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The Yucatan + Chiapas + Oaxaca
An amazing birding road trip!
Amazing expedition through the Yucatan Peninsula, Chiapas and Oaxaca. We will visit many regions all of them with different habitat and species, we will have the chance to see around 450 different birds!
The itinerary is planned to have chance to find and enjoy a lot of endemic and semi-endemic birds. In the Yucatan Peninsula we will visit the main hotspots, in Chiapas we will go to the Selva Lacandona reserve, to the high mountains, lowland forest and coast, and in Oaxaca we will bird from south to north, from the coast of Huatulco to the Sierra Norte
Day 1: Arrival day - Pick un in Cancun Airport
We will pick you up at Cancun airport and transfer to the hotel in Puerto Morelos, a charming little Caribbean town and one of the oldest ports in Quintana Roo. Depending on your arrival time we can plan to go birding in the evening to try some crepuscular and nocturnal birds. We will have dinner together and will review the itinerary of the trip and answer any questions you may have.
Day 2: Cozumel Island
On this day we will travel by ferry to the amazing island of Cozumel, where we will explore al day in the forest, mangroves and coastal dunes. The Cozumel Emerald, Cozumel Wren and the Cozumel Vireo will be our main objectives, but the island is home of many more species, as well as endemic subspecies and interesting caribbean specialties. We will have our meals in the Island, and then we will return to Playa del Carmen where we will spend the night.
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Day 3: Puerto Morelos - Rio Lagartos
We will start birding in Puerto Morelos Reserve, a well preserved medium forest area where our targets will be the Yucatan Flycatcher, Green-backed Sparrow, Orange Oriole, Rose-throated Tanager among other ~70 species that we will see in the morning. An early lunch will be provided by a local family. Then we will drive to Rio Lagartos where we will take a boat tour in the mangrove ria to search for the American Flamingo, Mangrove Warbler, Clapper Rail, several species of herons, egrets, terns, shorebirds and more. Once the sun goes down and still in the boat we will look for the Yucatan Nightjar, bird difficult to find in other places.
Day 4: Valladolid
Day 4: Rio Lagartos - Dzilam de Bravo
This morning we will be birding in the coastal sand dune and mangrove vegetation at Rio Lagartos Reserve, a site with a very particular habitat, home of restricted range birds. The Mexican Sheartail, Yucatan Wren, Black-throated Bobwhite, Zenaida Dove, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Lesser Roadrunner will be some of the birds we will search. After lunch we will drive to Dzilam de Bravo to search for the Yucatan Gnatcatcher an endemic restricted to Northwest of the Peninsula.
Day 5: Merida - Campeche
This day we will drive to Campeche state, making several stops on the way. First we will visit a small reserve south of Merida city, then we will stop near Campeche city in a beautiful reserve with water springs and a lagoon. We will continue our way to Calakmul area where we will have chances to search some birds from the tall forest.
Day 6: Calakmul
Full day birding at Calakmul Reserve, with an incredibly vast biodiversity, there's lots to discover in one the largest tropical forest in the Mayan region. We will go to the Archaeological Zone of Calakmul, and on the way we will stop at several spots to see interesting species such as Ocellated Turkey, Yellow-lored Parrot, Ornate Hawk-eagle, Mayan Antthrush, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper, Red-capped Manakin and Blue Bunting are just some of the amazing species we can find in this magic reserve in the south of the Peninsula.
Day 7: Mamantel - Palizada
The main birding activity of this day will be In Mamantel river, we will take a boat in search for the Sungrebe, but with chances to see several other birds like Ringed Kingfisher, American pygmy Kingfisher, Crane Hawk, Least Grebe. We will continue driving to Palenque, Chiapas but first we will stop in the road to Palizada where we can find a great diversity of birds, including Jabiru, Pinnated Bittern, Snail Kite, Black-collared Hawk and many other birds that live in this wet open land.
Day 8: Palenque
Palenque is a very popular place for birding because of its great diversity like the Scarlet Macaw, the White Hawk, the Long-billed Hermit, the Orange-billed Sparrow, or the Northern Royal Flycatcher. We will start birding in the gardens of the entrance of the archaeological site, then a nice trail in the tall forest and finally we will enter the archaeological site of Palenque, the main mayan city of the area. Some Targets Chestnut-colored Woodpecker Black-cheeked Woodpecker Golden Hooded Tanager Scarlet-rumped Tanager Crimson-collared Tanager Green Honeycreeper White-collared Swift Buff-throated Saltator Stripe-throated Hermit Scarlet Macaw White Hawk Long-billed Hermit Orange-billed Sparrow Northern Royal Flycatcher
Day 9: Naha - Lacandon Jungle
Naha is 900 meters above sea level, this is a picturesque ancient village that preserves its ancestral roots and traditions. Situated in the heart of the Lacandon Jungle and surrounded by beautiful lagoons, this place is ideal for bird-watching. The Montes Azules Natural Reserve, part of the Lacandon Jungle and characterized by its high evergreen jungle ecosystem, has a unique variety of species also found in Central America, like the Lovely Cotinga, the Mayan Trush, the Nightingale Wren, the Green Shrike Vireo or the White-collared Manakin. Among them, species that share high- and low-land territories stand out, such as the Guatemalan Tyrannulet. Main targets: Lovely Cotinga Mayan Antthrush Slaty-breasted Tinamou Great Tinamou Collared Trogon Short-billed Pigeon Black-faced Grosbeak Nightingale Wren Chestnut-headed Oropendola White-winged Tanager Green Shrike Vireo Crested Owl Black-and-white Owl Long-billed Starthroat White-collared Manakin
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Day 10: San Cristobal de las Casas
This site has tourist appeal due to the well-preserved colonial vestiges of its streets and buildings. San Cristobal is located at an altitude of 2,200 meters above sea level, and the area we will visit, the Montetik Natural Reserve, is at 2500 meters above sea level. This is a mountainous area with environmental characteristics and ecosystems typical of the high mountains of Guatemala and northern Central America, great to spot species like the Unicolored Jay or the Rufous-collared Robin. Because of this, it is expected to find several species that are specialties and endemics to this region, as well as the Blue-throated Motmot and the Pink Headed Warbler, which are the specialties of this place. Main targets: Unicolored Jay Rufous-collared Robin Pink Headed Warbler Mountain Trogon Garnet-throated Hummingbird Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem Red-faced Warbler Rufous-browed Wren Black-capped Swallow Blue-throated Motmot Chestnut-capped Brushfinch Bearded Screech-owl
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Day 11: Cañon del Sumidero
Not only for its tourist appeal due to its impressive landscapes, the Sumidero Canyon was declared a natural reserve almost 40 years ago for its great biodiversity. For example, a large part of its extension is covered by low forest, making it ideal for species such as the Blue-and-White Mockingbird, the Singing Quail, and the Lesser Roadrunner; there are also significant sections of bamboo, where the Belted Flycatcher is located. The tour is towards the north of Tuxtla, with stops at the 5 viewpoints at the highest part of the canyon, at more than 1000 meters high. Main targets: Banded Wren Streak-backed Oriole Fan-tailed Warbler Russet-crowned Motmot Blue-and-white Mockingbird White-lored Gnatcatcher Red-breasted Chat Bar-winged Oriole Slender Sheartail Belted Flycatcher
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Day 12: Ocote reserve and Sima de las Cotorras
In the early morning, before sunrise, we will drive to Armando Zebadua, a town situated at an elevation of 900 meters above sea level. This location is particularly noteworthy for its limestone outcrops, which host unique plant species typically found in humid evergreen forests, making it an ideal habitat for the Navas Wren. Additionally, this area is known for sightings of the Smoky-brown Woodpecker and the Slate-colored Solitaire. Furthermore, along the roadside, there is a blend of local vegetation characteristic of humid jungles, offering opportunities to spot the Yellow-winged Tanager and the Stripe-tailed Hummingbird. For the afternoon we will visit Sima de las Cotorras an amazing area with a geological depression and habitat of hundreds of Green Parakeets, many other birds can be seen in the surrounding areas. Main targets: Navas Wren Smoky-brown Woodpecker Rufous-breasted Spinetail Tawny-winged Woodcreeper Slate-colored Solitaire Black-faced Grosbeak Yellow-winged Tanager Wedge-tailed Sabrewing Green Shrike Vireo Fawn-throated Foliage-gleaner Green Parakeet Stripe-tailed Hummingbird
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Day 13: Puerto Arista - Juchitan
Puerto Arista is a coastal town the main targets in this area are the Giant Wren, endemic to Chiapas Coast, also there are other interesting birds: El Castaño is a coastal town surrounded by mangroves and situated near the San Nicolas River. Characterized by a hot and humid climate, the area boasts a rich and diverse vegetation. Our starts with an early morning boat excursion to explore the mangroves, offering opportunities to observe the Agami Heron, Sungrebe, and other species. After that, we will proceed to Arriaga, a town located on a mountain slope and foothill, where we will dedicate the afternoon focusing on species such as the Rose-bellied Bunting and the Orange-breasted Bunting. Concluding our day, we will drive less than 2 hours to reach Tuxtla Gutierrez, to our next accommodation. Main targets: White Bellied Chachalaca Spot Breasted Oriole Yellow-naped Parrot Bare-throated Tiger Heron Northern Potoo Pacific Screech Owl Boat-billed Heron
Day 14: Juchitan - Huatulco
The Rose-bellied Bunting is an endemic bird with a very restricted range. In this morning we will have the chance to have good views, in the same area we can see other endemics like the Cinammon-tailed Sparrow, Beautiful Hummingbird, Lesser Ground Cuckoo and other. In the early afternoon we will arrive to Huatulco area where we will start searching for other endemics. Targets: Red-breasted Chat Orange-breasted Bunting Cinnamon-rumped Seedeater Turquoise-crowned Hummingbird Flammulated Flycatcher Citreoline Trogon Russet-crowned Motmot Spot-breasted oriole Golden-cheeked Woodpecker White-lored gnatcatcher West Mexican Chachalaca Lesser Ground Cuckoo Rufous-naped Wren Golden Vireo
Day 15: Huatulco
We will use this morning to search for the missing targets of the Huatulco area. Sendero Las Ninfas is a great option. We can search for nocturnal local species at the National Park like the Pacific Screech-Owl, Colima Pigmy Owl and the Northern Potoo.
Day 16: Pelagic trip and Pluma Hidalgo
Start really early in the morning to take a boat to travel offshore to get into pelagic waters. There's a high chance to see different pelagic species like the Least and Black Storm-Petrel, the Pink-footed Shearwater and the Wedge-tailed Shearwater Main targets: Black Storm-Petrel Least Storm-Petrel Pink-footed Shearwater Galapagos Shearwater Wedge-tailed Shearwater Black-vented Shearwater Pomarine Jaeger Sabine's Gull Brown Booby Red-footed Booby Nazca Booby
Day 17: Pluma Hidalgo to San José del Pacífico
Pluma Hidalgo is a small town at 1200m over the sea level. There is a natural reserve dominated by cloud forest and it is known for the production of gourmet coffee. The quality of the coffee produced there is related to the region's climate: cool in the mornings and not too hot during the day. Some specialties of the area are the Northern Emerald Toucanet, the Mexican Hermit, Golden Vireo, Red-headed tanager and more. Then, we will drive to San José del Pacifico, stopping in the way to search some birds like the Blue-capped Hummingbird, Gray-crowned Woodpecker etc.
Day 18: San José del Pacífico
San José del PacÃfico, located at 2300m over the sea level, is a small town surrounded by forestry hills and mountains. This is a perfect place for some specialties like the Bumblebee Hummingbird, Garnet-throated Hummingbird and Hooded Yellowthroat.
Day 19: Teotitlan del Valle and Yagul Archeological site
Teotitlan del Valle is a small mountainous town near Oaxaca City, located at 1.670 m over the sea level, surrounded by fields and mountain dry shrub lands. This site is known for its cultural heritage of textile crafting with natural dyes, as well as for its colonial beauty. There are different spots like Presa Piedra Azul, the road to Benito Juarez area, and Presita to spend the first part of the day. Here are high chances of finding the Oaxaca Sparrow and the Bridled Sparrow. Near that, there is a Zapotec archaeological site named Yagul, also an important birding site for the Beautiful Hummingbird or the Gray-breasted Woodpecker. ain targets: Gray-breasted Woodpecker Oaxaca Sparrow Bridled Sparrow Beautiful Hummingbird Dusky hummingbird Dwarf Vireo Pileated Flycatcher Ocellated Thrasher Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush Boucard's Wren and more
Day 20: Sierra Norte - La Cumbre Ixtepeji
La Cumbre is a natural state reserve near Ixtepeji town. In this park, we will walk along trails and paths through the pine-oak forest at an elevation from 2700 to 2900m over the sea level. Being a different ecosystem, this allows us to observe different species like the Dwarf Jay and many species from pine forests like the Red Warbler, the Gray-barred Wren, and the Collared Towhee. We can go birding during the morning on the road to the site and spend the day birding in the area. Main targets: Dwarf Jay Collared Towhee White-striped Woodcreeper Long-tailed Wood-Partridge Gray-barred Wren Russet Nightingale-Thrush Spot-crowned Woodcreeper Mountain Trogon Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo Fulvous Owl Mexican Whip-poor-will
Day 21: Montealban
Located 8 km from Oaxaca city, Monte Alban is the principal Zapotec ancient city, which is considered a World Heritage Site for its emblematic cultural and natural properties. This part of the Oaxaca Valley is characterized by its warm climate and moderate rainfall. We can arrive early in the morning to bird inside and near the archaeological site, which is usually very active for several birds, including the Ocellated Thrasher, Slaty Vireo, and the Pileated Flycatcher. Main targets: Slaty Vireo White-throated Towhee Ocellated Thrasher Blue Mockingbird Black Vented Oriole Pileated Flycatcher Happy Wren Elegant Trogon
Day 21: Return flight
Option to flight back home this day. Maybe we will find a flight to Cancun or Mexico City the day before so you can be ready on this day to take your international flight.