Trip Leaders
Glenn Crawford
second leader with 7+
2011 Dates
This itinerary can be arranged for small groups, clubs and organizations at request.
2011 Cost
Approx. $2800 from Belize City depending on the number of people in group.
Limit 12 participants. Easy walks, and boat trips. Warm to hot tropical days and nights.
Full payment required September 1, 2009
Price based on double occupancy. If a single room is preferred, a single supplement fee of $500 will be assessed.
Belize & Tikal 11-Day Birding Tour
The colorful Keel-billed Toucan is the national bird of Belize.
The Mayan ruins of Tikal, on our optional extension, holds not only the magic of an ancient civilization, but also many species that are difficult to find elsewhere. Regional endemics like Gray-throated Chat and Rose-throated Tanager can be found in the low scrub forests near our lodge. Quiet patience have earned rare sightings of forest floor species like Thicket Tinamou and Pheasant Cuckoo. Evenings by the hidden ponds offer generous views of many birds who come to bathe at their edges in the waning light.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Belize - Crooked Tree Sanctuary / Crooked Tree Lodge
Arrival in Belize, board our custom birding bus and depart for Crooked Tree and the Crooked Tree Lodge (birding along the way), arriving for dinner. A brief orientation to Belize after dinner.
Day 2 - Crooked Tree Sanctuary / Crooked Tree Lodge
We will explore the Crooked Tree Lagoon and Spanish Creek by boat in search of the many species of birds which inhabit this beautiful sanctuary.On the boat trip we will look for Boat-billed, Agami and Bare Throated Tiger Herons, Black-collared and Great black Hawk and Jabiru. With low canopy logwood, turtlebone, provision tree and mangrove, good views of Yellow-tailed Oriole, Mangrove Vireo and Rufous-browed Peppershrike are very possible. The endangered Black Howler Monkey and Morelets Crocodile are also found here. After lunch back at the lodge, we will explore the upper end of the island, a pine-oak savanna. Yellow-lored (Yucatan) Parrot, Yucatan Woodpecker and Yucatan Jay can be found in this open habitat.
Day 3 - On the road south to Cockscomb Basin / Mama Noots Lodge
After breakfast we will depart for southern Belizea and the eastern edge of the Maya Mountains and Mama Noot’s Backabush Lodge. We'll have many birding stops along the way, including the Monkey Bay Sanctuary (a private preserve) and Blue Hole National Park. Lunch at a local restaurant, dinner at the lodge.
Day 4 - Cockscomb Basin / Mama Noots Lodge
This morning we’ll explore some of the many trails through the Bacawina Sanctuary. This preserve, part of the famous Cockscomb Basin, is rich in fauna, including Jaguar and many species of birds. Lunch at the lodge. After lunch we will depart for the coast to explore the mangroves and shoreline. Dinner at the lodge
Day 5 - On the road to Cayo / Black Rock Lodge
Heading to Western Belize we will explore the other side of the Maya Mountains. We'll have a box lunch along the way arriving at the lodge in time for dinner after many birding stops along the way. Night hike or drive.
Day 6 - Cayo / Black Rock Lodge
Birding along the Macal River in the incredible broad-leaf forest offers opportunities for many species of passerines and raptors like Tody Motmot and Ornate Hawk Eagle. From the lodge we will visit several locations that offer many highlights and specialties. Night hike or drive.
Day 7 - Cayo / Black Rock Lodge
More birding in the Cayo district today will offer additional specialties of Belize and this specific area. Opportunities for canoeing, tubing and swimming will also be available in the mid-day heat. Night hike or drive.
Day 8 - On the road to Tikal, Guatemala / Tikal Inn
Load the vans for departure to Guatemala after breakfast. We will bird our way out of the montains with many stops. Lunch in San Ignacio. Arrive in Tikal for birding along the old landing strip and hidden ponds. Dinner at the lodge. Optional spotlighting after dinner.
Day 9 - Guatemala / Tikal Inn
Pre-breakfast birding in the scrub forest. After breakfast we will explore the ruins finding new birds along the many trails in the park. The ruins are an amazing site to see, and the birding is phenomenal! Lunch at a local restaurant followed by more birding. Dinner at the lodge.
Day 10 - Back to Belize / Black Rock Lodge
Depart after breakfast, arriving at Black Rock Lodge in time for lunch. We will have some leisurely birding and an opportunity to play in the Macal River before dinner. We may take a canoe trip to see Sungrebe along the Macal.
Day 11 Departure to USA
Pre-breakfast birdwalk. Load the vans for departure after breakfast to the airport for flights to the USA.
Birding Areas and Accommodations
Mama Noot’s Backabush Resort
Located on the edge of the Cockscomb Basin, the broad-leaf rainforest surrounding the lodge offers many colorful species including: Crimson-collared and Passerini’s Tanagers, Green and Red-legged Honeycreepers and White-necked Jacobin. Tinamous and Curassows can be seen along the darker trails near the resort as well as in the nearby Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Preserve. The lodge itself is made up of comfortable cabanas with private bath and hot showers. From this location we will visit the Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve and other surrounding hotspots.
Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary - Crooked Tree Lodge
The brand new Crooked Tree Lodge was built on the beautiful site of the former Paradise Inn and is set along the Crooked Tree Lagoon on the edge of the Creole settlement of Crooked Tree Village. This town of about 900 people offers incredible wildlife viewing as well as a very friendly atmosphere. Smiling faces will greet us everywhere in the village. The rustin Paradise Inn has been replaced with this beautiful, up-scale lodge, however, the down-home treatement, including delicious Creole style meals and desserts still remain!.
Cayo - Black Rock Lodge
Black Rock Lodge sits on a mountainside overlooking the beautiful Macal River. The trails along the hillsides on each side of the river offer incredible birding opportunities. White Hawks and other raptors perch nearby in the morning sun, visible from our breakfast table, as they await the needed thermals. Emerald Toucanets and White-fronted Parrots nest in trees on the property. The cabanas are beautifully designed, spacious and comfortable and the Belizean-style meals are prepared with an international flare. Black Rock lodge is a true “eco-lodge” as it is completely off-the-grid, and utilizes micro hydro-electric, solar energy, secondary wastewater treatment and other ‘green” techniques.
Tikal, Guatemala / Tikal Inn
The Mayan ruins of Tikal are probably the best known of all the ancient cities of the Americas. Its tall structures, used in the movie Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, stand mysteriously amid the amazing rainforest, inviting our exploration. We will have a local Guatemalan guide with us as we explore the ruins for the first time. Howler Monkeys, Squirrel Monkeys and Coatimundi are everywhere, as are many other species of mammals and, of course, birds! The lodge is very comfortable, with a quiet luxury (and a pool). Breakfast and dinner will be at the lodge, while lunch will be at the park’s restaurant. All facilities are in easy walking distance from the Park entrance.