THE ULTIMATE CORNUCOPIA FOR
SIGHTING JUNGLE BIRDS
14 days / 13 nights

MINIMUM AGE 12
Code BRD14

SEASON: JAN-APRIL AND OCT-DEC
14 DAYS

Day 1 GUATEMALA CITY
Arrive Guatemala City. Welcoming dinner. Hotel accommodations. Hotel Camino Real - Westin.
Day 2 TIKAL
6:30 am flight to Flores and drive to Tikal. One of the first sightings will be the Ocelated Turkey, found only in the jungles of Mesoamérica. King Vultures can occasionally be seen soaring overhead. After we get settled in, we will walk to the ancient capitol's magnificent center where pyramids rise above a jungle canopy full of parrots, monkeys and other tropical wild life. After dinner, we can search for Mottled and Black and White Owls and Pauraques.
Hotel Villa Maya
Day 3 TIKAL
5:00 breakfast for a sunrise bird walk in the forest outside of ruins where we can see such jungle species as motmots, three species of trogons, six species of parrots, three species of toucans, currasows, chachalacas and guans. The rare Orange-breasted Falcon is currently nesting around the Temple II area. Optional, sunrise archaeological tour of Temple IV and the less visited areas of Tikal. All parties meet for lunch at noon in the lodge. Afternoon leisure walk for birding and monkey spotting and archaeology as we explore this incredible site. Optional dusk walk with special permits to immerse oneself into the nocturnal sounds and fauna of the park. Walk searching for owls and enjoying the stars in the beautiful jungle setting. Late dinner overnight at lodge. Hotel Villa Maya
Day 4 TIKAL
Another morning of jungle birds and archaeology. Early morning birding will include the dry forest at the end of the old runway. Many Yucatan birds, such as the Yucatan Jay, Rose-throated Tanager, and the Yucatan Flycatcher have their southern distribution limits in this forest. The non-birders will return to the ruins for a more detailed and extensive tour of Tikal. All parties meet for lunch at the lodge. Afternoon additional birding, archaeology visits or sunning and swimming at the pool. Dinner and hotel accommodations at lodge. Hotel Villa Maya
Day 5 TIKAL / GUATEMALA CITY
Early morning birding and archaeology. Lunch. Drive to Flores for afternoon flight to Guatemala City. Dinner (on your own) Hotel accommodations. Hotel Camino Real - Westin.
Day 6 GUATEMALA CITY / MOTAGUA / QUETZAL RESERVE
Early breakfast, leave Guatemala city at 6:00 AM in order to arrive at El Rancho in the Motagua valley at 7:30 AM. Doughnuts and coffee en route. Bird the dry Motagua river valley, home to the Crested Bobwhite, Orange-fronted Parakeet, White-crowned Parrot, Buff-collared Nightjar (rare), Elegant Trogon or the Turquoise-browed and Russet-crowned Motmots. Around 9:00 am leave for the Quetzal Reserve; "Mario Dari". Lunch at the Posada Montaña de Quetzal where we will be spending the night. After lunch bird one of the many good sites in this area. At dusk search for the two rare owls that nest close to the Hotel. Stygian Owl and the Bearded (Bridled) Screech-owl. Dinner and Hotel. Hotel Posada Montaña de Quetzal.
Day 7 QUETZAL RESERVE
Early coffee at 5:30 am. Drive to the Quetzal reserve to locate the National bird of Guatemala, the Resplendent Quetzal. In the misty fog, the quetzals make their distinctive two note call. At approximately 7:30 am we will have a snack breakfast in order to begin birding the reserve before the tourists arrive. We can select from two paths in the reserve. One trail is 4 km and the shorter path is a 2 km hike. While we walk through the cloud forest, we can expect to see Highland Guans, various species of hummingbirds, and jays, and many other species. Return to hotel for lunch. For the afternoon, there are many excellent birding sites in the Biotopo area. Depending on the weather we will choose the site best for birding. Hotel Posada Montaña de Quetzal.
Soft birders can visit the quaint town of Tactic - Where one can visit an Indian cooperative, magnificent Spanish colonial church, and the daily market where many local native handicrafts, weavings and utilitarian ceramics are on display.
Rare birds we will specifically search for are:
Golden-cheeked Warbler (rare-migrant)
Blue-crowned Chlorophonia
Spotted Nightingale-Thrush
Day 8 QUETZAL RESERVE / CERRO SAN GIL
As the quetzal is an elusive bird and is not a guarantee, we will repeat the search in the early morning. 8:00 am breakfast. 9:30 board bus for drive to Puerto Santo Tomas for overnight at Hotel Cayos de Diablo. Lunch and then bird all afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the beach side resort. Hotel Cayos de Diablo-Westin
Day 9 CERRO SAN GIL
Early the next day we will be birding the best area in the Caribbean where over 250 species have been spotted, Cerro San Gil. We need a early start at 4:30 am to spot the Varable Screech owl, Least pygmy-owl, and several nightjars. We will breakfast at sunrise and bird the various elevations of the hill. Box lunch in area. Our walk will take us through jungle habitat where we might spot the Keel-billed Motmot, the Northern Nightingale-Wren, and the Scaly-throated Leaftosser. Then back to our beach side resort for an evening buffet. Hotel Cayos de Diablo-Westin
Day 10 CERRO SAN GIL / QUIRIGUA / GUATEMALA CITY
Early birding, then light breakfast. Board bus for return to Guatemala City. In route lunch and visit the Mayan ruins of Quiriguá. Spend the afternoon scrutinizing the rare zoo morphological structures and the famous 3-dimensional facial view stelae, associated with Copán found within this site. Dinner and hotel in Guatemala city. Hotel Camino Real - Westin.
Day 11 GUATEMALA CITY / KM 197 / FUENTES GEROGINAS
5:30 am departure, coffee and donuts en route. Arrive by 7:00 am to Km 197. This walk through a Pacific slope jungle will bring us in search of Collared Trogons and Fan-tailed Warblers, and the best place to find the extremely rare Azure-rumped Tanager. Lunch at Fuentes Geroginas, a hot springs resort at the edge of the cloud forest, home to Singing Quail, the Wine-throated Hummingbird plus other highland hummers and the Blue-throated Motmot. Dinner and overnight at hotel. Hotel Bolivar en Quetzaltenango
Day 12 FUENTES GEROGINAS / ATITLÁN
Birding 6:00 to 8:00 am breakfast and if need return to 197 km for second try at Azure-rumped Tanager. We can also hike the various trails in the region. Lunch. Transfer by bus to Lake Atitlán. Arrive at Hotel Lake Atitlán by 3:30 PM. On the grounds of this hotel is one of the best areas in Guatemala to see Slender Sheartail and the Sparkling-tailed Hummingbird. Late dinner and accommodations at Hotel.
Soft core birders and non-birding spouses have the great opportunity to visit the quaint town of Panajachel and marvel at the colorful native handicraft and weavings made by hand by the local Maya Indians. Hotel Atitlan.
Day 13 ATITLÁN / TECPAN
6:00 am early morning bird walk. 8:30 am breakfast, afternoon free to enjoy the colorful weavings and textiles made by the local Maya Indians. Lunch, Transfer to Tecpan for birding until 5:30PM. Return to Guatemala City. Farewell dinner and accommodations at hotel. Hotel Camino Real - Westin.
Day 14 GUATEMALA CITY / DEPART - Depart for country of destination.