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Birdwatching Tour in Guatemala visiting: (6 days & 5 nights )
Hacienda Rio Escondido
Las Victorias National Park
Semuc Champey
Ram Tzul Natural Reserve
Reserva Bocas del Polochic
Extension to Tikal National Park
Includes:
All ground transportation in A/C, mini van
1 night of Accommodation at hotel Casa Duranta in Coban
1 night of accommodation at hotel El Retiro in Lanquin
1 night at Hotel Ram Tzul, in Purulhá Baja Verapaz
Entrances fees to the sites you will visit
Birdwatching specialist tour guide
Taxes
Guatemala´s Bird Check list
Does not include:
Meals not described
Alcoholic and none alcoholic beverages
Phone calls
Gratitudes to drivers and guides
Not described
Hacienda Rio Escondido:
Located at the beginning of the Cloud Forest Biological Corridor and close to the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve, the reserve has an extension of nearly 178 acres, where you will find Pine-Oak Forest bordering Las Flautas and San Isidro rivers.
The reserve promotes forest conservation and has realized bird monitoring; due to this monitories, there is now a high probability that you will see the Golden Cheeked Warbler, especially between the months of November and February.
Species in the area:
Northern Flicker (Guatemalan race)
Bushy-crested Jay
Rufous-collared Robin
Black-capped Swallow
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Goldman's race)
Golden-cheeked Warbler
Grace's Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Semuc champey
Champey is located 11km to the south of Lanquín, in a valley with steep walls, surrounded by tropical humid forest. There is a 300m long limestone bridge, on top of which there are several natural pools of different sizes, filled with crystalline mountain spring water.
Underneath the bridge is the Cahabón River. At the end of the bridge, the water from the pools falls rejoining the river, forming a 40ft waterfall.
The color of the water changes during the year depending on the season, sun and other natural factors, making for unique picture-taking opportunities. It is a beautiful place, often called idyllic.
Semuc Champey has a diversity of flora and fauna, including 90 species of birds, 34 mammals, 25 reptiles and amphibians; and 10 species of fish. There are more than 120 species of trees and shrubs.
Species in the area:
Great tinamou
Muscovy duck
little blue heron
american bittern
swallow-tailed kite
great black hawk
common black hawk
gray hawk
white hawk
red-tailed hawk
hook-billed kite
collared forest falcon
bat falcon
plain chachalaca
crimson-collared tanager
blue-gray tanager
yellow-winged tanager
red-legged honeycreeper
Ram Tzul Private Nature Reserve
Created in 2001 to preserve the Cloud Forest biome, the water resources of the area, and to promote environmental education through ecotourism activities. Ram Tzul is part of the Cloud Forest Biological Corridor; the reserve also promotes productive activities that are friendly to the environment like organic coffee, bamboo, reforestation and ecological farm.
Species in the area:
Green-throated Mountain-gem
Resplendent Quetzal
Blue-throated Motmot
Black-headed Siskin
Bushy-crested Jay
Rufous-collared Robin
Blue-and-white Mockingbird
Bocas del Polochic Wildlife Refuge
With 51,300 acres, Bocas del Polochic is a very important region of international concern recognized by the Ramsar Convention, where you can observe more than 250 bird species.
There is a biological station in the area under Fundación Defensores de la Naturaleza administration, which also has promoted research and conservation of the regional biodiversity.
Bocas del Polochic is where the Polochic River flows into Lake Izabal, and because of its high level of conservation it is an ideal place to observe terrestrial and aquatic birds. If you are lucky enough, you will be able to observe the three Toucan species of Guatemala foraging in one tree!
The Motagua/Polochic System covers an area of more than one million acres (440,000 hectares) and is located in the northeast section of Guatemala.
The topography of the Motagua/Polochic System is defined by the Motagua geological fault to the south, the Polochic fault to the north and the Izabal depression, which have created altitudinal ranges from 0 to 10,000 feet.
Species in the area:
Sunbittern
Black and white Owl
Emerald Toucanet
Keel-billed Toucan
Olivaceus Piculet
Royal Flycatcher
White-collared Manakin
Crimson-collared Tanager
Tikal National Park
This is the best place for birding in Guatemala,More than 400 species of birds have been recorded within Tikal National Park, including 30 birds of prey and 60 migratory species.
The exhuberant forest and the impressive temples present magic and mysticism.
Due to the rarity and number of species of fauna, Tikal is considered an important area in Guatemala. Rare species found nesting in Tikal include the orange-breasted falcon (Falco deiroleucus) and the Guiana crested eagle (Morphus guianensis), which makes Tikal one of the few nesting areas in Central America for this species.
One can easily spot species such as the ocellated turkey.
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