Australia: Photo Tour Tour Overview: Australia is one of the most underrated tours for bird photography in the world. The light is usually good, the birds are generally easy to photograph, and these often come in gaudy colors too! Australia is home to many interesting bird groups, like emu, cassowary, bowerbirds, fairywrens, honeyeaters, Australasian Robins, monarchs, butcherbirds, whistlers, and lots and lots of parrots, from large cockatoos to slender lorikeets. We will be on the trail of all of these, but also other wildlife too; Australia is a land of strange mammals, like kangaroos, wallabies, possums, and echidnas, and we will be seeking to photograph them also. We expect to photograph hundreds of species on this trip Down Under. If photographing vividly colored parrots, tiny, bright blue fairywrens, or hulking emus sounds good to you, then this is the perfect tour for you. Splendid Fairywren Nick Athanas Spotted Pardalote Andres Vasquez Golden Bowerbird Sam Woods Southern Cassowary Sam Woods Superb Fairywren Sam Woods Pink Robin Andres Vasquez Australian King-Parrot Sam Woods Variegated Fairywren Pablo Cervantes Daza Azure Kingfisher Pablo Cervantes Daza Double-eyed Fig-Parrot Pablo Cervantes Daza Shingleback Sam Woods Zebra Finch Pablo Cervantes Daza Red-capped Robin Andres Vasquez Magpie-lark Sam Woods Sahul Sunbird Pablo Cervantes Daza Blue-faced Honeyeater Sam Woods Striated Pardalote Pablo Cervantes Daza Budgerigar Pablo Cervantes Daza Brown Noddy Pablo Cervantes Daza Masked Lapwing Pablo Cervantes Daza Red-backed Fairywren Pablo Cervantes Daza Shining Flycatcher Pablo Cervantes Daza Splendid Fairywren Nick Athanas Spotted Pardalote Andres Vasquez Golden Bowerbird Sam Woods Southern Cassowary Sam Woods Superb Fairywren Sam Woods Pink Robin Andres Vasquez Australian King-Parrot Sam Woods Variegated Fairywren Pablo Cervantes Daza Azure Kingfisher Pablo Cervantes Daza Double-eyed Fig-Parrot Pablo Cervantes Daza Shingleback Sam Woods Zebra Finch Pablo Cervantes Daza Red-capped Robin Andres Vasquez Magpie-lark Sam Woods Sahul Sunbird Pablo Cervantes Daza Blue-faced Honeyeater Sam Woods Striated Pardalote Pablo Cervantes Daza Budgerigar Pablo Cervantes Daza Brown Noddy Pablo Cervantes Daza Masked Lapwing Pablo Cervantes Daza Red-backed Fairywren Pablo Cervantes Daza Shining Flycatcher Pablo Cervantes Daza Tour Details: 2026 16 September - 1 October $11990; single supplement: $1900 *Internal flights are not included; the approximate cost of the internal flights is $750, subject to change. 2027 16 September - 1 October $12820; single supplement: $2030 *Internal flights are not included; the approximate cost of the internal flights is $750, subject to change. Length: 16 Days Starting City: Cairns Ending City: Hobart (Tasmania) Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy 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 day, Cairns Esplanade We will start the trip at 2pm, after lunch. We will visit the Botanical Gardens for our first rainforest species, and the Esplanade for shorebird shoots. The order which we visit these locations will depend on the tides at the Esplanade, which is a tidal flat right beside the main tourist district of Cairns. For those who have been lucky enough to bird the Texas Coast in the US, you can imagine the Esplanade as a combination of Bolivar Flats and Venice Beach. Masses of shorebirds so close at times it seems surreal, and lines of scantily-clad joggers with their Frappuccino's running past our tripods and cameras and giving us strange looks. When the tides are right, we will be going crazy shooting Great Knots, Bar-tailed Godwits, Lesser Sandplovers and Curlew Sandpipers. The Botanic Gardens offer probably the easiest rainforest photography in the Australian tropics. We’ll spend two nights in Cairns. Day 2: The Great Barrier Reef Today is the latest start of the tour when we jump onto a boat out to the Great Barrier Reef at 7.30am. The usually very calm trip out to Michaelmas Cay takes about an hour and a half, and when we get there we will be confronted with a small sandy isle jam packed with seabirds. We will photograph the thousands of Sooty Tern, Brown Noddy and Great Crested Tern, sometimes using a macro! The other birds out there we are looking for include Brown Booby, Lesser-crested, Bridled and Black-naped Terns, Black Noddy, and Greater and Lesser Frigatebirds. We have a few hours here, and some people enjoy the snorkeling, but after lunch the boat heads to a submerged reef called Hastings Reef, where the snorkeling, diving and glass bottom boat tour is just superb. The boat gets back around 4:30 pm and we return to Cairns for another night. Day 3: Cairns to Daintree Cairns boasts superb birding and photography in lowland tropical rainforest right in the city. We’ll spend the morning searching for target species such as Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Victoria’s Riflebird, and Yellow-breasted Boatbill. After lunch we head north towards the Mareeba, where we get to the edge of the vast tropical grassland savannas that extend from here 1500 miles right across to the western coast. This may be our first contact with Magpie Goose, Black-necked Stork, and Green Pygmy-Goose. We continue to Red Mill House in Daintree for the night, where the hospitality is legendary. We expect the daylight to end with us tracking down fairy-wrens or finches on the grass-lined rainforest roads. Day 4: Daintree River Cruise to the Outback We take a boat into some narrow mangrove and rainforest-fringed creeks where we’ll search for Shining Flycatcher, Wompoo Pigeon, and if we are lucky, a roosting Papuan Frogmouth or two. The boats here are small flat bottomed jobs with very quiet motors, so you can approach very closely to many species. We prefer to go hand-held with the 500mm lens, but you can use a tripod or handhold with a smaller lens. Now although there are a few targets such as the Great-billed Heron, Azure and Little Kingfishers, this trip is more about the unbelievably relaxing feel of being in this creek getting some magical shots, than it is about boosting a massive list. We return to Red Mill House for a late breakfast, shoot whatever is hanging around their wonderful garden and head off to the drier habitat of Mareeba on the Atherton Tablelands, where we base ourselves for the next two nights. Day 5: Rainforest and the outback We start the day in a small patch of rainforest where we will likely have cracking looks at the splendid little Noisy Pitta bouncing along the forest edge. We then turn our attention to the Yellow-breasted Boatbill, which is a small flycatcher like bird with a stunning mix of black, white and yellow. Barely a few miles from the lush rainforests, we’ll visit the edge of the outback and bird grassland savanna, as we head out to Mt. Carbine. In these wooded savannas and open woodlands with grass understory, the first target is the Australian Bustard, and we may find the proud male strutting his stuff on the edge of the road. After we have had great looks and taken a load of photos of the bustard, we head a little farther west where we shall be on the lookout for species all things red such as Red-winged Parrot, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo and Red-browed Pardalote. Depending on the weather and how we are going, we may head another 50 miles or so and get into an area that is great for the northern, much darker, race of the Brown Treecreeper, Banded Honeyeater and Black-throated Finch. On the way back to Mareeba, we will stop off at Lake Mitchell for Australian Pelican, Black-necked Stork, Green Pygmy-Goose and a load of other waterbirds. Day 6: Hotspots around Hypipamee NP to Cairns We’ll start the day in hotspots around the high rainforests of Hypipamee National Park where as well as Bridled Honeyeaters and our first of thousands of Pied Currawongs, we have a chance of tree-kangaroos, which just have to be seen to be believed. If there is an animal in Australia that looks as though it evolved along the wrong path, it is this baby. A lumbering wallaby which is anything but graceful sitting on the end of a branch with the look of “how did I get here” and “I am afraid of heights”. Around mid morning we will visit a bower of the Golden Bowerbird. This stunning little one builds a massive structure of sticks which he decorates with flowers and moss, and when not feeding, spends all of his free time sitting near the bower waiting for potential mates to come and take a look at his building. Later we go to one of the few places where the predominantly nocturnal Platypus is easy to photograph in the daytime. We then visit Hastings Swamp, where we can get photos of hundreds of Plumed and Wandering Whistling-Ducks. We then return to Cairns where we take another hit at the shorebirds along the esplanade as well as checking a few nearby spots for Crimson Finch and Chestnut-breasted Munia. The afternoon will be spent much as the first in Cairns, visiting mangroves, botanic gardens and the Esplanade depending on tides and lighting conditions. Day 7: Cairns to Goondiwindi In the morning we will take a flight from Cairns to Brisbane. We start our time in southern Queensland near the airport where we search for Mangrove Honeyeaters, Mangrove Gerygones, and Chestnut Teal. If there has been recent rains we will stop off at Daisy Hill, an area of parkland just outside Brisbane for a photogenic reptile, that is abundant after rains, the Pink-tongued Skink. If there has been no recent rains we will head straight for Goondiwindi. First we will stop off to pick up a Bell Miner or seven, then towards the rangelands town of Warwick, where we will have lunch looking for parrots, like Little and Musk Lorikeets, and Eastern Rosella. This is an interesting zone where the Pale-headed and Eastern Rosellas can be found together. On the way west we hope for one of them, and on the way east we go for the other rosella. After lunch we continue west through the wheat fields towards the very cool town of Goondiwindi. It may be a stop off for just one night, but there is some very good birding nearby where we may find Speckled Warbler, Varied Sittella and Eastern Shrike-Tit, among others. Day 8: To the Southern Outback Today we will be striking deep into the heart of our destination, Southwestern Queensland, and we can expect to start seeing our first real “inland” birds. An early start will ensure that we make the most of the cool morning temperatures, possibly encountering our first flocks of Budgerigars, Cockatiels, and if we’re lucky, some of the more difficult inland birds like Red-backed Kingfisher. We will arrive in the Charleville area in the afternoon, and spend some time birding the roads that cut through the Outback there for species like Galahs, Pink Cockatoos, Chestnut-breasted Quail-Thrush, and White-browed Treecreeper. Any wet local areas could also produce Yellow-billed Spoonbills, and Red-kneed and Black-fronted Dotterels, as well as parrots coming into drink in the late afternoon. The next two nights will be spent in the Outback town of Cunnamulla. Day 9: The Southern Outback We will be up early in order to take advantage of the best light in the Outback. Expect full frame shots of Red and Western Gray Kangaroos, while wallaroos and Swamp Wallabies, may be a tad shier, but still photographable. We will search for any birds we missed the previous afternoon. We will keep our eyes peeled for Bourke’s Parrot, as well as a wide selection of honeyeaters, finches, woodswallows and thornbills. Even the common birds here are spectacular, like Red-capped Robin and the azure jewel of the inland, Splendid Fairywren. Southwestern Queensland is also the heart of raptor country, so wherever we are, we will be keeping our eyes on the skies for Black-breasted Kites, Spotted Harriers and the very rare Gray Falcon. Day 10: Outback to the Western Plains We have another morning within the Outback of Southern Queensland near Charleville, and much depends on what we have shot before as to what we do. We will target any missing species or just try for better shots of spectacular species such as White-winged Fairywren, Mulga Parrot or Red-browed Pardalote. We spend the night in Dalby. Day 11: Rangelands to Areas around Lamington National Park We start around a dam four or so hours west of Lamington, then head over the range to O’Reilly’s, set within the lush rainforests and woodlands around Lamington National Park. On arrival at O Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat the tame birds will have us straining at the doors to burst out of the van and take in the many friendly birds hopping, bouncing, and perching all around their grounds. Two nights will be spent at O’Reilly’s. Day 12: Hotspots around Lamington National Park O’Reilly’s, in Lamington, is world famous for the unrivalled views you can get of often shy rainforest creatures right around their cabins, restaurants and reception areas. We will wake in the morning to Crimson Rosella creeping around on our balconies looking for the first handout of the day, while shimmering male Satin Bowerbirds clamber around on the lodge roofs. A quick check of the grounds will see us run into a multitude of tame, wild O’Reilly’s residents. The first sign of any grain and an Australian King-Parrot will drop in, or lurk impatiently on the bushes nearby. Gray Shrike-Thrushes use the early hours of the morning to hop around in front of reception, or even enter into reception on some of their bolder days! The constant “whooping” calls of Wonga Pigeons will reach our ears, although rather than try and stalk them on the dark rainforest floor we’ll simply walk the roads and check the feeding areas, where these strikingly marked blue-and-white doves are remarkably approachable. However, the bird that will stand out the most is O’Reilly’s flagship species, the black-and-gold Regent Bowerbird that adorns their logos, and is stamped across all of their giftware. If we did not get them five minutes after arriving yesterday, dawn should see the trees around reception loaded with expectant regents, waiting for the day’s first official feeding. If these views are still not good enough, get some grain in the palm of your hand and let them crawl all over you! Other friendly inhabitants of the grounds include the impossibly cute Superb Fairywrens, which regularly bound across the parking lots behind the cabins. Not to be outdone in the cute department, O’Reilly’s also has some adorable mammals too, that like the birds offer rare, up close views at this very special spot. In the early hours of the morning fluffy Red-necked Pademelons munch grass on the cabin lawns, and over dinner at the lavish restaurant we can eat, and drink locally produced wine, while Mountain Brushtail Possums wolf down fruits at the tableside feeders. The top of the plateau at O’Reilly’s is cloaked in lush rainforest, and we will walk some of the tracks in order to track down some of the shyer rainforest inhabitants. The loud mimicry of Albert’s Lyrebirds are regularly heard along the park trails, and with luck we might find one stalking quietly through the forest. Indeed, some of the rainforest interior birds are like the birds right around the lodge: astoundingly approachable. Nowhere in Australia can it be easier to get photos of the whip-cracking Eastern Whipbird, whose distinctive calls haunt many sites on the tour, and an assortment of scrubwrens and Eastern Yellow Robins often hop on and off the tracks. The early hours of the morning are often the best time to catch sight of one of Lamington’s most comical residents, the Australian Logrunner, that readily bounds across the leaf litter and, appropriately, along the logs, close to the lodge; you will need flash to get them, but they are not shy, so this is not an issue. Strangled, cat-like calls should lead us to our first Green Catbirds, and the loud rasping calls of Paradise Riflebirds echo through the forest, a magnificent bird-of-paradise, that should turn up some time during the day. Other possibilities in the rich rainforest on the summit include Bassian and Russet-tailed Thrushes, the beautiful Rose Robin, and the dashing Rufous Fantail. Some time will also be spent in the markedly different habitat below the plateau, where dense green rainforest gives way to dry sclerophyll woodland, dominated by pale gum trees, bringing a much more open nature to the birding. These drier woods are also home to the scarce Koala, and the prettiest of the wallabies, the well-named Pretty-faced Wallaby, that are often seen bounding through the grassy understory. At night we’ll check some regular rainforest spots for Southern Boobook and Marbled Frogmouth. Day 13: Areas around Lamington NP to Tasmania After a final morning to mop any missing Lamington species, or just take more photos of the very tame birds here we start our drive to the airport and catch an afternoon flight to Tasmania. The next three nights will be spent in the relaxed city of Hobart. You will be tired, but we will get some good shooting in early and then cover a load of miles to get us to the final leg of the trip. Day 14: Bruny Island Dawn will find us at a tiny reserve at the edge of Hobart, where unfamiliar sounds will greet us for the first time: Yellow Wattlebirds should grace the eucalypts around the edge of a small dam, and Tasmanian Native-Hens will be seen scurrying across the park lawns. However, our short trip here will be for Tassie’s rarest resident, the cute and endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote. A short time and (hopefully) a pardalote later, we will head south to Kettering where we will pick up a Black-faced Cormorant or two at the docks and board the short ferry to Bruny. In our day on the island we’ll be looking to track down the endemic Dusky Robin, and also the dreamy Pink and Scarlet Robins too. Visiting the island’s state forest we will search for a trio of endemic honeyeaters: Strong-billed, Black-headed, and Yellow-throated all occurring there, in addition to less flashy endemics like Tasmanian Scrubwrens and Tasmanian Thornbills. After a lunch stop by one of the many deserted white sandy beaches that border Bruny we’ll walk the beach for Hooded Plovers, and check the rocky headlands for loafing Pacific Gulls. After a full day on Bruny we will head back to Hobart for the night. Day 15: Mount Wellington and the Tasman Peninsula Today we will focus on any missing endemics and specialties from the day before. After a short trip into the temperate rainforest on the lower slopes of Mount Wellington for Olive Whistler and the endemic Scrubtit, we will venture up to the heath that cloaks the summit of the same mountain. As we drive up, the road will be our best bet for currawongs, both the endemic Black Currawong and Gray Currawong occurring on Wellington’s forested slopes. Up on the heath Crescent Honeyeaters occur in good numbers and we will try to tempt a Striated Fieldwren into the open or encourage a fantastic Flame Robin up onto an open snag. After dinner we head to a nearby Little Penguin colony where we can watch the come ashore to their nesting burrows. Please note that no flash photography is permitted here so you are unlikely to get any keeper shots of these birds. They are just great to see, even if it is the beam of a red flashlight. Well after dark, we will return to Hobart for a final night. Day 16: Departure from Hobart In the morning you will be transferred to Hobart airport on Tasmania to connect with international flights out. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. You can expect to be starting very early on most days, departing the hotel from between 5:00am and 5:30am, and having some breakfasts later following early photo sessions. These early starts aren’t just for fun, they will get us in the field when the light is best and the birds are more active. DIFFICULTY: Physically, this is generally an easy trip with only some moderate walking required off-trail. There will also be some longer walks in pursuit of birds in the field, generally in flat areas, and so we expect to spend quite a bit of time standing and photographing on this tour. There are long drives on several days, notably on days 7, 8 and 10, of between 4-7 hours, although these are birding drives with stops to photograph birds on each of them. CLIMATE: Hot days and cool nights. Little rain is expected on the mainland. On Tasmania cooler days and rain can be expected. ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent. PHOTO PHILOSOPHY: Australia offers excellent “on the fly” photography. A high proportion of the birds seen can often also be photographed too, and so we will try and photograph as many birds and mammals as possible. There are no feeders on this tour, and so this trip is more about taking advantage of the guide’s considerable local knowledge to find birds and mammals “in the bush”. You will be expected to work for your birds and mammals, so if spending large amounts of time at a setup or in photo blinds is your thing, then this may not be the trip for you. There will be some photography from the car, and some from boats, but the majority of time will be spent walking, standing, and pursuing wildlife on foot. GEAR: There is some close photography where a smaller lens could work, but for the most part you will be using 400mm focal length or greater. Light is not usually a problem except in a few rainforest locations. An optimal setup is a 500mm or 600mm f/4 with a 1.4 extender, and a smaller zoom such as a 100-400 for larger birds and mammals. If you don’t have that kind of gear, don’t worry; you can still get excellent results even with a shorter 400mm lens (or a good 300mm + teleconverter). Bring a flash if you want to do nighttime or macro photography, but flash during the day for birds is not encouraged especially in forest conditions (where you would be most tempted to use it). Some target birds are shy and will run away from flash; in such cases, flash will not be allowed until everyone has taken shots without flash. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required for entry into Australia. It should be valid for at least six months past the time of your scheduled return. An electronic visa is required for citizens of the USA, Canada, the UK, South Africa, and most Western European countries. This can be done through an app or online application. As of July 2022, some older tour participants (over 75 years old) may need to undergo a health examination in order to enter Australia. Whether you need an examination of this kind is only revealed during the application process. Therefore, it is extremely important that all participants apply for entry long before the start of the tour, to ensure there is time to schedule a health examination if one is needed. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Accommodation from night of day 1 though to night of day 15; meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 16 (if you have an early flight on this day, you may miss the included breakfast); reasonable non-alcoholic drinks during restaurant meals; 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 night of day 15; transfer by taxi to the airports at the start and end of the tour (on the official arrival and departure days only); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary in a suitable vehicle driven by the tour leader; one boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef (this will be shared with other people) on day 2; one private two-hour boat cruise on the Daintree River on day 4; entrance fees to all birding sites mentioned in the itinerary. WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the Tropical Birding tour leader (who also drives on this tour); international flights; domestic flights (these will be booked by our office staff and added to your invoice); 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 Photo Review Anchor Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

Houston Audubon: Easy Ecuador A Week in Andean Cloudforest & Antisana Volcano Tour Overview: This Houston Audubon /TROPICAL BIRDING tour spends a week in one of the most remarkable birding regions in the World, Northwest Ecuador. Located in Northern South America, Ecuador is one of the most diverse countries in the World in terms of birds, boasting more than 1600 bird species! Furthermore, this particular region (Northwest Ecuador) has been chosen as it offers some of the very best birding on the continent, with a wonderful array of reserves in which to bird in. We have cherry-picked from the large number of these, in order to offer this, the easiest of any of our Ecuador birding tours. In common with our much longer “Relaxed Tandayapa” tour, there is plenty of downtime between bouts of birding, so it is perfect for people who wish to visit Ecuador, see some of their best birds, but are limited on time, and would like to do this at a significantly more relaxed pace than some of our other birding tours offered there. ke Any Ecuador tour promises massive avian rewards, and this one is no different, stunning and striking species like Sword-billed Hummingbird, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Toucan Barbet, Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, and Glistening-green Tanager are all likely on this short tour. Many of the super reserves included on this unique itinerary come equipped with excellent bird feeders, with species like Violet-tailed Sylph, Equatorial and Yellow-breasted Antpittas, Golden-naped and Flame-faced Tanagers, Blue-winged and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers all possible at these, among others. We will likely get more than 25 hummingbird species alone on this short tour by virtue of the excellent feeders available. The final birding day of the tour makes a sojourn out east, into the gorgeous surrounds of the high Andes for the day, where majestic Andean Condors may be seen gliding above spectacular Andean cliffs, while Carunculated Caracaras and Andean Ibis may be seen foraging on the ground, amongst some of the most spectacular Andean landscapes in the country with the towering, 18,875 ft (5753m)-high Antisana Volcano being at its centerpiece. *Part of the tour fee includes a donation to Houston Audubon from all HAS members who join this tour. When there are 4 or more Houston Audubon members signed up for this tour, there will also be a Houston Audubon representative, (as well as the Tropical Birding guide), along on the tour. What does “easy” really mean? We still have early starts (as that is when the birds are most active in the Andes), though some of these are later than on some other tours covering the same areas. One big difference from some of the other Tropical Birding Ecuador tours is the earlier finishes. The afternoons on this trip have been specifically planned to allow downtime between the principal, morning-based, birding activities. It also means there are and no packed lunches in the field on this tour. “Birders” and Birders with a Camera are both welcome on this tour! As the pace of this tour is quite relaxed, relative to other birding tours, it is compatible with both casual birders and birders with cameras. This tour does not seek to get the biggest list of any birding tour in the area – that is done on the Andes Introtour that spends more time in the field, but the relaxed pace of this tour means there is plenty of time to take photos as we will not be rushing from one bird to the next! Sword-billed Hummingbird Sam Woods Andean Cock-of-the-rock Sam Woods Collared Aracari Sam Woods Toucan Barbet Sam Woods Zuro Loma Sam Woods Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan Sam Woods Red-headed Barbet Sam Woods Moss-backed Tanager Sam Woods Purple-bibbed Whitetip Sam Woods Masked Flowerpiercer Sam Woods Crowned Woodnymph Sam Woods Yellow-breasted Brushfinch Sam Woods Orange-breasted Fruiteater Sam Woods Antisana Volcano Sam Woods Tayra Sam Woods White-booted Racket-tail Sam Woods Yellow-breasted Antpitta Sam Woods Violet-tailed Sylph Sam Woods Tawny Antpitta Sam Woods Rose-faced Parrot Sam Woods Tapeti Sam Woods Rufous-breasted Antthrush Sam Woods Hooded Mountain-Tanager Sam Woods Green-fronted Lancebill Sam Woods Glistening-green Tanager Sam Woods Tour Details: 2026 7 - 14 October $3299; single supplement $295 *A donation to Houston Audubon is included within the tour fee from members of HAS Length: 8 Days Starting City: Quito Ending City: Quito Pace: Relaxed-Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy-Moderate Focus: Birding Group size: 9 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Day 1: ARRIVAL in QUITO After arriving in Ecuador’s Andean capital, Quito, you will be transferred to a downtown hotel for the night. PLEASE NOTE : Many of the flights arrive late at night, and so you may, therefore, wish to arrive one day earlier for two reasons: To acclimatize – Quito is located at a lofty 9185 (2800m); therefore a day to get used to this usually does people a world of good. We can book an extra night’s stay at our chosen hotel and can also arrange one day/half-day cultural trips into the city if desired with this extra time too, as this is not included within this itinerary. The pick-up time on Day 2 is 06:00am, and so there may not be much sleep time available after a nighttime arrival, and the need for an hour drive to a downtown hotel (needed for easy access to the birding areas the next day). Day 2: Zuro Loma Reserve to Tandayapa Following a 06:00am meeting with your bird guide in the hotel lobby, we will make the 90-minute drive to Zuro Loma Reserve, just outside of Quito. We will take a hearty cooked breakfast on arrival within the reserve, (typically three courses long!), in full view of the dramatic setting of Pichincha Volcano, visible from the cafe window. After that, we will make our way down to their vaunted feeders. Zuro Loma has sugar feeders for hummingbirds, fruit feeders for tanagers, and also an in-forest feeding station for feeding antpittas! We will not definitely not be bored, and we will spend the first part of the morning entertained there, before moving on to Tandayapa, arriving at our cloudforest retreat for a hot lunch there overlooking their feeders! At Zuro Loma, hummingbirds will be of particular interest, and representing almost our only time within the temperate zone, will offer up a handful of species only possible at this one site, such as Mountain Velvetbreast, White-bellied Woodstar, Buff-winged Starfrontlet and the outrageous Sword-billed Hummingbird, the latter one of the Wonders of the Hummingbird World. The fruit feeders are less precictable in their activity, some visits being highly active with Blue-capped Tanager, Yellow-breasted Brushfinch and Hooded and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers, while other visits only providing some of these. Either way, anything we see will be bold, spectacular and well worthy of our attention at this classic site, which has only risen to prominence in the last 10 years, when the birding boom has really exploded in this addictive part of Ecuador. As you can probably tell, this wonderful private reserve has become something of a must-visit site conveniently located on the journey between Quito and Tandayapa Bird Lodge; (our principal destination on the tour, and where we spend four nights of this short tour). The afternoon, following our early start and morning activities, will be a relaxed affair, spent immediately around the lodge at Tandayapa. However, that is not to say we will not be entertained by birds! Tandayapa is situated in the next level of cloudforest down from Zuro Loma (which is in the temperate zone). We will now be in the subtropical cloud forest, with its very different subset of birds. The hummingbird feeders are nothing short of legendary, with a dozen or more species often visiting each day, including specialties of this Choco bioregion, like Violet-tailed Sylph and Purple-bibbed Whitetip, and the always-popular White-booted Racket-tail, a vision of cuteness rarely matched by any other bird on this tour! The fruit feeders, visible from the lodge windows, can also draw in spectacular avian residents, like Rufous Motmot and Toucan Barbet, and by night a Kinkajou or a handsome Andean opossum may stop by too! On this evening, we will sample some of the best cuisine of any birding lodge in the region, as our resident chef prepares one of his delicious fusion dishes. You will not go hungry here; meals at Tandayapa are hearty affairs of three courses, usually starting with soup, and accompanied by an array of local fruit juices that are the envy of the temperate world, outside of the tropics, to the north! Day 3: Birdwatcher’s House, Tandayapa Bird Lodge & Mirador de Guaycapi (optional) A comfortable, 07:00am, hot breakfast will be taken at Tandayapa Bird Lodge. Ater breakfast, we will set off for the higher reaches of the Tandayapa area, to Birdwatcher’s House for the remainder of the morning. This site is marginally higher than Tandayapa, and so the cloudforest there is one of the best in the area for seeing the pulchritudinous Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan, one of the most spectacular birds in the Andes. Oftentimes this species visits the feeders there, when the views are unmatched anywhere else. After a morning there, we will return to Tandayapa for a later lunch (around 1:30pm), and to enjoyn more of Tandayapa’s own birds. At 3:15pm, (for those who wish to do anything further that day- optional), we will make a short side trip to a café downhill from the lodge, Mirador de Guaycapi, where birds like White-necked Jacobin, Brown Violetear, and Red-headed Barbet may be seen while swigging local Andean coffee on their balcony. This is a very easy going trip out for around 2.5 hours, with no walking, just drinking and birding from the sheltered café, and so is particularly suitable if afternoon rains come to the cloudforest. Day 4: Amagusa Reserve outing After a hot cooked breakfast at 06:00am at Tandayapa Bird Lodge, we will set off downslope to a wonderful private reserve in the Andean foohills, Amagusa, 90-minutes-drive from there. A big focus of our time there will be their superb feeders. The fruit feeders attract stunning birds like Glistening-green and Moss-backed Tanagers, and the hummingbird feeders are home to Velvet-purple Coronets and Empress Brilliants, while the nearby forested road is inhabited by beautiful birds like Orange-breasted Fruiteater and Black-chinned Mountain-Tanager. We will take a cooked lunch in the reserve at midday, and then make our way back to Tandayapa Bird Lodge, arriving back by 4pm to allow significant downtime before our 6:30pm dinner. During dinner, the guide will keep a steady eye on the fruit feeder outside the restaurant window, as mammals like the lithe Kinkajou or striking Andean White-eared Opposum visit one some nights, while bats frequent the hummingbird feeders by night too. Day 5: Milpe day trip (buffer day) This day has been planned to allow a softer day (this “buffer day”) in between the two longer days of the trip (i.e., between Amagusa Reserve and Paz Refuge). Following a very respectable 07:00am cooked breakfast at Tandayapa, we will depart for the 45minutes-1 hour journey to Milpe Bird Sanctuary, close to the bustling transit town of San Migel de Los Bancos, (where we will have a good, cooked lunch later in the day). Milpe is, like Amagusa, in the Andean foothills although quite different from one another. This spot is especially good for toucans, and we will be on the lookout for three species there: Collared Aracari and Choco and Yellow-throated Toucans. There are also a couple of species of trogons (Collared and Blue-tailed) and motmots (Rufous and Broad-billed). Away from this forest action, which will be a combination of road birding and easy trail birding, we will visit their feeders, which while holding a lower number of species than Tandayapa, do support an impressibly high number of individual birds of White-necked Jacobins, White-whiskered Hermits, gorgeous Crowned Woodnymphs and tiny Green Thorntails. For lunch, we will drive to nearby Los Bancos, where a restaurant, Mirado Rio Blanco is famed for both its wonderful food, incredibly friendly hosts, and spectacular view of the White River below. Ater lunch, we will make the return trip back uphill to Tandayapa Bird Lodge. We will arrive by 4pm allowing people yet more time to see birds at the feeders, like cute Purple-throated Woodstars, bright blue Golden-naped Tanagers, or emerald-green, Crimson-rumped Toucanets. Day 6: Paz Refuge & Tandayapa Bird Lodge; to Quito This will be the earliest start of the tour (05:00am departure), by some way, as we visit Paz Refuge, specifically to see one of Wonders of the Andes, displaying Andean Cock-of-the-rocks, which very inconveniently typically do so a short time after daybreak only! Male cock-of-the-rocks are vivid red-orange birds that are ordinarily shy (you need to be with that adornment) but lose their inhibitions in the first hour of daylight when they gather to display for any passing female. It is a noisy, loud, memorable and spectacular cloudforest experience that cannot be missed, hence the uncomfortably early start time. However, no breakfast will be taken beforehand, to prevent an even earlier wake up time! We will take a boxed breakfast (bagel) with us, and then get a cooked breakfast mid-morning right within the reserve we will be birding in. Paz Refuge became famous as the first place in the world to habituate antpittas, and now they have up to FIVE antpitta species coming in daily. Typically, though a three antpitta morning is a good one, and so we will be hoping for that, with the most often seen species being Yellow-breasted, Ochre-breasted and Chestnut-crowned Antpittas. If we are lucky, we might run into one of the other hallowed two: Giant and Moustached Antpittas. Other birds we may also encounter there, include Masked Trogon, Golden-headed Quetzal, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, and Scaled Fruiteater! Mid-morning we wil have theor classic brunch of bolones (a delicious ball of fried plantain and herbs) and cheese empanadas washed down with local coffee, before we crack on with the remaining birding targets of the morning. After a full morning there, we will return to Tandayapa for one final light lunch, pack up and head off for our next hotel, a hacienda-style residence close to the airport to the east of Quito. This is the perfect launching spot for our next day’s birding, within the High Andes…This is the longest day of the tour, and we do expect to arrive to that hotel until between 05:00-6:00pm, following a 2.5-hour-drive from the lodge, depending pm local traffic conditions. Day 7: Antisana National Park & Tambo Condor This day will open with a 07:00am breakfast at our hotel, followed by a 07:30 departure (you should come to breakfast with your things for birding). It will be in sharp contrast to the rest of the days on the tour, being spent in an open, high Andean environment (paramo), above the treeline. While we will be high up (around 13,125ft/4000m at the highest point), there will be no strenuous walking at all, with most of this accessed by good roads driven through the park, and only short walks. Our main focus, to begin with, will be to find Ecuador’s imperial national bird, the Andean Condor, which glides above spectacular cliffs on massive, 10ft (3m)-wide wings. This gargantuan raptor will be our most wanted bird there, and there is even a lookout on to their roosting and nesting cliffs for us to visit during the morning. While we survey the cliffs and above the paramo grasslands for this majestic creature, we will also be on the lookout for other high Andean birds like Andean Ibis, Carunculated Caracara, Chestnut-winged and Stout-billed Cinclodes, Tawny Antpitta, and Plumbeous Sierra-Finch, some of which can be remarkably tame around people in this well-visited site. We will also walk to a high Andean lake (around a 500 yard/500m walk on flat ground), in order to try and see some high Andean ducks too. After a late breakfast, we will take a late lunch (around 1:30-2pm) at tambo Condor, just outside of the park, and overlooking the condor cliffs. It comes equipped with some absorbing hummingbird feeders too, which attract species like Sparkling Violetear, Tyrian Metaltail, and Shining Sunbeam, as well as the grandest of them all, the starling-sized, Giant Hummingbird. We will aim to return to our same hacienda style hotel by 4:30pm, so there is some downtime before the final, farewell dinner of the tour. PLEASE NOTE: MANY AIRLINES FLY OUT OF QUITO, ECUADOR AT NIGHT. For example, Houston (Texas)-bound flights typically leave in the middle of the night at around 01:35am. There is no birding at all on the next day, with the last group activity being dinner on this night. Therefore, it is possible for people to leave on overnight flights if they wish to do so, (i.e., later than 9:00pm). We can still arrange a day-use room in our hotel near the airport to pack up and shower before dinner and before departure for those who wish to do this. Day 8: Departures from Quito (if needed) There is no birding on this day, so you are free to depart whenever you wish. As many of the flights depart at night, this would be another good day to plan for an extra, cultural excursion in Quito or to the Mitad del Mundo, (the Equator Monument). If you would like us to arrange that for you (for an additional fee), please let us know. This would be with a cultural guide and not your bird guide! PLEASE NOTE: ECUADOR is also home to the fabled Galapagos Islands and The Amazon rainforest, with high-end cruises available to traverse some of the islands, and luxurious lodges available in The Amazon too. TROPICAL BIRDING can easily arrange an add-on to each of these if desired. Typically, Amazon trips of 4 nights or more are recommended to really get a feel for the place, while a Galapagos Cruise can be anything from 4-10 days, depending on how many islands you wish to visit, and how much time you have! Please let us know if you wish to add either of these, and this is very easy for us to do so! Either of these could be done before or after this tour, depending on availability (we recommend that you do not leave these options until the last minute!) Trip Considerations PACE: Relaxed-Moderate. Early starts are necessary on most days since birding in the Andes is almost always best early in the morning. The earliest start on this tour will be necessitated on Day 6, in order to see the dawntime displays of the Andean Cock-of-the-rock at Paz Refuge, when we will need to leave the lodge at 05:00am sharp. However, the breakfast times for the days either side of this are 07:00am, while on some other days the departures and breakfasts will be around 06:00am. However, early finishes are scheduled for almost every day and this is what differentiates this tour from many others in the area that Tropical Birding offers. On most days of the tour we will be arriving back at the lodge by 4:00-4:30pm (or earlier) allowing significant downtime before dinner and to enjoy plentiful time at the lodge feeders too. None of the drives on this tour are especially long, with the longest ones being on Day 2 between Zuro Loma and Tandayapa Bird Lodge (2 hours drivetime); and between Tandayapa and Amagusa on Day 4 (around 1hr45mins); and between Tandayapa and our hotel near the airport (around 2.5 hours drivetime). PLEASE NOTE: These times are based on direct drives with no stopping. Unlike most of our birding tours in Ecuador, there are NO PACKED LUNCHES ON THIS TOUR. All of the meals will be booked ones, except for a boxed breakfast (likely a bagel) on Day 6 for the visit to Paz Refuge. However, on this same morning there is a sit-down, cooked breakfast within the refuge mid-morning also. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy-Moderate. Most of the birding will be on flat or slightly inclined roads or wide tracks. Paz Refuge, which is visited on one day, has some fairly steep and muddy trails (a walking stick helps a lot), but they are relatively short, and optional and not always necessary (depending on where the birds are being seen on any given day). If you opt out of some of these, there are some nearby feeders to visit too. You can expect to walk around 2-3 miles (3.2-4.8 km) per day on average. There are varied elevations covered on this tour, but generally no strenuous activities at any of them. All of the walking at high altitude is only short distances and done at very slow pace. The highest places we visit on this tour are: Quito (9185ft/2800m), Zuro Loma (c.10,170ft/3100m),and Antisana National Park (up to c.13,125ft/4000m). CLIMATE: Usually very pleasant (mostly 55°-75°F, 13°-24°C), but cold on one morning at Zuro Loma (near freezing) and warm on one day at Amagusa (up to c. 90°F/32°C). Some rain can be expected, especially in the afternoons and evenings. At Antisana, it can be very cold (near freezing), with some wind. ACCOMMODATION: Very good to excellent, all have private, en-suite bathrooms, full-time hot water, 24hr electricity and reliable Wi-fi Internet. 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 European countries. Visas are currently only required of a few nationalities, mostly in 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?: 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 (if you have a very early departing flight, you may miss the included breakfast on the last day); safe drinking water and/or juice during meals; safe drinking water as well as tea and coffee are available at Tandayapa Bird Lodge at any time; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio gear from the morning of day 2 to the afternoon of day 7; 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, or other guests of the hotel); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 2 to day 7 in a suitable vehicle with a licensed, 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?: TIPS ARE NOT INCLUDED (NO TIPS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED ON THIS TOUR); 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!

Chile: Birding the Atacama to Tierra del Fuego Tour Overview: While its birdlist may be smaller than that of its tropical neighbors, Chile’s habitat diversity, spectacular birds, and breathtaking scenery more than make up for it. If scouring high Andean bogs for Diademed Sandpiper-Plovers, stalking huet-huets in lichen draped forest, or sifting through vast flocks of seabirds in the Humboldt Current sounds like fun, check out this fascinating tour. Wine lovers will also have ample chances to sample the exquisite local harvests. Moustached Turca Nick Athanas Diademed Sandpiper-Plover Andres Vasquez White-tufted Grebe Nick Athanas Buller's Albatross Nick Athanas Puma Keith Barnes Stripe-backed Bittern Nick Athanas Austral Parakeet Nick Athanas Crag Chilia Nick Athanas Rufous-chested Dotterel Sam Woods White-bridled Finch Andrew Spenser Long-tailed Meadowlark Sam Woods Dusky Tapaculo Nick Athanas Black-browed Albatross Nick Athanas Magellanic Plover Sam Woods Des Murs's Wiretail Nick Athanas Chucao Tapaculo Nick Athanas Lesser Horned Owl Sam Woods Magellanic Woodpecker Sam Woods Tawny-throated Dotterel Andres Vasquez Gray-hooded Sierra Finch Andres Vasquez Upland Goose Nick Athanas Lesser Rhea Sam Woods Moustached Turca Nick Athanas Diademed Sandpiper-Plover Andres Vasquez White-tufted Grebe Nick Athanas Buller's Albatross Nick Athanas Puma Keith Barnes Stripe-backed Bittern Nick Athanas Austral Parakeet Nick Athanas Crag Chilia Nick Athanas Rufous-chested Dotterel Sam Woods White-bridled Finch Andrew Spenser Long-tailed Meadowlark Sam Woods Dusky Tapaculo Nick Athanas Black-browed Albatross Nick Athanas Magellanic Plover Sam Woods Des Murs's Wiretail Nick Athanas Chucao Tapaculo Nick Athanas Lesser Horned Owl Sam Woods Magellanic Woodpecker Sam Woods Tawny-throated Dotterel Andres Vasquez Gray-hooded Sierra Finch Andres Vasquez Upland Goose Nick Athanas Lesser Rhea Sam Woods Tour Details: 2026 10 - 27 October $11900; single supplement: $1170 Length: 18 Days Starting City: Santiago Ending City: Santiago Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Birding Group size: 10 + 1-2 leaders Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Please note that this itinerary may be adjusted due to flight schedules and other logistical factors. Day 1: Santiago The tour begins this evening in Santiago. Santiago is a modern, cosmopolitan city and the main starting point to travel throughout Chile. Located in the central valley, on the east it is flanked by the imposing high Andes and to the west by the coastal mountain range. We’ll spend one night in a hotel near the airport. Day 2: Santiago to Arica Early in the morning we will fly from Santiago to the city of Arica, very close to the Peruvian border. This portion of the far North of Chile hosts the vast Atacama Desert and the high altitude Andean steppe, or Altiplano. Our birding will start around Arica, where rivers fed by the runoff from the High Andes have created fertile valleys and well-cultivated oases in this otherwise harsh environment. Some of the most important birds in this area will be the hummingbirds: Oasis Hummingbird, Peruvian Sheartail and the endemic and critically endangered Chilean Woodstar. Other possibilities include Pied-crested Tit-Tyrant, Tamarugo Conebill, and Raimondi’s Yellow-Finch. We can also check out the estuary of the Lluta river for various shorebirds, gulls, terns, and more. We’ll spend the night in Arica. Day 3: Lauca National Park We’ll leave early and drive high up into the Andes to this gorgeous park renowned for its spectacular scenery. Along the way we may see species like like Peruvian Thick-knee, Croaking Ground- Dove, Andean Swift, Rufescent Flycatcher (split from Bran-colored), Chestnut-throated Seedeater, and Slender-billed Finch before reaching Chungara Lake, the highest altitude lake in the world, home to Silvery Grebe, various ducks including Puna Teal, Giant Coot, Andean Gull, and up to three species of flamingo: Andean, Chilean, and James’s. We will also scour high altitude bogs for the stunning and difficult-to-find Diademed Sandpiper-Plover. Other target birds for this area include Puna Rhea, Andean Flicker, White-winged Cinclodes, Black Siskin, Puna Tinamou, Puna Ibis, Andean Goose, Mountain Caracara, Andean Lapwing, Puna Plover, Andean Avocet, Puna Miner, Puna and White-fronted Ground-Tyrants, Andean Negrito, White-winged Diuca-Finch, and White-throated Sierra-Finch. In the afternoon, we will descend to the village of Putre, where we spend a single night. Day 4: Putre to Arica We’ll spend the morning around this small Andean village looking for a variety of birds like Ornate Tinamou. Bare-faced Ground-Dove, White-throated Earthcreeper, Yellow-billed Tit Tyrant, Canyon and Dark-winged Canastero, White-winged Cinclodes, Streaked Tit-Spinetail, D’Orbigny’s and White-browed Chat -Tyrants, Black-throated Flower-Piercer, Golden-billed Saltator, Black-hooded and Ash-breasted Sierra-Finches, Greenish Yellow-Finch, Band-tailed Seedeater, and Spot-winged Pigeon. Later in the day, we’ll start descending back towards Arica, looking for anything we missed on the way up yesterday, before spending another night in Arica. Day 5: Arica to Santiago Flight schedules can be variable, but we may have time to more birding around Arica before catching a flight back to Santiago, where we spend the next two nights. Day 6: Yeso Valley This famous birding area in the High Andes east of the city gives us another chance to see the unique Diademed Sandpiper-Plover if we didn’t find it in Lauca. The scenery here is simply superb and some of the most spectacular in Central Chile. High mountains, turquoise lakes, hanging glaciers and white-water rivers combine to make a magnificent spectacle. It is also home to a superb variety of high elevation birds including Crag Chilia, Moustached Turca, Torrent Duck, White-sided Hillstar, Andean Goose, Scale- throated Earthcreeper, Black-fronted and White-browed Ground-Tyrants, Greater Yellowfinch, Yellow-rumped Siskin, Andean Condor, Mountain Caracara, Creamy-rumped Miner, and Gray-breasted Seedsnipe. Day 7: Pacific Coast Leaving early from Santiago we will head towards as recently created reserve on the Maipo river estuary. This reserve protects one of the most important wetlands in central Chile. Here we’ll be able to enjoy large flocks of gulls, Black Skimmers, terns, pelicans, and shorebirds. After scanning the masses of shorebirds on the mudflats, we will look for the rare Ticking Doradito along with Spectacled Tyrant, Correndera Pipit, and the Chilean endemics Dusky Tapaculo and Dusky-tailed Canastero. The reedbeds at the reserve entrance are a great place to see the stunning Many-colored Rush Tyrant, the often skulky Wren-like Rushbird, as well as Yellow- winged Blackbird and Grass Wren. Along the coast we may find Guanay Cormorant, Peruvian Booby, Chilean Skua, and Seaside Cinclodes. In the afternoon we will visit more protected wetlands, looking for Spot-flanked Gallinule, Black-necked and Coscoroba Swans, Plumbeous Rail, Black-headed Duck and maybe even the secretive Stripe-backed Bittern. The night will be spent in Valparaíso. Day 8: Pelagic Boat Trip We’ll leave the port just before sunrise and navigate around 20 km (12 miles) out into the Humboldt Current; the whole excursion usually lasts roughly 6 hours. Chile has more than 4,000 kilometers of coastline and is considered as one of the best places in the world for pelagic birding thanks to the upwelling of nutrients brought by the current. While activity varies from trip to trip, some outing have produced dozens of species of seabirds including albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, diving-petrels, cormorants, gulls, and terns. Albatrosses are definitely the star of the show – likely species include Salvin’s, Black-browed, and Royal. Buller’s and Chatham are seen less frequently. Other noteworthy tubenoses we can see are Masatierra, Juan Fernandez, White-chinned, and Westland Petrels, Peruvian Diving-Petrel, Northern Giant Petrel, and Wilson’s Storm-Petrel. We can also see Red Phalarope, Guanay and Red-legged Cormorants, Kelp Gull, and South American Tern. After the pelagic, we’ll have lunch and then look for any coastal species we missed yesterday before returning to Santiago for another two nights. Day 9: Farellones and Valle Nevado Today we will explore the Mediterranean scrub in the Andes Mountains, making stops at different altitudes. In the foothills we’ll look for several endemics including Chilean Tinamou, Moustached Turca, White-throated and Dusky Tapaculos, Crag Chilia, and Dusky-tailed Canastero. Numerous other species are possibly at the higher elevations like Greater Yellowfinch, Creamy-rumped Miner, White-sided Hillstar, Rufous-banded Miner, Gray-hooded Sierra-Finch, Andean Condor, Variable Hawk, Black chested Buzzard Eagle, and Mountain Caracara. Day 10: Colbún Lake and Vilches Today we’ll drive south on our way to Talca and towards Colbún Lake. At first, we’ll still be in the drier Mediterranean habitat where some targets will be the colorful Burrowing Parakeet and odd Spectacled Duck. At Colbún Lake, we can scan for a number of other interesting ducks and grebe species and have more chances to see Spectacled Tyrant and Andean Gull. We’ll spend the rest of the afternoon and part of the next day in the magnificent Altos de Lircay National Reserve. We’ll spend two nights in a lodge not far from the reserve. Day 11: Altos de Lircay This reserve park is in the ecotone between temperate rainforest and the Mediterranean scrub, and we’ll have our first chance to experience the verdant Nothofagus forests that this region is known for. We’ll search Chile’s least known tapaculo, the Chestnut-throated Huet-huet along with other specialties like Chucao and Magellanic Tapaculos, Austral Parakeet, Patagonian Sierra-Finch, the spectacular Magellanic Woodpecker, and the rare Chilean Hawk. Day 12: Cerro Ñielol and Temuco Today we’ll head south towards Temuco, the capital city of the Araucanía Region, where we have a single night. Along the way we’ll stop by some agricultural areas to look for Screaming Cowbird, Hellmayr’s Pipit and Chilean Tinamou. By the time we reach Temuco, the Mediterranean habitat will have been left behind completely and been replaced by lush temperate rainforest. Not far from Temuco is Cerro Ñielol, where we can look for understory species like Black-throated Huet-Huet, Des Mur’s Wiretail, Chucao Tapaculo, Ochre-Flanked Tapaculo, Rufous-tailed Hawk, and the near endemic Slender-billed Parakeet. Day 13: Araucaria Forest We’ll spend the morning at higher elevations where Araucaria/Nothofagus forest dominates. Here we hope to find the scarce Patagonian Forest Earthcreeper along with more common birds like Magellanic Tapaculo, Austral Parakeet, Striped Woodpecker, Chilean Flicker, White-throated Treerunner, and others. In the afternoon, we’ll catch a flight back to Santiago, where we spend the night. Day 14: Santiago to Punta Arenas Today we fly to Punta Arenas in far southern Chile to begin the final segment of our tour. After arrival, we’ll bird south along the coast for Flying and Flightless Steamer-Ducks, Magellanic Oystercatcher, Imperial Cormorant, Upland, Ruddy-headed, and Kelp Goose, Chilean Skua, Dolphin Gull, and the tiny Austral Negrito. The night will be spent in a hotel in Punta Arenas. Day 15: Tierra del Fuego and King Penguins We’ll take the early morning ferry to Tierra del Fuego, which lasts around two hours and offers a great chance to see Southern Giant-Petrel, Magellanic Diving-Petrel, Chilean Skua, Black-browed Albatross and Peale’s Dolphin. After disembarking, we’ll bird around a couple of lakes looking in particular for Magellanic Plover, a monotypic family restricted to far southern South America. Other species we may find include Ashy-Headed and Upland Goose, Two-banded Plover, Short-billed Miner, Tawny-throated Dotterel, Flightless Steamer-Duck, and Crested Duck. After lunch we’ll drive to Bahia Inútil to visit a colony of magnificent King Penguins, sure to be a trip highlight, before driving to Cerro Sombrero for the night. Along the way to our hotel we may find some birds typical of Patagonian steppe like Rufous-chested Dotterel, Chocolate-vented Tyrant and Cinnamon-bellied Ground-Tyrant. Day 16: Cerro Sombrero to Puerto Natales After breakfast, we’ll continue birding the Patagonian steppe on our way to the northern tip of Tierra del Fuego, then take a short ferry back to the continental mainland. This is a quicker ferry crossing (20 minutes) with good chances of seeing Commerson’s Dolphin, Magellanic Diving-Petrel, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel and White-chinned Petrel. Back on the mainland, we will make a stop at a wetland for a variety of waterfowl, including Silver Teal, Rosy-billed Pochard, Chiloe Wigeon, White-cheeked Pintail, Coscoroba Swan, and variety of shorebirds. In this area we’ll also try our luck finding the elusive Patagonian Tinamou. We’ll continue our trip towards Puerto Natales making our way across the vast steppe looking for Darwin’s Rhea, Austral Canastero, Chocolate-vented Tyrant, Band-tailed Earthcreeper, Common Miner, Patagonian Yellowfinch, and the stunning White-bridled Finch. We’ll spend two nights in Puerto Natales. Day 17: Torres del Paine and Sierra Baguales On clear days, Torres del Paine has some of the most breathtaking scenery on the planet. Mammals may feature as much as or more than the birds here, with Guanaco, Gray Fox, and Patagonian Hog-nosed Skunk often seen, and there is even a chance for Puma. The park is famous as a location to try for Austral Rail but it can be very hard to find. We’ll also do some birding outside the park around Sierra Baguales, looking for Band-tailed Earthcreeper, Patagonian Mockingbird, the gorgeous Yellow-bridled Finch, and occasionally even White-throated Caracara and the very rare Gray-bellied Shrike-Tyrant. Andean Condors are common here and large flocks often can be seen circling overhead. Day 18: Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas Today we will drive back to Punta Arenas and catch a flight back to Santiago, where this magnificent trip will come to a close. Flight schedules can change, but we intend to be back in Santiago in time to catch evening overnight flights out of the country, but please check with our office before buying your ticket for the latest information. Trip Considerations PACE : Moderate. This tour will especially target the endemics and other regional specialties of Chile. Diversity is not as high as more tropical areas of the continent, so we still have time to find a very high proportion of the more common and widespread species as well. Early starts are sometimes necessary since a few of the hotels are a long way from the birding sites. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY : Moderate. Nearly all of the birding is done from flat or only slightly inclined roads and wide tracks, and you can expect to walk around 2-3 miles on most days. One day of the tour will reach very high elevations of around 14500 ft (4500 m). However only part of the day will be spent that high, and the hotel is lower at about 11500 ft (3500 m). The tour includes a six-hour pelagic boat trip, and participants are advised to take anti-seasickness measures. CLIMATE : Chilly in the far south and at the highest elevations, but otherwise quite pleasant and usually never very hot. Mostly dry, though light rain is possible in a few places. ACCOMMODATION : Good to excellent throughout with all the typical amenities. 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, EU, New Zealand, South Africa, among others. Australians must get an online visa before visiting Chile. Visas are required for citizens of most countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Reciprocity fees are no longer charged. 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 the night of day 1 to the night day 17; meals from dinner on day 1 to lunch on day 18; reasonable non-alcoholic drinks during meals; safe drinking water only between meals; roundtrip flight Santiago-Arica; one way flight Temuco-Santiago; roundtrip flight Santiago-Punta Arenas; tour leader(s) from the evening of Day 1 to the afternoon of Day 18 (for small groups the tour will be led by a bilingual Chilean bird guide and for larger groups a Tropical Birding guide will also co-lead the trip; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary; 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? : Tips (we do not include tips on this tour since for small groups it will be led only by a local Chilean bilingual bird guide and there will not be any TB leader present to dole out tips); your international flights to Santiago; 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!

N. Colombia: Birding the Santa Marta Mountains & Caribbean Tour Overview: We’ve purposely designed this trip to be an easy, yet endemic-filled introduction to a very safe part of Colombia. This may be a short tour, but it still offers the chance to see almost all of the Santa Marta endemics as well as numerous dry Caribbean specialties. You are likely to see many species not possible on any of our other tours. Arrangements for this tour are surprisingly simple, and there are even direct flights from Miami to Barranquilla, making connections easy for those coming from North America. So, what are you waiting for? Your only risk is wanting to come back. Vermillion Cardinal Andres Vasquez Blue-naped Chlorophonia Andres Vasquez Black-cheeked Mountain-Tanager.jpg Jose Illanes Yellow-crowned Redstart Andres Vasquez White-tailed Starfrontlet Jose Illanes Scarlet Ibis Andres Vasquez Chestnut Piculet Jose Illanes Lance-tailed Manakin Andres Vasquez Santa Marta Parakeet Andres Vasquez American Flamingo Andres Vasquez Black-headed Tanager Andres Vasquez Keel-billed Toucan Ben Knoot Steely-vented Hummingbird Nick Athanas Russet-throated Puffbird Andres Vasquez Santa Marta Woodstar Andres Vasquez Rosy Thrush-Tanager Andres Vasquez Orinocan Saltator Andres Vasquez Rufous-capped Warbler Jose Illanes Santa Marta Woodstar Phil Chaon White-tipped Quetzal Andres Vasquez Santa Marta Screech-Owl Andres Vasquez Santa Marta Blossomcrown Andres Vasquez Santa Marta Antpitta Andres Vasquez Northern Screamer Andres Vasquez Groove-billed Toucanet Andres Vasquez Tour Details: 2027 17 - 25 February TBA (2026 price: $3990; single supplement: $290) Length: 9 Days Starting City: Barranquilla Ending City: Barranquilla Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy/Moderate Focus: Birding 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 Barranquilla After arrival, you’ll be transferred to an excellent hotel in the city for the night. Day 2: Barranquilla to Riohacha We’ll drive through the city to the nearby Salamanca Island, having a field breakfast in the mangroves at dawn. We hope to find the extremely rare endemic Sapphire-bellied Hummingbird and the 0more common Sapphire-throated Hummingbird in the mangroves near the park HQ – it’s possible Sapphire-bellied is only an age stage of Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, but for the moment it is considered a “good” species. We’ll then bird the mangroves where hordes of wintering Prothonotary Warblers will accompany us as we search for Bicolored Conebill, Northern Scrub-Flycatcher, Panama Flycatcher, Pied Water-Tyrant, Red-rumped Woodpecker, Chestnut Piculet, Black-crested Antshrike, and more. A short stop later in the morning should get us the pretty Stripe-backed Wren, handsome Russet-throated Puffbird, screeching Brown-throated Parakeets, and various waterbirds. Continuing along the coast, the main highway passes lagoons, which depending on water levels, can be jam-packed with countless waterbirds; time permitting we may make a few stops, but birding is along a very busy highway and most of the species are quite common and widespread. After stopping for lunch at a roadside restaurant, we’ll continue northeast to the Guajira Peninsula. This arid corner of Colombia holds a number of birds shared only with neighboring Venezuela. In the cooler late afternoon, we’ll bird some scrub for a first shot at the target birds (mentioned below). We’ll spend one night in Riohacha. Day 3: The Guajira Peninsula After another field breakfast, we’ll bird the deserts and dry woodland in and around the Los Flamencos reserve. The superb White-whiskered Spinetail, Vermilion Cardinal, and Orinocan Saltator are some of our most wanted targets, but we’ll also look for Chestnut Piculet, Slender-billed Tyrannulet, Glaucous Tanager, Tocuyo Sparrow, Buffy Hummingbird, Red-billed Emerald, Green-rumped Parrotlet, Black-crested Antshrike, White-fringed Antwren, and others. The lagoons behind the beach vary in water levels, but are sometimes teeming with waterbirds. With luck we’ll find some Scarlet Ibis among the more common White Ibis, along with other species like Roseate Spoonbill, Reddish Egret, Black Skimmer, wintering shorebirds, gulls, terns, a chance for American Flamingo, and more. After a sumptuous lunch on the beach, we’ll drive back down the coast for a few hours to some lowland forest near the village of Gaviotas. We’ll spend the late afternoon looking for a few neat birds like Lance-tailed Manakin, White-bellied Antbird, Buff-breasted Wren, Barred Antshrike, Golden-fronted Greenlet, Cocoa Woodcreeper, and Crimson-crested Woodpecker. We’ll spend the night at a nearby ecolodge near the beach. Day 4: To the Santa Marta Mountains The morning’s plan is somewhat flexible – we may return to Gaviotas for a short time, bird another forested area such as Tayrona National Park, or get a head start on the foothills of the Santa Martas. We’ll have lunch at a restaurant with good feeders that attract White-necked Jacobin, White-vented Plumeleteer, Black-throated Mango, Steely-vented Hummingbird, Whooping Motmot, Golden-winged Sparrow, and others. After lunch, we’ll use 4WD vehicles for the ride up to the San Lorenzo ridge in the Santa Marta Mountains. This forested area is the only easily accessible area of the mountain range, and is now protected by a bird reserve that hosts all but a few of the much-coveted Santa Marta endemics. We’ll spend three nights in a lodge located at the pleasantly cool middle elevations of the mountains. If we arrive early enough, we can spend time at the feeders; feeder activity is a bit unpredictable but it is not unusual for neat species like Band-tailed Guan, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Black-chested Jay, and White-tailed Starfrontlet to visit along with the more common species. Days 5-6: The Santa Marta Mountains This mountain range is completely cut off from the Andes, yet has the tallest peaks in Colombia. Due to its isolation and height, it holds one of the highest densities of endemics of any spot in the entire world. Twenty-two endemic bird species are currently recognized as well as more than seventy subspecies, some of which will likely be raised to species level in the future. We’ll make the most of our time here, covering all the elevations accessible by road. The higher elevations hold flocks of screeching Santa Marta Parakeets, cute Yellow-crowned Redstarts, chattering Santa Marta Warblers, the stolid Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant, and a few skulkers like Brown-rumped Tapaculo, Rusty-headed Spinetail, and the recently split Sierra Nevada Antpitta. Working our way down the mountain, we’ll get into range for White-tailed Starfrontlet, Streak-capped Spinetail, and Black-cheeked Mountain-Tanager. Around the lodge clearing is the best spot for Santa Marta and Sierra Nevada Brush-Finches and lots of endemic subspecies including Cinnamon Flycatcher, Black-hooded Thrush, Blue-capped Tanager, and Emerald Toucanet. Below the lodge the forest is taller and a little drier, and has some different species like White-lored Warbler, Santa Marta Blossomcrown and more birds with “Santa Marta” in their names, including the Tapaculo, Woodstar, and Foliage-gleaner. Other feathered gems that put gleams of lust into the eyes of visiting birders include White-tipped Quetzal, Emerald and Groove-billed Toucanets, Golden-breasted Fruiteater, and Rusty-breasted Antpitta. On one day, we’ll need a very early start (3:30-4:00am departure with a field breakfast) in order to get up the very rough road to higher elevations, but on the other we can have a later breakfast in the lodge. Day 7: El Dorado to Minca Our start time will depend on which birds we are still looking for – sometimes it is necessary to go back up to the higher elevations if we missed any endemics up there, though anyone who prefers to just bird or relax around the lodge and take some photos is more than welcome to do so. Later in the morning, we’ll head back down the mountains to the foothill town of Minca, where we spend one night in Minca (the same place with the feeders that we stopped at for lunch on day 4). Day 8: Minca to Barranquilla One last morning in the foothills will give us a chance to find several great birds not found higher in the mountains. The gorgeous Golden-winged Sparrow (which sometimes visits the hotel feeders) tops a nice list of targets that also includes Black-backed Antshrike, Golden-fronted Greenlet, Rufous-breasted and Rufous-and-white Wrens, Scaled Piculet, Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant, and others. After lunch, we’ll start driving back to Barranquilla, stopping to look for the endemic Chestnut-winged Chachalaca en-route, before reaching Barranquilla for our final night. Day 9: Departure The tour ends this morning at the Barranquilla airport. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. This tour will especially target the endemics and other regional specialties of Northern Colombia, but it will also try to see a good number of more common and widespread birds. Early starts are necessary on most days since the best birding is in the early morning. Start times will usually be from 5:30-6:00am, with one start as early as 3:30am. On three days of the trip there will be around two hours of downtime after lunch, but other days are quite full. Three breakfasts will be field breakfasts, but lunches and dinners will be in the lodges/hotels or nearby restaurants. The drives are not too long, with the lengthiest being about four hours on day 2. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate. For the first few days, the terrain is entirely flat. Even in the mountains, nearly all the birding will be from a dirt road where we will be mostly walking downhill. There will be some short excursions on moderately difficult trails where a walking stick could come in handy. You can expect to walk around 3 miles (4.8 km) a day on average. Access to the Santa Marta mountains is by an extremely rough 4×4 road, which could be an issue for people with serious back problems (check with us if unsure). The highest elevation reached is about 8500 ft (2600 m) but the lodge is much lower at 6600 ft (2000 m). CLIMATE: Warm to hot in the lowlands, and cool to pleasant in the highlands. The coldest temperature is normally 45°F(7°C) on one or two mornings, where a couple of layers and a pair of gloves could be nice for an hour or two before it warms up. The tour is run in the dry season, but it is not unusual to get a bit of rain in the mountains, though it is usually not much. ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent, all have private bathrooms and electricity. Except for one night, all have hot water; the one night is in the hot coastal plain where the lack of hot water is usually tolerable. Wi-fi is usually available in all the hotels, though it may only be available in public areas, and is sometimes very slow. PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a birding tour, but casual photographers will have some nice chances to photograph birds especially around the feeders at El Dorado and Minca. The scenery in the mountains is also worth a few shots. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended sta. Currently, citizens of the US, Canada, UK, EU, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan (among others) do not require a tourist visa, though Canadian citizens will need to pay a reciprocity fee on arrival (approximately CAD$80, payable with cash or credit card). Tourists visas are required for citizens of many countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. 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?: Tips to drivers and lodge/restaurant staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 8; meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 9 (if you have a very early flight, you may miss the included breakfast on the last day); when eating at a restaurant that does not include any drinks, reasonable non-alcoholic drinks will be included for that meal; safe drinking water only between meals; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio playback gear from the evening of day 1 to the evening of day 8; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person (transfers may be shared with other tour participants if they are arriving/departing at the same time); ground transport for the group in suitable vehicle(s) with local driver(s) to all sites in the itinerary from the morning of day 2 to the evening of day 8 (transport in the mountains will be in several 4WD vehicles which will travel together); 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?: Optional tips to the tour leader; tips for luggage porters if you require their services; 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!

South Africa: Birding the Fairest Cape to Kruger NP Tour Overview: South Africa is a spectacularly beautiful country that is rich in wildlife. In the southwest there are two unique habitats: the stark heath-like fynbos and the expansive semi-desert Karoo. In the northeast, South Africa metamorphoses into golden-green grasslands and tropical savanna and species diversity increases dramatically. Spectacular species include a host of bee-eaters, hornbills, kingfishers, barbets, and sunbirds. We can expect to see over 400 bird species on this tour. The main tour is fun, and focusses on the unforgettable and unmissable Cape and Kruger sectors of the country. We travel through these areas in style, enjoying all the birds, fauna and flora. We will enjoy Kruger in a luxurious open-topped land-cruiser, making sure we do not spend unnecessary hours driving in a car, nor having a cramped game-viewing experience in a van like many of our competitors. The extension is more endemic-bird focused, to satisfy more serious birders with a long haul of specialty birds. So whether you prefer a premium highlights package that includes lots of mammals, or have a travel partner who prefers that, or a trip that includes lots of endemic birds, this intuitive-design itinerary can tick all the boxes. Cheetah Lisle Gwynn Orange-breasted Sunbird Ken Behrens Rufous-eared Warbler Ken Behrens Long-tailed Widowbird Keith Barnes Southern Red Bishop Keith Barnes Cape Sparrow Keith Barnes Cape Sugarbird Keith Barnes Black-headed Canary Keith Barnes Spotted Hyena Ken Behrens Cape Francolin Ken Behrens Cape Cormorant Ken Berhens Bateleur Ken Behrens Purple-crested Turaco Ken Behrens Black Crake Andrew Spenser Capped Wheatear Keith Barnes Leopard Ken Behrens Cape Rockjumper Keith Barnes Cheetah Lisle Gwynn Orange-breasted Sunbird Ken Behrens Rufous-eared Warbler Ken Behrens Long-tailed Widowbird Keith Barnes Southern Red Bishop Keith Barnes Cape Sparrow Keith Barnes Cape Sugarbird Keith Barnes Black-headed Canary Keith Barnes Spotted Hyena Ken Behrens Cape Francolin Ken Behrens Cape Cormorant Ken Berhens Bateleur Ken Behrens Purple-crested Turaco Ken Behrens Black Crake Andrew Spenser Capped Wheatear Keith Barnes Leopard Ken Behrens Cape Rockjumper Keith Barnes Tour Details: 2026 Main Tour: 5 - 19 September $6690; single supplement: $770 Drakensberg Extension: 19 - 27 September $2250; single supplement: $225 2027 Main Tour: 4 - 18 September Price: TBA Drakensberg Extension: 18 - 26 September Price: TBA Length: 15 Days (23 Days w/ Extension) Starting City: Capetown Ending City: Johannesburg Pace: Moderate (Extension is Intense) Physical Difficulty: Easy Focus: Birding, Wildlife and Botany Group size: 9 + 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: Cape Town After arrival in Cape Town we will transfer to a peaceful B&B in the suburbs, where we will be based for the next 3 days. Day 2 or 3: Pelagic (optional) The waters off Cape Town are regarded as one of the best pelagic spots in the world. Sailing from Simonstown we will be awed by the spectacle of thousands of seabirds of 15 to 20 species squabbling over scraps behind fishing trawlers. Once we have soaked in the crippling views of Black-browed, White-capped and Indian Yellow-nosed Albatrosses, White-chinned Petrel, Cape Gannet and Sooty Shearwater, we will sift through the clouds of birds in search of less common species. This trip is optional because it is weather dependent and may be canceled if we are unlucky with the weather. Those who opt not to do the pelagic trip can visit the Cape Peninsula. Day 2 or 3: West Coast This dry coastline is incised by a series of wetlands holding fantastic densities of birds. In the spectacular Langebaan Lagoon, Palaearctic waders abound. Resident shorebirds include the scarce Chestnut-banded Plover. The adjacent terrestrial vegetation supports a variety of very local specialties. The most absorbing include Black Harrier, Black Bustard and Large-billed Lark. Day 4: Cape Peninsula to Hottentot’s Holland Mountains We spend the morning searching the exceptionally beautiful Cape Peninsula for fynbos endemics such as Orange-breasted Sunbird, Cape Sugarbird and Cape Siskin. We also visit Kommetjie, home of the Benguela Current-endemic African Oystercatcher, as well as Bank, Crowned and Cape cormorants. Continuing to the Cape of Good Hope we stop at Boulder’s Bay to mingle with the African Penguins. Our final stop, if time allows, is Strandfontein, a series of settling ponds supporting a remarkable variety of waterfowl. In the afternoon, we search for Cape Rockjumper, then drive to our lodge in the Hottentot’s Holland Mountains. Day 5: Hottentot’s Holland to De Hoop Nature Reserve Situated 125 miles (200 km) east of Cape Town, the Agulhas plain stretches from the Langeberg Mountains to the southern tip of Africa. Here we seek the highly range-restricted “Agulhas” Cape Long-billed Lark and “Agulhas” Cape Clapper Lark. Other spectacular specialties include parties of stately Blue Crane and Denham’s Bustard. We will overnight just outside De Hoop Nature Reserve. Day 6: De Hoop to Wilderness The morning will be spent around Potberg mountain, which holds the last Cape Vulture breeding colony in the region. Other targets here are the endemic Southern Tchagra, Pied Starling, Orange-throated Longclaw and Pearl-breasted Swallow. In the afternoon we drive through to Knysna exploring the Wilderness Lakes en-route. We will spend two nights in the quiet town of Wilderness. Day 7: Garden Route The Garden Route winds over mountainsides dappled with fynbos flowers before it plunges into the thickly forested gorges where cola-hued rivers flow. Among the forest specialties we search for here are Forest Buzzard, Knysna Turaco, Narina Trogon, Knysna and Olive Woodpeckers, Chorister Robin-Chat, Olive Bush-Shrike, Swee Waxbill and Forest Canary. Day 8: Garden Route to Karoo NP We spend the morning in the Swartberg Mountains where we will search for the skulking Victorin’s Warbler, charismatic Cape Rock-Jumper, rare Protea Canary, and local Cape Siskin. These mountains will provide some dramatic rocky backdrops to our birding. In the afternoon, we will descend into the hot and dry Karoo National Park for a two-night stay. Day 9: Karoo NP This park combines spectacular mountain scenery with the very best of Karoo birding; it is packed with Karoo endemics. The lowlands support Spike-heeled Lark, Gray-backed Sparrow-Lark, Karoo Chat, and Rufous-eared Warbler. The secretive Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, Pale-winged Starling, and Ground Woodpecker occur in rocky gorges, while the Sickle-winged Chat is found on the grassy plateau. The Karoo Long-billed Lark is common throughout. Day 10: Karoo NP to Johannesburg We return to Cape Town and fly to Johannesburg, where we’ll overnight at a hotel away from this bustling city. Days 11-13: Kruger National Park We fly into Kruger first thing in the morning to make the most of our time at Kruger. Birding here is fantastic, with many species living right in the park’s camps. The staccato calls of the Woodland Kingfisher and ridiculous moans of the Gray Go-away-bird reverberate throughout most lodgings. Elsewhere Trumpeter Hornbills, Saddle-billed Storks, and White-crowned Lapwings patrol the river edges, while menacing Nile Crocodiles watch from distant sandbanks. While looking for birds, we will undoubtedly bump into vast numbers of large mammals, including the possibility of Lion, Leopard, African Elephant, African Buffalo, and two species of rhinoceros. Nights will be spent at several birdy camps inside Kruger. Day 14: Kruger NP to Johannesburg Today we will soak up the remainder of Kruger’s excellent birding and game viewing opportunities, before flying back to Johannesburg for another night. Day 15: Departure This morning we fly out or start the Eastern endemics and Drakensberg extension. Drakensberg Extension Introduction: We offer a 9-day extension to take in the high-altitude grasslands of Wakkerstroom, coastal forest and thornscrub at Mkuze and St Lucia, the Drakensberg Mountains, and the midlands of Natal. This extension gives us chances at many of the South African endemics and specialties. Important note: The extension begins in Johannesburg but ends in Durban. Day 1: Drive from Johannesburg to Wakkersrtroom Driving several hours through the Highveld grasslands of eastern South Africa brings us to the quaint village of Wakkerstroom, where we will spend the night. Day 2: Wakkerstroom The area surrounding Wakkerstroom supports some of Africa’s most threatened species, many of which are endemic to South Africa. Here we will search for the critically endangered Rudd’s Lark, Botha’s Lark and Yellow-breasted Pipit. The rolling grasslands also support magnificent endemics such as the striking Southern Bald Ibis, elegant Blue Bustard, and dapper Buff-streaked Chat. The rank vegetation is also home to magical widowbirds, francolins, cisticolas, weavers, bishops and whydas. Two nights will be spent in the quiet country town of Wakkerstroom. *Please be aware: Both Botha's and Rudd's Larks are now so endangered that BirdLife South Africa has requested that no one make any attempt to locate these species until their populations recover. TB will abide by these recommendations until further notice. We still might get very lucky and see one by chance, but we will not use playback, or intentionally intrude on their territories, until their prospects (hopefully) improve. Day 3: Wakkerstroom to Mkuze We will have most of the day at Wakkerstroom looking for any specialty birds that we still need. After a late lunch we hit the road and travel the 3 hours to Mkuze, dropping into a considerably different habitat, the coastal thornveld of KwaZulu-Natal. Night in Mkuze town. Day 4: Mkuze Game Reserve Today we will spend a full day at one of Africa’s most famous reserves, where the White Rhino was saved from global extinction. Birding here is fantastic, and we can only hope to take in a fraction of the 400 bird species that have been recorded in this small 36,000 hectare gem. Highly diverse, this reserve comprises a wide range of habitats including pans, swamp forest, Acacia thornbush, woodland, riverine forest, and the unique sand forest. We will search for the main sandforest specials, the Rudd’s Apalis, Pink-throated Twinspot and Neergaard’s Sunbird. The surrounding bush offers a spectacular number of birds including a variety of kingfishers, barbets, bushshrikes, helmetshrikes, rollers, cuckoos, robins, bulbuls, starlings, sunbirds and seedeaters. Mkuze is also renowned as an excellent area for vultures and raptors, mostly because of the abundance of large predators in the park. While looking for birds we will undoubtedly bump into the some large mammals, including some of the park’s 15 species of ungulates, and the possibility of predators such as Leopard and an excellent likelihood of the beastly White Rhinoceros. In the later afternoon we leave the reserve and head to St. Lucia, where we spend the night. Day 5: St Lucia-Eshowe Up for an early breakfast, we head straight to Lake St Lucia, a World Heritage Site teeming with water birds and bushveld birds. We shall explore the swathes of forests that skirt the lagoons edge, in search of Green Malkoha, Woodward’s Batis, Southern Banded Snake-Eagle and Brown Scrub-Robin. Other target birds include Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Pink-backed Pelican, White-eared Barbet, Four-colored Bushshrike, Narina Trogon, Woolly-necked Stork, Black-tailed Waxbill, Mouse-colored Sunbird, Southern Crested Guineafowl, Green-backed Twinspot and Trumpeter Hornbill. St Lucia also has a good selection of mammals, and likely species include impressive Hippopotamus, Common Reedbuck, Burchell’s Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Waterbuck, Vervet Monkey, Bushbuck and the tiny but exquisite Red Duiker. In the afternoon we heading to the coastal forests and mangroves surrounding Richard’s Bay. On the face of it Richard’s Bay is a fairly ordinary looking place, but the reality is that it is loaded with top quality birding opportunities. We will visit open pans at Thulazihleka where we might see the scarce Lesser Jacana as well as the localized Brown-throated Weaver and Pale-crowned Cisticola. We will surely see African Jacana as well as White-backed Duck, Whiskered Tern, Osprey and a variety of weavers, widows and water birds. We will also keep a keen eye on the countless waders, terns egrets, herons and other water birds that occur in this diverse lagoon. We will take a shot at locating the retiring African Finfoot before heading to our accommodation in Eshowe. Overnight in Eshowe. Day 6: Dhlinza Dhlinza forest is endowed with South Africa’s largest and most impressive canopy walkway. One of the key specials at this forest and our main target for the day is the globally endangered and legendarily cryptic Spotted Ground-Thrush, a bird with an uncanny ability to blend with the leaf litter when it is not moving! But Dhlinza has another mega-special, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, as well as a host of other great forest birds such as Narina Trogon, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Dark-backed Weaver, African Black-headed Oriole, African Goshawk, Green-backed Twinspot, Terrestrial Brownbul and many other forest birds. Overnight Eshowe. Day 7: Umlalazi to Underberg In the morning we’ll head straight to Umlalazi Nature Reserve where we’ll look for a bunch of forest birds as well as the local specialty species, before heading off to Underberg for our assault on the Lesotho Drakensberg the following Day. Overnight Underberg. Day 8: Sani Pass This morning we head up the incredible Sani pass to 3482 m a.s.l (11,400 feet), the highest mountain pass in southern Africa. Here we enter the mountain kingdom of Lesotho (remember your passport as it is a different country!). Here we search for the many specials of the high Drakensberg. Near the base of the pass we will search the Leucosidea scrub for Bush Blackcap and Drakensberg Prinia, African Yellow-Warbler and perhaps the skulking Barratt’s Warbler. Higher up, where the grassland is dominated by Proteas, we seek Buff-streaked Chat, Gurney’s Sugarbird, Cape Rock-Thrush and Cape Grassbird. Higher still, we will search for the magnificent Bearded and Cape Vultures, Drakensberg Siskin, Drakensberg Rockjumper, Sentinel Rock-Thrush, Cape Bunting, Layard’s Warbler, Gray Tit, Fairy Flycatcher, Sickle-winged Chat, Yellow-tufted and Mountain Pipits, before heading down the mountains before nightfall. We will see some interesting and bizarre mammals today including the specialized Ice Rat, Chacma Baboon and Rock Hyrax, colloquially known as the Dassie, and with luck some larger ungulates such as Common Eland, Mountain Reedbuck, Grey Rhebok and the agile Klipspringer. We overnight in Underberg. Day 9: Xumeni Forest and Midland Grasslands to Durban The morning will be spent at Xumeni, a marvelous block of Afro-montane forest, which offers our best chance to sample some exciting afro-montane specials. Amongst the residents here are Bar-throated Apalis, African Crested Flycatcher, White-starred Robin and Chorister Robin-Chat, Yellow-throated Woodland-Warbler and the ever-so-secretive Buff-spotted Flufftail. We hope to have good luck with the retiring Orange Ground Thrush, and to see some of the few remaining pairs of the recently split Cape Parrots that breed and roost in this forest. In the afternoon we drive through the midland grasslands and look for Wattled Crane, Long-crested Eagle, and anything else we haven’t already seen. Creighton is an excellent area for Oribi, and hopefully we can find this increasing scarce grassland antelope. On our January tours, we may also try for the rare Montane Blue Swallow. Its habitat is rapidly disappearing and it is nowhere else more apparent than here, where the only breeding pair in the district survives in a soccer pitch-sized grassland sandwiched by pine plantations. It is a magnificent bird, and if we are very lucky we should get superb views of these magical and scarce creatures. In the late afternoon we head to Durban where the tour finishes. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. The days here in the summer are long. We will typically be up early, around 6 am, and stay out until around 5 pm. When possible we will use the middle of the day to rest up, but on many days we will use this time to travel between localities. There will be a few optional outings after dark to search for mammals, owls and nightjars; these are normally done just after dinner and seldom last for more than 2-hours (typically between 7–9 pm). South Africa is a large country and there is a lot of driving involved (but roads are good), including a 5-6 hour drive on 1 day. Flying to and from Kruger NP eliminates a lot of unnecessary driving and is a luxury, although that comes at a cost. The endemics and Drakensberg extension will be more intense, with longer days in the field. There will be a packed lunch on some days, but most meals are sit-down affairs. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy. Almost all the birding is from mostly flat roads or tracks, or from the vehicle. The maximum walking on any day is likely around 2 miles (3 km). CLIMATE: Usually pleasant and warm, though some nights and mornings can be on the cool side. Overall the weather is usually very nice in both September (usually 47°-70°F, 8°-21°C) and January (usually 53°-86°F, 12°-30°C). On the September trip, rain is likely in the Western Cape, while on the January trip rain is more likely on the east side of the country. ACCOMMODATION: Very good to excellent, all have private, en-suite bathrooms, and full-time hot water. Electricity is available everywhere 24 hours a day. Internet is widespread, but not available everywhere. PHOTOGRAPHY: If you are a casual photographer, you will love this trip! Birds are cooperative, and mammals are easy to take pictures of, and because as we are visiting many places where birds are common, tame and easily seen, there are plenty of opportunities for the casual photographer to indulge and enjoy shooting. Our open-topped vehicle in Kruger also makes more a much better photographic experience as everyone will be able to easily use their cameras. It is important to be aware that this is primarily a birding tour, so if you are a serious photographer, you may wish to consider our South Africa Photo Tour . WHEN TO GO: The September spring trip is timed for peak activity of breeding endemic birds in both the dry west and moist east parts of the country. There are fewer migrants around and the overall bird list is shorter, but this time of year is perhaps best for those seeking as many of South Africa’s endemics as possible. Also, the bush is drier and it is easier to see mammals. In January, it is mid-summer, and it can be harder to find locally breeding birds. However, there is a wave of late-season migrants that have arrived, and we are likely to see a greater number of species than on September trips, and more of the spectacular male widowbirds and whydahs will be in breeding plumage. The bush thickens after the early summer rains, and we can expect the mammals to be a little harder to find in January than September. 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, and most European countries. Visas are currently only required of a few nationalities, mostly in 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 and lodge/restaurant staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 14 if taking only the main tour, and through the night of day 8 of the extension if also taking the extension; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 15 if taking only the main tour, and to breakfast on day 9 of the extension if also taking the extension (if you have a very early departing flight, you may miss the included breakfast on the last day); 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 14, and to the afternoon of day 8 of the extension if also taking the extension; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person on arrival and departure day respectively (transfers may be shared with other participants of the same tour if they arrive at the same time); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 2 to day 14 (and to day 9 of the extension if also taking the extension) in a suitable vehicle (for smaller groups, the vehicle may be driven by the tour leader); an elegant open-topped safari van within Kruger NP. Entrance fees to all sites mentioned in the itinerary; three domestic flight from Cape Town – Johannesburg (day 10); Johannesburg to Kruger NP (day 11) and Kruger NP to Johannesburg (Day 14); 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 other than the included internal flight on day 10; 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; excess baggage 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!

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Southeast Brazil: Atlantic Rainforest & Savanna Tour Overview: It is not just the allure of beaches, music, and sporting events that draws people from around the world to Southeast Brazil; the wet rainforests along the southern coast of Brazil are a birder’s delight. Separated from the Amazonian rainforests by the dry interior habitats that dominate much of the country, the birds here evolved in relative isolation, resulting in loads of endemics. Numerous spectacular antbirds, cotingas, flycatchers, and tanagers are found nowhere else. Just a hundred miles inland, the rainforest is replaced by savanna, grassland, and gallery forest with a very different set of birds and its own set of endemics. We have totally overhauled this itinerary for 2026. Since the entire trip would encompass 34 days, we have split the tour up into two parts that can be taken separately or together. The first part focuses almost entirely on forest species with some wetlands and and a bit of the coast as well. The second part offers a greater variety of habitats including the savanna, grassland, and gallery forest mentioned above along with lowland and montane rainforest; it is also better for seeing mammals. Frilled Coquette Andres Vasquez Gilt-edged Tanager Pablo Cervantes Blue Finch Andres Vasquez Brazilian Ruby Nick Athanas Black-cheeked Gnateater Andres Vasquez Brazilian Tanager Andres Vasquez White Woodpecker Nick Athanas Cock-tailed Tyrant Nick Athanas Swallow-tailed Cotinga Andres Vasquez Purple-crowned Plovercrest Andres Vasquez Robust Woodpecker Nick Athanas White-eyed Parakeet Nick Athanas Spot-winged Wood-Quail Andres Vasquez Ochre-collared Piculet Andres Vasquez Maroon-bellied Parakeet Nick Athanas Maned Wolf Andres Vasquez Yellow-fronted Woodpecker Nick Athanas White-bibbed Antbird Nick Athanas Black-throated Grosbeak Nick Athanas Green-crowned Plovercrest Nick Athanas Burnished-buff Tanager Pablo Cervantes Blue Swallow-tailed Manakin Andres Vasquez Black-hooded Antwren Andres Vasquez Large-tailed Antshrike Nick Athanas White-eared Puffbird Nick Athanas Tour Details: 2026 Part 1 : 9 - 26 October $8990; single supplement: $660 Part 2 : 26 October - 11 November $8590; single supplement: $620 Length: 18 days (Part 1), 17 days (Part 2), 34 for both parts combined Starting City: Rio (Part 1), São Paulo (Part 2) Ending City: São Paulo (Part 1), Belo Horizonte (Part 2) Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Birding Group size: 9 + 1-2 leaders Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary PART 1 - RIO DE JANEIRO AND SÃO PAULO Day 1: Arrival Rio de Janeiro . The tour begins today in Rio. No activities are planned for today except for dinner. Day 2: Rio to Regua . This morning we drive a couple of hours to Guapiassu Ecolological Reserve (also known as Regua). Birding this huge reserve at the foot of the Serra dos Órgãos mountains (named after the organ pipes they resemble) will give us a chance to find birds like Sooretama Slaty-Antshrike, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Eye-ringed Tody-Tyrant, Spot-billed Toucanet, Black-capped Becard, Yellow-eared Woodpecker, and the star of the reserve, the rare Shrike-like Cotinga. Noisy flocks of Yellow-green Grosbeaks are often around, and this is one of the better spots on the trip for Pin-tailed Manakin; even though it is a rather common species, it can be hard to find a nice adult male. In the afternoon, we can do some easy birding around the wetlands for species like White-faced Whistling-Duck, Brazilian Teal, Capped Heron, Chestnut-capped Blackbird, Wing-banded Hornero, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Masked Water-Tyrant, and others. We spend two nights in a nice lodge inside the reserve. Day 3: Regua to Nova Friburgo . After another morning of birding this huge reserve, we will drive up into the Serra dos Órgãos mountains to the charming town of Nova Friburgo, where we spend two nights. Day 4: Serra dos Órgãos . We’ll first attempt to reach a site for the very rare Gray-winged Cotinga, a ghostly bird that haunts the highest reaches of the forest. We’ll take our vehicle as high as possible, but road conditions can sometime prevent reaching the best site for the cotinga. The lush forest here is also excellent for Large-tailed Antshrike and Velvety Black-Tyrant, and we’ll have our first shot at some really nice high-mountain species more common in Itatiaia (later in the trip), including Green-crowned Plovercrest, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Black-and-gold Cotinga, and Serra do Mar Tyrannulet. Later in the day, we’ll bird another road that can be excellent for the superb Swallow-tailed Cotinga, and where the Red-legged Seriemas can sometimes be absurdly tame. Day 5: Serra dos Órgãos to Itatiaia National Park . After another morning birding around Nova Friburgo, we will drive through much of the day to Brazil’s oldest national park. We’ll stay two nights in a lovely hotel with fruit feeders that attract some of the most colorful birds on the planet, including Green-headed Tanager, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Yellow-fronted Woodpecker, and Saffron Toucanet. Hummer feeders bring in Scale-throated Hermit, White-throated Hummingbird, and occasionally even a Frilled Coquette, among others. Dusky-legged Guans are bordering on tame here, and are sometimes joined by a Slaty-breasted Wood-Rail. Blue-winged Macaws can sometimes be seen flying over the forest below the hotel, and Tawny-browed Owl is a regular visitor to the lodge grounds after dark. Day 6: Algulhas Negras road . The highest peaks in southern Brazil are easily accessed by a dirt road on the other side of the park, about 1h20m drive from our hotel. Species like Itatiaia Thistletail, Black-and-gold Cotinga, Black-capped Piprites, and Thick-billed Saltator are more easily seen here than anywhere else. We’ll also be looking for Rufous-tailed Antbird, Rufous-backed Antvireo, Brassy-breasted Tanager, Plovercrest, Mottle-cheeked and Greenish Tyrannulets, Buff-throated and Bay-chested Warbling-Finches, Gray-bellied Spinetail, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, Olivaceous Elaenia, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Speckle-breasted Antpitta, and others. We’ll spend much of the day here with a packed lunch, and head back to the lower part of Itatiaia National Park in the afternoon. Day 7: Itatiaia NP to Paraty . We’ll start birding right near the hotel, which is one of the better spots for the impressive Robust Woodpecker and scarce Pileated Parrot. Swallow-tailed Cotinga can also occasionally be seen here with some luck. Later, we’ll work our way along some moderately inclined (but not difficult) forest trails looking for shy species like Such’s and Rufous-tailed Antthrushes, Speckle-breasted Antpitta, White-bibbed Antbird and Bertoni’s Antbirds, White-bearded Antshrike, and Rufous Gnateater. Other targets include Drab-breasted Pygmy-Tyrant, Black-billed Scythebill, White-browed Woodpecker, Scaled Woodcreeper, and Gilt-edged Tanager. Later in the day, we drive several hours down to the coast, and spend one night in the town of Paraty. Day 8: Perequê to Ubatuba . The valley north of Perequê (now called Parque Mambucaba) has some drier, scrubbier forest that is one of the last havens for the incredibly beautiful and endangered Black-hooded Antwren. While this is the main target, there are many other possibilities including Frilled Coquette, Yellow-eared Woodpecker, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Half-collared Sparrow, and Squamate Antbird. After lunch, we’ll drive about 2 hours to the beach town of Ubatuba, where we spend two nights. Day 9: Ubatuba area . The lowland forest patches near town can be surprisingly good, and the going is easy along mostly flat trails and roads, though there are a couple of small streams to cross and overgrown trails to negotiate. Many great birds are regularly seen here like Buff-throated Purpletuft, Spotted Bamboowren, Tufted Antshrike, Ferruginous and Scaled Antbirds, Spot-breasted Antvireo, Unicolored Antwren, Eye-ringed Tody-Tyrant, Red-necked Tanager, Crescent-chested Puffbird, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Black-cheeked Gnateater, White-necked Hawk, Slaty Bristlefront, Thrush-like Woodcreeper, Rufous-capped Antthrush, Fork-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant, Crested Becard, Flame-crested Tanager, Salvadori’s Antwren, Star-throated Antwren, Rufous-winged Antwren, Black-capped Foliage-gleaner, Gray-hooded Flycatcher, Spot-backed Antshrike, and Lemon-chested Greenlet. We’ll visit a private residence with hummer and fruit feeders that is a magnet for handsome birds like Festive Coquette, Saw-billed Hermit, White-chinned Sapphire, Black Jacobin, Sombre Hummingbird, Brazilian Tanager, and Green-headed Tanager. Day 10: Ubatuba to Campos do Jordão . After another morning of birding around Ubatuba, we head back into the mountains to Campos do Jordão. Situated in the Serra da Mantiqueira mountain range, Campos do Jordão is the highest Brazilian city with an altitude of 5350 ft. (1630 m.). It is a popular tourist destination, especially in the winter, due to its low temperatures and European architecture. We spend one night here. Day 11: Campos do Jordão to Salesópolis . We will spend the morning birding the patches of Araucaria forest around town, especially targeting the endangered Vinaceous-breasted Amazon. Other species we may encounter include Black-capped Piprites, Serra do Mar Bristle Tyrannulet, Sharp-billed Treehunter, Rusty-barred Owl, Araucaria Tit-Spinetail, and Swallow-tailed Cotinga. In the afternoon, we’ll head south to Salesópolis for a one-night stay. Day 12: Sítio Macuquinho to Peruíbe . This morning should be a real tour highlight as we visit a private reserve called Sítio Macuquinho. The owners have set up feeding stations that provide up-close views of shy species like Red-and-white Crake, Brown Tinamou, White-shouldered Fire-eye, and sometimes even Giant Antshrike. Fruit feeders and hummingbird feeders also can be teeming with birds, making for a truly wonderful morning. Another big target today is the endemic Marsh Antwren, which can be seen in wetlands nearby. In the afternoon, we will drive several hours, skirting around the south side of the city of São Paulo to the coast, and spend the night in Peruibe. Day 13: Peruíbe to Piracicaba . This morning we will bird in stunted coastal forest on sandy soil known as Restinga. This area is at the northern limit of the range-restricted and endemic Red-tailed Amazon, which will be one of our main targets along with Azure Jay, Black-backed Tanager, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Long-billed Wren, Little Wood Rail, Bicolored Conebill, and others. Much of the afternoon will be spend driving to Piracicaba, where we overnight. Day 14: Tanquã to Intervales State Park . Tanquã is a small village located in an area known as “São Paulo’s Mini Pantanal”. It is a flooded area around the Piracicaba River that is home to many aquatic species, including the rare Yellow-breasted Crake. While looking for the crake by boat, we will also have the chance of seeing many other interesting aquatic species such as Fulvous, White-faced, and Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Brazilian and Silver Teals, White-cheeked Pintail, Rosy-billed Pochard, Large-billed Tern, Jabiru, Rufous-sided and Ash-throated Crakes, Spotted and Plumbeous Rail, and Crested Doradito. After our boat ride, we’ll drive three hours to Intervales State Park, where we’ll spend three nights in a simple but pleasant guesthouse. Days 15-16: Intervales State Park . This huge park is a birding wonderland – large numbers of endemics thrive in the wet montane forest, and many are easier to find here than anywhere else. We’ll spend our days walking various wide dirt tracks through the forest. Portions of these tracks are moderately steep and can be a bit slippery if it has been raining, but overall it is quite easy going. Some of the best birding is in the main park complex. It’s easy to see many of the common Atlantic Rainforest specialties like Azure-shouldered, Golden-chevroned, and Green-headed Tanagers, Green-winged Saltator, Black Jacobin, Violet-crowned Woodnymph, Pallid Spinetail, Red-breasted Toucan, Hangnest Tody-Tyrant, and Yellow-fronted Woodpecker. A reed-filled marsh may have Orange-breasted Thornbird and Red-and-white Crake, and local guides sometimes have a nest of Swallow-tailed Cotinga staked out. With a bit of work, we can usually tease out a Dusky-tailed Antbird. A network of forested-fringed roads crisscrosses the park, and we’ll spend our mornings looking for Giant, Tufted, and White-bearded Antshrikes, Black-fronted Piping-Guan, Cinnamon-vented Piha, Hooded Berryeater, Buff-bellied Puffbird, Black-legged Dacnis, Blue-bellied Parrot, Bare-throated Bellbird, Saffron and Spot-billed Toucanets, White-collared and White-browed Foliage-gleaners, Brown Tanager, Solitary Tinamou, Squamate, Bertoni’s, and Ochre-rumped Antbirds and Violet-crowned Plovercrest just to name a few. Night birding can also be good at Intervales. We’ll check stakeouts for the mind-blowing Long-trained Nightjar, and have chances to see several owls including Tropical and Black-capped Screech-Owls, Rusty-barred Owl, and Tawny-browed Owl. Day 17: Intervales State Park to PETAR . We’ll target anything else we still need at Intervales before driving a couple of hours to another large park adjacent to Intervales called Alto Ribeira State Tourist Park, or PETAR. By this point in the trip we will be looking for very specific targets that have eluded us previously, which may well include Black-headed Berryeater, Atlantic Royal Flycatcher, Blue-bellied Parrot and other rare species. With the help of a local guide, we will try to track down as many of them as possible this afternoon and the following morning. Day 18: PETAR - São Paulo . We have most of the morning to birding to bird in PETAR before embarking on a six hour drive to Sao Paulo, where part 1 of the tour comes to a close. Those joining part 2 will spend the night in Sao Paulo. Otherwise, we will arrive in time to catch late evening international flights back home. PART 2 - ESPIRITO SANTO AND MINAS GERAIS Day 1 (same date as Day 18 of Part 1): Arrival in São Paulo . Anyone who did not join Part 1 arrives today in São Paulo. The night will be spent at a hotel near the airport with a shuttle bus. Day 2: São Paulo to Vitoria to Linhares Reserve . Today we fly from Sao Paulo to Linhares. For anyone only joining Part 2, please coordinate your flight with our office staff – it would be best if you connected through Sao Paulo and took the same flight as those who are continuing of from Part 1 to Part 2. The drive from Vitoria to Linhares takes about three hours, and we’ll spend two nights at the lodge inside the reserve. Day 3: Linhares Reserve . This reserve protects one of the largest remaining tracts of intact lowland Atlantic Rainforest. It is one of the only sites where the endangered Red-billed Curassow can still be found. Other interesting species we could find here are Ochre-marked and White-eared Parakeets, Red-browed Amazon, Black-headed Berryeater, Least Pygmy-Owl, Minute Hermit, Black-necked Aracari, Ringed and Red-stained Woodpeckers, Red-headed and White-crowned Manakins, Yellow-green Grosbeak, and others. We even have a chance to see the magnificent Harpy Eagle if there are any active nests when we visit. Day 4: Linhares to Santa Teresa . After another morning of birding in the reserve, we’ll drive a couple of hours up into the mountains to the town of Santa Teresa. The lodge where we spend the night has a nice set of hummingbird feeders that attract good numbers of these amazing birds. Black Jacobin, Scale-throated Hermit, White-vented Violetear, Frilled Coquette, Brazilian Ruby, Amethyst Woodstar, and Violet-capped Woodnymph are some of the species that can be seen here. Day 5: Santa Teresa to Vargem Alta . We’ll bird the cloudforest around Santa Terese, looking specifically for the rare and local Wied’s Tyrant-Manakin. Other targets include Yellow-eared and Yellow-browed Woodpeckers, Black-billed Scythebill, Salvadori’s Antwren, Pin-tailed Manakin, Rufous-brown Solitaire, and more. The very local Russet-winged Spadebill is also possible, but we will need a serious amount of luck in order to find one. Later in the day, we drive about three hours southwest to Vargem Alta, where we spend the next two nights. Day 6: Mata de Caetés . This private cloudforest reserve is one of the last refuges of the ultra rare and critically endangered Cherry-throated Tanager. This gorgeous bird is on the brink of extinction, so even though we will be birding in the best location to see it in the world, lots of luck is needed to encounter one – fingers crossed! Other than the tanager, we also have good chances to see species like Spot-billed Toucanet, White-bibbed Antbird, Robust Woodpecker, Cinnamon-vented Piha, and many more. Day 7: Mata de Caetés to Caparaó National Park . We’ll have another morning to search for Cherry-throated Tanager before driving several hours to Caparaó National Park. This enormous park straddles the border of the states of Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais and protects a huge chunk of montane Atlantic Rainforest as well as high elevation grasslands and scrub. We’ll spend two nights in one of the towns along the edge of the park. Day 8: Caparaó National Park . We’ll spend much of the day focusing on the higher elevations of the park, where we may encounter the very local Itatiaia Spinetail along with other target species like Large-tailed Antshrike, Rufous-tailed Antbird, Hooded Berryeater, Half-collared Sparrow, and Green-crowned Plovercrest. Once activity dies down, we’ll go in search of a very localized endemic, Forbes’s Blackbird, which occurs in agricultural areas northeast of the park. Day 9: Caparaó National Park to Caraça Sancturary . We’ll have another chance to search for the blackbird if we missed it yesterday, then drive about five hours west to one of the most scenically gorgeous locations in all of Southeast Brazil, the Caraça Sanctuary. This is a private nature reserve and historical site owned by the Catholic Church. The old monastery and church has been converted into a lodge and a museum, surrounded by forest and impressive mountain peaks. Two nights will be spent in this privileged location. We’ll also see the unique nightly ritual of priests putting out raw chicken to attract wild Maned Wolves on to the church steps (they usually come in, but you may need some patience, and occasionally they stay away). Day 10: Caraça Sanctuary . Before breakfast, we check a pond nearby where a pair of Blackish Rails is often surprisingly obliging. Breakfast itself is unlike anywhere else in Brazil – you can cook your own eggs on a massive cast iron grill heated by a wood fire, along with the other lodge guests! We’ll spend the rest of the day birding the forest and scrub of the reserve, searching especially for targets like Serra Antwren, Pale-throated Pampa-Finch, White-breasted and Rock Tapaculos, Gray-eyed Greenlet, Black-capped Antwren, Dusky-tailed Antbird, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, and others. Day 11: Caraça Sanctuary to Serra do Cipó . After some final birding, we’ll drive about 3.5 hours, skirting the edge of the city of Belo Horizonte, to a different mountain range called Serra do Cipó. We have a single night in a touristy town at the base of the mountains. We should arrive in time for some afternoon birding. Day 12: Serra do Cipó . This isolated range is one of the only places to see the extremely range restricted Cipo Canastero, which skulks around rocky outcrops at the highest elevations. Another possibility here is the espinhacensis subspecies of Long-tailed Cinclodes – which likely deserves full species status and has an even smaller range than the Canastero. We’ll search for these two birds along with a nice selection of others such as the gorgeous Hyacinth Visorbearer (it’s as good as it sounds!), Cinereous Warbling-Finch, the electric Blue Finch, and the unique White-banded and White-rumped Tanagers. Day 13: Serra do Cipó to Pompéu . After finishing up around Cipó, we head west about three hours to the town of Pompéu, where we spend the night. The main attraction here is a small private reserve owned by the “Pompeu Twins”, as they have become known as in the birding community. With great effort and persistence, they have attracted some truly difficult normally hard to see crakes to feeding stations, notably Ocellated Crake, Russet-crowned Crake, Gray-breasted Crake, as well as other species. Day 14: Pompéu to Serra da Canastra . After visiting the “Pompeu Twins” reserve, we’ll focus on different species. Unlike the parks we have been visiting over the previous days, there is virtually no protected habitat here, so we’ll travel a fair distance to small patches of cerrado targeting some very cool birds including Coal-crested Finch, Chapada Flycatcher, Henna-capped Foliage-gleaner, Checkered Woodpecker, and Spot-backed Puffbird. The afternoon will be devoted to driving farther west to a town at the edge Serra da Canastra National Park, where we will spend three nights. Days 15-16: Serra da Canastra . This park is simply magnificent. The Canastra plateau, with its scenic escarpments and waterfalls, dominates the area, and there is a mosaic of habitats including gallery forest, rivers, wooded farmland, scrubby cerrado (savanna), and tall, undisturbed grasslands. The area is one of the last strongholds for the Brazilian Merganser, one of the world’s rarest ducks; while we have seen it on most of our tours, in recent years sightings have become less frequent. Even if we aren’t fortunate enough to find one, there are plenty of other birds and animals to fill our days here. During one full day, we’ll bird areas at the base of the escarpment. There are numerous lookouts to scan for “ducks”, but there are plenty of other birds to see while we do so such as Whistling Heron, Buff-necked Ibis, Yellow-chevroned and Golden-capped Parakeets, White-eared Puffbird, Narrow-billed Woodcreeper, Rufous-fronted Thornbird, Pale-breasted Spinetail, Black-capped Antwren, Plain-crested Elaenia, Yellow-browed Tyrant, Plush-crested Jay, Yellowish Pipit, Blue Finch, Plumbeous and Dubois’s Seedeaters, Black-throated Saltator, and Chopi Blackbird. We may walk along a trail to the base of the impressive Casca D’Anta Waterfall, where Great Dusky Swifts can usually be seen clinging to the cliffs. The trail can also be productive for some tough birds like Brasilia Tapaculo, Flavescent Warbler, and Chestnut-headed Tanager, and we can usually track down a singing male Helmeted Manakin. On the other day, we’ll bird the windswept grasslands on top of the escarpment, which is a world apart from anything else on this tour. Cock-tailed Tyrants zip back and forth over the grass, Ochre-breasted Pipits perform cool display flights, and cute grassland specialists like Sharp-tailed Tyrant and Black-masked Finch can usually be found with a bit of searching. It’s not unusual to see Giant Anteaters, and Maned Wolf is a possibility as well. We’ll reach the top of the waterfall we visited the previous day, which is also a spot to look for Brazilian Merganser. If the water level is low enough, we may be able to cross the river and try to flush up some Sickle-winged Nightjars. Other birds we have a chance for today include Collared Crescentchest, Gray-backed Tachuri, Rufous-winged Antshrike, and Tawny-headed Swallow. Day 17: Serra da Canastra to Belo Horizonte, departure . It normally takes about five to six hours to reach the airport, and we intend to arrive by early to midafternoon. That should give us time for some last minute birding to target anything we still need. The tour will end in the airport as we catch flights out of Belo Horizonte – it is usually easy to connect to evening international flights out of São Paulo. If anyone prefers to fly out the following day, there is a convenient airport hotel a few miles from the terminal with a shuttle bus. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. Breakfasts will typically be at 5 or 5:30am, with one or two a bit earlier. Where possible, there will be some downtime at the lodge in the middle of the day. There will be chances to do some nightbirding at several locations, but those wishing to skip it may do so. Brazil is a huge country, and as such there is a lot of driving; drives of 3 to 4 hours are pretty typical when traveling between hotels, and up to 6 hours (on one day of Part 1 and one day of Part 2). These long drives are broken up with rest stops, lunch stops, and (where feasible) birding stops. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Moderate. Most of the birding is done from flat or moderately inclined roads and trails. You should be prepared to do a fair amount of walking. You can expect to walk an average of around 3 miles (4.8 km) on the full birding days, and less on the travel days. Two days of the trip will involve trails with some steeper sections where a walking stick can be helpful. One morning may involve a short walk on a very steep, cobblestone road, though road conditions sometimes prevent access. There are no very high elevations involved; the highest elevation visited is about 6500 ft (2000 m), and only for a few hours; all accommodations are at 5600 ft (1700 m) or less. CLIMATE: Warm to hot in the lowlands and cool to pleasant in the mountains. The coldest temperatures are usually around 45°F/7°C early in the morning in a few sites. Some rain can be expected. ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent, all have private bathrooms, full-time hot water, and 24h electricity. Except for Intervales (visited on Part 1), the accommodation has wi-fi, though it may only be available in public areas and may be slow. PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a birding tour, but casual photographers will have great opportunities to photograph birds at feeders in various locations (especially on Part 1). The wetlands visited on Part 1and the savanna habitats on Part 2 are also productive. Photography inside the rainforest is much harder. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Brazil requires visas for US, Canadian, and Australian passport holders - these can be obtained electronically . Tourist visas are currently not required for citizens of the UK, EU, New Zealand, and South Africa. For other nationalities, please check with the nearest Brazilian embassy or consulate for current requirements - keep in mind that currently only US, Canadian, and Australian citizens can obtain an electronic visa; visitors from other countries needing visas will need to obtain a stamped visa, which is more time consuming and requires sending your passport to an embassy or consulate. Travel requirements are subject to change; please double check your visa requirements a few weeks before you travel. WHAT’S INCLUDED (PART 1)?: Accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 17; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to lunch on day 18; some drinks with meals; safe drinking only between meals; tour leader(s) with scope and audio gear from the evening of day 1 to the afternoon of day 18; airport transportation on day 1 (may be via hotel shuttle); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 2 to day 18; local guides where required; 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 (PART 1)?: Tips (no tips are included since for small groups the tour will be led by a local Brazilian guide, so a TB guide will not be present to dole out tips; 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. WHAT’S INCLUDED (PART 2)?: Accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 16; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to lunch on day 15; one way flight from Sao Paulo to Vitoria; some drinks with meals; safe drinking water only between meals; tour leader(s) with scope and audio gear from the evening of day 1 to the afternoon of day 16; airport transportation on day 1 (may be via hotel shuttle); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 2 to day 17; local guides where required; 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 (PART 2)?: Tips (no tips are included since for small groups the tour will be led by a local Brazilian guide, so a TB guide will not be present 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!

Spain: Birding in the North Tour Overview: It is no secret that some of the very best European birding is offered in Spain; many know of the bird-rich southern areas of Extramadura and Andalucia, which are covered on our Southern Spain Tour. What is less well known is that the northeast of Spain also offers fantastic birding all of its own, and of a very different nature to that tour. This tour runs immediately after our Spain Introtour, for those who want a longer and more complete Spanish trip, or feel they simply cannot leave the country without Wallcreeper! This short, weeklong tour explores the best of the “other side” of Spain. Starting in the beautiful city of Barcelona, we wind our way slowly up into the high Pyrenees where we’ll especially go after Wallcreeper, Citril Finch, White-winged Snowfinch, White-backed Woodpecker, the hulking Black Woodpecker, and bone-crushing Lammergeier. We’ll then descend to the famous steppe of Belchite near Zaragoza to search for a very special target, the rare Dupont’s Lark, as well as many other species of this markedly different habitat, before making the short hop east to the often overlooked Ebro Delta, to see a plethora of wetland and coastal birds. This tour offers chances to see all three of the Mediterranean-endemic shearwaters: Yelkouan, Scopoli’s, and critically endangered Balearic. Blue Tit Lisle Gwynn Eurasian Wryneck Sam Woods Little Owl Sam Woods Eurasian Hoopoe Ken Behrens Greater Flamingo Ken Behrens Chuckar Ken Behrens Eurasian Chaffinch Lisle Gwynn Lesser Kestrel Ken Behrens Blue Rock Thrush Lisle Gwynn Common Redstart Lisle Gwynn Common Firecrest Lisle Gwynn Eurasian Griffon Lisle Gwynn Blue Tit Lisle Gwynn Eurasian Wryneck Sam Woods Little Owl Sam Woods Eurasian Hoopoe Ken Behrens Greater Flamingo Ken Behrens Chuckar Ken Behrens Eurasian Chaffinch Lisle Gwynn Lesser Kestrel Ken Behrens Blue Rock Thrush Lisle Gwynn Common Redstart Lisle Gwynn Common Firecrest Lisle Gwynn Eurasian Griffon Lisle Gwynn Blue Tit Lisle Gwynn Eurasian Wryneck Sam Woods Little Owl Sam Woods Eurasian Hoopoe Ken Behrens Greater Flamingo Ken Behrens Chuckar Ken Behrens Eurasian Chaffinch Lisle Gwynn Lesser Kestrel Ken Behrens Blue Rock Thrush Lisle Gwynn Common Redstart Lisle Gwynn Common Firecrest Lisle Gwynn Eurasian Griffon Lisle Gwynn Tour Details: 2026 14 - 20 April $3750; single supplement: $390 *This tour links with: Southern Spain 2027 13 - 19 April Price: TBA *This tour links with: Southern Spain Length: 7 Days Starting City: Barcelona Ending City: Barcelona Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy Focus: Birding Group size: 8 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Barcelona to the Hecho Valley After meeting in Barcelona in the morning, we’ll immediately make our way toward the imposing Pyrenees mountain range, taking stops along the way for roadside Red-backed Shrikes, Eurasian Hoopoes, and perhaps too, some lingering Common Cranes, here at one of their favoured wintering areas. We’ll arrive at our base for the next three nights, the Hecho Valley, by late afternoon, in time to explore the area before dinner. The sound of singing Cirl Buntings, Firecrests, Crested and Long-tailed Tits, Red Crossbills, and Black Redstarts will follow us everywhere we go, and we’ll be sure to keep our eyes to the skies for Red Kite, Eurasian Griffon, Egyptian Vulture, Golden and Booted Eagles, and maybe our first Lammergeier of the trip. The night will be spent in the Hecho Valley. Days 2-3: The Pyrenees The Hecho Valley is one of the premier birding sites in northern Spain, and we have two full days to explore this magical area. Besides fantastic birding among stunning scenery, we will be on the lookout for several key target species. First up, will be the powder blue-and-crimson Wallcreeper, found in narrow ravines populated by White-throated Dippers, Gray Wagtails and Red-billed Choughs. We’ll search high in the mountains for Citril Finch and White-winged Snowfinch, and higher at the French border for Yellow-billed (Alpine) Chough, Alpine Accentor, and the ermine-colored Snow Bunting. We’ll search mountain forests for the striking Black Woodpecker, and the rare White-backed Woodpecker, and enjoy puffed-up Eurasian Bullfinches, Rock Buntings, and Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrushes as we go. Lammergeier could appear at any moment, and we hope to see several during our time in the area. At night, we’ll make drives up the valley in search of nocturnal wildlife. Eurasian Scops- and Tawny Owls are common in the area, while scarcer species like European Eagle-Owl and Boreal Owl are also possible. We may also see Pine and Beech Martens, Polecat, and European Wildcat at night, and Alpine Marmot and Chamois during the day, while the area’s wolves and European Brown Bear are unfortunately shy and rarely seen. These nights will also be in the same hotel within the Hecho Valley. Day 4: Hecho Valley to Belchite We have a day of travelling down to the steppes of Belchite today, but it will be broken by two great birding stops. We’ll need to leave early to reach the interesting San Juan de la Peña monastery, a short drive through the foothills, where we’ll search again for Black Woodpecker and Wallcreeper. Situated on top of a sheer cliff, the view here is magnificent, and as thermals from the plains below rise, we may be treated to arms-length passes by Eurasian Griffon, Egyptian Vulture, or even Lammergeier. This can also be a good spot for songbirds sunning themselves as the day warms, which may include Subalpine, Sardinian, or Garden Warblers, Iberian Chiffchaff, Blue Rock Thrush, and perhaps Black Wheatear. After leaving the monastery, we’ll make our way to the stunning town of Riglos. This small settlement is overshadowed by its world-famous rock formations, complete with towering cliffs that often play host to Wallcreeper in the winter months. We should have had good views of Wallcreeper by now, but this gives us one final chance if needed. Blue Rock Thrush is common at this site, and a large colony of Eurasian Griffon is mesmerising as they all take to the air and ride the thermals above the town. In the early afternoon, we’ll make the short hop down to the area known as the Belchite steppes, our base for two nights. Day 5: Belchite Steppes We have a full day on the steppes to enjoy a very different selection of birds to those we would have found in the Pyrenees. Our main target for the morning will be the rare and highly localized Dupont’s Lark. Sometimes the birds perform spectacularly well, but we have two mornings set aside to find them, just in case. There are many other distractions in the area, including Crested, Thekla, Calandra, Greater Short-toed, and Lesser Short-toed Larks, Pin-tailed and Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Northern Wheatears, Eurasian Thick-knee, Sardinian, Subalpine, Dartford and Isabelline Warblers, and perhaps the last of the winter flocks of Little Bustard. Day 6: Belchite Steppes to the Ebro Delta We have another morning set aside in case we need better views of Dupont’s Lark, but it’s likely we’ll have succeeded already. So after a final look around the area for any missing dry-land targets, we’ll drive a couple of hours east to one of the best wetlands in Spain, the Ebro Delta. We have an afternoon and a morning to enjoy this quaint and under-watched corner of Spain with its typically Mediterranean relaxed pace. New birds for the tour will be bountiful, with an assortment of waterfowl, including the handsome Red-crested Pochard and Red-knobbed Coot, herons including Squacco and Purple, and two particularly good-looking gulls: Audouin’s and Slender-billed. The exact species present depends somewhat on which migrants have made the crossing from Africa already, but highlights could include Kentish and Little Ringed Plovers, Whiskered, Gull-billed, Little, and White-winged Terns, Collared Pratincole, Eurasian Hoopoe, Bluethroat, and Savi’s, Great Reed and Moustached Warblers. This evening we’ll have a look at the sea to add the Mediterranean-endemic Yelkouan, Balearic, and Scopoli’s Shearwaters to our tally. The night will be spent nearby the Ebro Delta. Day 7 The Ebro Delta to Barcelona (Departure) The Ebro Delta is only a couple of hours outside Barcelona, so we’ll have time for a last look around this morning, before making our way to Barcelona to connect with afternoon/evening flights out. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. Early starts are necessary on most days since birding is almost always best early in the morning, and breakfast will typically be taken in the field to maximize birding opportunities. Driving between bases involves one long drive (4.5 hours Barcelona to Hecho Valley) and several shorter drives (2.5 – 3 hours). Once at our bases the driving distances between sites are much shorter. At least four lunches will be packed or picnic style lunches, and breakfast will likely be a packed breakfast on most mornings. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate. Nowhere on this tour is particularly challenging and so it is suitable for anybody with a good general level of fitness. Most of the birding will be on flat or slightly inclined roads or wide tracks and you can expect to walk around 2 miles (3.2 km) per day on average. Our two days in the Pyrenees will be spent birding at up to around 6,500 ft. (2000 m.) elevation, but the walking is on fairly easy and well-established tracks. Our nights are spent much lower at around 2,500 ft. (800m.), and the rest of the tour is spent birding at even lower altitudes. CLIMATE: As this tour runs in spring, temperatures can be on the cooler side especially in the morning and at night, with the Pyrenees portion ranging between 46°-57°F, 8°-14°C. The plains are slightly warmer at around 46°-64°F, 8°-18°C. Even this late in spring, snow can be present in the mountains so warm clothing is needed. ACCOMMODATION: Very good to excellent, all have private, en-suite bathrooms, full-time hot water, and 24h electricity. PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a birding tour, but casual photographers will have good opportunities to photograph birds and scenery in the Pyrenees section of the tour. Serious bird photographers should check out our Spain Photo Journey . WHEN TO GO: We usually run the set-departure tour in mid to late-spring, since certain key birds are still low enough in altitude for us to reach, while also avoiding the chance of disruptive snow in the mountains. As a custom tour, it can be run from March through until November, with March – May and late September – October being particularly productive periods, while it is a bit slower June – early September). The driest months on average are June and July, the wettest months are April, May and August, and the other months are intermediate. Even in the drier months, some rain can be expected. 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, and all EU European countries. Visas are currently required for nationals of many countries in Asia, Africa, South America, 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 (if needed) and lodge/restaurant staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 6; meals from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 7; reasonable non-alcoholic beverages during meals; safe drinking water between meals (tap water is safe and you are encouraged to fill your bottles whenever possible); Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio playback gear from the morning of day 1 to the afternoon of day 7; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from the morning of day 1 to the afternoon of day 7 in a suitable vehicle (with smaller groups the tour leader will drive and for larger groups there will be a driver); entrance fees to 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 hotels (where available and if you require their services); 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. Spain North Review Anchor Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

China General Information Just as China has been making headlines daily on the international news and business channels, it has also emerged as a major birding and bird photography destination, increasingly gripping the imagination of many world travelers. In common with other massive countries, like Brazil and India, you cannot do justice to China in a single trip, and therefore we currently have several tours to this fascinating oriental country. Please select a tour China: Birding with a Camera China Photo Tour China: Pinktail Special China: Sichuan and the Tibetan Plateau

Japan: Photo Tour We are currently only offering this tour as a Custom Tour. Please Contact Us for more information Tour Overview: Japan – a jagged set of islands that are a lot wilder than most people think. The trip begins in Hokkaido, frequently called “Asia’s Alaska”, where a lot of the most spectacular settings are. Pack-ice, seascapes, and jagged snow-clad mountains are commonplace, and these form the backdrop to some of the most amazing wildlife photography opportunities on the planet. In February, the Red-crowned Cranes start their nuptial displays, and watching courting cranes dancing in the snow is every bit as spectacular as it sounds. Elsewhere we may shoot the cranes roosting in a misty river bed, providing an ethereal setting for further photos. Further north, we head to Rausu, where we will take a boat through the pack ice to find up to 100 White-tailed Eagles and even more goliath Stellar’s Sea-Eagle sitting on the ice and fighting for the fish scraps we toss to them. The photographic opportunities are simply mind-blowing. The eagles bare their talons at one another, and the fighting between them promises to be one of the major tour highlights. We will spend two nights in Rausu, and hope to end this amazing day with the sensational snow-ghost, Blakiston’s Fish-Owl. Although photography will have to be without the aid of a flash (which is no longer allowed in order to minimize disturbance), we ought to manage some interesting shots of a very scarce bird. Elsewhere, the waterbirds occur in good numbers, and we may be within arm’s reach of hundreds of crisp Whooper Swans gliding past on a thermal lake, with warm water vapors rising around them. Herds of Sika Deer and flocks of sea ducks and auks are also a feature of Hokkaido. Next we move to Nagano, where we climb into the mountains to spend a day with the unforgettable “Snow Monkeys”, the Japanese Macaque. Covered in frost, they sit in the hot springs to warm themselves, their bright red faces and icicle-crusted fur juxtaposed with the snow, forming an unforgettable set of images. Finally, we move to the southern island of Kyushu for the final leg of this trip, and travel to Izumi where we can ogle the thousands of White-naped and Hooded cranes that are drawn to feeding stations in this region. The cranes dance and bugle at dawn, interacting constantly, providing a myriad of fascinating behavorial shots. This region may also provide us with chances to photograph Japanese Green Pheasant, Mandarin Duck, or several other species of amazing Asian birds. Steller's Sea-Eagle Andres Vasquez Blakiston's Fish-Owl Andres Vasquez Japanese Macaque Keith Barnes Red-crowned Crane Keith Barnes White-tailed Eagle Keith Barnes Sika Deer Keith Barnes Steller's Sea-Eagle Andres Vasquez Steller's Sea and White-tailed Eagles Keith Barnes Red-crowned Crane Keith Barnes Daurian Redstart Keith Barnes Japanese Macaque Keith Barnes Hooded Crane Andres Vasquez Steller's Sea-Eagle Andres Vasquez Blakiston's Fish-Owl Andres Vasquez Japanese Macaque Keith Barnes Red-crowned Crane Keith Barnes White-tailed Eagle Keith Barnes Sika Deer Keith Barnes Steller's Sea-Eagle Andres Vasquez Steller's Sea and White-tailed Eagles Keith Barnes Red-crowned Crane Keith Barnes Daurian Redstart Keith Barnes Japanese Macaque Keith Barnes Hooded Crane Andres Vasquez Steller's Sea-Eagle Andres Vasquez Blakiston's Fish-Owl Andres Vasquez Japanese Macaque Keith Barnes Red-crowned Crane Keith Barnes White-tailed Eagle Keith Barnes Sika Deer Keith Barnes Steller's Sea-Eagle Andres Vasquez Steller's Sea and White-tailed Eagles Keith Barnes Red-crowned Crane Keith Barnes Daurian Redstart Keith Barnes Japanese Macaque Keith Barnes Hooded Crane Andres Vasquez Tour Details: Length: 11 Days Starting City: Tokyo Ending City: Tokyo Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy Focus: Bird Photography Group size: 6 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here Japan Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary *This itinerary is currently under construction. We are expected to have a new Japan Photo Tour intinerary for 2026 Trip Considerations PACE: Relaxed. Being winter, the sun generally only comes up at around 7 a.m. and has set by 4:30 p.m. So we have plenty of downtime after dark. However, because the days are short and the sun never really gets too harsh we have plenty of shooting to do during the middle of the day. We will normally have breakfast around 6 a.m., although earlier starts may be required on certain days, and packed breakfasts or snacks will be taken for those. Often we are located right near our shooting localities and we will not need to travel far most mornings. We will tend to take lunch in the field, or using the incredibly convenient Japanese convenience stores that have a host of choices (including hot meals) for lunch time. This saves time, which can be crucial on days with not much light. On day 2, the drive from Tsuru to Rausu will take 3-4 hours, and we may make some stops en-route if there are opportunistic birds to photograph. Days 6 and 8 are long travel days, Day 6 requires a flight to Tokyo (90 minutes) and then drive into the Japanese Alps (3-4 hours). Day 8 will involve a similar amount of travel to get to Kyushu. Dinner will be taken in typical Japanese style, fun and leisurely. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate. Most of the photography will be on flat areas close to our vehicles, and there will not be a lot of walking required. The only exception is the walk to the Snow Monkeys at Jigokudani, this will require a walk of around 500 yards (800m) to and from the hot baths that the monkeys swim in. The track is often covered with snow and ice, and so while the distance is not far, this requires you to carry your kit this distance. The good news is that the Snow Monkeys DO NOT REQUIRE a long lens, and smaller zoom, or wide-angle lens are really all you need for the walk. So you wont be slogging down the track with your tripod and 800mm! The track is well laid out, but the ice can make it tricky. Crampons are a very good tool for negotiating any ice. The elevation is below 1500 m (5000 ft) and mostly at sea-level the entire tour. CLIMATE: Cold in Hokkaido (mostly 17° to 40°F; -8° to 4°C) and Honshu, milder of Kyushu (mostly 41° to 43°F; 5° to 12°C), but snowstorms, wind or cold snaps can make it feel considerably colder. Some snow, sleet, and rain can be expected. ACCOMMODATION: Very good to excellent, hotels all have private, en-suite bathrooms. For three nights (Rausu & Nemuro) we will be staying in traditional Japanese Minshukus. These are essentially home stays and are often the highlight of most people’s trips, but the style of living is very different from what most westerners are used to. Beds are futon type and on the floor, the living is in large communal rooms; women and men sleep in different rooms (please ask our office for more info if this arrangement concerns you). At the Minshukus there are large communal (males separate from female) bathing facilities. All accommodations in Japan have full-time hot water, and 24h electricity, most have internet. PHOTO PHILOSOPHY: Although most of the photography is done outside of vehicles it is done from feeders, or setups at feeding stations, and so tripod based photography is very possible on this tour. A long lens is required for some of the crane photography, but there are also occasions when cranes and eagles are close and a smaller 200 or 300 mm lens would be a better bet. At the Snow Monkeys, a shorter lens and wide angle offer some interesting alternative photography opportunities. There are very few mammals available in Japan in winter but birds are commonplace and there is some stunning scenic, people and temple photography. GEAR: A 500 or 600 mm lens would be the largest you would want to bring. The most efficient lens may be a 400 or 300 mm prime lens. A smaller versatile 100-400 and some landscape or wide angle lenses would be well used. A tripod makes sense in Japan. 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, and all European countries. Visas are required by most nationalities not listed above. 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 and lodge staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 11; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 11; safe drinking water and/or juice and tea/coffee during meals; Tropical Birding photo tour leader from day 1 to the afternoon of day 11; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person on the given arrival and departure days (transfers may be shared with other participants of the same tour if they are on the same flight, if arriving early or departing late there may be a supplemental cost levied if you choose to take a transfer); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 1 to day 11 in a suitable vehicle; entrance fees to all photography sites mentioned in the itinerary; 2-3 hour boat trip from Rausu on morning of Day 3; four domestic flights (Tokyo-Kushiro; Kushiro-Tokyo; Tokyo-Kagoshima & Kagoshima-Tokyo). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the tour leader; 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. Japan Photo Review Anchor Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

Texas: Birding the Southern Region of the United States Tour Overview: Chachalacas, Kiskadees, Pyrrhuloxias, and Pauraques! Haven’t heard of those? Well, how about Orioles, Jays and Kingfishers? It doesn’t matter — the Rio Grande Valley in Southern Texas has them all. Situated on the international border, the region is a premier birding destination from November to February, those temperate months offering access to countless amazing birds within a few hours’ drive of our gateway city, Harlingen. From arid scrub to palm groves and sandy beaches, we’ll visit legendary hot spots like Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Estero Llaño Grande State Park, and South Padre Island. The region boasts fantastic photographic infrastructure, and a moderate pace will allow time to photograph a wide array of species, many of them specialties of the far south. The ever-present possibility of Mexican vagrants adds constant excitement, and we’ll dedicate our final day to finding the iconic Whooping Crane, a spectacular bird and an amazing conservation success story. It doesn’t matter if you’re a wide-eyed novice or a grizzly veteran; the Rio Grande Valley and Whooping Cranes is a must! Long-billed Thrasher Dorian Anderson Green Jay Iain Campbell Altamira Oriole Dorian Anderson Whooping Crane George Lin Red-crowned Parrot Iain Campbell Wilson's Plover Ken Behrens Great-tailed Grackle Ken Behrens Western Sandpiper Ken Behrens Franklin's Gull Ken Behrens Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Golden-fronted Woodpecker Ken Behrens Brown Thrasher Ken Behrens Clapper Rail Nick Athanas Long-billed Thrasher Dorian Anderson Green Jay Iain Campbell Altamira Oriole Dorian Anderson Whooping Crane George Lin Red-crowned Parrot Iain Campbell Wilson's Plover Ken Behrens Great-tailed Grackle Ken Behrens Western Sandpiper Ken Behrens Franklin's Gull Ken Behrens Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Golden-fronted Woodpecker Ken Behrens Brown Thrasher Ken Behrens Clapper Rail Nick Athanas Long-billed Thrasher Dorian Anderson Green Jay Iain Campbell Altamira Oriole Dorian Anderson Whooping Crane George Lin Red-crowned Parrot Iain Campbell Wilson's Plover Ken Behrens Great-tailed Grackle Ken Behrens Western Sandpiper Ken Behrens Franklin's Gull Ken Behrens Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Golden-fronted Woodpecker Ken Behrens Brown Thrasher Ken Behrens Clapper Rail Nick Athanas Tour Details: 2027 Dates: TBA 2026 price: $3980; Single Supplement: $620 Length: 9 Days Starting City: Harlingen Ending City: Corpus Christi Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy 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 Day 1: Arrival in Harlingen; transfer to Alamo Most participants will need to connect through Houston or Dallas, so we’ll use today as a dedicated travel day, the goal to have all participants meet at 4pm in the arrival area of Valley International Airport in Harlingen (HRL). This airport is small and easy to navigate, yay! Once everyone has arrived, we’ll drive 40 minutes west to the Alamo area, which will serve as our base of operations for our first four nights. If there is sufficient energy and interest, we might make a stop at local parrot roost en-route. We’ll have an introductory dinner and get everyone into bed at a decent hour so we’re ready to go on the morning of Day 2. Day 2: Bentsen State Park, Anzalduas County Park, and Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge We’ll start at Bentsen State Park where a fully-stocked feeder array should afford us drool-worthy views of Plain Chachalacas, Great-tailed Grackles, and Green Jays. Proceeding into the park after studying and photographing those raucous residents, we’ll scour the arid habitat for Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Olive Sparrow, and Gray Hawk. Over 350 species have been observed in the park, and a beautiful viewing platform offers great views of the surrounding area, including Mexico! Come mid-morning, we’ll vacate Bentsen and move a few miles east to Anzalduas County Park. Exploring the banks of the Rio Grande we’ll hope for views of herons, kingfishers, and cormorants. We’ll make a special effort to find Sprague’s Pipit in the entrance field, and we could even catch a glimpse of Hook-billed Kite, if we’re really, really lucky. If it’s going to happen anywhere, history suggests it will be at Anzalduas. Lunch will be a welcome respite after our inaugural morning, and we’ll head to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in the afternoon. Exploring a series of lakes, we’ll seek a variety of waterfowl, and the adjacent meadows should hold a variety of flycatchers and other passerines. Northern Jacana is nearly annual at the refuge, so anything is possible. We will return to the same hotel again for a second night. Day 3: Upper Rio Grande Valley (Zapata, Falcon Dam, Salineño) Today we’ll travel northwest to seek a number of specialties which are either absent or more difficult to find in the lower part of the valley. Chief among them is Morelet’s Seedeater, a recent split from White-collared Seedeater. The bird is unpredictable, but we’ll make a number of stops in suitable riverside habitat to look for it. Even if we aren’t able find it, there should be kingfishers, flycatchers, and raptors to keep us engaged. Retracing our tracks south, we’ll stop at Falcon State Park where Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Vermilion Flycatcher, and Pyrrhuloxia dwell in the dry surrounds. Forster’s and Caspian Terns are possible over the water, and we’ll keep our eyes peeled for Turkey and Black Vultures overhead. Our last stop will be Salineño where a variety of birds grace a small set of feeders. Altamira and Audubon’s Orioles are often hanging around, and we’ll spend some time trying to photograph White-tipped Dove and the other species which appear during out visit. The Rio Grande runs just behind the feeders, and we’ll be sure to check it for kingfishers and cormorants before we depart. Red-billed Pigeon and wild Muscovy have been seen here, but we’d have to be pretty darn lucky to see either! It’s South Texas, so we never know, right? We will return to the same hotel again for a third night. Day 4: Laguna Seca Ranch This day is dedicated entirely to Laguna Seca, a ranch where we’ll be afforded incredible views of many Texas birds from custom-built blinds. Even if you don't have a camera, you’ll appreciate the amazing views of Green Jays, Great Kiskadees, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Curve-billed Thrashers, Northern Bobwhites, Black-throated Sparrows, Pyrrhuloxias, and others! A final night will be spent at the same hotel as the first three nights, in or close to Alamo. Day 5: Estero Llaño Grande State Park and Brownsville Hot Spots Wanna hear something insane? We’ve been in the Rio Grande Valley for four days and seen loads of amazing birds, but we haven’t visited the single best birding spot in the entire region. Well, that’s going to change this morning when we roll into Estero Llaño Grande State Park in Weslaco. The park boasts an amazing mix of habitats in a small area — wetland ponds, resacas, tropical woodlands, arid scrub — and it fairly easy to rack up 75 species (or more) in a morning at the park. Least Grebes and Black-bellied Whistling Duck frequent the impoundments, and Roseate Spoonbills, American Avocets, and Stilt Sandpipers forage in the adjacent resaca. The rangers usually keep tabs on roosting Common Pauraques (a tropical goatsucker), and Tropical Parula is sometimes lurking in the park’s tropical zone. We’ll move south towards Brownsville in the afternoon with an eye on Sabal Palm Sanctuary. Birding tropical palm groves, we‘ll search for White-tipped Dove, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Orange-crowned Warbler, and other passerines. If anything really rare — Blue Bunting or Golden-crowned Warbler for example, has been seen around Brownsville, we’ll be sure to leave time to chase them down. If we’re not occupied with rarities, we’ll head to Oliveira Park at sunset when hundreds of parrot of five species roost each night. We have dinner afterwards and spend our first of two nights in Brownsville. Day 6: South Padre Island Today will mark our first of three days dedicated to the Gulf Coast. The tidal flats at the South Padre Convention Center are loaded with birds, and we’ll spend the morning honing our identification and photography skills on Brown Pelicans, Royal Terns, Black Skimmers, and a wide variety of herons and shorebirds. The adjacent thickets often hold passerines (songbirds), and the boardwalk at the nearby South Padre Island Birding Center might offer photographic views of White Ibis, Common Gallinule, Least Bittern, or Virginia Rail. After lunch, we’ll explore a number of other South Padre Island hot spots, and we might venture back over the bridge to look for Aplomado Falcon. The end of the day is flexible; we can either use it to clean up missing specs around Brownsville, or return to South Padre for extra birding and photography. The end of the light can be epic and makes for stunning silhouette shots. We’ll spend out second of two nights Brownsville. Day 7: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge Located right on the shores of the Laguna Madre, Laguna Atascosa NWR offers fantastic birding during the winter months. Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Ducks, and Ring-necked Ducks grace the impoundments, and Redheads are usually bobbing about on the open water. Long-billed Curlews explore the mudflats, Gull-billed Terns and White-tailed Hawks wheel overhead, and Reddish Egrets dance in the shallows as they pursue baitfish in their characteristically comical fashion. Aplomado Falcon is often spotted on the refuge, and we’ll make extra effort to locate the bird if we were not able to tick it en-route to South Padre yesterday. We’ll also have a chance to glimpse the bizarre Nilgai, an introduced Asian antelope which roams the refuge. After lunch at a nearby restaurant, we’ll begin the three hour drive north to Corpus Christi. We’ll might make a few birding stop en-route or once we arrive, but our main goal is to get into position for Whopping Cranes on our final, full day. This will be the first of two nights in Corpus Christi. Day 8: Whooping Cranes and Aransas National Wildlife Refuge The day’s featured event will be a morning boat trip into Aransas Bay to look for the stunning, five-foot tall Whooping Crane. These incredible birds nearly went extinct in the middle of the twentieth century, the population plummeting to just 20 birds before drastic conservation efforts were implemented. While not recovered to historical levels, the birds have made a dramatic recovery, one subset of the wild group nesting in Northern Canada and wintering in Aransas Bay. We’ll get the full history on the boat, and we’ll spend the afternoon exploring the periphery of the bay on our own. Other birds we might encounter include Sora, Clapper Rail, Crested Caracara, Sandhill Crane, Laughing Gull, and American White Pelican. It will be the perfect day to end a fabulous week of birding and photography. This will be the second of two nights in Corpus Christi. Day 9: DEPARTURES from Corpus Christi All good things must come to an end, but you’ll have a healthy bird list, loads of nice photos, and a few new friends after this amazing tour. We’ll be staying close to Corpus Christi airport (CRP), and participants should arrange to leave as close to 10am as possible. 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, with a few walks of 3+ miles involved on flat terrain. The drives on this trip are not especially long, the longest of them being around two hours or so. Elevation and topography are non-issues because the entire Rio Grande Valley is at sea level and flat as a pancake. CLIMATE : Daily temperatures should fluctuate between 45-75F (8-23C), so this will be a very comfortable tour. Rain is always a possibility, but nothing a standard raincoat can’t overcome. It might be a bit chilly on the Whooping Crane boat trip if it’s both overcast and windy, so be prepared for that. ACCOMMODATION: All the hotels we utilize have the expected amenities like hot water and wireless internet. WHEN TO GO: Winter is considered one of the best periods to visit the Rio Grande Valley. This is often when rarities show up, bird activity is high in this subtropical area, and the climate is also more comfortable for birding there, making full days in the field possible in this peak season. PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a birding tour, but casual photographers will have some great photo opportunities, particularly during our day at Laguna Seca. A number of the reserves we visit have feeders, and South Padre Island makes for excellent waterbird shooting. 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; passports 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 8; meals from the night of day 1 through to breakfast on day 9 (if you do not leave too early for that); all park fees to sites stated in the itinerary; one single airport transfer at the start and end of the tour done as a group (i.e. the guide will meet the group at a given place and time at the Harlingen airport at the start and drop everyone off at Corpus Christi at given time at the end) This avoids use of hotel shuttles; Tropical Birding tour leader from the night of day 1 through to the night of day 8; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from days 1 to 9 in a modern, rental vehicle with the Tropical Birding tour leader as the driver. One boat trip to see the Whooping Cranes on the morning of day 8. Printed checklist to keep track of your bird sightings, this will be given to you y’all on the first night of the tour. Electronic copies can be e-mailed in advance if requested. WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Any extra nights you wish to stay in the area; any 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!

Svalbard: Cruising for Ice Bears and Alcids Tour Overview: Teetering on the brink of the North Pole, Svalbard is a dramatic archipelago of rocky crags, mountains and ice. Svalbard is administered by Norway and the capital, Longyearbyen, is a delightful town and with a budding ecotourism infrastructure that belies its grimy history as a frontier coal-mining settlement. Once the sun rises in mid-April, it does not set again for 5 months. Our visit is timed to be perfect for Arctic wildlife; specifically the majestic Polar Bear. We hope that our trip, timed for early-mid June will be optimal for the breakup of the pack ice on the northern stretches of the archipelago. This is where the white bears hunt seals, and much of our time will be spent tracking down Polar Bears, Walrus, Reindeer, seals and perhaps some whales too. At these dizzying latitudes the diversity of birds is low, but the sheer spectacles are awe-inspiring. Millions of alcids, including Little Auk (Dovekie) and Thick-billed Murre are scattered throughout the serene waters. Polar Bear Keith Barnes Red Phalarope Keith Barnes Walrus Keith Barnes Polar Bear Keith Barnes Rock Ptarmigan Keith Barnes Polar Bear Keith Barnes Reindeer Keith Barnes Northern Fulmar Keith Barnes Polar Bear Keith Barnes Dovkie Keith Barnes Barnacle Goose Keith Barnes Ivory Gull Keith Barnes Pink-footed Goose Keith Barnes Polar Bear Keith Barnes Red Phalarope Keith Barnes Walrus Keith Barnes Polar Bear Keith Barnes Rock Ptarmigan Keith Barnes Polar Bear Keith Barnes Reindeer Keith Barnes Northern Fulmar Keith Barnes Polar Bear Keith Barnes Dovkie Keith Barnes Barnacle Goose Keith Barnes Ivory Gull Keith Barnes Pink-footed Goose Keith Barnes Polar Bear Keith Barnes Red Phalarope Keith Barnes Walrus Keith Barnes Polar Bear Keith Barnes Rock Ptarmigan Keith Barnes Polar Bear Keith Barnes Reindeer Keith Barnes Northern Fulmar Keith Barnes Polar Bear Keith Barnes Dovkie Keith Barnes Barnacle Goose Keith Barnes Ivory Gull Keith Barnes Pink-footed Goose Keith Barnes Tour Details: 2026 Departure 1: 5 - 15 June Departure 2: 25 June - 5 July Departure 3: 5 - 15 July Prices ranges from $5600 to $7000 per person depending on the cabin type *Note: These cruises are led by superb expedition staff leaders. A Tropical Birding guide will join the trip only if we sell a certain number of berths, but a TB guide is not essential for you to have a great trip. Length: 11 Days (Plus any extra nights) Starting City: Longyearbyen, Norway Ending City: Longyearbyen, Norway Pace: Relaxed Physical Difficulty: Easy Focus: Birding, Wildlife, Photography Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Pre-tour: Arrival in Longyearbyen While the cruise does not begin until tomorrow, it is highly advisable to arrive at least a day early as insurance against travel delays. It is well worth doing some birding around Longyearbyen, where great species can be found including King and Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck in its blackish breeding plumage, Pink-footed and Barnacle Goose, and the omnipresent Snow Bunting. The roadside pools often hold Common Ringed Plover, Dunlin, and Ruddy Turnstone in their fine breeding dress. This is also an excellent area to search for the only Svalbard endemic taxon, the hardy race of Rock Ptarmigan, which somehow survives the four months of Polar winter darkness. With a little luck you may catch up with some mammals too, including Svalbard Reindeer, and if you are extremely lucky, an Arctic Fox. We can help book you a night in Longyearbyen. Day 1: Longyearbyen and ship boarding Depending on embarkation time, there could be time to visit a Little Auk colony, or spend some time seeking out breeding plumage Purple Sandpipers or stunning breeding Red Phalaropes down at the local ponds. Or you may wish to see the impressive Longyearbyen Museum before boarding the very well appointed ship, with the highest ice-breaking capacity in Svalbard. Day 2: Foxes, seabirds, and grazing reindeer From Trygghamna you walk to Alkhornet, a large seabird cliff where the birds are scouting out breeding places. Below the cliffs is a common place to spot Arctic foxes, and you may also see reindeer grazing on the lush vegetation if there’s not too much snow. Day 3: Remains of the whalers You sail into Fuglefjorden amid views of Svitjodbreen and Birgerbukta, both breeding areas for great skuas as well as likely spots to see a polar bear. The aim is to visit Ytre Norskøya, a small island that served for many years as a Dutch whaling lookout. Here you can still follow the whalers’ tracks to the summit of the island, passing popular bird cliffs on the way. On shore are the remains of more 17th-century blubber ovens, while Arctic skuas and common eiders breed among the graves of some two hundred Dutch whalers. Day 4: Glaciers and Raudfjord geology Raudfjorden, on the north coast of Spitsbergen, is a fine place for gazing over the glaciers. It’s also a favorite hangout for ringed and bearded seals, colonies of seabird, and the occasional polar bear and beluga whale. Alicehamna and Buchananhalvøya are fine places for gazing over the geology of the land. Day 5: Wide open tundra If ice conditions permit, you may land on the northern side of Graahuken, an extensive tundra area of Spitsbergen, and walk from there to Hyttesletten. The plain is a popular grazing area for reindeer, and several species of waders also breed here. Similarly, the lakes afford you a good chance of spotting red- throated divers and king eiders. Day 6: Monaco Glacier Depending on the weather and sea ice, we could sail into Liefdefjorden, land at Texas Bar and cruise within sight of the 5-kilometer-long (3.1 miles) face of Monaco Glacier. The waters in front of this precipitous glacier are a favorite feeding spot for thousands of kittiwakes, and the base of the ice is a popular polar bear hunting ground. If ice conditions prevent us from sailing here early in the season, we may sail along the west coast of Spitsbergen. Day 7: On to the Little Auks You then sail south to Magdalenafjorden, one of the glacier-filled highlights of Spitsbergen. A shore visit at Gravneset shows you the remains of 17th-century English whaling, and you can also see large colonies of little auks. Day 8: Earth’s northernmost community You head north for Kongsfjorden and Krossfjorden. We aim to visit places of historic interest: Ny London, where you can see the remains of early 20th-century marble mining, and Ny Ålesund, the northernmost community in the world. There are also research stations and the famous anchor mast of the dirigible Norge, which took the first flight across the North Pole to Nome, Alaska in 1926. Krossfjorden offers views of colossal glaciers and lofty mountain peaks. Day 9: Walruses ashore On your journey south, the goal is a landing in Forlandsundet at Sarstangen, a walrus haul out. Alternatively you could land on the coast of Engelskbukta. The tundra here is a fine place for a walk to Hornbaekbukta. Also at Poolepynten is a walrus haul out. Day 10: Wide tundra, towering mountains The next stop is Bohemanflya, an expansive tundra with its own avifauna (depending on when spring arrives) and spectacular geological formations along the coast. In Gipsvika you can go on shore near Templet, a mountainous location of eroded sedimentary rock from the Upper Carboniferous period – around 290 million years ago. Day 11: Return to Longyearbyen The cruise ends today in Longyearbyen Trip Considerations CLIMATE: This is a polar region, so it is cold, even in mid-summer it hovers around zero; wind chill can make it feel like -10 to -20. The ship is warm inside and layered clothing is essential. DIFFICULTY: Easy. The zodiac trips are fairly relaxed, boarding and disembarking from the dinghies being the only challenge. There are several short walks on land, but these can be enjoyed by people with only a moderate level of fitness. ACCOMMODATION: The cabins on the ship are excellent, and food is wonderful throughout the voyage. Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it! Svalbard Review Anchor

Easy Philippines: Birding for Endangered Endemics Tour Overview: The Philippines, an archipelago of over 7,000 islands, stretches across a vast swathe of the South China Sea and has been geographically isolated for 50 million years. Culturally distinct from much of the other countries in Southeast Asia, it is predominantly Catholic, and the culture feels more American than anywhere else in the Far East, making it an easy place to visit for many. The archipelago boasts high levels of endemism, nearly 250 species are found nowhere else, leaving all first time visitors with heaps of lifers. By visiting just a handful of islands, one can attain a superb list including a good proportion of the endemics, making it a must for world listers who enjoy chasing endemic birds. Sadly, most of the habitat has been destroyed, and a higher concentration of threatened endemic species occurs than anywhere else on Earth. The Philippines are frequently considered a priority to visit sooner rather than later, whilst many of the birds can still be found, and some of the forest is still standing. The Philippines has a reputation as a tough tour, with extremely early starts and gruelling hikes. This is partly true but only really applies to Mindanao. This has led us to redesign our Philippines tour, making the main tour a lot easier and accessible to many more birders. Our tour is modular so that you may tailor the trip to your exact needs: the main tour covers the islands of Luzon and the richly-forested western island of Palawan. Extensions are offered to the Visayas before the main tour, and another extension to Mindanao after the main tour. All islands boast healthy numbers of endemics, many of which are specific to those islands. The dramatic Philippine Eagle, flashy endemic hornbills, breath-taking pittas, striking kingfishers, a myriad of endemic night birds, and two potential endemic families (rhabdornises and Cinnamon Ibon) are all mouth-watering fare offered on this tour. Silvery Kingfisher Charley Hesse Yellow-bellied Fruit-Dove Sam Woods Palawan Peacock-Pheasant Charley Hesse Japanese Night Heron Keith Barnes Barred Rail Keith Barnes Visayan Wattled Broadbill Charley Hesse Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon Keith Barnes Mantanani Scops-Owl Charley Hesse Philippine Frogmouth Keith Barnes Rufous-crowned Bee-eater Charley Hsse Moutain Shrike Charley Hesse Ashy Thrush Lisle Gwynn Naked-faced Spiderhunter Charley Hesse Silvery Kingfisher Charley Hesse Yellow-bellied Fruit-Dove Sam Woods Palawan Peacock-Pheasant Charley Hesse Japanese Night Heron Keith Barnes Barred Rail Keith Barnes Visayan Wattled Broadbill Charley Hesse Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon Keith Barnes Mantanani Scops-Owl Charley Hesse Philippine Frogmouth Keith Barnes Rufous-crowned Bee-eater Charley Hsse Moutain Shrike Charley Hesse Ashy Thrush Lisle Gwynn Naked-faced Spiderhunter Charley Hesse Silvery Kingfisher Charley Hesse Yellow-bellied Fruit-Dove Sam Woods Palawan Peacock-Pheasant Charley Hesse Japanese Night Heron Keith Barnes Barred Rail Keith Barnes Visayan Wattled Broadbill Charley Hesse Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon Keith Barnes Mantanani Scops-Owl Charley Hesse Philippine Frogmouth Keith Barnes Rufous-crowned Bee-eater Charley Hsse Moutain Shrike Charley Hesse Ashy Thrush Lisle Gwynn Naked-faced Spiderhunter Charley Hesse Tour Details: 2026 Main Tour: 17 - 28 July $6530; single supplement: $700 Visayas Extension: 12 - 17 July $4480; single supplement: $300 Mindanao Extension: 29 July - 5 August $4730; single supplement: $300 2027 Main Tour: 19 - 30 July Price: TBA Visayas Extension: 14 - 19 July Price: TBA Mindanao Extension: 31 July - 7 August Price: TBA Length: 12 days (up to 26 days w/ both extensions) Starting City: Manila Ending City: Manila Pace: Moderate (Intense on Mindanao Extension) Physical Difficulty: Moderate (Difficult on Mindanao Extension) Focus: Birding Group size: 8 + 1 Leader + 1 Local Guide Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary The following itinerary will be updated slightly for 2026 Day 1: ARRIVAL in Manila (Luzon) Following your arrival in the Philippine capital you will be picked up and transferred to a comfortable hotel in Manila. There is no birding on this day, and so you are free to arrive when you wish. The first activity will be a welcome dinner at the hotel in the evening, so please try and arrive before that. Day 2: Manila Park to Los Banos, (Luzon) The tour begins with an early departure from Manila to visit La Mesa Ecopark in nearby Quezon City. This site is particularly good for the endemic Ashy Thrush, and we will look for this and several other species including an oddly-named parrot, the Guaiabero, Philippine Woodpecker, Philippine Pied-Fantail and if we are really lucky, Hooded or Blue-breasted Pittas. After a few hours birding there, we travel southeast to Mount Makiling, where there should be some time in the afternoon to search for grassland species like Barred Buttonquail, and the Luzon endemic, Spotted Buttonquail. We spend the next two nights in the nearby university town of Los Banos, famed for its natural hot springs. Day 3: Mount Makiling, (Luzon) Some of the best-looking birds in the Philippines can be found on the flanks of this mountain that borders the chilled-out university at Makiling. Crazy-looking Scale-feathered and Red-crested Malkohas roam the forests, and the beautiful endemic Spotted Kingfisher can often be found too. The extremely shy Luzon Bleeding-heart has been found here, although quiet streams around the mountain are more reliable for the endemic Indigo-banded Kingfisher. We should be able to do some owling here and will target Philippine Scops-Owl and Luzon Boobook. After a day birding the mountain and surrounding campus we will return to Los Banos for the night. Day 4: Mount Makiling to Infanta, (Luzon) We’ll have more time this morning to continue scouring Mount Makiling for species like Indigo-banded and Spotted Kingfishers, and another bird confined to Luzon, Gray-backed Tailorbird. As the morning heats up, we will head to Infanta where we spend the next two nights in a fairly basic hotel. Day 5: Infanta, (Luzon) The endemic Whiskered Pitta used to be a bird only seen by doing a very tough hike. In recent years, it has been regularly seen in forest along the road near the town of Infanta, and we have a decent chance to see it. Other birds we will look for along the Marilaque Highway include Flame-breasted Fruit-Dove, Philippine Serpent-Eagle, Rufous Hornbill, Philippine Hanging-Parrot, Blue-headed Fantail, Yellow-wattled Bulbul and Philippine Fairy-Bluebird. Day 6: Subic Bay via Candaba Marsh, (Luzon) We’ll have more time this morning to continue scouring the Infanta area for targets. As the morning heats up we will head to a nationally important wetland area, where a number of freshwater pools and marshes play host to massive numbers of ducks and wetland species. Top among them is the uncommon Philippine Duck, while Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Barred and Buff-banded Rails, White-browed Crake, Yellow and Cinnamon Bitterns, and our first shorebirds may also be in attendance. The scattered trees surrounding the marsh can also hold Island Collared Dove. Next, we head to the steamy lowland jungles surrounding the naval base at Subic. Here we will be searching for Luzon specialties like Green Raquet-tail, White-lored Oriole, Blackish Cuckooshrike and other more widespread endemics like Philippine Falconet and Philippine Woodpecker. Day 7: Subic Bay, (Luzon) We have a full day birding the forest-covered naval base at Subic, giving us time to search for more of Luzon’s lowland species like Rufous Coucal, Northern Sooty-Woodpecker, Yellow-breasted Fruit-Dove, and White-fronted Tit. We may also get our first taste of the endemic Philippine Creepers (a unique genus of uncertain familial affinities), as Stripe-sided Rhabdornis is regular in these lowland forests. Day 8: Subic Bay to Manila, (Luzon) We have a final morning checking the lowland jungle at Subic, giving us further time to search for Luzon´s lowland species. Other species encountered may include Blue-naped Parrot, Luzon Hornbill, Luzon Flameback and Purple Needletail. Then we will head back to Manila for an overnight stay. Days 9: Manila, (Luzon) to Sabang, (Palawan) After a short flight to Puerto Princesa, the capital of the lushly forested island of Palawan, we drive towards the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River NP. There will be some time along the way to start searching for our first island specialties, like Palawan Tit, and the powder Blue Paradise-Flycatcher. We will head to a new site that has been increasingly reliable for Philippine Cockatoo too. This extremely rare and endangered bird will require some luck to see, but we have had considerable success in the past. Our next two nights will be spent in the beach town of Sabang, with turquoise waters offshore, and bird rich rainforest running down to the shoreline. We will search at dusk for some special Palawan night birds, including Palawan Frogmouth and Palawan Scops-Owl, either around the resort or close by along the approach road. Day 10: Puerto Princesa Subterranean River NP, (Palawan) The birding on Palawan can be surprisingly easy, and we should find many of the island endemics including Palawan Hornbill, Sulphur-bellied Bulbul, and Palawan Blue Flycatcher without too much trouble. Others may require some luck, like the dazzling, very rarely seen, Palawan Peacock-Pheasant. This lush national park is one of the most scenic spots on the tour, with its white sandy beaches that are flanked behind by towering limestone peaks cloaked in rainforest. The national park has a long list of birds that includes almost all of the Palawan endemics that are our main focus, including Blue Paradise-Flycatcher, Palawan Tit. Ashy-headed Babbler, White-vented Shama, Palawan Flowerpecker, and Yellow-throated Leafbird. However, the park offers our best chance of another choice Palawan specialty, the striking Falcated Wren-Babbler. Along with the endemics we will seek out a host of other Southeast Asian species like Blue-breasted and Hooded Pittas, Oriental Hobby, the monstrous Great Slaty Woodpecker and Velvet-fronted Nuthatch. The national park is also home to a bunch of different kingfishers including Blue-eared, Rufous-backed and Stork-billed Kingfishers. After a morning in the park we will spend the afternoon birding the forest-lined road nearby. Day 11: Sabang to Puerto Princesa, (Palawan) We will have a final morning to look for any remaining targets, whether it be in the park, or on the approach road. In the afternoon we will travel back towards Puerto Princesa city slowly birding for Copper-throated Sunbird and anything else we might still need. We may also visit a Puerto Princesa beach late afternoon if desired for Chinese Egret and other shorebirds if the tides are good for this. Day 12: Balsahan Trail, (Palawan) to Manila, (Luzon) The Balsahan Trail is a quiet track that runs through rainforest, which offers our best chance for the endemic Palawan (Melodious) Babbler and the reclusive Palawan Flycatcher, both of which are absent from St. Paul’s. Although these will be our main quarries, Balsahan has plenty of other species, including most of the Palawan specialties should we still be missing any. It also provides more chances for Palawan Scops-Owl, Hooded Pitta, and many others. Occasionally Ruddy Kingfisher can also be found there too. At the end of the day we will again return to the Palawan capital Puerto Princesa, where we will catch a flight back to Manila, where we connect with international flights home or start the post-tour extension. Visayas Extension Introduction: This visits the central Philippine Visayan islands of Negros, Cebu, and Bohol. While diversity is limited, spectacular local endemics include Flame-templed Babbler, White-winged Cuckooshrike, Yellow-breasted Tailorbird, the amazing Visayan Broadbill, and an incredibly cute primate, the goggle-eyed Bohol Tarsier. A short stop in Cebu ought to reveal the endemic Black Shama. Day 1: Flight from Manila, (Luzon) to Tagbilaran and Rajah Sikatuna NP, (Bohol) Today we start our Visayan adventure by flying from Manila to Tagbilaran, on the island of Bohol, then drive to Rajah Sikatuna NP, where we will start our Philippine birding in earnest. Day 2: Rajah Sikatuna NP, (Bohol) We will have a full day to explore the Rajah Sikatuna National Park. In the early hours of dawn, we might hear the distinctive whistles of a Rufous-lored Kingfisher. Bohol now has its own endemic species, Bohol Sunbird, after the decorosa race of Metallic-winged Sunbird was elevated to species status. There are also several species endemic to Bohol, Leyte & Samar, which include Samar Hornbill, Northern Silvery Kingfisher, Visayan Broadbill, Yellow-breasted Tailorbird, and Visayan Blue Fantail. We will search for all of these, along with several Bohol endemic subspecies including local races of Striated Wren-Babbler, Yellow-bellied Whistler, Black-crowned Babbler and Rufous-tailed Flycatcher, plus some other juicy targets like Everett’s Scops-Owl and the stunning Azure-breasted Pitta. Day 3: Rajah Sikatuna N.P. (Bohol) to Tarsier Sanctuary and ferry to Cebu City, (Cebu) After a final morning of birding on Bohol looking for any remaining targets, we will take the ferry across to Cebu where we will spend the night. Day 4: Tabunan, (Cebu) to Bacolod, (Negros) On our morning of birding on Cebu, we will start early and search for the island endemic Cebu Boobook before dawn. The most important site to visit today will be Tabunan, a tiny relict patch of forest high in the hills above Cebu City. We will look for the endemic Black Shama. Other birds we might find in the area include Streak-breasted Bulbul, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, White-vented Whistler, Magnificent Sunbird, and the Cebu endemic subspecies of Coppersmith Barbet. In the afternoon, we will fly to Bacolod (on the island of Negros), where we will spend the next two nights. We may have time for some local birding, and could find Visayan Bulbul, Yellowish White-eye and Philippine Tailorbird. Day 5: Mount Kanlaon, (Negros) We have a full day to explore Mount Kanlaon, one of the premier birding sites on Negros. Almost all of the Negros endemics can be found on this mountain where the relative inaccessibility of the site has meant that some forest has been spared. This also means that we have a long walk to get to good habitat and this will require an early start. We aim to get to the forest in time to give ourselves a chance for the Negros Scops-Owl pre-dawn. Today we will also be focusing on several restricted-range endemics including Flame-templed Babbler and White-winged Cuckooshrike, although we will also be looking for Visayan Hornbill, Visayan Fantail, Lemon-throated Leaf Warbler, White-vented Whistler and the white-bellied form of Balicassiao. In the afternoon, we may visit the hot spring resort at Mambukal in search of the rare Dimorphic Dwarf-Kingfisher and the diminutive Black-belted Flowerpecker, which is endemic to Negros and Panay. Day 6: Flight to Manila, (Luzon) for departure Depending on flight schedules, we may have time to visit the Gawahon Ecopark where we will search for the localized endemics Negros Jungle-Flycatcher, White-vented Whistler and Visayan Fantail. We will then fly back to Manila to begin the main tour. Mindanao Extension Introduction: The massive southern island of Mindanao is loaded with endemics, not least the impressive Philippine Eagle. Other specialties inclide Cinnamon Ibon, a potential family level split, the high altitude Apo Sunbird and Apo Mynah, and the elusive Bukidnon Woodcock. In addition to that, in the Philippines there is always another series of endemic nightbirds, in this case Philippine Frogmouth, Chocolate Boobook, Mindanao Scops-Owl, and Giant Scops-Owl! Day 1: Manila to Mount Kitanglad, (Mindanao) We depart Manila early and fly to Cagayan de Oro (Mindanao), from there we’ll travel into the mountains, and the lair of the fabled Philippine Eagle. We will take a two-hour drive to the tiny village of Dalwangan, from where we will begin our hike up to our tented camp on Mount Kitanglad. The hike takes around an hour and a half, and we will be accompanied by horses that will carry our luggage up the mountain. Mount Kitanglad is one of the most important sites in the Philippines and our base for the next three nights. We will begin birding the mountain in the afternoon searching for Mindanao specialties like Cinnamon Ibon and Stripe-breasted Rhabdornis. As we camp where the birds are, we have a shot at some of the very special night birds that haunt the mountain, including Philippine Frogmouth, Mindanao and Giant Scops-Owls, and the recently described Bukidnon Woodcock. Day 2: Mount Kitanglad, (Mindanao) We have two full days to explore the mountain and will cover a range of elevations searching for a number of Mindanao mountain specialties like Apo Sunbird, McGregor’s Cuckooshrike, Mindanao Raquet-tail, and a whole bunch of other new birds. The ultimate focus though will be to chase down one of the world’s rarest raptors, the monstrous Philippine Eagle, which competes with South America’s Harpy for position as the world’s largest eagle, for which this remains one of the most reliable sites on Earth. Some time will be spent at a lookout (3km up from our lodging) surveying the forest canopy for this giant amongst raptors gliding conspicuously over the treetops. We will also take a hike higher up from there (a further 3km) in order to have a shot at some of the highest elevation species on the mountain like the striking Gray-capped Shrike, handsome Apo Sunbird, White-cheeked Bullfinch, and the bizarre, punk-crested Apo Myna that will leave you in no doubt you are in a very unique birding area indeed. Day 3: Mount Kitanglad, (Mindanao) Kitanglad hosts a bewildering variety of nectar-eating birds and we will check flowering shrubs on the forest edge for the Mindanao endemic Gray-hooded Sunbird, higher up for the aforementioned Apo Sunbird, as well as for Olive-capped, Flame-crowned, White-bellied, and Fire-breasted Flowerpeckers. The dense shrubby areas on our walks up the mountain will also be checked carefully for the reclusive Red-eared Parrotfinch, which we will see if we are lucky, and the Mindanao-endemic Rufous-headed Tailorbird. Montane feeding flocks that roam Kitanglad also hold a number of Mindanao target species like the striking MacGregor’s Cuckooshrike, Mindanao White-eye, and the beautiful Black-and-cinnamon Fantail. The lower areas of the mountain may also produce the striking Mindanao Hornbill, more subdued Brown Tit-Babbler, and we will also check areas for the very elusive Blue-capped Kingfisher. In the evening we will check an area for roding Bukidnon Woodcocks that may be seen displaying at dusk and have further searches for the many night birds that grace the mountain. Day 4: Mount Kitanglad to Davao, (Minadanao) After some final birding at Kitanglad, we will go down the mountain and drive across Mindanao, breaking up the long drive to Bislig with a night near Davao city. Day 5: Davao to Bislig, (Mindanao) We will spend some time this morning looking for 2 very localized endemics: Cryptic (or Russet-tailed) Flycatcher and Whiskered Flowerpecker, before continuing on to the town of Bislig, our base for exploring the richest area of accessible lowland forest on the island. There may be time for some birding in late afternoon around a deserted airfield, where we will cruise the runway for water birds and other species in the marshy grasslands that flank this old airstrip. Possibilities include Philippine Duck, Watercock, Black Bittern, Greater Painted-Snipe, Wandering Whistling-Duck and Blue-breasted Quail. As dusk falls, we will scan the marshes for Australasian Grass-Owls and check the runway for Philippine Nightjars. Days 6-7: PICOP, (Mindanao) Very early departures will be in order for us as we head into the lowland forest patches of PICOP. The Paper Industry Corporation of the Philippines had a concession here, although sadly despite the fact that the official logging is now over, the area has undergone rampant and well-publicized recent deforestation by illegal loggers. We are sure to meet these people in the forest removing the last remnants of this once great forest. However, at least temporarily, many key targets of the lowlands of Mindanao will still be on offer and we will focus on tracking them down. On some of the days we will leave early enough to search for night birds along the way, like Great Eared-Nightjar, Philippine Frogmouth, and Mindanao and Chocolate Boobooks. We will spend full days in the area, with lunch in the field, due to the distances required to get to and from the area (2 hours or so). Some of the specialties that we will be looking for include Rufous, Writhed and Mindanao Hornbills, Celestial and Short-tailed Monarchs, and on the forest floor, Blue-breasted and Azure-breasted Pittas. Indeed the Philippines is home to many spectacular kingfishers and PICOP also offers our best chance at two other very special ones: the diminutive Southern Silvery-Kingfisher that can often be found hanging out by a dirty pond in the area, and the larger Blue-capped Kingfisher that usually requires much more effort to see. Other endemics we hope to find, include Philippine Honey-Buzzard, Pinsker’s Hawk-Eagle, Black-bibbed Cuckoo-shrike, Blue-crowned Racquet-tail, Yellowish Bulbul, Rufous-fronted Tailorbird, Blue Fantail, the secretive Striated Wren-Babbler, Mindanao Pygmy-Babbler, Rusty-crowned Babbler, Naked-faced Spiderhunter, Olive-backed Flowerpecker, and Philippine Oriole. Although some of these have become increasingly rare with the removal of large tracts of their habitat, we will still find many species that we will not see anywhere else on any of the modules on this tour. Day 8: PICOP, (Mindanao) to Manila, (Luzon) We have a final morning at PICOP searching for remaining targets. Other endemic possibilities also include Philippine Drongo-Cuckoo, Southern Sooty-Woodpecker, Stripe-sided Rhabdornis, Metallic-winged Sunbird, and Bicolored, Pygmy, White-bellied, and Red-keeled Flowerpeckers. After our final birding, we will return to Davao from where we will fly back to Manila to connect with international flights home. Trip Considerations PACE : Moderate. The sun comes up around 6am and sets about 6pm giving about 12 hours of daylight. The early morning is the prime birding time, so expect to be out in the field at dawn throughout the tour. Where our accommodations are distant from the birding site (up to 2 hours away at PICOP), we will leave early enough to get ourselves there at dawn or before. This will mean starts of 4am or earlier on several days of the Mindanao extension. Other sites may have 5am starts. The Philippines has many interesting nocturnal birds, some which we will look for predawn and others after dark. At some birding sites, the distance to get there will mean that it makes sense to stay out for the whole day. As you can imagine, this can mean some long days in the field. There are drives of 6-8 hours on the Mindanao section and 4-6 hours on the main tour. It would be wise to catch up on sleep on these longer drives, so bring a comfortable travel pillow. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY : Moderate. The main tour to Luzon and Palawan, where birding is mainly on roads or wide tracks that are drivable by a vehicle, is fairly easy. The Visayas pre-tour involves a moderate hike on Cebu and a possible tough hike on Negros. The Mindanao post-tour extension (especially Kitanglad) involve significant hiking on tough trails. One needs to be in good physical shape to fully enjoy this extension. In addition, the birds are skittish, requiring patience and persistence. CLIMATE: Cool in mountains, such as at Makiling (mostly 59°-77°F, 15°-25°C); hot and humid in the Palawan lowlands (mostly 70°-90°F, 21°-32°C). Although this is one of the driest times of year, rain can still be common and frequent. Bring rain gear. ACCOMMODATION: Good to moderate hotels throughout, with the exception of Kitanglad, where we can either camp in tents or stay in the loft of the bunkhouse. Bathrooms are shared at Kitanglad, there is no electricity and water for bathing is cold. Elsewhere there is 24-hr electricity, and en-suite bathrooms. PHOTOGRAPHY: Rainforest bird photography can be difficult here as anywhere in the world and together with the fact that birds here are skittish means that taking pictures will be challenging. This is one of the most challenging areas for bird photography in the world. It is definitely worthwhile bringing an easily portable camera though, to get at least record shots of the many rare birds we will find. We will visit some areas of outstanding beauty so clients may want to take scenery shots too. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. A return or onward ticket is also required. Currently, a visa is not required for citizens of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and all European countries for stays of 30 days or less. Travel requirements are subject to change, and it is a good idea to double-check your entry requirements at least six weeks before you travel; contact the nearest embassy or consulate or ask our office staff for help. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to local guides, drivers, and lodge staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 11 (if taking only the main tour), from the night of day 1 to the night of day 5 on the Visayas extension, and the night of day 1 to day 7 of the Mindanao extension; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 12 if taking only the main tour, from dinner on day 1 of the Visayas extension, and to lunch on day 8 of the Mindanao extension; safe drinking water and/or juice during meals; a Philippine resident guide and Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio gear from the morning of day 2 to the evening of day 12 if taking only the main tour, throughout the Visayan extension, and to the afternoon of day 8 of the Mindanao extension; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person (transfers may be shared with other participants of the same tour if they arrive at the same time); domestic flights; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from in a suitable vehicle with a local driver; entrance fees and local guide fees for all the 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, though electronic copies can be provided in advance). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the Tropical Birding tour leader; tips for luggage porters at hotels (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. Philippines Review Anchor Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

Brazil: Pantanal Photo Tour Tour Overview: The world-famous Pantanal, a huge seasonal wetland the size of Texas, offers some of the best wildlife viewing in the world. We have timed this tour for the dry season, so birds are concentrated in the areas where there is still standing water. The feeding frenzies of hundreds of herons, ibis, storks, terns, screamers, jacanas, vying with dozens of hungry caiman offer truly unforgettable spectacles and amazing photo-ops. A sure highlight will be the huge electric blue Hyacinth Macaws, truly one of the world’s most spectacular birds, and we see them in good numbers, up close, on most tours. However, for many, the crown jewel of this tour is to see and photograph the mighty Jaguar in its native habitat. This is arguably the best place in the world to find this unforgettable animal, and we'll spend parts of three days cruising remote rivers searching for it along with other animals like Giant Otter and Brazilian Tapir. Jaguar Pablo Cervantes Toco Toucan Pablo Cervantes Giant Otter Pablo Cervantes Red-legged Seriema Pablo Cervantes Pied Plover Pablo Cervantes Giant Anteater Pablo Cervantes Sunbittern Pablo Cervantes Hyacinth Macaw Pablo Cervantes Black-collared Hawk Pablo Cervantes Jabiru Pablo Cervantes Jaguar Pablo Cervantes Jaguar with Caiman Pablo Cervantes Black-capped Donacobius Pablo Cervantes Jabiru Pablo Cervantes Jaguar Pablo Cervantes Hyacinth Macaw Andres Vasquez Southern Screamer Pablo Cervantes Collared Plover Nick Athanas Black Skimmer Nick Athanas Jaguar Pablo Cervantes Toco Toucan Pablo Cervantes Giant Otter Pablo Cervantes Red-legged Seriema Pablo Cervantes Pied Plover Pablo Cervantes Giant Anteater Pablo Cervantes Sunbittern Pablo Cervantes Hyacinth Macaw Pablo Cervantes Black-collared Hawk Pablo Cervantes Jabiru Pablo Cervantes Jaguar Pablo Cervantes Jaguar with Caiman Pablo Cervantes Black-capped Donacobius Pablo Cervantes Jabiru Pablo Cervantes Jaguar Pablo Cervantes Hyacinth Macaw Andres Vasquez Southern Screamer Pablo Cervantes Collared Plover Nick Athanas Black Skimmer Nick Athanas Tour Details: 2026 29 August - 8 September $7890; single supplement: $710 2027 1 - 11 September Price: TBA Length: 11 Days Starting City: Cuiabá Ending City: Cuiabá Pace: Relaxed Physical Difficulty: Easy Focus: Bird & 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 Note: The order in which the sites are visited is sometimes different from what is listed here due to availability in the lodges, but we intend to visit all sites that are mentioned. Day 1: Arrival in Cuiabá The tour begins this evening in Cuiabá. No activities are planned for today. Days 2-3: Pousada Piuval On the morning of day 2, we’ll drive south about two hours to Pousada Piuval at the northern edge of the Pantanal, where we’ll spend two nights. Piuval is a truly amazing place for bird photography – numbers of both species and individuals can be astronomical, and the wide open nature of the Pantanal makes great shots a given. The habitat is a mosaic of open pasture, wetlands, and scrub interspersed with islands of forest. We’ll spend our mornings stalking the likes of Southern Screamer, Plumbeous Ibis, Red-legged Seriema, Bare-faced Curassow, Greater Rhea, Whistling Heron, Blue-fronted Parrot, Long-tailed Ground-Dove, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, White Woodpecker, and Red-crested Cardinal, to name just a few. This is one of the best spots for Hyacinth Macaw, which can be seen in good numbers every day, and we’ll spend time trying to get the perfect shot of these majestic birds. Depending on conditions, we may visit a small canopy tower one afternoon offering eye-level views of Orange-backed Troupial and Gray-crested Cacholote as well as a vista of the surrounding wetlands that are teeming with birds and other wildlife. Day 4: Pousada Puival to Pouso Alegre We’ll swap one great location for another as we work south along the Transpantanal Highway. Pouso Alegre is another Pantanal lodge that has become well known as a great place to see and photograph the impressive Giant Anteater, and this will be our major target. Pouso Alegre is in fact a haven for many rare mammals, as it has pristine habitats lacking in many other Pantanal lodges, with mammals like Giant Armadillo, Ocelot, and Crab-eating Fox all known to be there. Of course, birds are plentiful too, and some of the classic Pantanal birds are here, like Hyacinth Macaw, Toco Toucan, Red-crested and Yellow-billed Cardinals, and even the secretive Agami Heron stalks the waterways on site. A single night will be spent at Pouso Alegre. Days 5-6: Pixaim River area Traveling south along the Transpantanal Highway can get us some truly great photo opportunities. Some sections of the highway are lined with literally thousands of caimans as well as waterbirds as far as the eye can see. Yellow-billed and Large-billed Terns flit over the isolated pools offering great chances to practice flight shots. We’ll arrive at our next lodge by early to mid afternoon, where we stay for two nights. Boat trips on the Pixaim River are the undoubted highlight of a stay at this lodge. Experienced boat drivers know how to get up close and personal with numerous herons (with luck both Agami and Boat-billed among the more common species), Sunbittern, Sungrebe, up to five species of kingfisher, Giant Otters, and maybe even a Brazilian Tapir. The lodge area itself is an oasis full of birds any time of the day, and feeders bring in Chestnut-eared Aracari, Orange-backed Troupial, Grayish Saltator, Grayish Paywing, and others. Gallery forest along the river is difficult for photography, but some may want to give it a shot since it offers an escape from the blazing sun. With persistence and the help of your guide you have chances for great birds like Pale-crested Woodpecker and Helmeted Manakin, or monkeys including Brown Capuchin and Silvery Marmoset. Days 7-9: Porto Jofre and Jaguar Search Well spend the morning of day 7 driving south along the Tranpantanal Highway to the end of the road at the Cuiaba river. This drive offers our best chance to get shots of the gorgeous Scarlet-hooded Blackbird and the stately Maguari Stork. We’ll arrive at our hotel in time for a quick lunch, then board our private boat to begin searching for Jaguars. This involves cruising up smaller tributaries of the the Cuiabá River, watching carefully for any movement. The boatmen also share information with each other via radio, and if a cooperative jaguar is found by another boat, we’ll try to get to the spot as soon as possible. We also won’t ignore other photo opportunities, and should encounter the likes of Sungrebes, Black-collared and Great-black Hawks, scores of herons and kingfishers, as well as Giant Otters, Tapirs, Capybara, and possibly even other cat species. Three nights will be spent in Porto Jofre in order to give us plenty of chances to track down, and shoot, Jaguars and other Pantanal wildlife. Day 10: Pantanal to Cuiabá After breakfast, we will retrace our path north along the Transpantanal Highway, stopping for any good photo opportunities or to just admire the abundance of wildlife. In the afternoon we will reach the city of Cuiabá, where we spend our final night. Day 11: Departure The tour ends this morning in Cuiabá. No activities are planned for today. Trip Considerations PACE: Relaxed to moderate. It’s important to be out early to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and better light. Breakfast will typically be at about 5:30-6:00am. On most days there will be a lot of downtime after lunch, since the light is poor and it can be very hot. One afternoon, most of 2 full days, and (if necessary) another morning will be devoted to photographing Jaguars, though we will also photograph birds and other animals when possible; jaguar photography is done by motorboat, and these outings typically last between 4 and 6 hours before returning to the lodge. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy. The Pantanal is totally flat. Some photography will be done by foot, some by boat, and a bit by vehicle. CLIMATE : This tour takes place in the dry season, which is also winter in Brazil. Temperatures usually vary from about 60°-90°F (16°-32°C),and it is usually very sunny. However, cold fronts are not unusual in the Pantanal this time of year, and the temperature can sometimes drop to around 45°F (7°C) in the early morning. Since part of the time in the Pantanal is spent on fast boats, it is important to bring cold weather gear just in case. There might be a bit of rain, but it is usually very little, and sometimes none at all. ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent, all have private, en-suite bathrooms, full-time hot water, fans, and air conditioning. Electricity is available everywhere 24 hours a day. Wi-fi is usually available but it is often slow and usually only works in certain areas of the lodge (not within the guest rooms). PHOTO PHILOSOPHY: For the first four days and the last day, we’ll be photographing mostly on foot (but we’ll have a vehicle to take us between sites), targeting mainly birds. The rest of the trip will be spent mainly photographing from boats, with the occasional photo shoot near the lodge on foot. About three days will be focused on Jaguar photos, but we’ll shoot other things during that time if the opportunity arises, such as birds, Giant Otters, tapirs, and monkeys. There are bird feeders that offer decent photo ops at the lodge next to the Pixaim River. GEAR: A long telephoto lens (500 or 600mm) or a good 300 or 400mm with a teleconverter is recommended for smaller birds, but is usually overkill for Jaguars, where a 300mm (with full-frame DSLR) or a high-end zoom is ideal. There is usually so much light that tripods are rarely essential for sharpness, but of course can be helpful to hold your heavy gear so you don’t have to. Lighting is harsh towards the middle of the day, so fill flash can help mitigate strong shadows. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Starting in January 2024, Brazil will once again require visas for US, Canadian, and Australian passport holders .Tourist visas are currently not required for citizens of the UK, EU, New Zealand, and South Africa. For other nationalities, please check with the nearest Brazilian embassy or consulate for current requirements. Travel requirements are subject to change; please double check your visa requirements a few weeks before you travel. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to drivers, local guides, boatmen, and lodge staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 10; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 11 (if you have a very early departing flight, you may miss the included breakfast on the last day); safe drinking water as well as tea and coffee during meals; safe drinking water between meals; Tropical Birding tour leader from the evening of day 1 to the evening of day 11; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 2 to day 10 in a suitable vehicle; private afternoon boat rides on days 5-6 (up to six hours total); private boat(s) for the group for jaguar searching on the afternoon of day 7 and both morning and afternoon on days 8-9 (groups of 4 or more will have two boats); entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings/photos. WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the tour leader; tips for luggage porters in Cuiabá (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!

Mongolia: Enigmatic Wildlife Tours (EWT) Tour Overview: Mongolia needs little introduction – its wilderness is near-legendary, and it is home to the Mongol horsemen, descendants of the famous Ghengis and Kublai Khan. It remains a land as exotic as it is mysterious. Nomadic tribes still live on Asia’s most extensive plains, hemmed in by incredible mountain landscapes. Although the wildlife is the focus of our exploration of this area, it is hard not be impressed by the remarkable history and lifestyle of the Mongolian people. This tour targets two of the most amazing mammals on the planet, the “Gray Ghost” (Snow Leopard) and Pallas’ Cat. We have good chances for Snow Leopard at low altitudes and in summer (rather than in frigid winter in Ladakh, India - where most other groups go for the world’s most enigmatic big cat), but we will need to be glued to our scopes as we scan for this master of camouflage. In addition, we will see a slew of other wildlife on this summer trip, rather than be confined to the icy slopes of the high Himalayas in winter. Another “mega” mammal here is the Bactrian Camel; it is rarely seen, but we do have a chance of encountering some of the last 1400-odd remaining wild camels that persist in the Gobi, a remote wilderness where very few have ventured. Come in hope of that rather than expectation. But even the chance of finding this incredible double-humped rarity is enough to get the adrenaline flowing. We will be in one of the best areas on Earth for this beast. Pallas’s Cat is another possible target. This squat-faced alpine cat embodies everything that is a wildlife enigma: rare, stunning, strange, and desirable. Even with our focus on rare mammals, there will be plenty of time for birding too. We will target many of the amazing rare and local birds of Mongolia, including Altai Snowcock in the high-altitude Gobi, Henderson’s Ground-Jay, majestic Saker Falcons, the stunning Oriental Plover and local Relict Gull in breeding plumage, and the cryptic but elegant Pallas’s Sandgrouse. So this tour has it all! This 18-day tour is fairly comprehensive, and we cover more than enough terrain to get a real in-depth feel for Mongolia and nearly everything it has to offer, including spending a few nights in the famous Ger (yurt) tents, as well as some mobile smaller A-frame tented camps that will be rustic (the only accommodation in the most remote and beautiful of Mongolia’s landscapes). We also stay in a few hotels and enjoy the comfort of Hustai NP not too far from Ulanbataar. This glorious wilderness area is where the Przewalski’s Horse was re-introduced after it was saved from extinction, and they breed there now. We might also encounter Siberian Jerboa, Steppe Polecat, and Mongolian Lark. Pallas Cat Keith Barnes Snow Leopard Otgonbayar Baatargal Bearded Vulture Keith Barnes Godlewski’s Bunting Keith Barnes Przwalski's Horse Keith Barnes Mongolian Jird Keith Barnes Altai Snowcock Otgonbayar Baatargal Cole's Hamster Keith Barnes Azure Tit Keith Barnes Oriental Plover Otgonbayar Baatargal Siberian Jerboa Keith Barnes Corsac Fox Keith Barnes Pallas Cat Keith Barnes Snow Leopard Otgonbayar Baatargal Bearded Vulture Keith Barnes Godlewski’s Bunting Keith Barnes Przwalski's Horse Keith Barnes Mongolian Jird Keith Barnes Altai Snowcock Otgonbayar Baatargal Cole's Hamster Keith Barnes Azure Tit Keith Barnes Oriental Plover Otgonbayar Baatargal Siberian Jerboa Keith Barnes Corsac Fox Keith Barnes Pallas Cat Keith Barnes Snow Leopard Otgonbayar Baatargal Bearded Vulture Keith Barnes Godlewski’s Bunting Keith Barnes Przwalski's Horse Keith Barnes Mongolian Jird Keith Barnes Altai Snowcock Otgonbayar Baatargal Cole's Hamster Keith Barnes Azure Tit Keith Barnes Oriental Plover Otgonbayar Baatargal Siberian Jerboa Keith Barnes Corsac Fox Keith Barnes Tour Details: 2026 1 - 18 June $9900; single supplement: $400* *Singles may not be available in gers (tents) while camping; the single supplement listed here only includes hotels where singles will be available. Length: 18 Days Starting City: Ulaanbaatar Ending City: Ulaanbaatar Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy/Moderate Focus: Rare Wildlife, Birds Group size: 10 + 1 Leader + 1 Local Guide Ready to Book? Book Here All Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Ulaanbaatar Today we arrive in the strange capital of Mongolia. Without much established history it is a hodge-podge of modern buildings and nomad tents, that betray Mongolia’s recent development from a much more traditional past. In the afternoon, we will enjoy a stroll down the tree-lined Tuul River, where we are likely to encounter the first of our central Asian specialty birds such as Daurian Jackdaw, Azure Tit, White-crowned Penduline-Tit and perhaps a few Mandarin Duck. However, the riverine scrub may also hide some buntings, tits and leaf-warblers. The river may hold Common Merganser, and some shorebirds. We spend the night in a comfortable hotel, and we should revel in the mod-cons (like salad!) as much as possible as these will be our last city luxuries for a while. Day 2: Ulanbataar to Khovd We take an early morning flight to a frontier city in far western Mongolia, passing the Tarvagatai Mountains and great lakes of the western Mongol steppe! We then begin our epic overland journey that will lead us across wildest sections of the ancient Mongol Kingdom. Our drive into the Altai Mountains leads us to a beautifully located Ger Camp dubbed ‘Snow Leopard’ Camp that has the peaks of the Altai nearby, while can see distant vast lakes near our camp in the semi-desert steppe to the east. We spend five glorious nights at this spectacular camp, nestled on the Chinese and Kazakh borders. Days 3-6: Snow Leopard Camp For the next four days we spend our time with the professional trackers and local guides as we search for the elusive Snow Leopard in the magnificent landscapes of the Altai Mountains. Nothing is guaranteed, but these guys are among the most skilled in the world at finding this elusive animal. We need to be prepared for many hours of scanning the rugged terrain where this cat blends in seamlessly. While in the Altai, we have a strong focus on trying to see one of Earth’s greatest enigmas, the ‘Gray Ghost’; but will also be seeking out their prey species such as the magical ‘Big Horn’ Argali Sheep, and spectacular Siberian Ibex. The majority of observation points can be driven 5-12 km with 4x4 vehicles; this is normally followed by a walk of a couple kilometers over largely flat terrain. However, on occasion, it will be necessary to take a short-medium length walk that will demand some basic fitness and the ability to walk on rocky, uneven or steep terrain. Some of the more local specialties here will be the Mongolian Marmot, Gobi-Altai Vole or Zhaishan Mole-vole and perhaps Pallas’ or Alpine pikas! The slightly more widespread Red Fox, Beech Marten, or Mongolian and Midday Gerbils will also be sought. In the drier semi-desert scrub around the camp we might luck out with Long-eared Hedgehog or Tolai Hare. Our main avian target in these rugged mountains is an amazing local enigma. Here the curlew-like ringing calls of the Altai Snowcock rings across the valleys, but it is no easy feat to see these birds and we will require much effort to find this amazing gamebird, the most elusive snowcock on Earth. But there is plenty else to look for here including Little Owl, Common Wheatear, Black Redstart, White-winged Snowfinch, Blyth’s Pipit, Mongolian Finch, Twite, Bearded and Himalayan Vultures, and Chukar. The mountain areas may also yield the beastly Saker Falcon, including perhaps the bizarre and poorly-known darker form ‘Altai’ Falcon. In the flatter areas near the Ger Camp we might get lucky with Horned Lark, Greater Sandplover, or Pallas’ Sandgrouse. If the lake has water in it we are likely to locate our first waterfowl including perhaps Greylag Goose, Whooper Swan, Ruddy Shelduck and others. Depending on our luck with the Grey Ghost we may make a foray into the surrounding arid steppe for a few choice targets. Day 7: Har Us Lake We depart this morning for a great wetland site, but en-route we will be travelling through semi-desert steppe, where we may locate yet more enigmas, as this is not a bad area to see the nasally well-endowed and incredible Saiga antelope and Goitered Gazelle. We may also see vultures at a carcass, an increasingly rare phenomenon anywhere in Asia these days. At the lake we hope to find the rare White-headed Duck, Pallas’s Gull, Western Marsh-Harrier, Horned Grebe, Amur Falcon, and Pallas’s Reed Bunting. We spend out first night in a simple tented camp along the desert’s edge. It’s simple, it’s rustic, but it is also wild and magical. Day 8: Darvi Today we enjoy some more waterbirds and lakes. But our prime enigma for the day is the rare and reclusive Relict Gull, and we visit a lake which frequently (but not always) has a breeding colony of this globally Vulnerable specialty at Ikhes Lake. Watching these stunning gulls in breeding plumage in record numbers is treat never to be forgotten. The night is again in tents, under the stars, lots of stars. Day 9: Darvi to Gobi-Altai Town After another day of lakes and steppes, where we hope to encounter a variety of birds like grebes, Eurasian Spoonbill, Swan and Bar-headed geese, Falcated and Ferruginous ducks, Red-crested Pochard, Mongolian Gull, Upland Buzzard, Demoiselle Crane, Pacific Golden Plover, Greater Sandplover, and if very lucky, the magical Asian Dowitcher, we make our way to the settlement of Altai, where we check into a hotel and enjoy a proper shower for the first time in a while. Day 10: Gobi-Altai to Buuntsagaan Lake As the dunes and cracked parchment of the desert gets drier we keep an eye out for Mongolian Jird, Mongolian Antelope, Asian Desert Warbler, the stunning Henderson’s (Mongolian) Ground-Jay. In the afternoon we reach one of the largest lakes in this part of the Gobi and begin to enjoy some waterfowl and shorebirds. We overnight in a mobile tented camp tonight on the fringes of Buuntsagaan Lake. Here colonies of breeding Palla’s and Mongolian Gulls jostle on the lake fringes and we can hope for stunning views of Great Crested Grebe and Little Tern. The highlight however would be a Pallas’ Eagle if we are lucky, and we will scour the lake fringes as we go, probably picking up Little Terns and Great Cormorants as we go. Although things will be simple, the amazing surrounding wilderness ought to make up for that! Days 11-14: Shinejinst Great Gobi-A Strictly Protected Area Today we travel to Shniejinst and then onwards into the great Gobi Desert. We set up our camp to explore one of the wildest areas on the planet. The Great Gobi-A Strictly Protected Area provides habitat to many endangered species such as the Siberian Ibex, Argali Sheep, ‘Gobi’ Brown Bear and Wild Bactrian Camel. This reserve was included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 1990 as one of the largest biosphere reserves in the world (5.3 million hectares). The main goal, although very challenging, will be to track down Wild Bactrian Camel, with possibilities of Asiatic Wild Ass. In this wilderness, we will stay in simple tented camps visiting oases, plains and mountains. Some night-drives in this area can deliver some superb mammals including the Large-eared Jerboa (perhaps the planet’s most endearing rodent – just google it!), Pygmy Jerboa and Marbled Polecat. Day 15: Great Gobi-A to Bayankhongor After another day in the wilderness, the simple comforts of the town hotel in Bayankhongor will come as a massive treat. Day 16: Bayankhongor to Erdenesant Soum We move from the drier desert into the grassier steppe. And we finally shift into an area that more regularly produces the squat-faced and remarkable Pallas’ Cat, a serious target of tonight’s night drive. We overnight in a mobile tented camp for the last time tonight. This zone may also produce Steppe Polecat, Campbell’s Hamster and Least Weasel! Day 17: Erdenesant to Hustai NP After packing up camp and moving from Erdenesant Soum, we will be based in a delightful Ger (yurt) camp near the Khentii Mountains for our last field night, and the gateway to the incredible Hustai NP. The main objective is to see the Przewalski’s Horse, which almost went extinct, but is recovering well and can be seen fairly easily in places like Hustai, where it breeds successfully. Other mammals we may encounter include Red Deer, Mongolian Gazelle, Tolai Hare, Corsac Fox and Siberian Jerboa. This amazing place is even home to Gray Wolves and Eurasian Lynx, but we have only the slimmest chances at encountering these rare mammals. On the bird front, Amur Falcon, Golden Eagle, Mongolian Lark, Daurian Redstart and Meadow Bunting are some of the interesting birds we might find here. We will be based in a comfortable Yurt camp for the night. Day 18: Hustai NP to Ulanbataar After some final birding and mammal-watching we return to Ulaanbaatar where the main tour draws to a close with a transfer to the international airport Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. Finding open country species is not dependent on extremely early starts. However, we will have a few earlier starts to look for certain birds and take advantage of the cooler early morning air, or sometimes do a dawn night-drive. Breakfast is typically served around 6:00-7:00am. Mongolia is a huge country, and we do a lot of driving on this tour. This is likely to be the most difficult element of the trip, with long days on unpaved and rutted roads. However, this is the only way to access the most remote areas with the very best birds and mammals, so it is an unavoidable hardship. There will also be a fair amount of night-drives offered to see some of Mongolia’s best nocturnal mammals. These will always be optional, so if you would rather get some rest, you can easily skip some of them. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate. You will need to be able to walk at least 3 miles (5 km) per day on average, some of that on mountain trails, although these are not muddy or slippery, although they may be on uneven or rocky terrain. We will walk slowly, especially at altitude. Most of the mammals will be searched for from the vehicles or from lookouts. CLIMATE: Usually mild to hot (mostly 50°-90°F, 12°-30°C), but it can get cold in the mountains and may even reach freezing on occasion, with snow, frost and sleet. On the open plains it can get very windy, but mostly it is a just a light breeze. ACCOMMODATION: This is not a tour for those looking for luxury. In Ulaanbaatar we stay in a good tourist hotel, which has private bathrooms, full-time hot water, and 24h electricity. We will also stay at simple hotels in the towns of Altai (Day 9) and Bayankhongor (Day 15). While off the beaten track (much of the tour) we will be staying in basic Gers (yurts), which are nomadic Mongol-style huts. These will have beds, and a wash basin. The toilet, showers and dining facilities are separate, communal and basic. Sometimes based on availability, single supplements are NOT available in the Gers. Warm water is often available or can be arranged. There will be very limited electricity when we stay in the gers. In the remote Gobi area, and on our return to Ulanbataar, we spend most nights in simple A-frame tents in very basic conditions, with mats and sleeping bags. We will have solar-shower facilities and camp toilets. FOOD: The staff do their very best with food, but supplies are very limited, and most meals comprise pasta/bread/potatoes, stews of veggies and very limited perishables like fresh meat. This is not the French Riviera! Although vegetarians can be catered for, in general the choices of food in these remote locations are rather limited. Expect to get bored with the options, but again, you should not be joining this tour for the cuisine. If you have strict dietary requirements, please speak to the office before booking. PHILOSOPHY : This trip is a borderline expedition. If you are inflexible and expect everything to work perfectly, there are other more suitable products for you. If you are worried about this, please speak to the office and we can let you know what to expect. Chances are that we will not complete this itinerary as advertised due to immovable objects, irresistible forces and nature of the unknown. Those that revel in the spirit of adventure, will love this trip! PHOTOGRAPHY: This is not a Photo Tour, and the objective is to observe the wildlife of the region. However, there will be ample opportunities for casual photography, and we will indulge them whenever time permits. WHEN TO GO: This tour is best taken during late spring or early summer to maximize sightings of rare mammals and breeding birds. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Historically Mongolia has been a country that has not had strong diplomatic relationships with other nations and most nationalities required visas. The only exceptions are citizens of the USA, Canada, Japan and Malaysia. Almost all other nationalities require visas. 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 and staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 17; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 18; safe drinking water and/or juice during meals; safe drinking water as well as tea and coffee during meals are available; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio gear from the morning of day 2 to the afternoon of day 17; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person only on the designated arrival and departure days (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 from day 2 to day 17 in a suitable vehicle with a local driver; entrance fees to birding sites mentioned in the itinerary; a domestic flight from Ulaanbaatar to Khovd; 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 the 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. Mongolia Review Anchor Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!