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Birding in Belize is Great Year-Round

Birds from the north visit Belize during the winter months, while the summer months are good for spotting visitors from South America ....

Blue Crowned Mot-MotJust as its coral reefs harbor tremendous bio diversity, Belize is a mecca for birds of all shapes, sizes, and colors. In all of North America, ornithologists have documented just over 800 species of birds; Belize, a country approximately the size of Massachusetts, is home to over 570 of them; of this number, 80 percent are classified as residents.

Northern Jacanas walking on lily pads along the New River in Orange Walk while Coastal birds like the Brown-Footed Booby and the Frigate Bird, are common on the Cayes. The savannahs in the Belize District are home to the Vermilion and Scissor-Tailed Flycatchers and the nearby Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary caters to flocks of Wood Storks. In Cayo, sightings of Night Herons and Jacamars and Blue-Crowned Mot Mots are not uncommon.

Additionally, the types of birds you will see depends upon the type of natural habitat you are in. On your Birding Tour you’ll have the chance to look for different species in the rainforest, in open savannahs, on cayes, and among the country’s many swamps and mangroves. Since some of the best Belize bird watching sites are found close to other great Belize attractions, coupling your birding adventure with other fun pursuits will only add to your Birding experience.

Bird Watching is great in Cayo! Birding at duPlooys

Cayo's varied eco-niches, pine ridges, gallery forests, river systems, savanna, and jungle-covered hillsides provide homes for many of these species -from Great Kiskadees to the Northern Potoo - making Cayo District a Birder's Paradise.

Canoe trips or leisurely walks along the banks of the Macal or Mopan Rivers are excellent for observing waterfowl such as anhingas, kingfishers, herons and swallows. Some of the best sightings can be had simply by staying at one of the area's many resorts and ranches where the mix of open land, orchard plantings, and jungle edge provide an excellent habitat for Yellow-Tailed Orioles, Blue-Gray Tanagers, and a myriad of other species.

duPlooy Travel can provide serious birders with expert Birding Guides who can help you find the species you need for your life list. See the Birds of the Cayo District Check List to help you know what you might see.

Those with a more casual interest in birds will be delighted at the colorful avian displays seen during their travels in Belize.

Sample Country-Wide Birding Package Includes

  • Ground and Air Transportation within Belize
  • Accommodations
  • Expert Bird Guide
  • Entrance Fees
  • Meals beginning with Dinner on your arrival day and ending with breakfast on departure day.
  • Accommodation and Sales Taxes

SAMPLE COUNTRY-WIDE BIRDING PACKAGE


DAY 1
– BELIZE CITY/ ORANGE WALK

After clearing immigration and customs at the airport you will be met by your Belizean Birding guide and then will travel along the Northern Highway to Orange Walk Town.

O/N Hotel de la Fuente. (L)/ D

DAY 2 – ORANGE WALK / LAMANAI ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE /CROOKED TREE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Morning /
Following breakfast, board your boat for the ride to the Mayan ruins of Lamanai. After arriving you will have the chance to explore the ruins and have the opportunity to look for the Red-Lored Parrot, Blue-Crowned Mot-mot, Collared Aracari Toucan, Lineated & Pale-billed Woodpeckers and Black-Headed & Violaceous Trogons. In addition, Yucatan Black Howler Monkeys are usually seen or heard here.

Afternoon /
After a picnic lunch drive to the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary where you will spend the next 2 nights.

O/N Bird’s Eye Lodge. B/L/D

DAY 3 – CROOKED TREE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Morning /
Early morning birding by boat on the lagoons at Crooked Tree in search of birds. Water birds will be the main target with special emphasis on finding the Jabiru, Sungrebe and Agami Herons. Late breakfast.

Afternoon /
More local area Birding

O/N Bird’s Eye Lodge. B/L/D

DAY 4 - TRANSFER TO CAYO DISTRICT/ BELIZE ZOO / MACAL RIVER CANOEING

Stop at the Belize Zoo and then for lunch at one of the nearby restaurant establishments; Continue on to Cayo District and your accommodation at duPlooy's Jungle Lodge.

Canoe on your own along the banks of the Macal River, along the river look for Gray-necked Wood rails, Kingfishers, Black phoebes, Neo tropic Cormorants, Mangrove Swallows, and other wildlife that frequent the riverbanks, such as iguanas sunning themselves on the rocks and trees, wander the trails of Belize Botanic Gardens or just relax on the deck or in your hammock. After dinner meet your guide for a night walk to look for Potoos, Owls, Goat Suckers and other night creatures.

O/N duPlooy's Jungle Lodge in a Bungalow

B/L/D

DAY 5 - MOUNTAIN PINE RIDGE

While at duPlooy's you have the option of a pre-breakfast bird walk on the property. After breakfast depart for the Mountain Pine Ridge, a 300 square mile reserve for scenery, waterfalls & birding. Stops will be made along the way as birding opportunities present themselves and at specific known birding sites such as 1,000 ft falls where you are likely to see the rare Orange-Breasted Falcon and King Vultures.

Here we have the opportunity to see Yellow-faced Grassquits, Rufus-capped Warblers, Acorn Woodpeckers, Yellow-backed Orioles and Golden-hooded Tanagers. These falcons live on the outcropping. Black-headed Siskins can often be seen flying in flocks.

O/N duPlooy's Jungle Lodge in a Bungalow or

B/L/D

DAY 6 - EL PILAR

Half-day tour to El Pilar Archeological site. The site is excellent for birding, hiking, and provides an insight to Belize's sub-tropical forests. We will make stops along the way to view such birds as Collared Manikins, Honeycreeper's and an array of flycatchers etc.

While staying at duPlooy's Jungle Lodge you can venture on your own and enjoy Birding in a variety of habitats while wandering around several miles of trails on duPlooy's property and adjacent Belize Botanic Gardens. Copies of the Cayo checklist of birds, as well as some of our recommended wider-range publications, are available from duPlooy's Gift Shop.

O/N duPlooy's Jungle Lodge in a Bungalow

B/L/D

DAY 7 – TIKAL

No Birding Package is complete without a tour of Tikal, the only place in the world which has been declared by UNESCO as both a Natural & World Cultural Heritage site.

O/N duPlooy's Jungle Lodge in a Bungalow

B/L/D

DAY 8 - OPTIONS

Option 1 - Breakfast - Return to Belize International Airport Belize International Airport for your return flight home or onward destination.

Option 2 - Breakfast - Transfer overland to Placencia with a stop at the Inland Blue Hole National Park for a few hours of Birding. The Blue Hole has a number of trails to hike within the park. Some of the more unusual birds known to this area includes the White Hawk, Spotted-Wood Quail, Crested Guans, Lovely Cotinga, Keel-Billed Toucans, Red-Legged Honey Creepers, and Slaty-tailed Trogons.

Arrive Placencia - Explore the beach, lagoon and village of Placencia.

O/N Green Parrot Beach Houses B/L/D.

DAYS 9 & 10 -

Three nights in Placencia. Snorkeling trip to Laughing Bird Caye; Tours to Monkey River & Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve "Jaguar Reserve" are just some of the activities that can be arranged, at additional cost.

DAY 11 – PLACENCIA / BELIZE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Morning transfer to Placencia airstrip for flight back to Belize International Airport for your return flight home or onward destination.

TOTAL Costs per person (DBL) Special Rates available for groups.

OPTION 1 - duPLooy's Jungle Lodge
8 Days & 7 Nights - US $1,845

OPTION 2 - duPLooy's Jungle Lodge & Placencia
11 Days & 10 Nights - US $2,500

Price includes: Private Transportation & Tours; Accommodations and meals as indicated and ALL applicable taxes. departure tax. OPTION 2 also includes airfare from Placencia to Belize International Airport. No meals or tours are included for your stay in Placencia.

For a Personalized duPlooy Travel Birding Package
Contact Us for More Information

Address: P.O. Box 180 San Ignacio, Belize

Phone:

International Calls to Belize - Dial - 011 (501) 824-3101
From the USA (239) 417-8978

Our Birding Packages include a sample of many of the diverse bio regions of Belize and Guatemala, from savannah to rainforest plus outstanding Mayan ruins! Belize is one of the most exciting countries a birder can visit, with over 550 bird species and there are 350 bird species in Tikal in Guatemala alone.

Belize and Guatemala teem with other wildlife as well including jaguars, pumas, tapirs, iguanas, and monkeys. We’ll be staying at comfortable inns, hotels and "jungle lodges" throughout the trip.

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