Brazil: Birding the Pantanal & Amazon Tour Overview: The Pantanal, the name given to the vast wetlands of southwest Brazil and eastern Bolivia, is famous for congregations of massive numbers of birds and mammals. We will stay at some delightful lodges and be spoiled by the easy birding. This tour is timed for the end of the dry season, when birds are often concentrated in the few remaining wet areas, and mosquito numbers are at their lowest. The low river levels also make it easier to spot Jaguars on the sandy banks, and we’ll devote a day searching for this alluring creature. The northern Pantanal is easily combined with a trip to the southern Amazon, where the birding is a little more challenging, although the rewards are perhaps greater; the Cristalino Jungle Lodge has its own private reserve with a mind-boggling bird list of nearly 600 species. This itinerary includes looking for Jaguars deep in the Pantanal, offering a very real chance to see the most magnificent mammal in the new world. Jaguar Andres Vasquez Hyacinth Macaw Andres Vasquez Giant Anteater Andres Vasquez Toco Toucan Andres Vasquez Sunbittern Pablo Cervantes Bare-eyed Antbird Andres Vasquez Pied Plover Andres Vasquez Red-legged Seriema Andres Vasquez White-headed Marsh-Tyrant Andres Vasquez Helmeted Manakin Andres Vasquez Red-throated Piping-guan Pablo Cervantes Curl-crested Aracari Pablo Cervantes Large-billed Tern Nick Athanas Ocelot Andres Vasquez Southern Screamer Pablo Cervantes Black Caiman Pablo Cervantes Jabiru Pablo Cervantes Black Skimmer Nick Athanas Black-girdled Barbet Pablo Cervantes Giant Otter Andres Vasquez Black-capped Donacobius Agami Heron Pablo Cervantes Black-faced Ibis Pablo Cervantes Brazilian Tapir Nick Athanas Bare-faced Currasow Pablo Cervantes Tour Details: 2026 13 - 27 July* $9990; single supplement: $1250 2027 14 - 28 July* Price: TBA *Links up with Brazil: Atlantic Forest Highlights . If you join both tours, Tropical Birding will pay for your flight between Cuiabá and Sao Paulo . Length: 15 Days Starting City: Cuiabá Ending City: Cuiabá Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy Focus: Birding, Wildlife Group size: 8 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Check out our Virtual Tour Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Cuiabá to Chapada dos Guimarães The tour begins this afternoon in the Cuiabá Airport. You will meet up with your guide and driver at a time to be specified and travel about 2 hours to Chapada dos Guimarães, a pleasant town near the edge of a scenic escarpment. Note that arriving a day early as insurance against possible travel or luggage delays is a very good idea. There is an excellent hotel right next to the airport that the Tropical Birding guide will stay in the night before the tour starts. We would be happy to book you a room in this hotel as well. Day 2: Chapada dos Guimarães The scrubby cerrado (savanna) north of town may not look like much, but it can be surprisingly good for birds such as White-banded and White-rumped Tanagers, White-eared Puffbird, Coal-crested Finch, Black-throated Saltator, and Chapada Flycatchers. Hummers can sometimes be common here depending on the number of plants in flower, and there is a chance to find the handsome Horned Sungem. We’ll also try for Collared Crescentchest, but this skulker can often be quite difficult to find. As the morning heats up, we’ll seek shade in the tall gallery forest lower down in the valley. It has a totally different set of birds such as Planalto Slaty-Antshrike, Band-tailed Manakin, Black-fronted Nunbird, Saffron-billed Sparrow, Moustached Wren, and sometimes even the gaudy Frilled Coquette. After an opulent lunch at a restaurant with an unforgettable view, we’ll bird near a magnificent escarpment offering great views and a chance for Red-and-green Macaw, King Vulture, Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, Helmeted Manakin, and sometimes even the very rare Orange-breasted Falcon. We overnight in Chapada dos Guimarães. Day 3: Chapada to Cristalino Jungle Lodge After a few more hours birding in the Chapada, we return to Cuiabá and catch a midday flight to the town of Alta Floresta (or Sinop if flights to Alta Floresta do not resume). From here, we travel by van to the boat landing on the banks of the Teles Pires river. We’ll board a motorboat and head up the Cristalino River to Cristalino Jungle Lodge, our home for the next five nights. Cristalino Jungle Lodge has quickly gained the reputation as being the finest lodge in the southern Amazon, with comfortable rooms, great food and service, and terrific birding. Days 4-7: Cristalino Jungle Lodge With four full days to explore the area, we’ll have the chance to visit most of the best birding sites. Dawn on one of the sturdy 160 ft. (50 m) high canopy towers is an unforgettable experience. The great views over the treetops gives us a good chance of seeing canopy species like Red-necked, Lettered, and Curl-crested Aracaris, Gould’s Toucanet, Black-girdled Barbet, Tooth-billed Wren, Pompadour and Spangled Cotingas, Ringed, Scaly-breasted, and Cream-colored Woodpeckers, and Red-fan and Kawall’s Parrot, among many others. Later in the morning, the towers give a great chance to see raptors as they ride the thermals over the forest. White-browed Hawk, Double-toothed and Gray-headed Kites, several species of Hawk-Eagle, are possible, and if we are very lucky we could even see a Crested or Harpy Eagle. A notable feature of the Cristalino area are the scattered rocky outcrops that rise above the surrounding forest. We’ll spend a morning on one of these “serras”, looking for a number of localized species that prefer this habitat, such as Natterer’s Slaty-Antshrike, Spotted Puffbird, White-fringed Antwren, and Fiery-tailed Awlbill. The more open nature of this habitat also makes it a good place to look for Brown-banded Puffbird, several species of parrots and parakeets, and hummingbirds. Birding the terra firme forest trails is challenging, but a vast array of birds live there, so a significant amount of time will be spent searching for the many antbirds, foliage-gleaners, woodcreepers, woodpeckers, puffbirds, flycatchers, and countless others that skulk in the dark corners of the forest. Some of our targets include Dark-winged Trumpeter, Bare-eyed Antbird, Cryptic Forest-Falcon, Para Foliage-gleaner, Red-necked Woodpecker, Amazonian Pygmy-Owl, Snow-capped Manakin, Blue-cheeked Jacamar, Alta Floresta Antpitta, Cinnamon-crested and White-crested Spadebills, White-eyed Antwren, and Rufous-necked Puffbird. Some of the trails pass through patches of dense bamboo, which harbor a different selection of birds like like Manu and Striated Antbirds, Amazonian Antshrike, Rose-breasted Chat, Dusky-cheeked Foliage-gleaner, Large-headed and Dusky-tailed Flatbill, and a distinctive race of Dot-winged Antwren. The seasonally flooded forest on the edge of the Cristalino River is mostly dry this time of year, making it easier to access good sites for Flame-crested Manakin, Glossy Antshrike, and Bronzy Jacamar. Cruising the river is a relaxing way to spend the hotter parts of the day, and is the best way to see such species as Razor-billed and Bare-faced Curassows, Amazonian Umbrellabird, several species of macaw, as well as mammals like Giant Otter and Brazilian Tapir. This is truly one of the top birding spots in the world and there will be plenty to keep us busy for every minute. Day 8: Cristalino to the Pantanal After some final birding, we drive back to Alta Floresta (or Sinop if flights from Alta Floresta do not resume), then fly back to Cuiabá in the afternoon. After collecting our luggage, we’ll drive about two hours to the start of the famous Transpantaneira, or Pantanal Highway. We’ll spend the first two nights at one of several lodges along the northern part of the Transpantaneira. Day 9: Northern Pantanal This area has some of the most impressive birding anywhere on the planet, with huge numbers of birds seen and daily lists reaching astronomical numbers, some of the highest of any of our tours. The reason why it’s so great is the easy access to a wide variety of habitats, including rivers, wetlands, flooded pastures, gallery forest, and dry scrub. Some of the main highlights are the huge Hyacinth Macaws (seen daily), Greater Rhea, Bare-faced Curassow, Chestnut-bellied Guan, up to four ibises, the hulking Southern Screamer, Jabiru, Maguari Stork, Nacunda Nighthawk Black-collared Hawk, White Woodpecker, Gray-crested Cacholote, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Mato Grosso Antbird, White-lored Spinetail, and Red-crested Cardinal. Day 10: Northern Pantanal to the Pixaim River We have another full morning to bird either around the lodge or along the Transpantaneira. Some birds we may target include the magnificent Scarlet-hooded Blackbird, Rusty-collared Seedeater, Chotoy Spinetail, Suiriri Flycatcher, and others. After lunch, we drive two hours south, deeper into the Pantanal. We’ll stay two nights at a lodge on the edge of the sluggish Pixaim River, where boat trips on the river are not only fun but also a very relaxing way to see Boat-billed Heron, Sungrebe, Blue-throated Piping-Guan, Black-collared Hawk, up to five species of kingfisher, Giant Otter, and more; if water level is low enough, we may also encounter an Agami Heron. As darkness nears, Band-tailed Nighthawks appear to hunt insects over the river. Spotlighting in the evening might get us Spot-tailed Nightjar, Pauraque, and maybe a mammal or two. Day 11: Pixaim River We’ll spend the early morning birding near the lodge, where feeders often bring in Chestnut-eared Aracari, Solitary Black Cacique, Silver-beaked Tanager, Grayish Saltator, Grayish Baywing, and Yellow-billed Cardinal, and then head into the gallery forest. The open nature of the forest makes it relatively easy to see many birds, and Band-tailed Antbird, Rusty-backed Spinetail, Buff-breasted Wren, Large-billed Antwren, Golden-green Woodpecker, Helmeted Manakin, and more can usually be seen without too much difficulty. A Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl imitation can often bring in large mobbing hordes of passerines, like Flavescent Warbler, Ashy-headed Greenlet, Stripe-necked Tody-Tyrant, and others. After a mid-day break, we’ll have another boat trip on the river. Day 12: Pixaim River to Porto Jofre After breakfast, we’ll board our van and drive south towards the end of the Pantanal Highway. We’ll make several stops along the way to search for the gorgeous Scarlet-headed Blackbird, shy Cinereous-breasted Spinetail, vociferous Fawn-breasted Wren, elegant Maguari Stork, as well as others. We’ll reach our very comfortable hotel at the very end of the road in late morning, and after lunch, we’ll spend the afternoon cruising the rivers looking for Jaguars as well as birds and other wildlife. We have two nights based in Porto Jofre. Day 13: Jaguar Searching Jaguar is the main target here, and we’ll spend the day cruising various rivers in a fast motorboat looking for this magnificent animal. Our boatmen are in radio contact, so if there is a jaguar seen we can head for the location – often at high speed! Jaguars here are not very shy and will often stay in view for extended periods of time. We will not ignore other birds and wildlife during our search, but Jaguar does take priority over everything. Some birds we may see from the boat include Sungrebe, Pied Lapwing, Yellow-billed and Large-billed Terns, Black Skimmer, Greater Ani, Anhinga, Great Black Hawk, Gray-necked Wood-Rail, and more. Families of Giant Otters are fairly common, and it is not too unusual to see a Tapir. Day 14: Porto Jofre to to Cuiabá The plan for the morning will depend largely on how well we did with Jaguars during the previous outings. If we’re still trying for a better view of Jaguar, we’ll spend most of the morning cruising the rivers, and leave the hotel after an early lunch. If we had great Jaguar sightings, we may instead prefer some land-based birding, departing the hotel earlier in the morning with a packed lunch. We’ll spend the afternoon driving back to Cuiabá, where we spend the final night. Day 15: Departure The tour ends this morning in Cuiabá. The hotel provides free airport transfers upon request at any hour. Trip Considerations PACE: Mostly moderate, but somewhat relaxed in the Pantanal. It’s important to be out early, since the birding is better, and the temperatures are cooler. Breakfast will typically start from between 4:45am and 6:00am, and one will be a packed breakfast. On many (but not all) days there will be a lot of downtime after lunch to relax. On a few days, we will likely stay out after dark to spotlight for birds and mammals. The drives are not especially long on this tour; most are 2 hours or less, with one 5 hour drive, not counting birding stops, on day 14. The afternoon of day 12, most of day 13, and (if necessary) the morning of day 14 will be devoted to looking for Jaguars, though we will also look at birds when possible; jaguar searching is done by motorboat, and these outings typically last between 4 and 6 hours before returning to the lodge. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Moderate in the Amazon; easy in the Pantanal. Most of the birding is done from flat roads and trails. You can expect to walk 2-3 miles (3.2-4.8 km) per day on average. There is one moderately difficult hike at Cristalino in hilly and rocky terrain; a walking stick helps, and some participants may choose to skip that outing and relax around the lodge instead. At Cristalino, parts of two mornings will be spent on two different 140 ft (40 m) metal canopy towers. The towers are accessed by staircases. 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: Very good to excellent, all have private, en-suite bathrooms, and full-time hot water. Electricity is available everywhere 24 hours a day. Except for Cristalino, all lodges have air conditioning. Cristalino has ceiling fans. PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a birding tour, but casual photographers will have great opportunities to photograph birds and mammals in the Pantanal. Photography in the Amazon is harder, but there are good opportunities along the river and from the towers. Serious bird photographers may wish to check out our Pantanal Photo Tour. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. As of 2025, Brazil once again requires visas for US, Canadian, and Australian passport holders (they can be obtained electronically online, and usually takes 1-2 weeks). 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; roundtrip airfare between Cuiabá and Alta Floresta or Sinop; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 14; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 15 (if you have a very early departing flight, you may miss the included breakfast on the last day); safe drinking water as well as tea and coffee during meals; safe drinking water between meals; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio gear from the morning of day 2 to the evening of day 14; hotel shuttle bus between the airport and hotel on day 1, and between the hotel and the airport on day 15; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 2 to day 3 and from day 8 to day 14 in a suitable vehicle with a local driver; transfers between Alta Floresta or Sinop and Cristalino Jungle Lodge (may be shared with other lodge guests); private boat transport for the group while at Cristalino Jungle Lodge; private afternoon boat rides on days 10-11 (2 hours each); private speedboat for the group for jaguar searching on the afternoon of day 12, all day on day 13, and the morning of day 14; 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 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!

Nova Scotia & Newfoundland: Birding with a Camera (BwC) Tour Overview: What’s the best thing about Canada? Ice hockey? Tim Horton’s? No - the wildlife and the wonderful sense of wilderness! With relatively few people, excellent infrastructure, and massive tracks of pristine habitat, Canada is an ecotourism dream. Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are particularly inviting, and our 11-day departure will visit many beautiful locations across the two regions. While we will seek loons, eagles, shorebirds, and waterfowl, we’ll devote special time to songbirds and seabirds. Warblers, flycatchers, and vireos drip from trees like overnight dew, and we’ll bear witness to tens of thousands of gannets, hundreds of thousands of puffins, and millions of murres at breathtaking breeding colonies. The tiny coastal towns are cute, the people are warm and friendly, the lighthouses are picturesque, and the entire region feels like something out of fairy tale. Simply put, the birding experience is unparalleled outside of Alaska. Throw in copious amounts of seafood and poutine and you might never want to go home! Atlantic Puffins Dorian Anderson Northern Gannets Dorian Anderson Cape St Mary's Dorian Anderson Common Murres Dorian Anderson Magnolia Warbler Dorian Anderson Common Eider Dorian Anderson Caribou Dorian Anderson Pine Grosbeak Dorian Anderson Piping Plover Dorian Anderson Black-legged Kittiwake Dorian Anderson Blackburnian Warbler Sam Woods Common Loon Dorian Anderson Black Guillemots Dorian Anderson Bald Eagle Dorian Anderson Evening Grosbeak Sam Woods Atlantic Puffins Dorian Anderson Northern Gannets Dorian Anderson Cape St Mary's Dorian Anderson Common Murres Dorian Anderson Magnolia Warbler Dorian Anderson Common Eider Dorian Anderson Caribou Dorian Anderson Pine Grosbeak Dorian Anderson Piping Plover Dorian Anderson Black-legged Kittiwake Dorian Anderson Blackburnian Warbler Sam Woods Common Loon Dorian Anderson Black Guillemots Dorian Anderson Bald Eagle Dorian Anderson Evening Grosbeak Sam Woods Tour Details: 2026 28 June - 8 July $5720; single supplement: $980 Length: 11 Days Starting City: Halifax Ending City: St. John's Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Birding, Photography 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: Arrivals in Halifax Welcome to Nova Scotia! There are virtually no direct flights between the United States and Halifax, so this day is a dedicated arrival day to allow any non-Canadian clients to make connecting flights, mostly likely through Toronto or Montreal. Upon arrival, clients should take the free shuttle to the hotel. There are no birding activities scheduled on this day, but we’ll have a group dinner to kick off our adventure. Day 2: Halifax Hotspots in Morning, afternoon drive to Liscombe Lodge We’ll depart the hotel after eating an early breakfast and head towards coastal hotspots like Rainbow Haven Beach, Cole Harbor Heritage Park, and Lawrencetown Marsh. Nelson’s Sparrow and Alder Flycatcher will be our primary targets, but Ruffed Grouse and Ring-necked Pheasant are within the realm of possibilities as well. Osprey is often overhead, and we could intersect waterfowl like Common Eider, American Black Duck, Green-winged Teal, and Ring-necked Duck. After lunch, we’ll venture into a wooded area where we’ll look for Eastern Wood-Pewee, Hermit Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula, Ovenbird, and Blackburnian Warbler. Our pace will be leisurely, and we’ll do our best to obtain photos of whatever birds we encounter. Once we’ve had our fill, we’ll pile into the van and head two hours east to Liscombe Lodge, where we’ll dine and spend the first of two nights. Day 3: Liscombe Lodge and Surrounds This day will be dedicated to nesting songbirds. The lodge has an extensive network of trails, and we’ll scour them for Gray Catbird, Least Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Winter Wren, Blue-headed Vireo, and a variety of warblers including Palm, Magnolia, Bay-breasted, and Black-throated Green. Ruby- and Golden-crowned Kinglets might be in the mix, and we could encounter American Goldfinch, Dark-eye Junco, White-throated Sparrow, or Purple Finch on the lodge feeders. If we’re really lucky, a Pine Siskin or an Evening Grosbeak might appear. Beyond those, Belted Kingfisher, Brown Creeper, and Ruby-throated Hummingbird should also be on our radar. With a minimum of driving and a second night at the same lodging, today should be productive and relaxing! Day 4: Liscombe to Cheticamp We’ll do some early-morning birding around the lodge before eating breakfast and departing. Today is primarily a travel day, but we’ll make a number of en route stops as we make miles towards Cheticamp on Cape Breton. The most important of those will be at Glenelg, a mixed woodland which where we’ll mop up missing flycatchers, vireos, and warblers. After lunch in Antigonish, we’ll cross the Strait of Canso and continue along the shore of Bras d’Or Lake. The body is the nesting home to hundreds of Bald Eagles, and we might catch a glimpse of one from Whycocomagh or Nyanza Bay. Arriving in Cheticamp, we can explore Cheticamp Island or the Salmon Pools Trail in Cape Breton National Park with whatever daylight and participant energy remains. Day 5: The Upland Barrens We’ll do our best to bird on this day, but we’re likely to be distracted by the incredible scenery which Cape Breton presents. Alternating between high promontories, boggy boreal forest, and windswept barrens, we’ll take a series of walks looking for Mourning Warbler, Pine Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Black-capped Chickadee, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Magnolia Warbler, and — wait for it — Moose! And if we’re really, really lucky we could even bump into Bicknell’s Thrush. We’ll return to Cheticamp for lunch and head towards Sydney in the afternoon. Point Aconi often holds Common Eiders, Great Cormorants, and other coastal species, so we’ll be sure to check that area as we approach our destination. Day 6: Port Morien, Schooner Pond, Big Glace Bay, and Newfoundland Ferry We’ll use this morning to visit a number of coastal spots east of Sydney. The first of those will be the Port Morien marshes, where we might find American Black Duck, Common Merganser, Semipalmated and Black-bellied Plovers, Whimbrel, Hudsonian Godwit, and other shorebirds. Moving north to Schooner Pond, we might intersect Ring-necked Duck, White-winged Scoter, Black Guillemot, or Black-legged Kittiwake. Big Glace Bay has hosted nesting Piping Plovers in recent years, and we might connect with Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Willet, Least Sandpiper, or Nelson’s Sparrow as we explore the area. We’ll return to Sydney for a late lunch and move towards the overnight ferry to Newfoundland afterwards. The boat usually leaves at 5:30pm, and we need to be at the ferry terminal in North Sydney by 3pm for the 5:30pm departure. The crossing takes about 16 hours, so this night will be spent on-board. The ferry is huge — it’s like a small cruise ship — so seasickness isn’t much of a worry. The ferry does, however, offer pelagic birding opportunities, so we could encounter Wilson’s and Leach’s Storm-Petrels, jaegers, Northern Fulmar, and Sooty, Great, and Manx Shearwaters during the journey. Day 7: Newfoundland Arrival and Elliston Puffins Upon disembarking — hopefully at 9:30am though exact timing is tide dependent — we’ll do a bit of arrival birding around Argentia before starting north. En route stops at Arnold’s Cove and Come by Chance might yield Common Loon, Common Tern, or Fox Sparrow, and we’ll continue north towards Bonavista after eating lunch in Clarenville. Reaching that destination, we’ll visit Spiller’s Cove, Dungeons Provincial Park, and the beautifully Bonavista Lighthouse where clients will feel like they’re on the edge of the world! From there it will be over to the featured attraction: the Atlantic Puffin colony at Elliston. While we’ll see many more puffins on our Whitless Bay boat trip, Elliston’s cliffs offer excellent opportunities to photograph the adorable birds. Depending on lighting and enthusiasm, we could even return to the site after dinner. Night in Bonavista. Day 8: Cape Saint Mary’s Ecological Reserve We’ll swing through the puffin colony once more before returning south to Placentia for lunch. From there, we’ll continue south to Cape Saint Mary’s Ecological Reserve, undoubtedly one of the most incredible natural spectacles in North America. Perched on the edge of plunging cliffs, we’ll absorb views of tens of thousands of nesting Northern Gannets. We’ll have knee-buckling views as the birds commute between their nests and the surrounding fishing grounds, and the incubating pairs provide endless entertainment as they squabble with each other for territorial space. The noise is deafening, and it’ll be non-stop action! As if you could ever tire of the gannets, there will also be thousands of Black-legged Kittiwakes, Common Murres, and Razorbills. Thick-billed Murres and Black Guillemots are present in smaller numbers, and we might add Horned Lark or American Pipit as we scramble across the clifftops. This night will be spent in Saint Bride’s, right up the road from the reserve. Day 9: Southern End of the Avalon Peninsula The weather and lighting at Cape Saint Mary’s are notoriously variable, so we’ll make a a morning return to experience some different conditions and lighting. Afterwards, we’ll pile into the van and take a beautiful coastal drive towards Trepassey, several stops made en route (St Vincent’s, etc). Our hotel has a fantastic restaurant, so we’ll check-in, eat lunch, and return to the field for the remainder of the afternoon. We’ll first head to Saint Schott’s to look for Willow Ptarmigan along the entrance road. Find or miss that sneaky species, we should have chances at Great, Sooty, and Manx Shearwater once we’ve reached the lighthouse at road’s end. If we fail to find ptarmigan at Saint Schott’s, we’ll also swing through Cape Pine. Backtracking to Trepassy, we’ll bird a local trail for the likes of Wilson’s Snipe, Boreal Chickadee, Blackpoll Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Pine Grosbeak, and Fox Sparrow. And if you thought lunch at the Edge of the Avalon Inn was good, wait until dinner is served! Day 10: Eastern side of Avalon Peninsula including Whitless Bay This will be a busy day! We’ll do a bit of pre-breakfast birding before eating and rounding the southern end of the Avalon. If we missed Willow Ptarmigan yesterday, then we’ll have another crack at it as we bird the road to and from Cape Race. If we’ve already scored it, then we’ll make stops at Renews and La Manche Provincial Park as we close the distance towards Whitless Bay. Boarding a zodiac at that departure point, we’ll enjoy views of hundreds of thousands of Atlantic Puffins and over a million Common Murres as they commute to and from their nests on the overhead cliffs. Black-legged Kittiwakes swirl overhead while Razorbills and Black Guillemots fish in the waters below. If we’re really lucky, we might glimpse one of the few Northern Fulmars which nest on the island. Humpback Whales are always possible, and we might bump into Great, Sooty, and Manx Shearwaters during our outing. Returning to shore, we’ll explore Cape Spear before doing a bit of mop-up around St John’s. Black-headed Gull is sometimes hanging around the city, so we’ll be sure to follow up on any reports of that Eurasian vagrant. Our final night will be spent in a hotel very near the St. John’s airport. Day 11: Departures from St. John’s Wow - what a trip! Nova Scotia and Newfoundland are ahhh-mazing, right? Safe travels home! And who knows - maybe you’ll come back again in the future! Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. Easy to Moderate. There will be frequent early starts of around 05:30-06:30am, and it is common to be out until late afternoon on this tour. We will eat lunch often between our birding stops but have dinner at our destination hotel or close by. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: There are some walks on this tour, although most of these will be under 2 miles in length, and for the most part on good trails, or gravel roads. There are a few short steeper sections, which are optional only. Three boat trips are taken on this trip, including an overnight ferry of 14-16 hours on the night of day 6. There are also some long drives on this trip between birding sites, but these are broken up by birding and scenery stops. Only low elevations are covered on this tour. CLIMATE: The climate is highly variable at this time, and temperatures range from high 40s to 70s F, with a chance of cool damp days and rain, meaning that rain gear is essential. ACCOMMODATION: Good throughout. PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a Birding With a Camera tour, and so while it goes after a number of local specialties, it also takes in some excellent sites for bird photography, particularly at the seabird breeding colonies, where gannets, murres, guillemots, and puffins are often easy to photograph. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required for all foreign visitors; this should be valid for 6 months beyond the departure date and have at least on full blank page. For many tourists on the visa waiver list, a visa is not required (e.g. citizens of the USA, UK, many European countries and Australia) – ). For citizens of these countries, an ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORITY (ETA) NEEDS TO OBTAINED BEFORE DEPARTURE. This is applied for online here. For other nationalities, you will need to apply for a visa well before departure. To check if you need a visa or ETA, and how to apply, click here. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Accommodations from the night of day 1 through the night of day 10; meals from breakfast on day 2 through to breakfast on day 11 (if you do not leave too early for that); all park fees to sites stated in the itinerary; an airport shuttle is provided on day 1 and day 11 for arrivals and departures; Tropical Birding tour leader from the morning of day 2 through to the night of day 10; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from days 2 to 10 in a modern, rental vehicle with the Tropical Birding tour leader as the driver. Overnight ferry trip on night of day 6. 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!

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!

Borneo: Birding with a Camera (BwC) Tour Overview: This is a Birding with a Camera Tour (BwC). We try to balance seeing as many birds as possible while also trying to take great photos of them. We still target endemics and other specialties. We will also try to see and photograph other animals if any are around. If you are looking for a traditional Birding Tour, you should check out our Borneo: Broadbills and Bristleheads tour . Borneo is a bird photographer’s dream; a large island with steamy jungles and waterways which play host to some of the strangest creatures on Earth. From the “Old Man of the Forest”, or Orangutan, to the portly, bulbous-nosed, Proboscis Monkey, to large flashy hornbills with bright orange casques; Borneo has plenty to offer the intrepid souls that explore the island. This tour visits the Malaysian state of Sabah in northern Borneo, which comes loaded with a circuit of of high quality eco-lodges, and which rightly prides itself on its substantial ecotourism potential and excellent facilities. Golden-naped Barbet Sam Woods Bornean Orangutan Sam Woods Crested Partridge Sam Woods Black-and-Yellow Broadbill Ken Behrens Bornean Green Magpie Ken Behrens Proboscis Monkey Iain Campbell Crimson-headed Partridge Pablo Cervantes Daza White-crowned Hornbill Sam Woods Horsfield's Tarsier Sam Woods Temminck's Sunbird Ken Behrens Bornean Pygmy Elephant Sam Woods Sultan Tit Sam Woods Sabah Partridge Sam Woods Rufous-collared Kingfisher Ken Behrens Bornean Gibbon Ken Behrens Banded Broadbill Ken Behrens Sunda Scimitar-Babbler Sam Woods Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker Ken Behrens Silver-eared Mesia Sam Woods Stork-billed Kingfisher Sam Woods Chestnut-headed Laughingthrush Sam Woods Malayan Partridge Pablo Cervantes Daza Golden-naped Barbet Sam Woods Bornean Orangutan Sam Woods Crested Partridge Sam Woods Black-and-Yellow Broadbill Ken Behrens Bornean Green Magpie Ken Behrens Proboscis Monkey Iain Campbell Crimson-headed Partridge Pablo Cervantes Daza White-crowned Hornbill Sam Woods Horsfield's Tarsier Sam Woods Temminck's Sunbird Ken Behrens Bornean Pygmy Elephant Sam Woods Sultan Tit Sam Woods Sabah Partridge Sam Woods Rufous-collared Kingfisher Ken Behrens Bornean Gibbon Ken Behrens Banded Broadbill Ken Behrens Sunda Scimitar-Babbler Sam Woods Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker Ken Behrens Silver-eared Mesia Sam Woods Stork-billed Kingfisher Sam Woods Chestnut-headed Laughingthrush Sam Woods Malayan Partridge Pablo Cervantes Daza Tour Details: 2027 Main Tour: Dates: TBA Price: TBA (2025: $8300; single supplement: $700) Extension: Dates: TBA Price: TBA (2025: $2950; single supplement: $350) Length: 13 Days (18 Days w/ Extension) Starting City: Kota Kinabalu Ending City: Kota Kinabalu Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Birding, Wildlife, Photography Group size: 9 + 1 Leader + 1 Local Guide Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Arrival in Kota Kinabalu (Borneo) After arrival in Sabah’s capital, the sleepy city of Kota Kinabalu, you will be transferred to a local hotel for the night. The tour starts with a welcome dinner on this night. Day 2: Kota Kinabalu to Mount Kinabalu The first destination of the tour will be the distinctively shaped Mount Kinabalu, which can even dominate the skyline of the capital on clear days. Endemic birds are abundant as we walk the misty mountain trails. We hope to encounter some of the many cool birds that are endemic to the Bornean highlands such as the White-head’s trio: trogon, broadbill and spiderhunter, and some of the many other great birds that are present here. This night will be spent close to the park entrance. Days 3-4: Mount Kinabalu These days will be spent on this scenic mountain. Early mornings around the start of the Summit Trail in particular, can be good for large, photogenic birds like treepies, whistling-thrushes and drongos as they feed on insects attracted to the lights during the night. Thereafter we will hit some of the more challenging trails, walking and birding and hoping for some cooperative trogons, wren-babblers, flowerpeckers, or sunbirds. In the afternoon of day 4 we will travel back to Kota Kinabalu for a night, in readiness for our domestic flight out the next morning. Day 5: Kota Kinabalu to Borneo Rainforest Lodge (Danum Valley) On this day we’ll take a flight south in order to visit the Danum Valley Conservation Area, where we will stay 3 nights in one of the best lodges in all of Asia, the famous Borneo Rainforest Lodge, perched on the edge of the Danum River, and surrounded by tall, pristine primary rainforest. We will be hoping that some of the large fig trees are bearing fruit at this time, as they can attract some of Borneo’s most famous residents, notably the Red Ape, or Orangutan, as well as an array of fruit-eating birds, such as the dramatic Rhinoceros Hornbill. Three nights will be spent within this fantastic lodge, giving us plenty of time to shoot a variety of subjects in this large conservation area. Days 6-7: Borneo Rainforest Lodge Early mornings right around the lodge can be good to take in the resident group of Bornean Crested Firebacks (a stunning pheasant), as they patrol the grounds at this time. At night there will be options to take nightwalks and put your macro to use, as a myriad of rainforest bugs and frogs, such as Wallace’s Flying-Frog, can be found by prowling the jungle with our experienced naturalist guide. There will also be opportunities to take part in one of the famous night drives out of the lodge for larger subjects, such as Thomas’s and Red Giant Flying Squirrels, “Flying Lemur” (Malayan Colugo), or Bearded Pig. During the daytime, your local guide will also use playback to attract in some of the flashier rainforest birds like Black-and-yellow and Black-and-red Broadbills, trogons, or one of the attractive blue-and-red flycatchers that occur in the area, to name but a few. These two nights will again be spent at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge. Day 8: Danum to Sepilok From Danum we will travel north, by road, to Sepilok, a tourist center, with great lodges which serve the main tourist attraction nearby, the famous Orangutan rehabilitation center. However, our focus will be the ground-breaking Rainforest Discovery Centre, which comes with wide open trails for easy access to the rainforest for seeing canopy birds and for photography; and a world-class canopy walkway. The latter is the centerpiece of this reserve, which allows eye level views of birds such as hornbills, trogons, kingfishers, woodpeckers, and broadbills. The quality construction of the walkway means that there is plenty of space for enjoying the canopy birds. We will be hoping for some fruiting trees to be present in the area, as these can attract a procession of frugivorous birds, as well as animals like squirrels. The night will be spent in Sepilok, just a few minutes drive from the Rainforest Discovery Centre. Day 9: Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Centre A full day will be spent at the centre so that we have plenty of time to explore the many easy trails, and the canopy walkway, which is the reserve’s most heralded facility. The walls of the restaurant on site are decorated with many fantastic images taken right within the reserve, and illustrates the enormous potential of the place. Another night will be spent in Sepilok. Day 10: Sepilok to Sukau (Kinabatangan River) The finale to the tour is perhaps the best part of all; a visit to the primate and bird-rich Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary. The Kinabantangan River is flanked by lowland rainforest, interspersed with ox-bow lakes, mangroves and swamps, and is home to some of the most desirable photo subjects of the tour: Orangutan, Proboscis Monkeys,and Crab-eating and Pig-tailed Macaques, as well as all 8 species of Bornean hornbills. This is also the best area on the island for the amazing and rare Bornean Pygmy-Elephant. We will be staying at a high-end lodge, right on the banks of this enormous river. The choice of lodge has been made not only for the comfort of the lodge, which has won a number of eco-tourism awards, but also for the transport available. We will be mostly traveling around by motorized canoe to traverse the various waterways in the sanctuary. The canoes crucially though, come equipped with smaller electronic motors to allow a quiet approach when needed, vital when on a photography tour to get those incredible, intimate close-ups of subjects such as Proboscis Monkey families, a Blue-eared Kingfisher fishing along the river bank, or a fish-eagle standing sentry above. At night, there will also be the option to take a night cruise to search for roosting birds such as Stork-billed Kingfishers, and photograph the local Buffy Fish-Owls, which are surprisingly abundant and approachable near the lodge. We will travel into the lodge by speedboat. Days 11-12: Sukau and Gomantong Caves (Kinabatangan River) Two full days will be spent coasting the waterways of within the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, tracking down both the many avian, and mammalian, targets in the area. There will be options to go out at night too for further night cruises (there may be an extra fee for this). On one afternoon we shall visit the Gomantong Caves, home to millions of bats, and thousands of nesting swiftlets, which use echolocation, like bats, in order to navigate within the dark recesses of the caves. We will wait until dusk on this day to ensure we take in the awesome sight of the emerging “funnel” of bats, which often fall prey in these photogenic moments to a handful of waiting Bat Hawks. Day 13: Sukau to Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu Although we will have come in to the Kinabatangan by boat, for the exit from there we shall drive out, passing again by Gomantong Caves, which shall give us another chance for a final session there, so that we can try to connect with the various hornbills, barbets, broadbills, and other birds, as well as animals such as Red Leaf-Monkey and Pig-tailed Macaque. Thereafter we shall pack up and drive to the city of Sandakan, to connect with a short domestic flight west across Borneo back to Kota Kinabalu on the west coast, where you can then connect with international flights out. Malaysian Peninsula Extension Introduction: Running before the main tour, this extension starts and ends in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Peninsula Malaysia, which connects directly with Kota Kinabalu in Borneo for the main tour. Being based on the Peninsula and visiting one of the best mountain birding areas in all of Southeast Asia, this extension offers some very different birds to see and photograph, with many of these species only possible on the extension. Similarly, many of the birds and animals on Borneo are only possible or likely on the main tour (e.g. Orang-Utan, Proboscis Monkey, Red Leaf-Monkey, Bornean Crested Fireback), making these sections perfect compliments to one another. Day 1: Arrival in Kuala Lumpur After arrival in Malaysia’s capital, we will transfer you to a hotel outside of Kuala Lumpur located in the cool highlands of Bukit Tinggi. Day 2: Bukit Tinggi to Fraser’s Hill An early morning start will provide a fantastic introduction to the birds of the region. While our main targets will be the famous Mountain Peacock-Pheasants and Ferruginous Partridges that frequent the area, we will also take time to check the impressive botanical gardens for any mixed flocks or fruiting trees. By mid-morning we will depart this popular resort area for the tranquil setting of Fraser’s Hill. This area has been a long-favored hang out for both birders and keen photographers alike. It is common at weekends to meet a handful of Malaysian photographers perusing the area, on the hunt for the latest photo opps; a growing community of which exist within the country. By lunchtime we will check into the wonderful Smokehouse Inn, the most comfortable lodgings on the mountain, which are akin to an old English inn, and which comes equipped with a garden full of blooming shrubs that my just attract some of the birds we are hoping to see shoot. Four nights well be spent on the mountain. Days 3-5: Fraser’s Hill and The Gap A good road network both on the top of the hill itself, and at the bottom around “The Gap” allows easy access to forest birds right from the road. The roads on the hill weave their way past gardens which attract birds like Streaked Spiderhunters, Chestnut-capped Laughingthrushes, and Fire-tufted Barbets. There are plenty of avian subjects to keep us busy on the hill, including exciting possibilities such as Red-headed Trogon, Silver-eared Mesia, Orange-bellied Leafbird, Black-throated Sunbird, Red-bearded Bee-eater, and Golden Babbler. Cruising the road down to The Gap offers us chances of lower elevation species such as hornbills like Rhinoceros and Great, as well as a chance to bump into flocks that could hold exciting birds like Sultan Tit and Long-tailed Sibia. Down at The Gap itself, the nature of the forest changes, as it becomes wetter and more humid and birds like Rufous Piculet, Black-crested Bulbul, and a series of barbets become possible, especially if one of the large figs is in fruit. Day 6: Fraser’s Hill to Kuala Lumpur; fly to Borneo After a final few hours around Fraser's Hill or The Gap, we will drive to Kuala Lumpur and take a mid afternoon flight to Kota Kinabalu in Borneo for the start of the main tour. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. Early starts are necessary (typically around 6:00 am) on most days since we need to take advantage of the best light and bird activity, and we also will be active in late afternoons and evenings where possible, however there is almost always some downtime in the middle of the day (when it is often hot, and the birds are less active). There is relatively little travel on this itinerary and only one day of long driving on day 8 of the main tour (about 5.5 hours). There are several packed breakfasts required, one on the main tour, and on the second day of the extension in particular. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Moderate. At Mt. Kinabalu and Danum Valley there is a lot of walking involved, on roads and hilly forest trails – you should be prepared to walk 1-2 miles (1.6-3.2 km) on some days (with your camera gear). Along the Kinabatangan, we will be in boats much of the time which does not require much physical exertion. On the extension it is a bit easier as we will spend a lot of time on flatter open roads or using the vehicle to look for fruiting trees and other good locations. CLIMATE: Hot and humid at Sepilok, Sukau and Danum (mostly 74°-88°F, 23°-31°C) and very humid, but cool on Mount Kinabalu and on the extension at Fraser’s Hill (mostly 50°-68°F, 10°-20°C). Rain is likely, often in the afternoons in the form of thunderstorms, but one can also have tropical systems that create rain for longer periods. ACCOMMODATION: Good to excellent. Sabah is one of the best-developed areas is Asia for eco-tourism. All accommodations have private, en-suite bathrooms, full time hot water, and 24-hour electricity. Air-conditioning is not available for the four nights at Borneo Rainforest Lodge and for the three nights at Sukau, however these are both top-notch lodges and the rooms have good fans. EXPECTATIONS: Sabah is fun province to travel in with easy transport network and great food. We can expect to see nearly 300 species of bird on this trip, and are likely to be able to photograph more than 75 species. For a forested destination there is plenty of wildlife and we can expect to see many mammals, reptiles and insects, some of which are very photogenic. GEAR: Binoculars are essential. Your leader will have a scope. Because the light is low, and we’ll be spending times in forests, a faster lens is best, as is a full-frame camera. Using a prime 300 f2.8 or f4 (with and without teleconverter) works well, and a 100-400 mm zoom can also be great for both birds and mammal photos. There is also a myriad of opportunities to take landscape photos and also there are some opportunities for cultural photography of temples and/or people. Macro photography and nocturnal photography will be limited as there are only a handful of subjects we target. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Visas are not currently required for citizens of the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Visas are currently required only of a few nationalities, mainly in Africa and the Middle East. Travel requirements are subject to change; it’s always a good idea to double check six weeks before the tour, or ask our office for help WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to drivers and lodge staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 12 if taking only the main tour, and through the night of day 5 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 13 if taking only the main tour, and to breakfast on day 6 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); safe drinking water and/or juice during meals; safe drinking water as well as tea and coffee are available at mealtimes; Tropical Birding tour leader from the morning of day 1 to the afternoon of day 13 if taking only the main tour, if taking the extension please request more info from our office regarding guiding arrangements; 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 are on the same flight); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 1 to day 13 (and to day 6 of the extension if also taking the extension) in a suitable vehicle; entrance fees to birding sites, parks and reserves mentioned in the itinerary; several boat trips on the Kinabatangan River at Sukau; domestic flights on day 5 and day 13. WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the tour leader; tips for luggage porters (if you require their services); international flights; domestic flight between Peninsula Malaysia and Borneo (if you are joining the extension); 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 charges; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Borneo BWC Review Anchor Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

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Japan in Winter: Birding on Ice Tour Overview: Japan – the clean-cut, modern economic powerhouse – is also an archipelago that is as variable as it is exciting. From the subtropics of Kyushu to temperate Hokkaido, the stark mountains, jagged coastline, and forests hold several of the world’s must-see birds. This tour runs in winter, when the massive-billed Steller’s Sea-Eagles congregate on impressive ice floes waiting for fishermen’s scraps, and huge numbers of cranes gather at their wintering grounds. Add some great mixed-flock birding in the coniferous forests of the central islands, in addition to gulls and waterbirds galore, and you have a great mix of birding experiences. Another great experience is indulging in some sake (a pungent and strong white spirit) on a cold winter night while waiting for the Blakiston’s Fish-Owl at a floodlit waterhole stake-out. You will leave these enigmatic islands having experienced some of the greatest birding spectacles on earth. On this trip, we spare no expense, including three pelagic outings on our main tour, an important consideration when comparing this to other Japan tours. Blakiston's Fish Owl Sam Woods Steller's Sea-Eagle Keith Barnes Snow Monkey Keith Barnes White-naped Cranes Keith Barnes The sun sets over Hokkaido Keith Barnes Red-crowned Cranes Keith Barnes Steller's Sea-Eagle Keith Barnes Red-crowned Crane Sam Woods Whooper Swan Andres Vasquez Red-crowned Crane Keith Barnes Red-crowned Crane Keith Barnes White-tailed Eagle Keith Barnes White-naped Cranes Keith Barnes Japanese Varied Tit Keith Barnes Whooper Swan Keith Barnes White-naped Cranes Keith Barnes White-naped Crane Keith Barnes Steller's Sea-Eagle Keith Barnes Daurian Redstart Keith Barnes Steller's Sea-Eagle Keith Barnes Snow Monkey Keith Barnes Spectacled Guillemot Keith Barnes Sika Deer Keith Barnes Red Fox Keith Barnes Japanese Green Woodpecker Keith Barnes Tour Details: 2027 Main Tour: 17 January - 30 January $6995; single supplement: $850 Ryukyu Pre-Extension: 11 - 17 January $3380; single supplement: $490 Pelagic Post-Extension: 30 - 31 January $975; singles not available Length: 14 Days (21 Days w/ Both Extensions) Starting City: Tokyo Ending City: Tokyo Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy Focus: Birding Group size: 8 + 1 Leader or 9-12 +2 Leaders 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: Tokyo to Karuizawa The tour starts with a 10:00am meeting at a Narita Tokyo airport Hotel, from where we travel to the Karuizawa area for a two night stay, and where we’ll begin our Japanese birding in earnest. Nestled on the slopes of the impressive Asamayama volcano, we’ll scour the snow-dusted forests for our first birds, including the remarkable Varied and cute Long-tailed Tits, Oriental Greenfinch and maybe our first endemics in the form of Japanese Green and Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers. If we are lucky we might even see some transient species such as Long-tailed Rosefinch, Pale Thrush, or the striking Meadow Bunting. We spend two nights in Karuizawa. Days 2: Karuizawa The woodlands here support some superb birds, the finest ones being the endemic Copper Pheasant and immaculate Japanese Waxwing. As we search the quiet forest trails and streams looking for these we hope to encounter the mighty Crested Kingfisher, Brown Dipper, Japanese Wagtail, Japanese Grosbeak, and Hawfinch. Day 3: Karuizawa to Nagano We head to the amazing Snow Monkeys first thing this morning, where we enjoy them in the steam baths with icicles forming on their snow-matted fur. Then we head to Komatsu for a two-night stay. Day 4: Western Honshu Wetlands Honshu’s western coastline is a waterfowl paradise and we seek out some great rarities here amongst a swathe of common waterfowl. Katano Kamoike is a small sanctuary that holds Baikal Teal, Bewick’s Swan and both Taiga and Tundra Bean Geese. We may also see Falcated Duck, Greater White-fronted Goose and others today. Day 5: Honshu to Hokkaido On this day we fly via Tokyo to the island of Hokkaido, Japan’s Alaska, where we spend the next five days. Huge tracts of taiga-like mountainous wilderness, covered in snow and ice fields make this the most visually stunning part of Japan. While bird species diversity is low in this barren icy seascape, it supports some of the world’s must-see birds including the spectacular, gargantuan Steller’s Sea-Eagle. We spend two nights in Nemuro. Day 6: Nemuro Peninsula This area provides some of the most exciting and varied winter birding in Japan, with a good diversity of species. This morning we indulge in a pelagic trip off this finger of land where we hope to get great views of alcids like Least Auklet, Spectacled and Pigeon Guillemots and Ancient Murrelet. We’ll go as far as Cape Nosappu where the oceans are sometimes packed with sea ducks and gulls including Common Goldeneye and scoters, and cormorants. Red-throated Loon and Red-necked Grebe are also specialty species in this vicinity. Day 7: Notsuke Peninsula to Rausu Today we scour the coastline and capes looking for sea ducks and alcids, including Black and White-winged Scoters, Harlequin Duck and Long-tailed Duck, and hopefully some rarer species like Spectacled Guillemot, Ancient Murrelet or Crested Auklet. The day should also yield an amazing gull-fest including the likes of Glaucous and Glaucous-winged gulls. We finish off the day in a forested valley where we will wait eagerly near a fishpond for one of the ultimate birds of the tour – the massive Blakiston’s Fish-Owl. We spend two nights in Rausu. Day 8: Rausu sea trip Today’s boat trip is phenomenal. We head out between the ice rafts into a massive ice-sea. While gulls abound, we’ll mostly be on the lookout for eagles. We’ll notice the size difference between the already impressive White-tailed and simply gigantic Steller’s Sea-Eagles. These chocolate-and-white leviathans are crowded on the ice at times, and when our boatman starts throwing out fish scraps, they wheel in and gorge themselves within a few meters of the boat, offering unbelievable photographic opportunities. This evening we will try again for the temperamental Blakiston’s Fish-Owl if last night’s vigil proved luckless. Day 9: Rausu to Akan We will leave the Rausu area, and if we have time, we may stop in at Kiritappu, a great site for seawatching and Asian Rosy Finch, before arriving at Akan for the night. In the afternoon we will visit the Akan Crane Centre which is in easy walking distance of our lodge. We will have chances to photograph dozens of Red-crowned Cranes gather in the white powder snow to dance and bugle in an unforgettable nuptial display. We will overnight in Akan. Day 10: Akan to Izumi We’ll fly back to Tokyo (Haneda) and then on to Kagoshima on the southern island of Kyushu, which is bordering on subtropical. We head to the town of Izumi, home to the most impressive gathering of cranes in the world, for a two night stay. Day 11: Izumi This morning we will be blown away by one of the most awesome birding spectacles on Earth; a gathering of more than 10,000 cranes. The cacophony of bugling crane calls will be heard seemingly right outside our rooms, in darkness before we have even left our beds. Regal White-naped Cranes join the more abundant Hooded Cranes, and by scouring these flocks of extremely elegant birds we may pick out a few Common or Sandhill cranes, or if we are really lucky a vagrant Demoiselle or ghostly Siberian Crane. After this overwhelming experience we’ll tap into a variety of other habitats in the region. The coast may yield Temminck’s Cormorant and the scarce Saunder’s Gull. Fields and meadows should reveal buntings and pipits, and perhaps the verdant Green Pheasant. Rivers will be scoured for one of the world’s toughest shorebirds, Long-billed Plover, while Japanese Bush-warblers skulk in the riparian thickets. Day 12: Izumi to Mi-ike After a final morning at Izumi, we will head to Mi-ike where we will overnight. On clear days we’ll see the impressive volcanic cone looming large in the background, while birds such as Ryuku Minivet, White-bellied Green Pigeon, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Gray Bunting, White-backed Woodpecker and Japanese Grosbeak may thrill us in the foreground. We’ll also visit a lake where we search for some rare waterbirds, chiefly the incredible Mandarin Duck amongst the many common ducks. We will overnight in Kirishima. Day 13: Mi-ike to Kadogawa We will take a boat trip out to Kadogawa Harbor to search for Japanese Murrelet. While out there, we may also encounter Vega, Black-tailed, and Slaty-backed Gulls, Great Crested Grebe, or Pacific Reef Heron. In the afternoon we will explore the Miyazaki coastline and check an estuary for the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill. We will overnight in Sadowara. Day 14: Kyushu to Tokyo After some final birding in the area, the main tour finishes today with a flight back to Tokyo. If you are not joining the extension, you may connect with international flights home. Those staying for the extension will head for the ferry terminal. Ryukyu Pre-Extension Introduction: We begin in Okinawa, which has a totally different feel than the rest of the country. The Ryukyu islands, were formerly part of an independent Ryukyu Kingdom until 1879, when they were annexed by Japan. But they are both culturally and biologically unique, with about 9 endemic species and 7 additional taxa that could well be endemic species splits. After exploring both the main island plus the unique island of Amami Oshima in search of their many endemics, we will fly to Tokyo to begin the main tour. Day 1: Naha We begin the tour with lunch in Naha, the prefectural capital of Okinawa. Okinawa is the most tropical of Japan’s prefectures and home to some great endemics. On Okinawa’s ‘honto’, or main island, our main targets will be the rare Okinawa Rail and Pryer’s or Okinawa Woodpecker. To search for, these we will head to the north of the island and the Yanbaru area which gives the rail its Japanese name, yanbaru-kuina. We will drive along the idyllic coast line before arriving at our well situated lodge for a two-night stay. Day 2: Okinawa The stunning Okinawa Rail, remarkably only first described to science in 1981, is quite common in northern Okinawa, but still considered endangered due its population size of less than 1000 individuals and threats such as the conversion of habitat to golf courses and predation by feral cats. The other extreme rarity is the maroon Pryer’s Woodpecker, which has a total population in the low hundreds. We will have a full day to explore this fascinating area in search of our target Okinawa Rail and Pryer’s Woodpecker and will also hope for other local specialties including Okinawa Robin and Japanese Paradise Flycatcher. At this time of year we may also pick up one or 2 late migrants that pass through the Ryukyu island chain. At night we will take an ‘owl-prowl’ in search of Northern Boobooks, and Elegant and Japanese Scops-Owls. Day 3: Okinawa to Amami After our final birding here we will drive south to Naha where we will board our flight to Amami-Oshima; one of the most northerly of the Ryukyu Islands which actually lies in Kagoshima prefecture. Amami is a small island but home to 2 endemic bird species: Lidth’s Jay and Amami Woodcock. In addition, endemic races of White-backed Woodpecker and Scaly Thrush are considered by some to be full species: Owston’s Woodpecker and Amami Thrush; the latter is thought to number only 60-100 individuals. Day 4-5: Amami Oshima We have two full days to explore this lush forest laden with enormous tree ferns, in search of our many targets. The maroon-and-sapphire Lidth’s Jay will be a welcome sight, as will the slew of cross-island endemics such as Ryukyu Green-Pigeon, Ryukyu Flycatcher, Ryukyu Minivet, Ryukyu Robin, and Elegant Scops-Owl. We will also be sure to look for the many distinct subspecies that could well be split in the near future. We will spend some time at night on Amami looking for the incredible endemic Amami Woodcock and the weird marsupial-like Amami Black Rabbit. Day 6: Amami to Tokyo After a final spot of birding in search of any remaining targets, we will board our flight to Tokyo where we will spend the night. Day 7: Begin main tour Well depart the hotel after breakfast and head to the airport to meet the people arriving for the main tour. Pelagic Post-Extension Day 1: Tokyo to Miyake-jima From Tokyo, we will take one of the regular ferries that service the Izu Islands. The ferry goes overnight, and we will spend the night on the boat. Day 2: Miyakejima At dawn, we will disembark on the island of Miyake-jima, and spend the morning exploring the forested slopes for Izu Thrush, Japanese Wood-Pigeon and Izu Robin, amongst others. After midday, we will re-board the boat returning from Hachijo-jima and spend the last few hours sea-watching on the most productive stretch of the ferry ride. We hope to see several albatross species which are regular in these waters, especially the rare Short-tailed Albatross. Laysan and Black-footed Albatrosses, Streaked Shearwater, and Black-legged Kittiwakes are all mouth-watering possibilities, and there is always the chance of picking up a serious rarity. After a full afternoon searching for these ocean wanderers, we’ll dock at Tokyo, where we’ll return to Haneda for outward bound flights. If your flight schedule requires an overnight, we can help you book a hotel. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. Relatively early starts are necessary on some days (as early as 5:30am), such as when watching the cranes awaken at Tsuruimura & Arasaki. Because there are only about nine hours of daylight in mid-winter, there will not be much downtime during daylight hours, but there is usually plenty of time to relax during the long nights. The driving isn’t too bad on this trip, with drives of four or more hours on about two days of the trip. Most meals will be in restaurants, but several lunches will be bought at convenience stores as this gives us a lot more flexibility and saves valuable daylight birding time. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate. Some of the birding will be from the car. Most of the walking will be on flat or slightly inclined roads or wide tracks although there will be some longer walks along narrower forest trails at Miike & Karuizawa. Due to snowy and icy conditions, suitable footwear is required, and walking sticks and crampons are also recommended. All walks are done at a slow pace. The longest walk is the 2.5 mile (4 km) roundtrip walk to see the Snow Monkeys, which has some inclined sections and some steps, but anyone with a reasonably good level of fitness can handle it. CLIMATE : Cold and possibly snowy for most of the trip, with temperatures ranging from about 7° to 32°F (-14° to 0°C) in the coldest areas. Kyushu is the mildest place we will visit on this tour, with temperatures ranging from about 39° to 56°F (4° to 13°C). Blizzards are possible in some areas, and there is a chance of road closures, possibly causing on-the-spot changes to the itinerary. We try our very best to keep to the schedule and not miss any birds, but travel insurance is always a good idea. ACCOMMODATION: We will stay in two distinctly different types of accommodation on this tour: Typical western style accommodation with private bathrooms, and Japanese style Minshukus (primarily in Hokkaido and usually four nights total). The Minshukus are normally large shared rooms for 2 or 3 people. The bathrooms are large, shared bathrooms. There is some etiquette about the use of such bathrooms, and we will discuss this at the start of the tour. Minshukus do not have single accommodations available, and the single supplement for this tour has been calculated based only on the accommodations where we can provide single rooms. We use the Minshukus because they are located at some of the best birding localities, and some of their owners are birders that supply excellent local information. They also provide a distinct and unique Japanese ‘flavor’ to the tour, and most people really enjoy the experience of staying in them. PHOTOGRAPHY: This is a birding tour, but casual photographers will have great opportunities to photograph birds, Snowy Monkeys, and scenery. Photo opportunities on Hokkaido are particularly good. We should have a cruise from Rausu to see Steller’s Sea-Eagles and White-tailed Eagles on the ice flow (if it has arrived). We should also have great opportunities to photograph Japanese Cranes waking in the Setsuri River and dancing on the snow at the feeding sites. Please bear in mind that all of these are weather dependent. There are feeders at our lodge at Karuizawa and Nemuro although we will watch these through glass. We often get good shots of birds such as ducks and gulls in the harbors of Hokkaido. Serious bird photographers may wish to check out our Japan Photo Tour . Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required for entry into Japan. It must be valid for at least 6 months past the time of your scheduled return. Currently, visas are not required for citizens of the US, Canada, the UK, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. For other countries, please check your nearest embassy or consulate for current requirements, or ask us for help. Travel requirements are subject to change; it is a good idea to double check several weeks before the tour. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: (Note that this only applies to the main tour – please contact us for inclusions on the extensions) Accommodation from night of day 1 to the night of day 13; meals from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 14; some drinks (the lodges typically include water or juice and tea or coffee with each meal, and if any meal does not include drinks, Tropical Birding will provide reasonable non-alcoholic beverages for that meal); safe drinking water between meals; Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and playback gear from 10:00am on day 1 to the evening of day 14; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from 10:00am of day 1 to the evening of day 14 (the tour leader usually is the driver); internal flights as specified 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; 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. Japan Winter Review Anchor Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

NW Argentina: Birding the Andes, Yungas & Monte Desert Tour Overview: From the lush yungas forest with its distinctive avifauna, to the dramatic cactus-studded Andean deserts, to the high altiplano with its flamingo-studded lakes, this tour offers a fascinating variety of habitats and birds. There is a huge number of different species for birders who have only visited the north Andean countries, with evocative names like earthcreepers, brushrunners, cachalotes, and gallitos. We cover a lot of ground on this tour, but it is quite comfortable thanks to Argentina’s good infrastructure and friendly people. Wine aficionados will enjoy sampling the great local vintages during our evening meals. A very different, (and relaxed pace) extension to the largest waterfalls in the world, Iguazu, in northeastern Argentina, ensures not only that this incredible natural wonder will be seen from a number of angles, but a healthy number of Atlantic Forest birds will be added to the list too. Red-tailed Comet Andres Vasquez Diademed Sandpiper-Plover Andres Vasquez Andean Hillstar Andres Vasquez Rosy-billed Pochard Nick Athanas Black Siskin Andres Vasquez Rufous-throated Dipper Sam Woods Wedge-tailed Hillstar Andres Vasquez Ornate Tinamou Andres Vasquez Iguazu Falls Andres Vasquez Tawny-throated Dotterel Andres Vasquez Andean Avocet Andres Vasquez James's Flamingo Andres Vasquez Mourning Sierra Finch Andres Vasquez Cobalt-rumped Parrotlet Andres Vasquez Puna Teal Andres Vasquez Mitred Parakeet Andres Vasquez Elegant-crested Tinamou Sam Woods Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper Andres Vasquez Plush-crested Jay Andres Vasquez White-tipped Plantcutter Andres Vasquez Olive-crowned Crescentchest Andres Vasquez Giant Coot Andres Vasquez Lark-like Brushrunner Andres Vasquez Chaco Owls Andres Vasquez Black-legged Seriema Andres Vasquez Tour Details: 2026 Main Tour: 5 - 17 November $6990; single supplement: $690 Extension: 17 - 20 November $2890; single supplement: $360 Length: 13 Days (16 Days w/ Extension) Starting City: Tucuman Ending City: Salta (Iguazu for the Extension) 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 Check out our Virtual Tour Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Arrival in Tucumán After your arrival in this northern Argentinian city, we will transfer you to a hotel for two nights. Day 2: Trancas area and Tucumán We will start our tour by visiting an area that is not particularly beautiful or pristine, but nonetheless has surprisingly good birding within a mixture of farmland and patches of fragmented forest. This will be a great introduction to some dry Chaco species with good chances to see striking furnariids like Lark-like Bushrunner and Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper, which are not possible on the rest of the tour. We also have a decent chance to see the often difficult and highly sought-after Black-legged Seriema and Olive-crowned Crescentchest. We may also get our first White-tipped Plantcutters, Chaco Earthcreepers, and plenty of widespread Argentine birds. Day 3: Rio Los Sosa Valley and Tafí del Valle In the early morning, we shall drive up into the Andes north of the city. We shall be looking for one of the potential birds of the trip straight off the bat; as we wind through the forested Rio Los Sosa Valley, we will check the river regularly for Rufous-throated Dipper, and Torrent Duck, and the forest is also home to the endemic Yellow-striped Brushfinch. In the afternoon we’ll check a lake on the edge of Tafi del Valle for waterbirds, like Rosy-billed Pochard and Red Shoveler, among the more common waterfowl. Along the shore we may also find Paraguayan Snipe. The first of two nights will be spent in Tafí del Valle. Day 4: El Infiernillo and Rio Los Sosa We’ll bird this high mountain pass at dawn for Buff-breasted Earthcreeper, the handsome Tucuman Mountain-Finch, Andean Tinamou, White-browed Tapaculo, and Hellmayr’s Pipit. Flower patches lower down the valley could hold Andean and White-sided Hillstars, Giant Hummingbird, or Sparkling Violetear. The plan for the afternoon will depend on what we still are looking for; but we may return to the Rio Los Sosa Valley to look for Rufous-throated Dipper, Slaty Elaenia or Tucuman Parrot, among others. A second night will be spent in Tafí del Valle. Day 5: Tafí del Valle to the Calchaquí Valley Many people will enjoy the chance to sample some of the region’s best wines, and by the end of the day, we’ll arrive at the Calchaquí Valley, a world-renowned wine-growing area, where we’ll overnight. Before then we shall visit the “Monte Desert”, where huge stick nests may lead us to one our targets, the noisy White-throated Cachalote. This same tinder dry-habitat is also home to the pallid Sandy Gallito, and we’ll also check thorn scrub en-route where White-tipped Plantcutter, Tufted Tit-Spinetail and Sharp-billed Canastero can be found. Crossing an area of wet grasslands en-route may also yield Spectacled Tyrant or Long-tailed Meadowlark. Closer to Cafayate we may also find groups of White-fronted Woodpeckers clinging to the side of huge, saguaro-like cacti. In the afternoon we can go in search of Chaco Earthcreeper and Burrowing Parakeets near our hotel – if we see our targets quickly, we may take a tour of one of the nearby wineries. A single night will be spent in the Calchaquí Valley. Day 6: Calchaquí Valley to Cachi The highlight of the morning is likely to be the scenery more than the birds, as we drive through dramatic craggy areas of the Andes peppered with burnt red rocks. Eventually, we’ll drive a road that snakes up a steep valley known as the Cuesta del Obispo, where roadside scrub and woodland hold some extremely localized species like Bare-eyed Ground-Dove, Rufous-sided Warbling-Finch, Maquis Canastero, and Rufous-bellied Mountain Tanager, along with more common birds, including Brown-capped Tit-Spinetail, Yellow-billed and Tufted Tit-Tyrants, and Rusty Flowerpiercer. We will also get further chances at the much sought after White-tipped Plantcutter, should we need it. The night will be spent in the wonderful town of Cachi. Day 7: Cardones National Park to Salta We’ll start out the day in the dramatic surroundings of Cardones National Park, a high altitude site, where large saguaro-like cacti punctuate the landscape, which provides our best chance at tracking down the Elegant Crested Tinamou. After spending time with the tinamous, we’ll head to Salta for the night, passing through the same area for Rufous-bellied Mountain Tanager, should we need further time to search for it. If time allows, in the afternoon we’ll bird the markedly different Yungas forest near our hotel, where we might have our first encounters with Dot-fronted and Cream-backed Woodpeckers, Plush-crested Jay, and more. A single night is spent in a quiet and wooded suburb of Salta. Day 8: Salta to Yala This will be a varied day, as we combine various wetlands with some great birding in verdant Yungas cloudforest. Among the waterbirds we hope to find are Coscoroba Swan, Cinnamon and Brazilian Teals, Rosy-billed Pochard, and several coot species. If we are lucky, we may also find the scarce Ringed Teal too. One particular lake will be visited for the chance to see Tawny-headed Swallow, White Monjita, and Yellowish Pipit. We shall then shall work our way through the scrub and Yungas along the Cornisa Road, our best chance to find Red-legged Seriema, Two-banded Warbler, Green-cheeked Parakeet, and Giant Antshrike. In the afternoon, we shall visit Yala, a forest park that offers a good chance to find Red-faced Guan, Yungas Pygmy-Owl and Rust-and-yellow Tanager, among others. It also gives a further opportunity to find both Torrent Duck and Rufous-throated Dipper, should we need to do so. The night will be spent near Yala. Day 9: Yala to Abra Pampa We’ll return to the cloudforest at Yala in the morning to track down anything we’re still missing from the day before, which could include Fulvous-headed Brushfinch, Rusty-browed Warbling-Finch, Slender-tailed Woodstar, Rufous-capped Antshrike, Plumbeous Black-Tyrant, Large-tailed Dove, Buff-banded and Sclater’s Tyrannulets, and White-browed Brushfinch. Later in the morning, we’ll head higher up into the Andes, into the open puna highlands near Abra Pampa. En-route, we’ll check a high Andean lagoon for Giant Coot, White-tufted and Silvery Grebes, and Puna Teal. In the afternoon, we’ll search the arid puna around town for Puna Miner, Gray-bellied Shrike-tyrant, Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch, and Andean Negrito. The night will be spent in a simple hotel in the tiny town of Abra Pampa. Day 10: Laguna de los Pozuelos An early start is necessary today as we drive a long way on dirt roads to the remote Laguna de los Pozuelos. This lake is home to three species of flamingo (Andean, Chilean, and James’s), along with the elegant Andean Avocet, and (in some years) Giant Coots too, and other Andean waterbirds, like Puna Plover and Puna Teal. The water level of this lake fluctuates tremendously from year to year, and we will modify our birding accordingly – in dry years, we can see most of the birds on other lakes. In the last five years or so, water levels have dropped remarkably at this site, and so have the numbers of birds. While it is still a very worthwhile site to visit, we feel the need to warn you that the past numbers of thousands of waterbirds (including flamingos) have reduced to mere dozens in recent tours. This is the result of a long term drought in the region. We have still managed to find most, if not all, of the key species on most tours, just very individuals of them. The dry puna around the lake is good for Golden-spotted Ground-Dove, Gray-breasted Seedsnipe, Short-billed Pipit, and a variety of finches. It is also a good area to see Ornate Tinamous crossing the tracks. Herds of Vicugnas roam the lake edge, and we’ll also keep a lookout for Lesser Rheas. In the afternoon, we’ll drive to La Quiaca, located right on the border with Bolivia, for a two-night stay. Late in the afternoon, there should be time to drive a dirt road nearby which can be good for Least Seedsnipe and Tawny-throated Dotterel, and will give us another shot at finding rheas again of needed. Day 11: Sierra de Santa Victoria and Yavi We’ll need another early start as we drive east to a 14,700 ft (4500 m) pass, the highest elevation we reach on the tour. The scenery here is nothing short of spectacular, and while species numbers are low, what we do see is quite different from previous days. The smartly-dressed Red-backed Sierra-Finch is usually easy to find, and we’ll also look for Ornate Tinamou, Mountain Parakeet, Slender-billed Miner, Straight-billed and Buff-breasted Earthcreepers, Puna Canastero, Cream-winged Cinclodes, Black-fronted, Puna, and Cinereous Ground-Tyrants, Andean Swallow, Brown-backed Mockingbird, Andean Hillstar, and more. If the weather is good, we stand a good chance of seeing Andean Condors on the wing too. Later on, we’ll bird some montane scrub lower down for Puna Yellow-Finch, Rufous-banded Miner, and Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail before driving back west. We’ll spend the afternoon in the historic village of Yavi. A river runs through this village, providing water for small farms and creating an oasis that is amazingly “birdy”. This is the best place in Argentina for Citron-headed Yellow-Finch and Wedge-tailed Hillstar, and while these are the biggest targets, we’ll see plenty of other great birds that may include Black-hooded and Mourning Sierra-Finches, Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, Spot-winged Pigeon, Bare-faced and Black-winged Ground-Doves, d’Orbigny’s Chat-Tyrant, Brown-backed Mockingbird, White-winged Black-Tyrant, and Andean Swift. A second night will be spent in La Quiaca. Day 12: La Quiaca to Salta We’ll spend the morning targeting anything else we still need in this area before driving back to Salta, where we spend another night in the same comfortable hotel used on the night of day 6. The drive back south is nothing short of spectacular as we pass through the world famous Humahuaca Valley, with its patchwork of multicolored rock faces. En-route we may check out some wetlands for waterbirds and Southern Martins, and shall take a side trip to a quiet forested road, which plays host to birds like Black-and-chestnut Warbling-Finch, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, and Rufous-capped Antshrike. In the afternoon, we’ll look for foothill species in the Yungas, such as Moss-backed Sparrow, Giant Antshrike, Green-cheeked Parakeet, and Yungas Sparrow. On this night, we may do some nightbirding targeting Montane Forest Screech-owl and Scissor-tailed Nightjar. Day 13: Palomitas to Salta/Start Iguazu Falls Extension Today we drive down into the dry foothills east of Salta. Some superb birds can be found here along an easy dirt road, such as Many-colored Chaco Finch, Spot-backed Puffbird, Ultramarine Grosbeak, Stripe-backed Antbird, Black-capped Warbling-Finch, Checkered and Cream-backed Woodpeckers, Chaco Chachalaca, Little and Rufous-fronted Thornbirds, Chaco Earthcreeper, and Brushland and Tataupa Tinamous. Red-legged Seriema is sometimes easy to see in some open fields farther along the road, but we will need a lot of luck to find the smaller and shier Black-legged Seriema, which also occurs in the area. We’ll return to Salta airport for lunch and departures, or to fly to Iguazu, if joining the Iguazu Falls Extension. Iguazu Falls Extension Introduction: This short, and relaxed pace, extension focuses primarily on seeing the mighty Iguazu Falls, rightly listed as one of the World’s must-see destinations. Iguazu is the largest waterfall system on Earth, spanning two countries (shared with Brazil), rising to nearly 270ft.(over 80m) at their highest point, and consisting of up to 300 different waterfalls in the wettest periods. We will visit a number of other areas to view them, as they are so huge they deserve to be seen from a number of alternative angles to fully appreciate the outstanding magnificence of them. There will, of course, also be plentiful new birds, offered in an entirely new biome, Atlantic Forest, home to many endemic species. Thus, many of the species encountered on the extension will be completely new for the trip. While considerable numbers of new species are on offer, this extension will be operated at a “soft” pace, dictated by national park regulations, which prohibit early morning entry into the park. It compliments the main tour perfectly, and will provide some much-needed downtime and more slow paced birding, compared with the main tour, which has many early mornings, and longer days in the field to get to all the birding sites. Day 1: Salta to Puerto Iguazú We’ll fly this afternoon to Puerto Iguazú, and then transfer to a hotel, where we’ll spend the next three nights. Days 2-3: Iguazu Falls We will have two full days to explore not only the massive waterfalls, for which the area is most famous for, but also the surrounding subtropical rainforests, which are alive with birds, and will offer up a long list of species not possible on the main tour. Many birds just creep into Argentina here, and so we’ll be on the lookout for many highly local Argentinian birds during these days. The park is dissected by many forest trails, and boardwalks, many of the latter of which allow spectacular views of the namesake Falls. We’ll have plenty of time to enjoy both the forest birds and the dramatic waterfalls. The bird list for the park is immense, and we will split our time between walking forest trails into the deeper rainforest, with walking easy forest roads that bisect more open forest, which provides easier birding, and offers up excellent birds. Some of the other many species available in the park include, Black-fronted Piping-Guan, Great Dusky Swift, Surucua Trogon, Rufous-capped Motmot, Toco and Red-breasted Toucans, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Yellow-fronted, Blond-crested and Robust Woodpeckers, Spot-backed and Tufted Antshrikes, Ochre-breasted Foliage-Gleaner, Ochre-collared Piculet, Gray-hooded Flycatcher, Southern Antpipit, Riverbank Warbler, Swallow-tailed Manakin, Red-rumped Cacique, Chestnut-bellied Euphonia, Blue Dacnis and Green-headed Tanager. The possibilities for these days are huge and no two visits are the same in an area this diverse. We will certainly add many standout birds in just two days in this mega-rich birding area, while enjoying what for many is the finest set of waterfalls on Earth, rivaling even Niagra and Angel Falls for their visual impact. We will also visit a hummingbird garden, where up to 8 species visit in this season, often including Black-throated Mango, Gilded Sapphire, Black Jacobin, and Versicolored and Glittering-bellied Emeralds. Other feeders on site also regularly attract the stunning regional endemic Green-headed Tanager. Day 4: Departure from Iguazu In the morning we’ll transfer to Cataratas del Iguazu International Airport to connect with flights to other parts of Argentina (e.g. Buenos Aires), in order to connect with international departures. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. This tour will especially target the endemics and other regional specialties of Northwest Argentina. 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 the best bird activity usually occurs in the early morning hours, and some hotels are a long way from the birding sites – the earliest starts will be 5:00-5:30am. At least two breakfasts and at least two lunches will be taken in the field. There is quite a bit of driving required (five days involve drives of around 4.5-5.5 hours), but most of the roads are quite good, the scenery is often excellent, there are many birding stops to break the drives up. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate. Nearly all of the birding is done from flat or only slightly inclined roads and wide tracks. The only reason this tour merits a “moderate” rating is that three days are spent on the altiplano at elevations entirely above 11,000 ft (3300 m), with a few hours spent as high as 14,400 ft (4,400 m) on one day - please keep this in mind if you have ever experienced altitude sickness in the past, and if you have never spent extended periods at these elevations in the past, you way want to consult with your doctor about possible medication as a precaution. You can expect to walk about 2-3 miles (3.2-4.8 km) per day on average. CLIMATE: Generally quite pleasant, and temperatures in most areas range from about 60°F(16°C) early in the morning to about 85°F(29°C) in the middle of the day. On the altiplano, it can get down to near freezing early in the morning, but quickly warms up to be very pleasant. A bit of rain can be expected, but it usually comes in short downpours that don’t interfere too much with the birding. ACCOMMODATION: Generally good to excellent, though one night is spent in a rather unremarkable hotels with somewhat small rooms, but even they have private bathrooms, hot water, and 24h electricity. 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 it’s pretty good for casual bird photography due to the open nature of most of the habitats. It is also very scenic in some areas, and many people like to stop for some quick landscape shots. 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, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, among others. 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?: Tips to drivers and lodge staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 12; if taking the extension, accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 3 of the extension; meals from dinner on day 1 to lunch on day 13; if taking the extension, meals from dinner of day 1 to lunch on day 4 of the extension; reasonable non-alcoholic drinks during meals; safe drinking water only between meals; one way flight from Salta to Puerto Iguazú (only if taking the extension – no flights are included in the main tour); Tropical Birding tour leader with scope and audio gear from the evening of day 1 to mid-day of day 13 of the main tour, and from the afternoon of day 1 to mid-day of day 4 of the extension, if taking the extension; airport transfer on day 1 of the main tour (this transfer may be shared with other tour participants if they are on the same flight); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from the morning of day 2 to mid-day of day 13 of the main tour (for smaller groups, the guide will drive, and for larger groups, there will be a driver); if taking the extension, group transport between the airport and hotel and bttween the hotel and the park (while inside the park, transport is by the park tram system, not by vehicle); 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 except for the one way flight from Salta to Puerto Iguazú on the extension; passport/visa fees; 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!

Colombia: Photo Tour Tour Overview: Colombia’s has the largest bird list of any country, nearing a staggering 2000 species. In recent years, eco-tourism has started to flourish – it is primed to become the newest bird photography craze. More and more sites are offering feeding stations conducive to photography, not just for the spectacular hummingbirds, but also for tanagers, antpittas, and more. Our photo tour to this amazingly diverse country offers a good mix of feeders, multi-flash set-ups, and opportunistic shooting, and covers a number of “new” areas not widely covered by other photo tours. Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan Sam Woods Multicolored Tanager Pablo Cervantes Daza Andean Cock-of-the-rock Pablo Cervantes Black-billed Mountain-Toucan Pablo Cervantes Crescent-faced Antpitta Sam Woods Collared Trogon Dorian Anderson Andean Motmot Pablo Cervantes White-throated Quail-Dove Sam Woods Tourmaline Sunangel Dorian Anderson Rainbow-bearded Thornbill Ben Knoot Green-and-black Fruiteater Sam Woods Scrub Tanager Pablo Cervantes Golden-breasted Puffleg Pablo Cervantes Collared Inca Pablo Cervantes Mountain Velvet-breast Pablo Cervantes Crimson-backed Tanager Pablo Cervantes Blue-necked Tanager Pablo Cervantes Equatorial Antpitta Dorian Anderson Buff-winged Starfrontlet Pablo Cervantes Black-throated Mango Dorian Anderson Long-tailed Sylph Dorian Anderson Saffron-crowned and Golden Tanager Nick Athanas Chestnut Wood-Quail Nick Athanas Shining Sunbeam Sam Woods Blue-throated Starfrontlet Phil Chaon Tour Details: 2026 12 - 28 November* $8990; single supplement: $1050 *The 2026 tour will start in Medellín and end in Cali Length: 17 Days Starting City: Cali or Medellín Ending City: Medellín or Cali Pace: Moderate/moderate Physical Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Bird 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: In 2026, we will run this tour in reverse order due to availability in the key lodges; it will start in Medellin and end in Cali. Day 1: Arrival in Cali The tour begins this evening in Cali. A transfer will be provided to a nice hotel in the city. There is no photography planned for today. Days 2 - 4: Western Andes based out of Araucana Lodge Araucana is a new and luxurious lodge that makes the perfect base from which to number of superb private reserves. We'll have three full days here, and our exact plan will be based on the latest information about where the best activity is happening. One of the key sites is "Kilometer 18", where the highlight is often the incredible Multicolored Tanager - arguably the most beautiful of a suite of tanagers possible here that also includes Saffron-crowned, Golden, Blue-winged Mountain, Golden-naped, Black-headed, and Flame-rumped. The endemic Chestnut Wood-Quail comes is another great possibility as it often comes into eat corn at a couple of the private reserves at km 18. Another must-visit spot is Doña Dora's rest stop in the Anchicaya Valley. The gaudy Toucan Barbet is the start bird here and it comes in regularly to the banana feeders along with others like Red-headed Barbet, Silver-throated Tanager, and Tricolored and Black-headed Brushfinches. There are several gorgeous hummingbirds here we may not see elsewhere like Empress Brilliant, Purple-bibbed Whitetip, and Velvet-purple Coronet. Araucana Lodge itself boasts excellent feeders for both hummingbirds as well as tanagers, orioles, toucanets, woodpeckers, honeycreepers and more. Day 5: Araucana Lodge to Salento via Parque Nacional de la Uva After some final time in or around Araucana, we will drive northeast towards Salento. However, we will have one very special stop along the way at Parque Nacional de la Uva (Grape National Park). Famous for its wine, we will be in the park for a very special bird instead, the Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, which we will photograph at the flowering blooms in the gardens there. Other possibilities there include Black-throated Mango and Steely-vented Hummingbird, as well as Saffron Finch and Southern Lapwing. We have a single night in Salento. Day 6: La Rivera Reserve We'll begin the day at La Rivera, a sanctuary nestled in the Andean foothills, where rich tropical forests, clear streams, and vibrant biodiversity create an exceptional setting for photography. The reserve is home to an impressive variety of colorful tanagers, hummingbirds, and several endemic species, offering close encounters and outstanding photographic opportunities. Some of our targets here include "stunners" like Red-ruffed Fruitcrow and Golden-headed Quetzal as well as the endemic Cauca Guan and Chestnut Wood-Quail. In the afternoon, we head to Urapanes del Bosque Lodge for a two night stay. We may also have time for a first visit to Retorno de los Colibríes. Day 7: Retorno de los Colibríes This private nature reserve is the result of an amazingly successful restoration project by a local family. The name translates to English roughly as "Return of the Hummingbirds", which is exactly what happened after their previously denuded land was reforested. Now it has garnered international attention as a premier location to see and photograph hummingbirds. They will be our main focus here as we aim to get shots of endemics such as Indigo-capped Hummingbird and Tolima Blossomcrown along with more widespread species including White-tipped Sicklebill, Sparkling Violetear, Andean Emerald, and White-vented Plumeleteer. If we can peel our eyes away from the hummers, fruit feeders attract some interesting birds as well, like Southern Emerald-Toucanet, Andean Motmot, Colombian Chachalaca, and many others - possibly even the endemic Tolima Dove if we are lucky. The rare and once critically endangered Yellow-eared Parrot also occurs here. If the local guide know of any actively fruiting trees during our visit, we'll be sure to spend some time trying to get some shots of this huge, macaw-like endemic parrot. Day 8: Urapanes del Bosque to Manizales Today we head north to the city of Manizales. Our plans are somewhat flexible and may depend on recent sightings, but we'll make some stops along the way. One option is the Don Miguel Nature Reserve - they occasionally get a Scaled Antpitta coming to worms, but not all the time. If the bird is coming during our tour, we'll stop in for a visit. We'll spend four nights in an excellent hotel in Manizales, which we'll use as a base to explore the surrounding area. Day 9: Rio Blanco Natural Reserve Rio Blanco is famous among birders for its antpitta feeders, which have been maintained for many years now. We have good chances at the handsome Chestnut-crowned Antpitta, the duller (but endemic) Brown-banded Antpitta, the very shy Bicolored Antpitta, and the diminutive Slate-crowned Antpitta. Other birds also come into the antpitta feeding sites including Green-and-black Fruiteater and Gray-browed Brushfinch. Hummer feeders by the lodge are good for multi-flash as well as getting clean shots of perched birds, and possibilities include Long-tailed Sylph, Bronzy and Collared Incas, Tourmaline Sunangel, Lesser (Green) Violetear, Sparkling Violetear, Speckled Hummingbird, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Buff-tailed Coronet, White-bellied Woodstar, and White-booted Racket-tail. Day 10: El Color de Mis Reves Today we will visit a wonderful cloud forest reserve, El Color de Mis Reves, accessed by 4x4 up a rough road into the Andes. Our main reason for visiting is their feeders, which have a regular star attract in the form of Black-billed Mountain-Toucan. This is the best place on Earth to photograph this spectacular Andean species. It's also a great place for the scarce Black-collared Jay, colorful Hooded Mountain Tanager, sharp-looking Northern Slaty Brushfinch, as well as swarms of hummingbirds including the dapper Collared Inca. Day 11: Hacienda El Bosque Hacienda El Bosque has become a world hotspot for it's incredible Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucans, which come in daily to feed on grapes. Nowhere else is it so easy to photograph this stunning bird, and sometimes there are up to seven birds present at any one time! Usually one or two antpittas also visit forest feeders including Equatorial and Crescent-chested Antpittas, and there are other nice targets for our lenses too at these feeders such as Andean Guan, White-throated Quail-Dove, and Gray-browed Brushfinch. The hummingbird feeders should not be missed either, which attract Shining Sunbeam, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, Lesser Violetear, Black-thighed Puffleg, and Sword-billed Hummingbird, as well as the deep-blue Masked Flowerpiercer. Day 12: Termales del Ruiz and Los Nevados We'll head high into the montains to Termales del Ruiz, famous for it's natural thermal hot springs that feed right into this scenic resort. They also have hummingbird and fruit feeders on site, and we will get our first taste of these on this afternoon. We will spend one night in this very comfortable resort, with dramatic, high Andean, scenery as a backdrop. Hummingbird photography is the main draw here, and our lodge has a superb garden with numerous feeders, a covered area, and plenty of space for multi-flash setups. At least 12 species are possible to photograph here: Golden-breasted and Black-thighed Pufflegs, Buff-winged Starfrontlet, Shining Sunbeam, Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, Great Sapphirewing, Tourmaline Sunangel, Mountain Velvetbreast, Viridian Metaltail, Tyrian Metaltail, and Sparkling Violetear. The fruit feeders offer chances to photograph great birds like Lacrimose and Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanagers, and Pale-naped Brush-Finch. We’ll also spend a few hours around the entrance to Los Nevados National Park at 13,800 ft. (4200 m.). Buffy Helmetcrest, an impressive endemic hummingbird, often can be photographed on perches or while feeding on Espeletia flowers. Other possible targets here are Tawny Antpitta, Brown-backed Chat-Tyrant, Sedge Wren, Andean Tit-Spinetail, White-chinned Thistletail, and Andean Siskin. The scenery is also impressive with vast grasslands, otherworldly plants, and ghostly mist that can come and go at any moment. A second night will be spent at Termales del Ruiz. Day 13: Termales del Ruiz to Jardín It's a long drive today, but we'll have a bit of early morning photography before we head out, and the afternoon should prove to be a highlight of the trip. In a ravine right next to the town there is one of the absolute best Andean Cock-of-the-rock display sites in the world. Every afternoon, numerous males scream and dance as they perform their mating rituals at extremely close range. Unlike many other lek sites, they display in broad daylight meaning that getting great shots is a real possibility this afternoon. We'll spend two nights in a hotel in Jardín. Day 14: Mirador El Roble There is good news and bad news today. The bad news first - we have to leave really early and drive up a very rough road. But the rewards should be worth it. Over the last couple of years, a Northern Oncilla has been regularly seen here and even photographed. While this property was originally built as a bird reserve, it is the cat that has been making headlines recently. Let us hope it continues to delight visitors. They also have a worm feeder for the otherwise very difficult Chami Antpitta, and we have good chance to get shots of various other species like Sickle-winged Guan, Masked Flowerpiercer, Rufous-crowned Tody-Flycatcher as well as several tanagers and hummingbirds. Day 15: Jardín area, drive to Medellín Local feeders vary in their levels of activity, but when they are active, they can be tons of fun as they bring in birds like Colombian Chachalaca, Andean Motmot, Yellow-backed Oriole, Red-headed Barbet, and loads of tanagers like Flame-rumped, Scrub, Blue-necked, Black-capped and Bay-headed. Rufous-tailed and Steely-vented Hummingbirds and Green Hermit are all possible too. There is also a new reserve not far from town where nocturnal Oilbirds can be seen, and we'll stop there to try and get some photos before driving to Medellín in the afternoon. We have two nights at a hotel near the airport. Day 16: Finca el Toche One last day to enjoy the amazing birds of central Colombia! A day trip to Finca el Toche should give us plenty of great shots of several new species as well as some "old friends". Perhaps the most wanted bird here is the endemic and beautiful White-mantled Barbet, which has been visiting the feeders lately. Others we hope to get are Bar-crested Antshrike, Rufous Motmot, Plain-colored Tanager (better than it sounds), Striolated Manakin, Collared Aracari, and Chestnut-headed Oropendola. Day 17: Departure from Medellín The tour ends this morning with transfers to the airport. No activities are planned for today. Trip Considerations PACE: Relaxed to moderate. Breakfast times are typically 6:00-6:30am, though on a few occasions it will be necessary to dpart earlier. Most days will have several hours of downtime to relax or download photos – this is often in the late afternoon when the light may be poor and when it is more likely to rain. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate. Much of the main tour will be spent near feeders which are accessed by short walks on slightly inclined tracks or trails with steps. The worm feeders at Rio Blanco are spread out over about half a mile (0.6 km) of inclined dirt roads, but we may be able to use a vehicle to avoid the steepest part. Our hotel on day 12 is located at 11,500 ft. (3500 m.), however only short, easy walks are done at these altitudes. Two sites we visit involve very rough roads accessed by 4x4 - these could be problematic for someone with major back issues (they are day trips, so they could potentially be skipped if you cannot do them); anyone of reasonable fitness level will be able to join this tour, but if you have any mobility issues, please contact us before signing up. CLIMATE: Usually very pleasant (mostly 55°-75°F, 13°-24°C), but colder at the high elevations (possibly down into the 40°sF/single digits°C). Some rain can be expected at cloud forest sites in the Andes, where most of this tour is spent. Therefore, rain gear, including protective covers for photo gear is essential. ACCOMMODATION: Very good to excellent for most of the tour. All accommodations have full time electricity, hot water, and wi-fi (though it can be quite slow and is sometimes only available in the common areas). All accommodations have private, en-suite, bathrooms. GEAR: A good 300mm lens (or high-quality zoom that covers 300mm) and a full-frame camera are ideal for hummingbirds. For other birds, especially smaller birds at fruit feeders, a 500mm with a 1.4x or 600mm is the best option, but a 300mm with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters also usually does a great job. A smaller lens can be nice for scenery shots in the high Andes. A flash (where permitted) is also useful since light can be quite low early in the morning and inside forest. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay. Tourist visas are currently not required for citizens of the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and EU countries. 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, local guides, and lodge staff; 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 breakfast on day 17 (if you have a very early departing flight, you may miss the included breakfast on the last day); safe drinking water and/or juice and tea/coffee during meals; safe drinking water only between meals (though some lodges also offer tea and coffee at any time); one of our photo guides with camera and audio playback gear from the morning of day 2 to the evening of day 16; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person (transfers may be shared with other tour participants if they are on the same flight); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 2 to day 16 in suitable vehicle(s) with local driver(s); entrance fees to sites mentioned in the itinerary; if requested, a printed and bound checklist to help keep track of what you have photographed (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; excess luggage charges; 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!

Taiwan: Birding Formosan Endemics & Migration Tour Overview: This Taiwan tour is like no other on the market. Most bird tour companies enjoy a leisurely 12-14 day tour around mainland Taiwan to see the endemics, but our tour delivers that and much, much more. We start with an optional pre-trip foray to the Matsu archipelago, where we are located right along the mainland Chinese coastline, and we will explore the small islands here for four days for the migrant treasures that pass through at this time of year. We can expect good numbers of buntings, including Little, Black-faced, Chestnut, Yellow-breasted and more. The scrubby hillsides hold potential for Narcissus, Grey-streaked and Asian Brown Flycacthers, and if we are lucky, perhaps a rarer Mugimaki or Yellow-rumped Flycatcher. Shorebirds can also be found, and we will target those and keep our ears and eyes out for other migrants including thrushes and warblers. After returning to mainland Taiwan we spend a day at a famous migrant trap north of the city – Yehliu. The main tour will focus on the late wintering birds, resident species, and endemics. In addition to the stunning landscapes Taiwan boasts friendly people, rich culture and a tasty cuisine, so all visitors, no matter what your particular bent, are in for a great experience. Lying in the South China sea on the tropic of cancer, the coastal lowlands are distinctly warm and muggy, but with over 15 peaks that reach above 3000 m, the interior of the island comprises a series of concentric vegetation bands that terminate in temperate coniferous forest and arctic-like alpine tundra at the highest limits. The Taiwanese bird list now stands at an impressive 550+ species. Although many of these are rartities and a regular tour is likely to yield around 210 species. What few birders know about Taiwan is that it has a host of fascinating endemic birds. The application of the Phylogenetic Species Concept (PSC) has seen what was once considered only 15 endemic species swell to over 29, and the number keeps growing. This means that Taiwan becomes more and more important for listers with a global birding agenda. But Taiwan is a fabulous birding destination in its own right, even for those less focused on listing. Swinhoe's Pheasant Keith Barnes Mikado Pheasant Keith Barnes Vivid Niltava Keith Barnes Taiwan Bamboo-Partridge Dorian Anderson White-tailed Robin Keith Barnes Steere's Liocichla Nick Athanas Golden Parrotbill Ken Behrens Taiwan Rosefinch Nick Athanas Taiwan Barwing Keith Barnes Taiwan Partridge Nick Athanas White-whiskered Laughingthrush Keith Barnes Yellow-breasted Bunting Keith Barnes Taiwan Bush-Warbler Keith Barnes Taiwan Blue Magpie Keith Barnes Taiwan Yuhina Keith Barnes Taiwan Whistling-Thrush Keith Barnes Taiwan Thrush Keith Barnes Maritime Striped Squirrel Keith Barnes Smoking Dragon Keith Barnes Spotted Nutcracker Keith Barnes Red-and-White Giant Flying-Squirrel Keith Barnes Fairy Pitta Keith Barnes Gray-capped Pygmy-Woodpecker Keith Barnes Deity in Sicao Keith Barnes Collared Bush-Robin Keith Barnes Tour Details: 2026 Main Tour: 24 April - 3 May $5580; single supplement: $950 Extension: 19 - 24 April $3550; single supplement: $750 2027 Main Tour: 23 April - 2 May Price: TBA Extension: TBA; starting in 2027, the extension will visit Korea. Length: 10 days (15 days w/ Extension) Starting City: Taipei Ending City: Taipei Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Moderate Focus: Birding Group size: 9 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here Most Recent Trip Report More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary *This itinerary is often run in a slightly different order than listed below, but all sites will still be visited. Day 1: Arrival The tour begins at Taoyuan International Airport. We’ll spend one night in a nearby hotel. No birding is planned for today. Day 2: Shimen to Tainan We start the day by exploring the lowlands and relatively developed west coast. A stop at Shimen may reveal the electric blue Formosan Whistling-Thrush and the impressive Taiwan Blue Magpie, before we head farther south to the coastal wetlands of Tainan. By this afternoon we will be enjoying the stunning spectacle of wintering shorebirds and waterfowl near Tainan. Our main quarry will be late Black-faced Spoonbills that may still be hanging around. The spoonbill is not the only rare bird here. Other migrants that we will look for include Red-throated Pipit, Oriental Reed Warbler, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Spot-billed Duck, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Tufted Duck, Hen Harrier, Little Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Lesser and Greater Sand-plovers, Pacific Golden Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Asiatic Dowitcher, Gray-tailed Tattler, Red-necked Stint, Long-toed Stint, Dunlin, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Great and Red Knots, and Common and Spotted Redshanks. The night will be spent in Tainan. Day 3: Tainan to Alishan via Pingtung County After more coastal and wetland birding, we will head north to Alishan County. In the afternoon we go to an incredible blind that regularly delivers both Swinhoe’s Pheasant and Taiwan Partridge. After dark – if the weather is good and energy levels permit – we might do a night-walk for owls and flying-squirrels, as this area is great for both. We have one night in Alishan. Day 4: Alishan to Wushe via Yushan NP We’ll depart early so that we can be at the magical Yushan National Park at the crack of dawn. Although this will be our first time in the mountains, and there will be loads of new birds, our main quarry this morning will be the incredible Mikado Pheasant. Other wanted specialties here include Golden Parrotbill and the distinctive local owstoni form of Gray-headed Bullfinch. After the morning is complete, we will head through to the Chingjing area of Wushe township and visit one of a myriad of sites that should deliver us some mid-altitude birds. Exactly where we go will depend on what we have seen already, but Ao Wan Da or Huisun forest reserves are good options. Day 5: Wushe area Today we have a full day to explore this wonderful area. We will go over the highest road pass in Taiwan, looking for high altitude endemics, including the White-whiskered Laughingthrush and Collared Bush-Robin. The pass also holds Alpine Accentor and Taiwan Rosefinch. We’ll then continue down into the scenic Taroko Gorge to see the endemic Styan’s Bulbul and admire the scenery. After lunch, we’ll bird our way back to Wushe, stopping to look for birds like Taiwan Bush-Warbler, Taiwan Yuhina, the moustached White-eared Sibia, the tail-less Taiwan Wren-Babbler, Steere’s Liocichla, and Taiwan Barwing. Joining the endemics in the mixed species parties are Taiwan Vivid Niltava, Black-throated Tit, and Brown Bullfinch. The newly split endemic Taiwan Thrush, with its snow-white head, will be another target, but it is always a tricky bird to find. Day 6: Wushe to Dashueshan After a final morning exploring the Wushe area, we head to the impressive Dashueshan, which literally means ‘Big Snow Mountain’. This area is also one of the best general birding areas in Taiwan. We will enjoy three nights here. Days 7-8: Dashueshan Local photographers have done an incredible job of making some of Taiwan’s most spectacular yet normally skittish birds remarkably easy to see here. First and foremost among these are the spectacular pheasants. The white-backed Swinhoe’s Pheasant is regular at stakeouts along the road. The pheasants are called “the kings of the mist” in local parlance, a celebration of their elegant plumage and secretive nature. The birds themselves are bold and unafraid, and you will not likely find easier pheasants anywhere in the world to photograph and enjoy at leisure. The common but shy Taiwan Partridge is also frequently heard and often seen along this road. Although the game birds are the stars, we have the opportunity to search more many of the interior forest species including some recently split taxa such as the noisy Taiwan Bamboo Partridge, furtive Taiwan Shortwing, scarce and stunning Taiwan Thrush, dapper little Taiwan Cupwing, inquisitive Taiwan Fulvetta, spectacled Flamecrest, and stunning Steere’s Liochichla, as well as a bevy of tits, babblers, drongos, and other flock species. The mixed broadleaved forests ought to reveal some garrulous laughing-thrushes including hopefully Rufous-crowned and Rusty Laughingthrushes. Night drives here can be interesting, and as well as owls, we will search for Red-and-white Giant Flying Squirrel, Taiwan Serow and maybe even a Hog-nosed Ferret-Badger. Day 9: Dashueshan to Huben On last morning in Dashueshan will give us another shot at any montane endemics we may still be missing; the stunning surroundings of this magnificent area make it a pleasure to explore. The day draws to a close in the western lowlands of Daoliou County. Day 10: Huben to Taoyuan Our main quarry this morning is the spectacular Fairy Pitta. Other species occurring here include the secretive Malayan Night Heron, Rusty Laughingthrush, Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler, and many more. After a morning in this area, we head back to Taoyuan International Airport, where the tour draws to a close. We’ll arrive by late afternoon, in time for most international connections. Matsu Extension 2026 will be the last year we run the extension to Matsu. Starting in 2027, we are replacing it with an extension to Korea. Day 1: Arrival After arrival in Taipei (arrival at Taoyuan before 5 pm required) we will make our way through to Keelung Port where we will eat dinner and board the ferry for the Matsu archipelago, located along the migrant-laden coast of mainland China. We overnight in comfortable cabins on the ferry, which arrives at the two square km Dongyin Island the following morning (sometimes it makes a stop at another island en route). Migration birding can be fickle, but we hope for good conditions during our stay. Days 2-3: Dongyin With two full days to explore Dongyin we will hit all the main spots hoping for some great birds. The variety of buntings can sometimes be amazing, with Little, Black-faced, Chestnut, Japanese Yellow, Yellow-breasted, and Yellow-browed all possible. The scrubby hillsides hold potential for Narcissus, Gray-streaked, and Asian Brown Flycacthers, Common Rosefinch, Oriental Greenfinch, and if we are lucky, perhaps a rarer Mugimaki or Yellow-rumped Flycatcher. Shorebirds can also be found: Little Whimbrel, Red-necked Stint, and Terek Sandpiper are frequent visitors, and while targeting those, we’ll keep our ears and eyes out for other migrants. We overnight on the tiny islet where we may see the spectacular blue bioluminescence that makes the rocky coastline sparkle by night. Day 4: Dongyin to Nangang Today we take a two hour ferry journey from Dongyin to the larger Nangang island. With additional shorebird habitat and some slightly different habitats we hope to find some different birds. Day 5: Nangang to Taipei After some last minute birding, we transfer from Nangang to Taipei’s Songshan Airport in downtown Taipei via a short flight. We will swing over to the Botanical Gardens where we hope to catch up with the resident Malayan Night-Heron, Light-vented Bulbul, and Japanese White-eye, as well as our first endemic, Taiwan Barbet. The city parks may be holding thrushes or other good passage migrants. We head over the hills north of Taipei for the night, where we enjoy an evening of Dim-sum, and maybe some of the unique Taiwanese dumplings. Day 6: Yehliu to Taoyuan We will spend the morning birding the Yehliu Peninsula which is the best migrant trap on mainland Taiwan. What may be around is impossible to guess, but over the years Yehlui has hosted many unusual birds, and is a regular stopover for for Siberian Rubythroat, Asian Stubtail, and more. We have some other spots to try depending on how our luck holds at Yehliu, before heading to Taoyuan International Airport, where we meet up with those joining our main tour. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. For all birding we will need to be up early, around 5-5:30am, and stay out late, around 5:30pm, in order to take advantage of the best birding hours. Where possible we will use the middle of the day to relax, or travel between localities, but many days will be full days in the field. There will be a few optional outings after dark to search for owls, flying squirrels or frogs; these are normally done after dinner and seldom last for more than an hour (typically between about 7 and 8 pm). The ferry from the main island to Matsu (extension only) lasts at least 10 hours (more if there is no direct ferry), but bunk beds are available so that it can pass surprisingly quickly and comfortably. “Convenience store” breakfasts are the norm, which are preferable to the traditional cold rice porridge and pickles served in many of the hotels. We’ll also have a few picnic lunches, but hot water is usually available to have hot beverages and instant noodles. All dinners and some lunches are sit down affairs, and this is where Taiwanese cuisine shines; those who enjoy Asian food are usually delighted with the smorgasbord on offer. The highest altitude is the pass at Wuling, which is around 10,700 ft (3275 m), but we don’t really stay there long and don’t do much walking, so is not likely to be an issue for most people. All accommodation is at much lower elevation. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY: Mostly easy. There is a fair amount of walking involved, and one should be comfortable birding for 6-7 hours a day and walking around 2 miles (3 km) per day. Almost all the birding is done from roadsides or easy trails, but there are a couple of small exceptions. Reaching the blind at Chiayi Firefly involves walking about 300 ft (100 m) down a steep and slippery trail, and some of the Fairy Pitta stakeouts on the last 2 days may require short walks on more difficult trails – a walking stick can come in handy. CLIMATE: This tour takes place in Taiwan’s spring. The higher altitude sites are cool (usually 40°-70°F, 4°-21°C), and we’ll spend a short amount of time at a pass where the temps can get down to near freezing. The climate in the lowlands is humid and warm (usually 60°-85°F, 16°-29°C). The amount of rainfall varies a lot from tour to tour, but at least some can be expected. ACCOMMODATION: Very good on the main tour: all have private, en-suite bathrooms, full-time hot water, and 24 hour electricity. Internet is widespread, but not available at the remote Dashueshan. At higher altitudes, the interior of the rooms is chilly, but warm blankets are provided. On the extension, the first night is spent on a ferry where bunk beds in shared cabins are available, and bathrooms are also shared; elsewhere on the extension the accommodation is decent to very good with private bathrooms and hot water. PHOTOGRAPHY: If you are a casual photographer, you will enjoy this trip. Nowhere in Asia are birds more cooperative and easier to take pictures of, and because as birders we are visiting many places where once-scare and skittish birds are fed, there is plenty of opportunity to indulge in some shooting without costing us any species. If you are a serious photographer, our Taiwan: Birding with a Camera® Tour (BwC) will likely be a better option. WHEN TO GO: We time our set-departure tour for when wintering birds are departing and many summer birds are arriving. Simultaneously, the residents are breeding, so it makes it a great combo. But if you were planning a custom tour and were only interested in residents and endemics, then anytime from March – September works, and if you fancy the best of the migrants and wintering birds, then October to November and March to early April also work. 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, Japan, and most European countries. For other countries, please check with the nearest embassy or consulate, or ask our office staff for help. Travel requirements are subject to change; it’s a good idea to double check six weeks before you travel. WHAT’S INCLUDED?: Tips to drivers, local guides, and lodge/restaurant staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night day 9; and night of day 1 to day 5 of the extension; meals from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to lunch on day 10; Dinner on day 1 to lunch on day 6 of the extension; reasonable non-alcoholic drinks with meals; safe drinking water between meals; Tropical Birding full-time bird tour leader with scope and audio playback gear from the evening of day 1 to the afternoon of day 10; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person specifically on arrival day 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 the evening of day 1 to the afternoon of day 10 (evening of day 1 to the afternoon of day 6 of the extension) in a suitable vehicle; the extension includes two ferry trips from Keelung to Dongyin (8-hours), and Dongyin to Nangang (2-hours), and a flight back from Nangang to Songshan in Taipei, 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 at hotels (if you require their services); international flights; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; airport-hotel transfers on days that fall outside the prescribed arrival and departure days; 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. Tawain Endemics Review Anchor Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!

South Africa: Birding Kruger NP and the Northeast Tour Overview: South Africa is a spectacularly beautiful country that is rich in wildlife. The richest region is the northeast, which has high-elevation grasslands and montane forests, rugged and rocky escarpments, and the vast lowveld savanna of Kruger National Park. This tour is designed for those who want a short trip: people with limited vacation time, or those who are already in South Africa for other reasons. It’s guided by local experts that know the region intimately and spend most of their time in Kruger and adjacent locations. As the leaders live in the area, this tour is easily done any time of year as a short custom tour. If you’re interested, please write to ask the Tropical Birding office for more information about that option. This itinerary will provide an excellent introduction to Africa for those who have done little or no birding on the continent before. Spectacular species include a host of bee-eaters, hornbills, kingfishers, barbets, and sunbirds, plus some fine endemics like Gurney’s Sugarbird and Buff-streaked Chat. Kruger has a full array of big mammals, including the “Big Five” and other delights such as Hippo, Giraffe, Plains Zebra, and Cheetah. 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. Leopard Ken Behrens Bokmakeirie Ken Behrens Southern Yellow Hornbill Ken Behrens Gray Go-away-bird Nick Athanas Kurrichane Thrush Nick Athanas Burchells Courser Keith Barnes Helmeted Guineafowl Ken Behrens Gray-headed Bushshrike Ken Behrens Crested Francolin Nick Athanas Natal Francolin Nick Athanas African Mourning Dove Ken Behrens Magpie Shrike Lizard Buzzard Ken Behrens Spotted Hyena Lisle Gwynn Leopard Ken Behrens Bokmakeirie Ken Behrens Southern Yellow Hornbill Ken Behrens Gray Go-away-bird Nick Athanas Kurrichane Thrush Nick Athanas Burchells Courser Keith Barnes Helmeted Guineafowl Ken Behrens Gray-headed Bushshrike Ken Behrens Crested Francolin Nick Athanas Natal Francolin Nick Athanas African Mourning Dove Ken Behrens Magpie Shrike Lizard Buzzard Ken Behrens Spotted Hyena Lisle Gwynn Leopard Ken Behrens Bokmakeirie Ken Behrens Southern Yellow Hornbill Ken Behrens Gray Go-away-bird Nick Athanas Kurrichane Thrush Nick Athanas Burchells Courser Keith Barnes Helmeted Guineafowl Ken Behrens Gray-headed Bushshrike Ken Behrens Crested Francolin Nick Athanas Natal Francolin Nick Athanas African Mourning Dove Ken Behrens Magpie Shrike Lizard Buzzard Ken Behrens Spotted Hyena Lisle Gwynn Tour Details: 2026 2 - 11 October $39 90; single supplement: $650 2027 1 - 10 October Price: TBA Length: 10 Days Starting City: Kruger Mpumalanga Int. Airport Ending City: Kruger Mpumalanga Int. Airport Pace: Moderate Physical Difficulty: Easy Focus: Birds, Wildlife Group size: 8 + 1 Leader Ready to Book? Book Here South Africa Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Note: There are many great lodges and resthouses both inside and adjacent to Kruger National Park. The exact lodges we stay in from year to year often change based on availability, local conditions, recommendations by our local guide, etc. If you would like to know the lodges that we expect to stay in on a particular tour, please send us an email. Day 1: Kaapschehoop Participants fly directly into the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, for the start of this tour. After checking into the lodge, we will head out for an afternoon in a beautiful patch of Afromontane Forest. This habitat holds a completely different and mouth-watering set of birds from Kruger. These include African Emerald Cuckoo, Orange Ground-Thrush, Narina Trogon, and Bush Blackcap. Day 2: Kaapschehoop to Hazyview This morning we explore the high-altitude grasslands and forested valleys of the Kaapsehoop region, a biodiversity-rich area renowned for its striking scenery and unique birdlife. We'll search for a suite of sought-after birds that occur in this habitat mosaic, including Red-winged Francolin, Buff-streaked Chat, Orange-throated Longclaw, and Cape Grassbird. Kaapsehoop is also a reliable site for Gurney’s Sugarbird when aloes are in bloom. The combination of wide-open views, rich bird diversity, and the chance to encounter some real Southern African specials makes this a truly memorable birding destination. At mid-day, we’ll drive to Hazyview and check into our hotel. The afternoon will be spent enjoying the area’s beautiful mountain scenery and searching for birds like Cape Rock-Thrush and Barratt’s Warbler. We have one night in Hazyview. Day 3: Hazyview to Kruger NP This is an exciting day, as it’s the day we enter the legendary Kruger National Park. This park is huge and diverse. 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 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. Kruger holds the famous “Big Five”, and much much more. This is an area where there is never a dull moment! We'll spend the night at one of several lodges in or near the park. Days 4-9: Kruger NP in-depth Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s greatest natural treasures, and throughout our journey we’ll experience a variety of its most rewarding habitats. We’ll stay at a mix of camps, each offering unique access to the park’s extraordinary diversity — from dry mopane woodlands to moist mixed savannas and lush riverine corridors. Our days will blend relaxed bird walks in the leafy campgrounds with thrilling game drives through some of the richest ecosystems in the southern and central regions of the park. There are a swathe of great camps throughout and adjacent to the park. We intend on visiting a variety of them – as they each have their own character – and make the most of the richest ecosystems within the park in the south and central part of the park. We will explore a mix of riverine habitats and dry woodland ecosystems. The day may include game drives along a scenic river, bird walks around the camp area, and some downtime during the hotter part of the day. The dry surrounding landscapes often concentrate wildlife around the river, providing excellent viewing opportunities. Bird walks inside of the camp may reveal species like African Scops-Owl, and Golden-tailed and Bearded Woodpecker. Species that we might spot on the broad and sandy banks of the river include Hippo, Nile Crocodile, Saddle-billed and Marabou Storks, and Goliath Heron. African Fish Eagles and Pied Kingfishers patrol the skies, and swoop down on unsuspecting fish, which they pluck from the river’s amazingly clear water. On one of the days we drive through a vast and wild section of south / central Kruger. Although there aren’t as many big mammals here as there is further south, the seemingly endless and open nature of this landscape gives it a special, Serengeti-like feel. The sight of a distant herd of Elephants or Giraffe necks littering the horizon is not soon forgotten. Small dams along the way can hold a bounty of waterbirds like Abdim’s Stork, Hamerkop, Water Thick-knee, and African Jacana. We'll spend the night at one of several lodges in or near the park. If we are able to stay at one of the central camps we can expect their spacious grounds to hold Crested Barbet, Bearded and Bennett’s Woodpeckers, Brown-headed Parrot, and Sulphur-breasted Bush-Shrike. Sometimes there are even tame Bushbuck munching on the green lawns! The southern areas though, offer panoramic views over the western lowlands of Kruger combined with one of the very best mammal-watching portions of the park, along the banks of the Sabie River. This is a great area for the rare Nyala, highly threatened White Rhino, and for Lion and Leopard. Careful scans of the sandy riverbanks may reveal the localized White-crowned Lapwing. We will also enjoy several of the dedicated Bird Hides, which gives us a good chance to get out of the vehicle, and perhaps enjoy intimate views of some waterbirds. Then we’ll continue through some beautiful grasslands, looking for marquee birds like Secretarybird, Lappet-faced Vulture, and Lilac-breasted Roller. At mid-day, we’ll have some time off, then head out for an afternoon drive. We’ll be sure to visit the perfectly-situated Lake Panic bird hide, a great spot for waterbirds like African Jacana, Black Crake, African Fish Eagle, Giant and Pied Kingfishers, and Black Heron. Day 10: Skukuza to Kruger Airport After a final drive, we’ll head out of Kruger, and back to the Kruger Mpumalanga airport, to catch outbound flights. Trip Considerations PACE: Moderate. The days here in the summer are long. We will typically be up early, around 5:30 am, and stay out until around 5 pm. When possible we will use the middle of the day to rest up, but on some days we will use this time to travel between localities. All our meals will be at restaurants. 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 January trip rain is possible. ACCOMMODATION: Very good. All have private, en-suite bathrooms, and full-time hot water. Electricity is available everywhere 24 hours a day. Internet is available in most but not all lodges, though sometimes you need to buy a wifi voucher to access it. 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 for an excellent 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 October spring trip is timed for peak activity of breeding birds. There are fewer migrants around and the overall bird list is shorter, but this time of year is perhaps best for South Africa’s endemics. Also, the bush is drier and it is easier to see mammals. In February, 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 October 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 February than October. 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 lodge/restaurant staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 9; meals from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 10; reasonable non-alcoholic drinks during meals; safe drinking water between meals; Tropical Birding tour leader from day 1 to the afternoon of day 10; ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 1 to day 10 in a suitable vehicle; an elegant open-topped safari van within Kruger NP. Entrance fees to all sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?: Optional tips to the tour leader; tips for luggage porters (if you require their services); flights; 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, wifi vouchers, 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!

Paraguay: Enigmatic Wildlife Tour (EWT) Tour Overview: Paraguay is a fascinating and under-visited country. Folks from Ohio and Pennsylvania will find some odd familiarity in the hinterlands where Mennonite communities are the chief farmers, and blonde-haired blue-eyed Paraguayans speak a Germanic-lilted-Spanish. Great jams, good beef, and fresh bread follow the people. The semiarid lowland dry forests of the Chaco are home to the highest mammal diversity in Paraguay. The Chaco’s name is derived from the Quechua word chaqu, which translates to “hunting land”. While we will be doing a different type of “hunting”, the name is a testament to the incredible diversity and density of mammals. Although much of the Chaco has been farmed and is fragmented, our hosts have secured access to a variety of very cool private reserves, and located the finest remaining patches harboring the best mammals and birds. The dry and thorny vegetated forests here help reveal a slew of enigmatic species. Throughout the tour we will use several mammal watching techniques which can vary from night drives and walks, hiking local trails, or waiting at mineral deposits and waterholes. There are a lot of mammal species in Paraguay, but we hope to see around 28-35 species. Some of the highlights being the Chaco endemic Southern Three-banded Armadillo, Azaras’s Capuchin, Azara’s Night Monkey, Geoffroy’s Cat, Giant Anteater, Lowland Tapir, Black-and-Gold Howler Monkey (extension), Plains Viscacha, Chocoan Mara, Molina's Hog-nosed Skunk and Pampas Fox. There are several rarities possible, including big cats, but there are only slim chances of these. We will also likely see quite a few bats, including the ‘mega’ Common Vampire Bat. The bird diversity is also attractive with over 450 species recorded, including many Chaco specialties. While our focus will be mammals, birding highlights may include Black-legged Seriema, Greater Rhea, Chaco Owl, Spot-breasted ‘Chaco’ Puffbird, Many-colored Chaco Finch, Crested Gallito, Chaco Earthcreeper, and Chaco Chachalaca. Part of the humid Chaco is very similar to the adjacent Pantanal, replete with flooded wetlands, and we should see a smorgasbord of waterbirds including Southern Screamer, Jabiru, Maguari Stork, and waterfowl galore including the rather local Ringed Teal. For admirers of other types of wildlife there are over 3,000 species of plants, over 200 species of reptiles and amphibians, and countless insects and other invertebrates. White-lipped Peccary Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Southern Three-banded Armadillo Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Ocelot Pablo Cervantes Daza Giant Anteater Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Brazilian White-eared Opossum Keith Barnes Geoffroy's Cat Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Toco Toucan Nick Athanas Molina's Hog-nosed Skunk Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Puma Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Black-and-gold Howler Keith Barnes South American Coati Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Southern Three-banded Armadillo Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Tayra Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Orange-backed Troupial Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Surucua Trogon Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Tapeti Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Lowland Yellow-throated Cavy Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Lesser Grison Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Lowland Tapir Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Crab-eating Fox Sam Woods Six-banded Aramadillo Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Giant Wood-Rail Nick Athanas Collared Peccary Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Red-crested Finch Andrey Giljov & Karina Karenina Pale-crested Woodpecker Andres Vasquez Tour Details: 2026 Main Tour: 18 - 30 August $5890; single supplement: $600* *Singles may not be available in all locations. Extension: 30 August - 1 September $900; single supplement: $90 Length: 13 days (15 days with extension) Starting City: Asunción Ending City: Asunción Pace: Moderate-i ntense Physical Difficulty: Easy-moderate Focus: Wildlife, Birding Group size: 6 + 1 TB Leader Ready to Book? Book Here More Trip Reports View/Write Tour Reviews Detailed Itinerary Day 1: Arrival in Asunción After arrival in Asunción, you will be transferred to our hotel in the city, where the first group activity will be dinner, when the plan for the following days will be outlined to all. Day 2: Asunción to Monte Lindo Our first full day will start with an early breakfast. Our first wildlife stop will be at a park on the outskirts of the Asunción, where we will search for the beautiful Azaras's Capuchin. This “vulnerable” species has wonderful pale facial markings and can be truly captivating to watch when interacting with their troop. We will also be sure to enjoy some of the local ‘eastern’ wetter forest birds found in the park, like Campo Flicker and Plush-crested Jay. Afterwards, we drive for 100-miles (200 km, 2-3 hours) until we reach Monte Lindo Reserve, located in the transition between wet and dry forest in the Chaco. Here we combine wildlife drives and short walks, including visiting some bat colonies in abandoned buildings, hoping to find Common Vampire Bat and Woolly False Vampire Bat. We will then visit a roost for the Azara’s Night Monkey at sunset to watch them as they awaken for their nocturnal activities. We will continue with a night drive to search for species like Giant Anteater, Southern Tamandua, Crab-eating Raccoon, and Capybara. Birds we hope to encounter (during the daytime), are Southern Screamer, Red-legged Seriema, Giant Wood-Rail, Chestnut-capped Blackbird and Toco Toucan. Night at a nearby hotel. Day 3: Monte Lindo to Estancia Campo’i After breakfast, we begin our 160-mile (260km, 5-6 hours) drive to reach Estancia Campo’i. This delightful estancia is one of the nicest places we stay on the trip. Upon arrival, we will get settled in and have lunch. Afterwards people can rest up for a long night of mammal watching to follow. There are a series of shallow ponds and the waterbirds are remarkable including Jabiru, Maguari Stork, and a slew of Whistling-Ducks and Ringed Teal. Some amazing Furnarids roam the grounds of the property including the smart Lark-like Brushrunner and incredible Scimitar-billed Woodcreeper. In the late afternoon and night we will drive throughout the property and search for species like Southern Tamandua and Six-banded Armadillo, as well as any birds that are frequenting the area, including Chaco Chachalaca, Ultramarine Grosbeak, and Turquoise-fronted Amazon. The property has water holes which are very useful for observing some of the area’s more elusive species. With some luck and patience, we may see the delightful Geoffroy’s Cat, Southern Three-banded Armadillo, and Molina’s Hog-nosed Skunk. We will be at Campo’i for a two-night stay. Day 4: Fortin Toldeo After an early breakfast, we head for Fortin Toledo Reserve for the day. This small nature reserve is located right next to the Chacoan Peccary Breeding Center, a fantastic place in the heart of some unique cactus forests very typical of the Dry Chaco. In this habitat we will see the presence of the mounds of the Conover’s Tuco-tuco, a member of the strange fossorial rodent family Ctenomyidae, but it is very unlikely we will see them. We will also have more opportunities on the night drive and night walk to search for Geoffroy’s Cat, Screaming Hairy Armadillo, Crab-eating Fox and Lowland Tapir. On this day we will also be searching for several key bird targets too, like Black-legged Seriema, Blue-and-yellow Tanager and White-fronted Woodpecker. We return to Campo’I under the cover of dark for a second night. Day 5: Teniente Enciso National Park The day will start out seeking birds like Blue-tufted Starthroat and Pale-crested Woodpecker. Afterwards, we depart for a drive to reach Teniente Enciso National Park. Quite different from the previous locality, it is the driest part of the country and characterized by low spiny shrubs and vegetation. We will check into a local ranger station, our accommodation for the next night. The park has waterholes which have been famously visited by Puma (very rare, and unlikely) and a habituated Lowland Tapir. In the afternoon we will do some birdwatching and then spend the night searching for mammals. We will drive the nearby roads in hopes of seeing bizarre Plains Viscachas and then proceed with a night and morning session around the waterholes. Day 6: Cañada el Carmen Reserve and Aurora Chaqueña We will drive the 75 miles (120 km) to Cañada del Carmen Reserve; an NGO-owned reserve is important as it protects a unique Chaco xeromorphic forest. As we drive, we will be searching for birds and if we are supremely lucky, we may see a Jaguarundi. The landscape is harsh and dry, dominated by cacti and shrubs. The open habitat and water scarcity makes the water holes here productive, with potential for the very difficult Geoffroy’s Cat. In the afternoon we head for Aurora Chaqueña. Another delightful private reserve in the midst of the farming zones that are the Chaco. This place supports a great selection of birds, but perhaps the scarcest amongst them is the Black-bodied Woodpecker. A large waterhole here can be great for mammals coming to drink, including Lowland Tapir and Giant Anteater, and hopefully we will see one of these amongst the more regular quarry such as the Greater Bulldog (Fishing) Bats and occasionally the spectacular Scissor-tailed Nightjars. Day 7: Reserva Selva Serena The Dry Chaco here supports a very similar avifauna to the Chaco Lodge area, and we may encounter more Crested Gallito, but it is the only likely place we will see Olive-crowned Crescentchest, a spectacular member of a small family with only a handful or relatives elsewhere on the continent. Our nocturnal activities will be seeking many of the same mammals we are looking for elsewhere on the trip, perhaps supplemented by a gorgeous Chaco or Striped Owls. Day 8: Estancia Iparoma After breakfast, we begin our drive to reach Estancia Iparoma. Upon arrival, we will get settled in and have lunch. Afterwards people can rest up for a long night of mammal watching to follow. In the late afternoon and night we will drive throughout the property and search for species like Southern Tamandua and Six-banded Armadillo, as well as any birds that are frequenting the area, including Chaco Chachalaca, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Chaco Puffbird and Ultramarine Grosbeak. After dark and with some luck and patience, we may see the delightful Geoffroy’s Cat, odd almost deer like rodent Chacoan Mara, guinea-pigesque Lowland Yellow-toothed Cavy or Molina’s Hog-nosed Skunk. Days 9 - 10: Laguna Capitan / Choco Lodge We are headed into a part of the country that requires significant flexibility. The flocculating clay soils here make roads that are like concrete when dry, more like oil-covered ice when they are wet. Thus, our plans are very contingent on weather and road conditions. There are a variety of local lagoons and salt-pans nearby where we may see Chilaen Flamingo, Large-billed Terns and perhaps some early arriving shorebirds. The terrestrial cactus-laden dry Chaco supports the funky Crested Gallito and local Chaco Earthcreeper. We will spend two days in this rich area for mammals to increase our chances of seeing at least some of the elusive mammals there. The routines over these days will be the same, our mornings will start with a very early breakfast, before we drive to visit the waterholes. We should also get some close-up views of local birds, such as Many-colored Chaco Finch, Ringed Warbling Finch, and Golden-billed Saltator. Mammals such as Gray Brocket Deer, Tayra and South American Coati are also possible. We will spend the afternoons either driving the area around the dried-up lagoons, depending on the local activity and what we have seen by that stage. At nights we will spotlight the nearby area to search for species like Molina’s Hog-nosed Skunk, Pampas Fox, Lowland Tapir, Crab-eating Fox, and Gray Brocket Deer. Day 11: Return to Monte Lindo Today we make our way back towards Monte Lindo, a reserve we enjoyed on the first couple of days on tour. But because it’s got a lot to offer, we make a return visit so that we can unearth anything we missed the first time round. Day 12: Estancia Playada to Asunción Today we make the long drive back to Paraguay’s capital, Asunción. As we make the drive we will stop for lunch and check an old highway bridge for the potential of seeing several bat species. The Diminutive Serotine Bat is almost always present, but we also have a good chance at seeing the Brown Mastiff Bat. Later, the weather will either make or break the day. Again, we are dealing with potentially sticky soils if it rains, but if it doesn’t we can make our way towards the Estancia Playada area that’s quite different from anything we have explored thus far. We explore the fringes of the Mesopotamian (who knows why it’s called that) Grassland system, more associated with Argentina. A combination of native Papyrus and palm-strewn grasslands delivers a bunch of new species, Greater Thornbird, stunning White-browed Meadowlark, and a bevy of new seedeaters including Double-collared, Tawny-bellied and Rufous-rumped Seedeaters. If we make it all the way to the riparian forest strips near the Paraguay River, if we are very lucky, we may even encounter Black-and-Gold ‘Paraguay’ Howler Monkeys. Afterwards we will check in to our accommodation near the airport for departures the following day. Day 13: Departures from Asunción/START OLIVARES EXTENSION Today is set as a departure day, clients will receive transfer to the airport where our services end. Those embarking on the post tour extension will continue today with the extension (see below). Olivares Reserve - 3 days This 3-day post-tour extension will begin in Asunción and visit the Olivares Private Reserve. Here we will be visiting a section of the “Wet Chaco”, a more humid and tropical section of the Chaco Forest. Our target here is the Black-and-gold Howler Monkey, one of the largest New World primates as well as one of the loudest! These monkeys are regularly encountered, giving us a great chance to see them in their native range. We will also travel by boat along the Manduvira and Paraguay Rivers to enjoy several species of birds like Black Skimmer, Black-capped Donacobius, Gray Monjita and Striped Cuckoo. We will also go night walks to search for Chacoan Gracile Opossum and White-eared Opossum as well as reptiles and amphibians. Extension Itinerary at a Glance: Day 1: Asunción to Olivares Private Reserve/night Olivares Private Reserve cabins Day 2: Olivares Private Reserve to Asunción/night Asunción Day 3: Departures from Asunción Trip Considerations PACE : Moderate-Intense. Early mornings and late nights will offer us the best opportunities for wildlife activity, particularly for mammals. The timing of each day will vary slightly since some days we will prioritize nighttime activities, and other days we will prioritize early morning activities. Most days will allow for mid-day breaks, and we will be checked in to each night’s accommodation prior to nighttime activities, allowing guests to “sit it out” if needed. There are many single night stays on this tour, to cover more ground and increase our chances at getting a diverse list. PHYSICAL DIFFICULTY : Easy-Moderate. Most major activities will be based around driving and sitting in near waterholes. Hiking will also be done to watch some mammal species as well as birds. Most birding activities will be done through short hikes on mostly flat terrain. Weather can always impact trail conditions and clients should be prepared with proper sun protection, rain gear, proper footwear for hiking, and hiking poles if needed. The toughest physical challenges on the tour will be long days of driving and sitting near waterholes waiting. The long days can also be physically impactful, so it is important for clients to pace themselves and sit out of certain activities when needed. Most roads we drive will be dirt roads and dusty and so can cause irritation in some cases due to prolonged exposure, this can be managed with over-the-counter antihistamines. CLIMATE : The days can be hot and dry, with the daytime temperatures ranging from 80°F to 99°F (27°C to 37°C), with the possibility of 3–4-day heatwaves bringing up mid-day temperatures to 110°F (44°C). The nights are usually warm, but occasionally the temperature can drop to 41°F to 50°F (5°C to 10°C). Sun exposure is high, and skies are often clear, so sunscreen and protection are essential on this tour. We will be avoiding peak mid-day temperatures by remaining indoors or in vehicles with AC. Most, if not all, activities will be done in the early morning, late afternoon and night. We will not be visiting in the wet season, which is very beneficial to our tour. The vegetation will be less dense, and water will be limited to water holes, which will increase our chances of viewing elusive species seeking water during a dry period. However lighter showers are possible, so pack accordingly. ACCOMMODATION : The localities we will be visiting do not receive many tourists, so accommodation options are sparse and limited. Accommodations vary from larger double rooms to more limited bunk-bed rooms (no one will have to use the top bunks), with occasionally shared bathroom spaces. We will have three meals a day, with almost all meals being prepared in the field by a local cook. The meals will be simple, but plentiful. Hotels typically have full-time electricity, but occasionally power cuts may occur. Many hotels will have WIFI, but it is not always reliable. Therefore, I would not expect a good WIFI signal to be available each day. Hot water and AC will be available in almost all accommodations except for Teniete Enciso NP and Canada el Carmen ranger stations, but fans will be provided during this time. Patience is appreciated but adaptability is required. We will be changing accommodations frequently (on most nights), and so there many one-night stays on this tour. There is no camping done on this tour. PLEASE NOTE: Single supplements may not be available in all locations, and shared bathrooms are fairly standard. PHOTOGRAPHY : This is an Enigmatic Wildlife Tour, meaning photography is not the top priority. Assuring everyone sees the wildlife will take precedence over getting good photos. Most wildlife will be seen from vehicles, waterholes and trails. We will use flashlights to view mammals as they visit waterholes, and these instances will present the best mammal photography opportunities. As we walk trails in the morning and afternoon we will be searching for bird targets as well, which may present good field photography. Clients are welcome to bring camera gear for when any photo opportunities arise. Since we will be focusing on several groups of animals it would be best to bring an array of lenses. The most suitable lens would be a zoom lens with a focal length between 300mm and 500mm, to allow optimal reach for birds and mammals. For reptile, amphibian, invertebrate and plant photography a macro lens is best, between the 60mm and 105mm length. GEAR : Binoculars are the most essential item for wildlife viewing, but photographers are encouraged to bring their cameras and lenses too. Due to the limited need for a scope, the guide will not be bringing a scope on this tour. If you would like to bring your own scope you may do so too. However, scopes will be difficult or impossible to use in the vehicles, so will only be useful occasionally. A tripod is always welcomed but keep in mind that all our photography will be opportunistic which means you will have to be quick and then can get in the way of this. Monopods are often a better, quicker and more portable option. However, neither a monopod nor tripod is necessary for this tour. Proper hiking gear and attire is essential. Long pants are best due to the thorny and sharp nature of the forest. Light gloves are recommended for people on night sessions, especially those planning on spotlighting along with the guides. Sunglasses and wide-brim hats are essential too, for our walks in open areas with high levels of exposure to the sun. Mosquito head nets and insect repellent will not be provided, so if you are concerned about insects, it is good to bring both. Other gear requirements are good footwear (like hiking boots with good traction and ankle support), hiking poles, and a day backpack (something that will be sufficient for carrying camera gear, snacks, enough water, etc.), and sunscreen. Having a way to carry water on hikes is essential in order to avoid any heat exposure aliments, the water itself is provided but the reusable bottles are not. Hiking poles are encouraged (especially if you have any balance issues) due to the varying terrain and trail conditions we will experience. In case of rain, which is low, a waterproof bag and rain jacket are recommended. It’s always best to prepare for the worst conditions! Lastly, many activities will take place at night. A flashlight and/or rechargeable headlamp are essential. If you wish to get recommendations of good flashlights for wildlife observation, please contact Tropical Birding and we will be happy to give some of our guide recommendations. A small power bank is also very useful for recharging headlamps and phones during long periods in the field or longer drives. WHEN TO GO : This is an excellent time to visit the Chaco, as we will be avoiding the wet season, which can cause issues such as adverse weather or washed-out roads, leading to more likely cancelation of activities. July, August and September are the best months since many mammals and birds are very active, the vegetation is also sparser at this time, and the limited water supply in the area can increase visitation of species to the few remaining waterholes. The temperatures are also at their most comfortable during this time. Other Information TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS : A valid passport is required; the passport must be valid for at least six months past your intended stay and should have at least on blank page. For tourist visitors, citizens of most western countries a visa can be obtained on arrival (although, please check this with your local consulate to see if anything has changed on this front! WHAT’S INCLUDED? : Tips to drivers, local guides, and lodge staff; accommodation from the night of day 1 to the night of day 12 on the main tour; accommodation for one night on the extension, if taking part in that too; meals on the main tour from dinner on day 1 (unless you arrive too late for dinner service) to breakfast on day 13 (if you have a very early departing flight, you may miss the included breakfast on the last day); If taking the extension, the included meals are from breakfast on day 1 of this to breakfast on day 2 (unless you leave before breakfasts are served at the hotel); safe drinking water throughout; Tropical Birding tour leader with spotlights, mammal-watching and audio gear from the morning of day 2 to the night of day 12 on the main tour; from day 1 through to the morning of day 3 of the extension if joining that; one arrival and one departure airport transfer per person on designated arrival and departure days (transfers may be shared with other participants of the same tour or other guests at the same hotel); ground transport for the group to all sites in the itinerary from day 2 to day 12 of the main tour in a suitable vehicle with a local driver; and if taking the extension from the morning of day 1 through the morning of day 3 on that part; entrance fees to birding sites mentioned in the itinerary; a printed and bound checklist to keep track of your sightings (given to you at the start of the tour – only electronic copies can be provided in advance). WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED? : Optional tips to the TROPICAL BIRDING tour leader; tips for luggage porters in any city hotels (if you require their services); international flights; snacks; additional drinks apart from those included; alcoholic beverages; travel insurance; excursions not included in the tour itinerary; extras in hotels such as laundry service, minibar, room service, telephone calls, and personal items; medical fees; other items or services not specifically mentioned as being included. Tour Reviews *Participated on this Tour? Leave a Review! We would also love to see your favorite photo, upload it!