We are combining Belize and Guatemala are a unique destination for tropical birding. Here, you’ll find more than 580 species of birds in an area the size of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. This tour is designed to make it the perfect destination for birding and bird photography. With Yellowbilled Tours, we offer small-group birding across a variety of habitats. This nine-day itinerary combining two Central American countries opens a variety of habitats for you to bird. Typically combining these two countries will yield a list of over 300 tropical bird species.

Both Belize and Guatemala are English-speaking countries, making travel more manageable for North American travelers who are not fluent in Spanish. Yellowbilled Tours uses local Belizean and Guatemalan guides for portions of the field trip, thereby supporting local ecotourism. This is Yellowbilled Tours’ 16^th birding tour into Belize and it’s 9^th birding tour into Guatemala. Additionally, we use locally-owned and operated lodges and services. 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 small groups, where many new friendships are formed. A few of the typical species expect to see:

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

The 2027 field trips are limited to six participants. A minimum of 3 will be required to proceed with the trip. This field trip offers birders with limited experience in Central American birding a great introduction to tropical birding. Custom and private field trips for couples can also be arranged. The bird species list for the tour and the tour registration form are available upon request at yellowbilledtours@gmail.com.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

You’ll need to arrive at Belize City International Airport on Sunday October 17th. I will meet you at 3 PM with our vehicle curbside at the Belize International Airport. We will stay two nights at the Bird’s Eye View Lodge.

Day 1: October 17, 2027 – 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 stay for 2 days. After dinner, we’ll spend time birding the grounds seeking the Common Pauraque, a moth-catching nightjar which can be found along the entrance road to our lodge.

Day 2: October 18, 2027 – Up early for an exciting birding by boat excursion on the Crooked Tree Reservoir to the backwaters of the New River. The boat trip opens 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, possible 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, then we’ll drive to Hopkins, Belize, situated on the Caribbean Sea coast. Our lodging is in Hopkins’ Cosmopolitan Guest House.

Day 3: October 19 – 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. The birds we will be seeking are the lineated Woodpecker, Lesson Moymot, Slaty-tailed, and Black-headed Trogon. The list of observed species is quite long; I will send you a custom-made spiral-bound checklist spreadsheet. We depart Cockscomb N.P. after lunch, driving to the western border of Belize. Our lodging in western Belize is near the Guatemala border. The birds on the Black Rock Lodge property are Chachalacas, Keel-billed Toucan, Wrens, Tanagers, and Flycatchers. Our lodging will be in Black Rock Lodge.

Day 4: October 20th – We will bird the Mountain Pine Preserve, located at elevations between 1,300 and 2,200 feet. This is primarily stationary birding, allowing the birds to come to us. In the afternoon, we’ll see a mix of species, including possible Belize Swallow-tailed and Grey-headed Kites plus an assortment of warblers, raptors and falcons, jays, various finches, and woodpeckers. In the afternoon, we’ll bird at the Green Valley Butterfly Research Center, a 250-acre preserve featuring up to 12 butterfly species. The research center features dozens of hummingbird feeders, a comfortable seating area, and a blind for viewing and photographing the birds. We also have access to the research gardens, which have been productive for flycatchers and finches. Our lodging will be the Black Rock Lodge.

Day 5: October 21 – We depart for Tikal National Park Guatemala. Arriving in the park in the early afternoon, we’ll meet our guide to begin birding the National Park with focus on finding the Orange-breasted Falcon, Mankins, Motmot, Wrens, Trogons and woodcreepers, Jays, flycatchers, and Tanagers. Lodging in the park.

Day 6 & 7: October 22 & 23 – Birding Tikal – Myan Temples Ruins into the early afternoon with dinner in Flores. We take an evening flight to Guatemala City, lodging in Antigua. The flight is part of your tour fee.

Day 8: October 24th – Birding Finca El Pilar park possible Guatemala Pygmy Owl, Gray Silky Flycatcher and the visitor center with very good archeology displays. Birding Parque Corazon del Basque in the afternoon with possible Olive Warbler. San Juan la Laguna Pueblo Pink-headed Warbler. Lodging in Antigua.

Day 9: October 25 – Birding Carretera Panamericana Santa Apolonia Gt.- Chimaltenango– Pink-headed Warbler, Mountain Trogon, Cresent Warbler, Northern Emerald Toucanet.  Lodging in Antigua.

Day 10: October 26 – Tour ends with transportation to the Guatemala City International Airport.

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