Belize is a unique tropical birding trip destination. Here, you’ll find more than 580 species of birds in an area the size of Massachusetts. This makes Belize the perfect birding and bird photographing destination. With Yellowbilledtours, we offer a small group venue with many varied habitats for birding. A week-long itinerary with us commonly produces a trip list of over 300 tropical bird species.

Belize is an English-speaking country, which makes travel much more manageable for North American travelers who are not fluent in Spanish. Yellowbilled Tours utilizes local Belize guides for portions of the field trip, thereby supporting local eco-tourism. Additionally, we use locally owned lodges and services operated by Belizeans or expatriates who are Belizean residents. Our numerous trips to Belize have taught us where to find the birds. In fact, Ebird lists Yellowbilled Tours’ owner, Rich Cimino, among the top 100 birders in Belize, with 379 species observed. These trips bring together birding enthusiasts in a small-group venue, where many new friendships are formed.

Jabiru
Keel-billed Toucan
Lesson’s Motmot
Woodcreeper species
Russet-naped Wood-Rail
Yucatan Jay
Bat Falcon
Orange-breasted Falcon (Tikal)
Agami Heron

The 2026 field trips are limited to six participants per trip. A minimum of 3 will be required to proceed with the trip. This field trip offers birders with limited Central American birding experience a great introduction to birding the tropics. Custom and private field trips for couples can also be arranged. Bird species list for the tour and tour registration are available upon request at yellowbilledtours@gmail.com.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

You’ll need to arrive at Belize City International Airport on January 4th. I will meet you at 4 PM with our vehicle curbside at the Belize International Airport. We will stay two nights at the Bird’s Eye View Lodge.

Day 1, January 4: We begin birding as we make our way, looking for the Roadside Hawk and Fork-tailed Flycatcher, en route to the Birds Eye View Lodge in the Crooked Tree Preserve. Our lodge is Birds Eye View Lodge (BEVL), where we will be staying for two days. After dinner, we’ll spend time birding the grounds seeking the Common Parquie, a moth-catching nightjar which can be found along the entrance road to our lodge.

Day 2, January 5: Up early for birding by boat on the Crooked Tree Reservoir to the backwaters of the New River. The boat trip opens up the world of birding in Belize, offering a fabulous birding adventure. We’ll see hundreds of wading birds, Snail Kite, Bat Falcon, Black-collared Hawk, Boat-billed Heron, Agami Heron, Parrots, and possibly a Jabiru, the largest bird in the Western Hemisphere. After breakfast, we will bird in critical areas in the immediate BEVL area. Lunch in the lodge. After lunch, we’ll drive to an assortment of birding hot spots—with dinner in Birds Eye View Lodge.

Day 3, January 6: After breakfast, we depart for Hopkins, Belize, situated on the Caribbean Sea coast. Our lodging is in Hopkins’ Comosplitian Guest House. We have lunch in Bopan, the Capital of Belize. We drive a very scenic portion of the Butterfly Highway, and there will be birding opportunities along the route to Hopkins. Before dinner, we will bird the Caribbean coast and a back road which has been a productive area for hummingbirds, vireos, and warblers—dinner in Hopkins near our guest house. Lodging for two nights is at the Comosplitan Guest House.

Day 4, January 7: Up early for the drive to Cockscomb National Park, part of the Jaguar Preserve. We will stop for breakfast and birding at an indigenous women’s co-op business. This is a very long day, involving walks on the various flat trails in the park, with lunch, dinner, and lodging in the Hopkins Guest House. Birds are a lineated Woodpecker, Lesson Moymot, Slaty-tailed, and Black-headed Trogon. The list of species seen is rather long; I will send it to you upon request.

Day 5, January 8: We depart Hopkins after breakfast en route to the western border of Belize. There, we bird the Guanacaste National Park and have lunch in Bopan, the capital of Belize. We are now traveling the Western Highway. Our lodging at the Hanna Ranch is a fully operational equestrian and cattle ranch, featuring individual cottages that offer us excellent on-site birding opportunities from the lawn area. Birds on the property are Chachalacas, Keel-billed Toucan, Wrens, Tanagers, and Flycatchers. Dinner will be served in Benny’s Cafe in the small village of San Jose.

Day 6, January 9: We will bird the Mountain Pine Preserve, located at elevations ranging from 1,300 to 2,200 feet. This is primarily stationary birding, allowing the birds to come to us. In the afternoon, we’ll have a mix of species, including the Belize Pygmy Owl, raptors like kites and falcons, jays, various finches, and warblers. In the afternoon, we’ll bird at the Green Valley Butterfly Research Center. The research center features dozens of hummingbird feeders, along with a comfortable seating area and a blind for viewing and photographing the birds. Also available to us are the research gardens. Our lodging will be the Hannas – Xunantunich Ranch Resort,

Day 7, January 10: Our last day of the field trip begins early, with us waking up to bird with our local guide. We will bird the Mopann River bottomland habitat in San Inigano. Species seen have been Royal Flycatcher, Lesson’s Motmot, Slaty-tailed Trogon, and Spot-breasted Wren. By mid-morning, we’ll have breakfast and then leave for the Belize International Airport to catch our departing flight home.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us to request a registration form and pricing information.