Guatemala’s wide diversity of ecosystems makes it a birding hot spot—more than 700 species of birds can be found here. Avid bird-watchers consider this paradise, though novices can easily center an entire Guatemala vacation around birding.
A substantial network of trails leads through protected patches of forest interspersed with coffee and macadamia plantations.With its own private reserve on the southern slopes of Atitlán Volcano, Los Tarrales harbors forests ranging in altitude from 700 to 3,000 meters (2,300-9,800 feet) that include broadleaf and cloud forests. Bird species are correspondingly diverse and include horned guan, long-tailed manakin, Pacific parakeet, orange-fronted parakeet, and several species of hummingbirds.Near Retalhuleu, Reserva Patrocinio lies south of Santiaguito Volcano at an altitude between 750 and 850 meters (2,500-2,700 feet). It is a good place for observing birds found in lowland and middle elevations. A substantial network of trails leads through protected patches of forest interspersed with coffee and macadamia plantations. Hawks, vultures, and falcons abound, as do parrots and woodpeckers.
The Berylline hummingbird is one of several species in Guatemala. Photo © Al Argueta.
On the Pacific Coast, the best places for birding are the vast Manchón Guamuchal wetlands and the canals and mangrove swamps bordering Monterrico. Species found in both parks include great egrets, roseate spoonbill, blue heron, and belted kingfisher.
On the moist Caribbean Coast, the Cerro San Gil Reserve harbors more than 350 species of birds, including the black-and-white hawk-eagle and keel-billed motmot. More than 90 neotropical migrants, including the wood thrush and blue-winged warbler, winter in the area. Birding is excellent in the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve, particularly if you want to see Guatemala’s national symbol, the elusive quetzal.
If you’d like to spot birds in the cloud forest while keeping a comfortable base to come back to after a long day, visit Chelemhá Cloud Forest Preserve, with its wonderful Maya Cloud Forest Lodge. The preserve lies at altitudes ranging from 2,000 to 2,500 meters (6,500-8,200 feet). Found within its forests are at least 14 bird species endemic to Central America’s Northern Highlands. A total of 145 bird species have been recorded here to date.
In Petén, it’s hard to beat Tikal National Park. You’ll see ocellated turkeys along the forest floor as well as keel-billed toucans and Montezuma’s oropendola, among hundreds of other bird species, zipping about the forest canopy. The temple pyramids provide excellent vantage points for bird-watching. South of Tikal, on the shores of Lake Petén Itzá, Cerro Cahuí is also an excellent place for bird-watching with several waterbird species, including pied-billed grebe, herons, and northern jacana as well as the more typical rainforest birds such as toucans. Two trails wind through the forest with some excellent vantage points over the lake.
Excerpted from the Fifth Edition of Moon Guatemala.
