelagic bounty. We’ll try to see as many species as possible on this birding-focused tour, and we’ll make extra special effort to find regional specialties like Ridgway’s Rail, Yellow-billed Magpie, California Thrasher, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Bell’s Sparrow, Mountain Quail, Greater Sage-Grouse, California Condor, Tricolored Blackbird, and California Towhee. The pelagic will afford opportunity for albatrosses, shearwaters, skuas, jaegers, and alcids, and the ever-present possibility of Asian vagrants will add intrigue to our daily outings. With fantastic weather and loads of beautiful birds, this trip promises to maximize your California birding experience. Allen's Hummingbird Dorian Anderson California Quail - Nick Athanas.jpg Phainopepla Dorian Anderson Wrentit Dorian Anderson Clark's Grebe Dorian Anderson Pinyon Jay Ken Behrens Chestnut-backed Chickadee Dorian Anderson Surfbird Dorian Anderson California Thrasher Dorian Anderson Elegant Tern Dorian Anderson Lewis's Woodpecker Ken Behrens Heermann's Gull Dorian Anderson Black-footed Albatross Dorian Anderson Pigeon Guillemot Dorian Anderson Buller's Shearwater Dorian Anderson Blue Whale Ken Behrens Burrowing Owl Dorian Anderson Canyon Wren Nick Athanas Costa's Hummingbird Ken Behrens Black Turnstone Nick Athanas California Scrub-Jay Ken Behrens Allen's Hummingbird Dorian Anderson California Quail - Nick Athanas.jpg Phainopepla Dorian Anderson Wrentit Dorian Anderson Clark's Grebe Dorian Anderson Pinyon Jay Ken Behrens Chestnut-backed Chickadee Dorian Anderson Surfbird Dorian Anderson California Thrasher Dorian Anderson Elegant Tern Dorian Anderson Lewis's Woodpecker Ken Behrens Heermann's Gull Dorian Anderson Black-footed Albatross Dorian Anderson Pigeon Guillemot Dorian Anderson Buller's Shearwater Dorian Anderson Blue Whale Ken Behrens Burrowing Owl Dorian Anderson Canyon Wren Nick Athanas Costa's Hummingbird Ken Behrens Black Turnstone Nick Athanas California Scrub-Jay Ken Behrens Tour Details: 2026 4 - 13 September $5290; single supplement: $990 Length: 10 Days Starting City: San Francisco Ending City: San Francisco Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy Focus: Birding Group size: 7 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report California Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Arrivals in San Francisco After arriving and claiming luggage, clients should take the free shuttle to the airport hotel in Burlingame. There is no birding on this day, so arrival is very flexible. If there is sufficient interest, the leader might organize an optional group dinner (not included in tour price). Day 2: San Francisco Bay We’ll dedicate out first full day to exploring San Francisco Bay, the largest estuary on the West Coast. While tides will influence our precise itinerary, we’ll visit some combination of Coyote Point County Park, the Palo Alto Baylands, Byxbee Park, Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge, and Coyote Hills Regional Park. Shorebirds like American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Western Sandpiper, and Marbled Godwit will abound, and we’ll make special effort to secure the stealthy Ridgway’s Rail as it explores tidal channels. Birding bayshore thickets, we could intersect Anna’s Hummingbird, Bewick’s Wren, Lesser Goldfinch, Black Phoebe, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, California Towhee, and California Scrub-Jay. We’re likely to encounter many of these birds throughout the tour, so this day will help clients establish an identification baseline from which to recognize the more specialized species which we’ll encounter as we progress. We spend the night at the same Burlingame Hotel. Day 3: Diablo Range and the Central Valley Today we will venture across SF Bay and into the Diablo Range which separates that tidal body from the drier Central Valley. Gaining elevation into scrub-oak and chaparral, we’ll look for Lewis’s and Acorn Woodpeckers, Phainopepla, Yellow-billed Magpie, California Thrasher, Oak Titmouse, Lawrence’s Goldfinch, and Rufous-crowned and Bell’s Sparrows, the last a particular challenge. Wild Turkey and California Quail are possible, and Golden Eagle could cruise over at any moment. If we’re really lucky, we might glimpse Greater Roadrunner, Canyon Wren, or Costa’s Hummingbird — three desert species which are present in very small numbers. We’ll descend into the Central Valley as the afternoon progresses and make a stop or two as we close the distance towards the Sierra Nevadas. This night and the next will be spent at the western base of that range, in Sonora. Day 4: Western Slope of the Sierra Nevada Our day will begin at Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Though most people visit for the humungous Sequoias — some over 200 feet tall and upwards of 30 feet in diameter — we’ll set our sights on Steller’s Jay, Mountain Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Pacific Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and Black-throated Gray Warbler. Woodpeckers are usually well-represented, and we’ll be looking for White-headed, Pileated, and Hairy Woodpeckers along with Red-breasted and Williamson’s Sapsuckers. Once our time at the park expires, we’ll bird our way higher towards higher elevations before returning to Sonora for a second night. Day 5: Sierra Traverse and Mono Lake This morning we’ll start east over the Sierras and make a number of birding stops as we traverse the range. Common Merganser, Bald Eagle, Western Tanager, Cassin’s Vireo, and Hermit Warbler will be among our targets at Pinecrest Lake, and we’ll hope for the tricky Mountain Quail as we climb towards Sonora Pass at 9,600’. Reaching that crest, we’ll take a short walk to look for Clark’s Nutcracker, Red Crossbill, Cassin’s Finch, Green-tailed Towhee, and Townsend’s Solitaire before descending towards Mono Lake at the eastern foot of the range. Reaching that body of water, we’ll be greeted by a variety of waterfowl and shorebirds which could include Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Eared Grebe, White-faced Ibis, and Red-necked and Wilson’s Phalaropes. Our day winding down, we’ll head to Lee Vining for the first of two nights. Day 6: Mono Lake and Surrounds Our focus today will be on securing a number of Great Basin birds which reach the western limits of their ranges in the eastern Sierra foothills. These include Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay, Black-billed Magpie, Sage Thrasher, and Sagebrush Sparrow. Dusky, Hammond’s, and Gray Flycatchers are within the realm of possibilities, and we could encounter Brewer’s Sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Pinyon Jay, and MacGillivray’s Warbler as well. We’ll also look for Greater Sage-Grouse, a once plentiful bird that has suffered precipitous declines in California. Fortunately, the Bodie population is still hanging on, and we’ll do our best to find one around the former mining town. Regardless of the precise birds we find, our time around Mono Lake will be unforgettable because the untamed, wild-open landscape is a nostalgic throwback to prior centuries when the American West was wilder than it is today. We’ll spend a second night in Lee Vining. Day 7: Travel day with en route birding After a bit of Mono mop-up, we’ll cross back over the Sierras and Central Valley with stops for any species which we might have missed on earlier legs of the tour. Depending on what time we reach Hollister, where we overnight, we might have time to check out a couple local spots. Day 8: California Condors and the Pacific Coast We have a singular focus this morning — the enormous and incomparable California Condor! Though the iconic bird suffered a near-terminal population collapse in the mid-twentieth century, careful management has guided a slow but steady recovery. There are currently around 300 wild birds, and Pinnacles National Park is a reliable a spot to intersect a fraction of those. The birds roost on the overhead rocks, so we’ll arrive early to ensure we don’t miss the mid-morning liftoff. Once all the birds have departed for the day, we’ll cut back towards the Pacific at Santa Cruz. Cruising north along the picturesque coast, we’ll make several oceanfront stops with hopes of turning up Pelagic and Brandt’s Cormorants, Black Oystercatcher, Wandering Tattler, Surfbird, and Black Turnstone. Riparian areas might hold migrants like Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, and Townsend’s Warbler, and we should catch up with some of the resident passerines we might have missed, such as Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, and Pygmy Nuthatch. We’ll spend the next two nights in Half Moon Bay. Day 9: Deepwater Pelagic from Half Moon Bay In the last decade, Half Moon Bay has come to rival classic departure ports like Monterey and Bodega Bay for pelagic birding excitement. The deep-water Pioneer Canyon is an easy ride from Pillar Point Harbor, and we’ll have excellent chances at Black-footed Albatross, Sooty Shearwater, Pink-footed Shearwater, Buller’s Shearwater, Ashy Storm-Petrel, Black Storm-Petrel, South Polar Skua, all three jaegers, Sabine’s Gull, Arctic Tern, Common Murre, Cassin’s Auklet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Tufted Puffin, and Red and Red-necked Phalaropes. Laysan Albatross is always possible, and we’ll keep our fingers crossed for something totally outrageous like Hawaiian Petrel. We’ll likely see Humpback Whales, and we sometimes even spot Blue Whale, the world’s largest animal! The trip will run from 7am to 5pm, and we’ll retire to our Half Moon Bay Hotel to recover after our finale dinner. If the pelagic is cancelled due to weather, we’ll use the day for additional terrestrial birding or rarity chasing. Day 10: Departure from San Francisco After breakfast, we’ll drive to SFO airport, and we expect to arrive by 9:00am. Please plan flight schedules accordingly. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. This is not a physically demanding tour (see Physical Difficulty section below), but the days will be pretty long. One of the many benefits of perfect climate (see Climate section below) is that we can use the entire day for birding; it’s neither too cold in the morning nor too hot in the middle of the day to be out and about! Sunrise is at 7am, so we’ll be departing the hotel between 6am and 6:30am each day. Participants can expect to make multiple birding stops throughout the day, and we’ll aim to be at our place of lodging between 5 and 6pm to let people rest before dinner. There will be time to rest in the van as we move between locations, and we’ll have a field lunch on most days to avoid restaurants and crowds. Any lunches eaten at restaurants will be eaten outside. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy. All of our birding stops will require light to moderate walking, but we’ll rarely cover more than a mile at a stretch. The pace will be very mellow, and the footing should be level everywhere we go. There won’t be steep hikes on rocky trails, and anyone in average walking shape will do just fine on this tour. For those joining the pelagic, seasickness medication is advised. CLIMATE: The California Coast offers virtually perfect climate during the fall. There is only a low chance of rain, and daily temperatures vary from 50 to 80F. There might be some coastal fog in the morning, but fall is generally the sunniest season. We might experience fog, wind, and sea spray on the pelagic, but layering a fleece or down-type puffer jack underneath a raincoat or windbreaker should be enough to keep the average person warm. A wool hat works wonders, and light gloves are advised for those whose hands get cold easily. ACCOMMODATION: High quality, modern hotels throughout with the typical amenities; all have wi-fi. PHOTOGRAPHY: While not a photography tour, there will be opportunities for casual photography as we bird, especially on the pelagic. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: For US citizens, there are no special travel requirements. Citizens of Canada may enter the US with a valid passport, and do not need to obtain a visa. For citizens of the 38 countries on the visa waiver list (including the UK, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Japan), you can enter the US with a valid passport and a completed Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which can be applied for online. For all passports, the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Citizens of all other countries will need to apply for a US visa. Travel requirements are subject to change; please double check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff if you are unsure. Those who need to apply for a visa should do so long in advance of the tour, as these can take days weeks to be issued. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Accommodations from the night of day 1 through the night of day 9; meals from breakfast on day 2 through to breakfast on day 10; entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the itinerary; Tropical Birding tour leader from the night of day 1 through to the morning of day 10; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from the morning of day 2 to the morning of day 10 in a modern rental vehicle with the Tropical Birding tour leader as the driver; pelagic tour out of Half Moon Bay (if you know in advance that you will not take the pelagic, please let us know and we can discount the cost from your invoice. We can only do this if you let us know well in advance since we have to prepay the pelagic). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Flights; optional tips to the tour leader; tips to any baggage handlers if used anywhere; any passport or visa fees; excess baggage fees; snacks; any drinks other than drinkable water; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, internet, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

Costa Rica: Enigmatic Wildlife Tour (EWT) Tour Overview: The jungles and mountains of Costa Rica represent some of the most accessible epicenters for biodiversity in the world. The vast array of habitats in Costa Rica are home to over 250 species of mammals, 900 bird species, 175 species of amphibians, 250 reptiles, 15,000 invertebrates and 7,500 plants! The diversity is spread throughout the many ecoregions of the country. However, due to the nation’s small size, it is possible to visit and explore many of these regions in a single trip. From the cryptic Coronated Tree Frog to the large, yet surprisingly stealthy, Baird’s Tapir, some of the wildlife of Costa Rica is both rare and captivating, whilst many others are very accessible indeed, which is why Costa Rica is one of the premier wildlife watching destinations on the planet. While some animals make their presence easily known, most of them act as silent observers hidden in the shadows of the canopy. Over the course of this itinerary we will attempt to find as many of these elusive animals as we can, while also seeing many of the more regular wildlife one would expect from a Costa Rica tour. Red-eyed Treefrog Pablo Cervantes Daza Resplendent Quetzal Pablo Cervantes Daza Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth Sam Woods Eyelash Pitviper Pablo Cervantes Daza Strawberry Poison Dart Frog Sam Woods King Vulture Pablo Cervantes Daza Dark-eyed Treefrog Pablo Cervantes Daza Montezuma Oropendola Pablo Cervantes Daza Yellow-throated Toucan Pablo Cervantes Daza Masked Treefrog Pablo Cervantes Daza Talamanca Hummingbird Pablo Cervantes Daza Red-eyed Treefrog Pablo Cervantes Daza Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog Pablo Cervantes Daza Ghost Glass Frog Pablo Cervantes Daza Hog-nosed Pitviper Pablo Cervantes Daza American Crocodile Pablo Cervantes Daza Granular Glass Frog Pablo Cervantes Daza Eyelash Pitviper Pablo Cervantes Daza Emerald Basilisk Pablo Cervantes Daza Canal Zone Treefrog Pablo Cervantes Daza Eyelash Pitviper Pablo Cervantes Daza Parrot Viper Pablo Cervantes Daza Spangle-cheeked Tanager Andres Vasquez White-crested Coquette Sam Woods White-nosed Coati Sam Woods Tour Details: 2027 Main Tour: 15 - 26 January Price: TBA (will be posted in 2026 - estimate is $6720, sing. sup: $480) Extension: 26 January - 1 February Price: TBA Length: 12 Days (18 days with extension) Starting City: San José, Costa Rica Ending City: San José, Costa Rica Pace: Moderate to i ntense Physical Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Wildlife, Birding Group size: 8 + 1 leader Ready to Book? Book Here More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Arrival in San José This is the arrival day; while no group activities are planned except for dinner, if you arrive early enough, you may wish to go birding in the hotel grounds where many species including Ferriginous Pygmy-Owl and Rufous-backed Wren can be seen. The night will be spent in a hotel not far from the airport. Day 2: San Jose to Tapir Valley Nature Reserve After some optional early morning birding we will meet for breakfast, then board our vehicle and head north to Tapir Valley, where we spend one night. The drive can take anywhere from 3-4.5 hours depending on traffic and road conditions. While most of the highly prized targets are most active at night, there are still many incredible animals to enjoy in the daytime. The gardens can be an incredible place to see hummingbirds like the Black-crested Coquette and Snowcap, some of the country’s most prized bird species. After dinner, we will venture out on a guided night walk in the jungle. Here we will search for different frogs, snakes, sleeping birds and lizards, and hopefully some mammals. The biggest target here is perhaps the Baird’s Tapir, a strange and elusive herbivore with a short prehensile trunk. Tapirs are the only group of odd toed ungulates in the New World, meaning their closest living relatives are the rhinoceroses. Another big priority here is the Tapir Valley Tree Frog. This small green tree frog is endemic to the Tapir Valley, and this nature preserve is the only place in the world to see it. Day 3: Tapir Valley Nature Preserve to Arenal This morning will start with a guided birding tour through Tapir Valley Nature Preserve. There are hundreds of bird species found on the property, some of our highlights could include some scarcities like Yellow-eared Toucanet, Tody Motmot, and Great Curassow, as well as an astonishing array of tanagers, woodpeckers, hummingbirds and toucans. This morning will be a fantastic opportunity for people who have never been to the tropics to become familiar with many neotropical bird families. After our morning activity we will drive towards La Fortuna (3-4 hour’s drive) where we will be staying at one of the wonderful lodges in the vicinity of the Arenal Volcano. We will do some afternoon birding, while also keeping a vigilant eye out for reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and other cool invertebrates. While hiking the trails here we will be searching for the very rare Bare-necked Umbrellabird, one of Costa Rica’s most unique and iconic birds. After dinner we will go on a night walk to search for tree frogs like the famous Red-eyed Tree Frog, Masked Smilisca, and Hourglass Tree Frog. Other animals of the night we may find include, the variably colored Eyelash Palm Pitviper, Emerald Basilisk, Yellow-spotted Night Lizard, and even some mammals such as the Derby’s Woolly Opossum and Southern Opossum. Day 4: Arenal to La Selva Biological Station This morning we will continue exploring the grounds of Arenal Observatory Lodge. We will continue searching for any targets we hadn’t found from the previous day. We will also be searching for mixed flocks of antbirds; these groups can contain elusive species like Spotted Antbird and Ocellated Antbird (typically only when there is an army antswarm present), Streak-crowned Antvireo and even the occasional Song Wren. We will continue down the trails in search of other cryptic birds, and we will place a focused effort on finding the elusive Thicket Antpitta. While the chances are very low, we will also be in the range for the enigmatic Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo. This mythical bird has been seen here many times over the years as it sometimes associates with the local ant swarms. We would need some very good fortune to see it however. After our morning at the observatory we will pack up the vehicle and leave for La Selva Biological Station, a two-hour drive away. This station is located in the heart of the Caribbean lowlands and will provide us with ample opportunities to search for an unbelievable cast of nocturnal animals. The reptile and amphibian diversity can be off the charts when conditions are right! Nocturnal reptiles like Yellow-spotted Night-Lizard, Cloudy Snail-eating Snake, Black Halloween Snake and Common Blunt-headed Tree Snake would all be epic finds. The invertebrate diversity is like no other and some of the potential highlights include oddities like Velvet Worms, Micrathena brevipes, Peruvian Shield Mantis, or the legendary Bullet Ant. The mammal diversity is also impressive here with species like Ocelot, Mexican Mouse Opossum and Lowland Paca all frequenting the area. Day 5: La Selva Biological Station to Tapirus Lodge After a long night walk the previous day, clients can decide to either rest up in the morning or go on their own self-guided walk along the easy trails on site. We will depart La Selva Biological Station and begin our two hour drive to Tapirus Lodge. Traveling here brings us further along the Caribbean lowlands and gives us more time to explore this region's endless diversity. This area will provide us with ample opportunities to search for endemic birds like the scarce Lattice-tailed Trogon and the ultra-rare Bare-necked Umbrellabird. The forests surrounding the lodge are also home to many incredible mammals like Baird’s Tapir, Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth, and White-nosed Coatimundi. We will have dinner here at the lodge and then go on a night walk to find some more denizens of the dark. On the right night, the frogs here can be abundant and very diverse, with many of Central America’s most iconic frogs found here. Amongst the highest priorities is Sylvia’s Leaf Frog, also known as the Tiger Tree Frog due to their bold orange and black striped ventral pattern. The large Gliding Leaf Frog is one of the largest tree frogs in Central America and can be found abundantly here when conditions are right. Lastly, this region will provide us with our best opportunity for finding the Coronated Tree Frog, a large frog with a bony ridge rising on the top of its head giving it a distinct crowned appearance. Day 6: Tapirus Lodge to Veragua Rainforest Lodge This morning will provide us with the opportunity to search for any targets in the area we have still not found. Alternatively, if we arrived later than planned the previous day, we will be able to spend the day birding in the area. Morning time is the best time to search for the Baird’s Tapir, where a few very habituated (yet still wild), individuals can be seen on most days. We will also be able to see many species of birds that call the forests here home. Some possible highlights include White-ruffed Manakin, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, and Carmiol’s Tanager. We will continue birding and herping near the lodge in the early morning before leaving for our next stop. Today we will head towards Veragua Rainforest Lodge to settle in for the next night. The jungles of the Caribbean lowlands have some of the most concentrated epicenters for biodiversity in the country. We will be able to explore the Veragua Rainforest and other surrounding places for many new species. Here will be searching for many different mammals, such as Mantled Howler Monkey, Kinkajou, Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth, and even Honduran White Bats. The herp diversity here is also incredible with three species of dart frogs, including the Striped Poison Dart Frog. Some reptiles found here include the Rainbow Galliwasp, Rainforest Hognose Viper, and Yellow-headed Gecko. While we will have another opportunity at searching for the rare Bare-necked Umbrellabird, we will also prioritize finding the endemic Sulphur-rumped Tanager. This tanager is only found very locally along the Caribbean slopes of Costa Rica and Panama, its gray stout appearance is complimented wonderfully by its lemon yellow rump. We will then also do a night walk here to search for critters like Northern Turniptail Gecko, Yellow-flecked Glassfrog, Striped Rocket Frog, Peruvian Shield Mantis, and False Tree Coral Snakes. Day 7: Veragua Rainforest Lodge to Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center Today’s timing will be based on how successful we were at finding our previous day’s targets. We may spend the whole morning hiking the trails here or leave after breakfast for our next hotel. Regardless, we will leave the lodge and head towards our next accommodation, a 90-minute drive away. The accommodation will be close to our next main location, the Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center. The reserve is privately owned by a local herpetologist, who has discovered several species of salamanders and frogs. The property here is home to one of the most endangered frogs in the Americas, the Lemur Leaf Frog. This delicate frog has a patchy distribution in Costa Rica and Panama, with its most charming feature being its lemur-like eyes. The night walk here can be very difficult at times, so it is important to bring a hunger for adventure, rain jackets and hiking poles. However the jungles here are home to many strange invertebrates like Velvet Worms, Wandering Spiders, and Helicopter Grasshoppers. Aside from the rare Lemur Leaf Frog, it will also be possible to find several species of glass frogs like the Ghost and Reticulated Glass Frogs, as well as Sylvia’s Leaf Frog, Rufous-eyed Brook Frog, Lancaster’s Tree Frog, and Ridge-headed Salamander. Day 8: Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center to the Talamanca Highlands After breakfast and birding, we will say goodbye to the lowlands and head towards the iconic Talamanca Highlands. This major mountain range runs from west of San José into western Panama, with its highest peaks reaching up to 12,500ft (3800m). Due to this intense topography, this bioregion has the highest level of endemism in all of Costa Rica. We will make several stops to look for regional endemic birds like the gorgeous Golden-browed Chlorophonia or the elusive Wrenthrush. We will head up roads that give us access to some of the highest points in the area. These high peaks will provide us with ample opportunity to search for Montane Alligator Lizards, Volcano Juncos, Red-legged Webfoot Salamanders, or even the erratic Peg-billed Finch. After the stops throughout the day we will arrive at our accommodation for the next two nights. An optional night walk will be available in which we will search for different nocturnal animals, such as the endemic Bare-shanked Screech Owl, Cerro Utyum Robber Frog, and if we are very lucky, Cacomistles a strange member of the racoon family. We spend two nights at one of several lodges in the area Day 9: Talamanca Highlands and nearby valleys Today we will be searching for endemic reptiles and amphibians in the area. The highest priority of today will be to search for the endemic Talamancan Pitviper and Costa Rican Montane Viper. The Talamancan Pitviper was only discovered in 2016 and boasts a stunning array of black and lime green mottling. We will be joined by a local herp guide to ensure the best chances at finding these elusive snakes, as well as viewing the snakes in a safe environment, for both us and the snakes. As we search for these snakes, we will also stop to enjoy birds like the iconic Resplendent Quetzal and Spangle-cheeked Tanager. If we are lucky, we may come across the endemic Costa Rican Telipogon, an endemic orchid found only along the slopes of the Talamancas. Day 10: Talamanca Highlands to Quepos We will spend the morning searching for the Resplendent Quetzal. Oftentimes lodge guides know of an active nest, making it likely that we will get great looks at this beautiful and iconic species. The glistening emerald and ruby feathers of this bird are of legendary status in the avian world. Depending on our timing, after the early morning search for the quetzal and breakfast we may continue searching for a few of our missing reptile and amphibian targets. After an early lunch we will begin our 4-hour drive to Quepos. Once we arrive at our accommodation for the night we will settle and prepare for our first mangrove boat tour in Isla Damas. This will be our only night tour in the area. Entering the mangroves with a local company at night will give us the chance of viewing the rare Northern Silky Anteater, as well as different reptiles in the mangroves like the Mangrove Cat-eyed Snake or sleeping basilisks and iguanas. Day 11: Tarcoles area We will revisit the mangroves in the morning to look for anything we haven't seen yet. We will have another opportunity at finding the Northern Silky Anteater sleeping in the branches, roosting Proboscis Bats, or a Northern Tamandua as it forages. The mangroves are also home to several monkeys, such as Central American White-faced Capuchin and Central American Squirrel Monkey. As we travel through the tangled roots and looming mangroves, we will also be searching for several birds like the endemic Mangrove Hummingbird, several kingfishers, Boat-billed Heron, Scarlet Macaw, Common Black Hawk, and Bare-throated Tiger-Heron. Clients taking the extension will spend a second night in Quepos. Those not taking the extension will have a private transfer to San Jose, where they will spend the night at a hotel near the airport. Day 12: Departures from San Jose The tour ends this morning for those not joining the Osa Peninsula Extension. Transportation to the airport will be available. Osa Peninsula Extension Day 1 (same date as Day 12 of the main tour): Esquipulas Rainforest to Sierpe We will depart San Jose very early and head to Esquipulas Rainforest, where we will be focused on getting some great looks at a few more epic birds. We will be targeting the White-crested Coquette, an endemic hummingbird with a “funky hairdo”, which visits the flowers at the lodge. As we look for the coquette we will search for other local birds like Fiery-billed Aracari, Golden-naped Woodpecker, and Red-capped Manakin. Other major targets are the rare White-tipped Sicklebill and the stunning King Vulture. After some birding here we will have lunch and then continue our journey towards the peninsula. Upon arriving we will settle into our accommodation for the next two nights. Tonight we will be joined by a local guide to search for different reptiles, amphibians and mammals. With some luck we may find species like Rosenberg’s Gladiator Frog, Chiriqui Glass Frog, Berthold’s Monkey Lizard, Granular Glass Frog, Bare-hearted Glass Frog, Lowland Paca, and Kinkajous. Day 2: Sirena Day Trip Today we will embark on a day trip into the heart of the Osa Peninsula. We will leave early for a two and a half hour boat ride among Sierpe's mangroves towards the pristine Pacific coastline of the Osa Peninsula. Along the way we will search for Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey, Yellow-billed Cotinga, American Crocodile, and Baird’s Tapir. Our destination is the Sirena Ranger Station, which is surrounded by the last true wilderness of Central America. The trails surrounding the Ranger Station have been a reliable place for several epic mammals. Baird’s Tapir is once again possible, however we will also intensely search for Northern Tamandua and White-lipped Peccary, species that is in steep decline and increasingly rarer every year. Perhaps we will get lucky and see one of the most desired bats in the world, Northern Ghost Bat, as it quietly perches under leaves. We will return to Sierpe late in the afternoon, and explore the forests surrounding Sierpe during one last guided night hike. We will continue searching for as many species as possible in this epicenter of herpetofaunal diversity. Aside from the previous night’s targets, we may come across species like Scorpion Mud Turtle, Bromeliad Boa, Osa Caecilian, Allen’s Worm Salamander, and Banded Snail-eater Days 3-5: Piedras Blancas National Park and surroundings After breakfast, we will begin our drive to Escape To Sylvan Lodge, where we will stay for three nights. The jungles here are home to five Poison Dart Frogs, including the two Costa Rican endemics, Golfo Dulce and Granular Dart Frogs. Other animals present are Lowland Paca, Central American Boa, Forest Flame Snake, and Ocelot. We will search for the endemic Black-cheeked Ant-Tanager, a scarce denizen of the forest found only in and around the Osa Peninsula. Another high priority target will be the endemic White-tailed Hognose Viper, a snake with an intricate pattern that blends it into the understory. Our time here will provide us with several opportunities to join a trained biologist on a night of bat netting. While we will not be allowed to handle the bats, it will provide us with a unique opportunity to view several bat species up close and personal, like Spix’s Disk-winged Bat, Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat, Heller’s Broad-nosed Bat, Seba’s Short-tailed Bat, with one night dedicated to catching the famous Common Vampire Bat. Day 6: Return to San José Today we return to San José; the drive takes about five hours, so we will have time to look for more wildlife either around our lodge or at stops along the way. We'll spend the night at a hotel near the airport. Day 7: Departures from San José The tour ends this morning for those not joining the Osa Peninsula Extension. Transportation to the airport will be available. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate-Intense. The mornings and nights will offer us the best opportunities for wildlife activity. The timing of each day will vary since some days we will prioritize nighttime activities, and other days we will prioritize morning and midday activities. Most days will allow for mid-day breaks, and we will be checked in to each night’s accommodation prior to all of the nighttime activities, allowing guests to “sit out” if needed. We will be changing hotels almost every night on this tour, allowing us to see more places and increase our total species count, but it does mean many one-night stays. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Moderate. There are very few feeder options along this tour. All major activities will include hiking in varying terrain and elevations. Weather can always impact trail conditions and clients should be prepared with proper rain gear, footwear and hiking poles. The long days can also be physically impactful, so it is important for clients to pace themselves and sit out of certain activities when needed. On one of the days we will be at high elevation, at over 9840ft (3000m), although all of the time in the mountains will not involve any tough walking at this elevation. CLIMATE: The middle of the day can be hot and humid when in the tropical lowlands (maximizing between high 80’s to mid 90’s Fahrenheit/27-33C), with the nights only being slightly cooler in temperature. While we will not be visiting in the wet season, weather conditions can be rainy and windy at any time, so it is important to pack raingear especially for time along the Caribbean slopes, where the rain is present year-round. The mountainous parts of the Talamancas will be cooler than the tropical lowlands. For this reason it is important to pack a warm jacket, and even base layers for the night. While daytime temperatures in the mountains will be much warmer (averaging in the mid 70’s to low 80’s Fahrenheit) it is good to pack an extra light layer. ACCOMMODATION : Good to excellent throughout, with three cooked meals, and full-time electricity. Most hotels will have WIFI and hot water, but it is important to understand some places in Osa Peninsula may experience difficulty in providing these amenities at all times. Oftentimes, the WIFI is only accessible in public areas (e.g. reception and restaurant areas), in Costa Rica and not necessarily in each room. Patience is therefore appreciated but adaptability is required. We will be changing accommodations almost every night, with many single night stays. PHOTOGRAPHY: This is an Enigmatic Wildlife Tour (EWT), meaning photography is not the top priority. Assuring everyone sees the wildlife will take precedence. Most wildlife will be seen from trails or boats. The only feeders on this tour are operated by lodges and local restaurants, but there will be no main activities focused on these. Feeders will often be present at our accommodations, allowing anyone that wants to sit out of an activity to have some adequate entertainment. The feeder locations will be the best locations for photography, since the birds are more accustomed to people. As we search for our tour’s main targets the photography opportunities will be more limited, especially when considering mammals. Clients are encouraged to bring camera gear for when photo opportunities arise. GEAR: Binoculars are the most essential item for wildlife viewing, but photographers are encouraged to bring their cameras and lens. The guide will have a scope which you are welcome to use. If you would like to bring your own scope you may do so. A tripod is always welcome but keep in mind that all of our photography will be opportunistic which means you will have to be quick. Monopods are often a better, quicker and more portable option. However, neither a monopod or tripod is necessary to join this tour. Since we will be focusing on several groups of animals it would be best to bring an array of lenses. The most fitting lens will be a lens with a focal length between 300mm and 500mm, to allow optimal reach for birds and mammals. For reptile, amphibian, invertebrate and plant photography a macro lens is best, between the 60mm and 105mm length. Proper hiking gear and attire are essential, remember to know your own limits and comfortability, please plan so accordingly. Sunglasses and wide-brim hats are highly recommended for our walks. Mosquito head nets and insect repellent will not be provided, so if you are concerned about insects, it is good to bring both. Other gear requirements are good footwear (like hiking boots with good traction and ankle support), hiking poles, and a day backpack (something that will be sufficient for carrying camera gear, snacks, enough water, etc.), and sunscreen. In the case of hiking poles, most people don’t consider it to be necessary and regret not bringing them once they have arrived on the tour. I highly encourage everyone to bring hiking poles due to the varying terrain and trail conditions we will experience. In case of rain, a waterproof bag and rain jacket are recommended. It’s always best to prepare for the worst conditions! Lastly, many activities will take place at night. A flashlight and/or rechargeable headlamp are required too. WHEN TO GO: This is an excellent time to visit Costa Rica, as we will be avoiding the heart of the wet season. The lack of consistent rains will reduce the cancellation of activities due to intense weather that can happen at other times of year. Late February and early March is when many birds are active, as well as the highest frequency of encountering most of our reptile and amphibian targets. Many of our mammal targets are possible year-round, but March seems to have a higher probability of finding them than some other months. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Tourist visas are currently not required for citizens of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and all Western European countries. Visas are currently only required of nationalities mainly in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Travel requirements are subject to change; if you are unsure, please check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff for help. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to drivers, local guides, and lodge staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 11 on the main tour; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 5 on the extension, if taking part in that too; meals on the main tour from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 12 (if you have a very early departing flight, you may miss the included breakfast on the last day); If taking the extension, the included meals are from breakfast on day 1 of this to breakfast on day 6 (unless you leave before breakfasts are served at the hotel); safe drinking water throughout; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio gear from the morning of day 2 to the night of day 11 on the main tour; from Day 1 through to the evening of Day 5 of the extension if also joining that too; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person, (transfers may be shared with other participants of the same tour or other guests at the same hotel); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 2 to day 11 of the main tour in a suitable vehicle with a local driver; and if taking the extension from the morning of Day 1 through the afternoon of day 5 on that part; entrance fees to birding sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the TROPICAL BIRDING tour leader; tips for luggage porters in any city hotels (if you require their services); international flights; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

Washington Photo Tour: Breeding Passerines of the West Tour Overview: Washington, the “Evergreen state” is rightly famed for its dramatic scenery, but is often overlooked as a premier destination for bird photography. This photo tour combines the Olympic Peninsula, with its yawning miles of coastlines and forests bordering this, with a trip into the east of Washington, where forested highlands, mountain lakes, riparian patches and rolling hills will be on the agenda. Thus, the tour will visit a bounty of excellent bird habitats, including dramatic jagged mountains, glacial valleys, and ancient old growth forests, as well as the seemingly endless western coastlines. When many people think of Washington, they think of the waterbirds. This indeed applies to this tour with birds like Barrow's goldeneye, Ruddy Duck, Common Loon and if we're lucky on timing, Red-necked Grebe. However, an abundance of songbirds breed in the state, particularly in forests and steppes in the east. We will be visiting areas of the scenically-stunning cascades to seek out photographs of species like Mountain and Western Bluebirds, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Western Tanager. We will also take advantage of the several 'chicken-like' birds that breed in Washington, chiefly the Sooty and Dusky Grouse, both will hopefully strut their stuff in front of our lenses. It cannot be overstated quite how oddly underrated this region is for the bird photographer; this tour will provide an abundance of proof of this. On many days we have multiple options on where to photograph birds in a vast region with plentiful habitats and breeding birds all around, and so the detailed day plan will often evolve based on what species we are still looking to photograph at that point. Please note, this tour does not visit any feeding sites and is ENTIRELY field photography. There is a little bit of walking required but no strenuous hiking. Ruddy Duck Sam Woods Yellow-breasted Chat Ken Behrens Yellow-headed Blackbird Ken Behrens Varied Thrush Pablo Cervantes Pygmy Nuthatch Nick Athanas Williamson's Sapsucker Sam Woods Western Bluebird Nick Athanas Red-naped Sapsucker Nick Athanas Northern Flicker Nick Athanas Black-backed Woodpecker Nick Athanas Red-necked Grebes Ken Behrens Ruddy Duck Sam Woods Yellow-breasted Chat Ken Behrens Yellow-headed Blackbird Ken Behrens Varied Thrush Pablo Cervantes Pygmy Nuthatch Nick Athanas Williamson's Sapsucker Sam Woods Western Bluebird Nick Athanas Red-naped Sapsucker Nick Athanas Northern Flicker Nick Athanas Black-backed Woodpecker Nick Athanas Red-necked Grebes Ken Behrens Ruddy Duck Sam Woods Yellow-breasted Chat Ken Behrens Yellow-headed Blackbird Ken Behrens Varied Thrush Pablo Cervantes Pygmy Nuthatch Nick Athanas Williamson's Sapsucker Sam Woods Western Bluebird Nick Athanas Red-naped Sapsucker Nick Athanas Northern Flicker Nick Athanas Black-backed Woodpecker Nick Athanas Red-necked Grebes Ken Behrens Tour Details: 2026 11 - 24 May $7400; single supplement: $1060 Length: 13 Days Starting City: Seattle Ending City: Seattle Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Photography Group size: 6 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Arrival in Seattle Following your arrival and airport transfer to the hotel, we will meet typically around 4pm (subject to slight change) for our first afternoon outing. Typically this will involve going to a local park in Seattle. Typical targets will include; Audubon's Warbler, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Wood Duck, Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglet, Song Sparrow, and whatever else we can get our cameras on. A single night will be spent near the airport in Seattle. Day 2: Seattle to Olympic Peninsula We will make our way to the peninsula on this day. There are several ways to reach the peninsula. We are going to take the northern route towards the ferry crossing first in Mukilteo and then in Coupeville. We do this because we have a chance to photograph Pigeon Guillemots nesting in the rocks at the ferry terminal in Coupeville. Some years they nest and some years they don't so it isn't a guarantee but for the extra 20min for the northern route, it is worth the check. We also need to be on the northern side of the Olympic Peninsula for access to our shooting locations. The afternoon will be spent on the peninsula where depending on weather we may hit the coast for Harlequin Duck, Bald Eagle, Red-breasted Merganser or we may check the forests for Pacific Wren, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Brown Creeper and the stunning Varied Thrush. We will spend the next three (3) nights in Port Angeles. Day 3: Olympic National Park Today will be spent wandering around this absolutely stunning forest. This is some of the oldest forest in the United Sates and it shows. Lime green moss and massive trunked trees will have your attention upwards while we look for Sooty Grouse, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Varied Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Townsend's Warbler and more below. Every time I visit this ancient forest it truly takes my breathe away. Day 4: Puffin and Alcid Cruise OR Olympic National Park This is a bit tricky. It isn't always guaranteed to get a cruise out of Sequim to try for puffins and other Alcides like Common Murre, Rhinoceros Auklet and Marbled Murrelet. While we hope to always make this a possibility, severe weather, boat cancelations or a lack of boat space may see us roaming around the peninsula looking for land birds rather than those that prefer the sea. Day 5: Clean-up day on the Olympic Peninsula to Cle Elum No we will not be picking up trash. Rather this is a term the guide is fond of when we use the day as a free day to capture species we have missed or would like to do better on. We can hit the coast or the forests again to add to our growing collection of excellent photographs. Only for the morning however as we want to get into Cle Elum with enough time to try some afternoon photography. We will start to get into some drier forests so birds like; White-headed Woodpecker, Pygmy Nuthatch, Williamson's Sapsucker, Western Bluebird and Pacific Slope Flycatcher will start to present themselves. A single night will be spent in Cle Elum to break up our long journey east. Days 6: Cle Elum to Omak The early morning will be spent in the dry forests before we continue our drive towards Omak. Depending on time, our journey may have us stopping off at some locations for targets if they haven't been photographed already. The afternoon will see us traveling through the stunning wilderness of Sanlahekin. Here, Lewis's Woodpecker, Black-billed Magpie, American Kestrel, Mountain and Western Bluebird, Yellow Warbler, Audubon's Warbler, and one of our main target water birds, the stunning Common Loon should prove to keep us entertained until the sun sets. The next two nights will be spent in Omak. Day 7: Omak Area Today we play. Based on how the afternoon went, we can target more dry forest birds like Northern Flicker, Pygmy Nuthatch, Steller's Jay, Red-winged Blackbird, Osprey and Clark's Nutcracker. We can also photograph a few more of the water dependent birds like; Bald Eagles, Red-necked Grebe, Barrow's Golden-eye, Common Merganser and one of the dozens of nesting Osprey in the area. Days 8-11: Omak to Winthrop A final morning will be spent in Omak picking up species we might've missed. We will travel towards Winthrop which is one of my favorite locations in Washington State. This tiny little western style town has several amazing places for photography. We will aim to get our lenses on the following (just to name a few!!!); Dusky Grouse, Red-naped and Williamson's Sapsucker, Calliope and Rufous Hummingbird, Chipping Sparrow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Lazuli Bunting, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Red Crossbill, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Barrow's Golden-eye, Yellow-breasted Chat, Western Meadowlark, Hairy, Downy, Black-backed, Lewis's, White-headed Woodpeckers, Western Tanager, Pacific Slope Flycatcher....and I think that's enough for now! Winthrop is an amazing spot, no doubt about it! The next four nights will be spent here to really comb the area and take advantage of the mosaic of species that choose to breed in this amazing corner of the world. Day 12: Winthrop to Seattle After some final photography in the morning, we will take the mountain pass back towards Seattle. This is a bit of a run-around but it is worth it (if time allows). There is a trail in the mountains where we have a good (not great if I am honest) chance for some mammal photography. The targets would be; Hoary Marmot and American Pika...very cute and this route (or alternate) will be chosen at the discretion of the guide based on the guests desires. A final night will be spent in Seattle near the airport. Day 13: Departures from Seattle There are no planned activities for the day. Guests may depart at their leisure. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. The mornings are early to get the best light possible. As stated above, the photograph on this tour is all field photography, which means no feeders. Be ready for some fast paced but incredibly fun photography. You must be okay with walking. There are no strenuous hikes on this tour. Walks are generally flat with some very small inclines besides the trail on the alternate route back to Seattle. That hike is about a 5/10 difficulty. It should be considered semi-strenuous. Most of the days will involve a mid-afternoon break to recharge your camera batteries as well as your own. This may change however if the day is overcast and everyone is willing and able to continue. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy – Moderate. Most of our birding/photography is going to be close to the vehicle, but some will be done on trails. All of the water photography is safe. Some time will be devoted to trying to get some great photos of ducks where we may spend a half hour or so with a single species so please keep that in mind. Elevation on this tour is not a concern. The highest we will travel is in the car when we pass through the cascades. This will be around 7000ft. or so. Again, the trail for the mammals is semi-strenuous but not overly long (just under 1.25miles) CLIMATE: Days will be warm to hot (especially in the east) and nights will be cool. At this time of year daytime highs can reach in the 80’s Fahrenheit (mid 20’s Celsius), and nighttime temperatures in the low 60’s Fahrenheit (16 Celsius) are expected. This tour is timed during the end of the rainy and cold season when the birds start becoming very active but we may still run into some rain, so a raincoat is definitely recommended. ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent throughout, with full-time electricity, hot water and en-suite facilities at the standard motels used everywhere. All places used have Wi-Fi Internet. WHEN TO GO: This is an excellent time to visit Washington State. The birds are in full breeding plumage and looking to attract mates, defend territory and sing their hearts out. This means (hopefully) our chances of photographing almost all of the species we come across. PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a PHOTO tour. We will spend the majority of our time trying to capture high quality images of key species as well as guest desired species. Just get ready...this trip has some seriously cool birds. Just check out the gallery and the trip reports. GEAR: Bring your biggest glass, a mid range zoom lens and a wide angle (some of the landscapes are jaw dropping). If you want to bring a tripod you may but if you need the extra stability, I would recommend a monopod over a tripod as again, there are no feeders on this tour so speed in the shooting situation is vital. No real need for a flash but you are always welcome to bring them. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: For US citizens, there are no special travel requirements. Citizens of Canada may enter the US with a valid passport, and do not need to obtain a visa. For citizens of the 38 countries on the visa waiver list (including the UK, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Japan), you can enter the US with a valid passport and a completed Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which can be applied for online. For all passports, the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Citizens of all other countries will need to apply for a US visa. Travel requirements are subject to change; please double check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff if you are unsure. Those who need to apply for an ESTA or Visa should do so long in advance of the tour, as these can take days weeks to be issued. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 12; meals from dinner on day 1 to dinner on day 12; spare drinking water in the vehicle when required; Tropical Birding tour leader (who is also the tour driver) with audio gear from the afternoon of day 1 to the afternoon of day 12; all entrance and park fees WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the Tropical Birding tour leader (who is also the driver on this tour); tips for any luggage porters used; any flights; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!