Bird Watching Guatemala Blog

Bird Watching Guatemala by Martsam Tour & Travel "V International Bird Watching Encounter" The first half of our International bird watching encounter will take place mainly in Antigua Guatemala with daily mini-tours which are half-day birding tours to different locations. Besides these tours , there will be lectures and educational activities for the general public. The second half of the event is exclusively for traveling birders who want to visit other birding sites in Guatemala . Each visitor has to choose one of 4 options. Option 1: The Western Highlands: Visited sites include: Private Nature Reserve los Tarrales, Nature reserve Los Andes, Municipal Park San Pedro Volcano Ecosystems: cloud forest and pine-oak forest Some of the birds that can be seen on this tour: Mountain Trogon Collared Trogon, Resplendent Quetzal, Blue-throated Motmot, Blue-crowned Motmot, Emerald Toucanet, Golden-fronted Woodpecker and White-fronted

Black-throated Green-warbler Bird pictures have always different rewarding moments, but the opportunity to show a portrait is simply indescribable. These two pictures are a sample of migrant bird images I’ve taken during my birding trips in Guatemalan highlands in the last three years. Blue-headed Vireo Photo by Maynor Ovando Posted by Maynor Ovando http://www.birdwatchingguatemala.com/ is a registered trademark of Martsam Tour & Travel Copyright® 2,008 http://www.birdwatchingguatemala.com/ http://www.martsam.com/

Miguel Marin, an expert member of Bird Watching Guatemala Project Photo by Maynor Ovando San Miguel is a small village just five minutes in a boat ride from Flores Island in Petén lowlands. And like many places in Guatemala is a great birding hotspot. Miguel Marin is an extraordinary birder and a terrific birding guide who lives in this small bird paradise. Mangrove Swallow After years leading birding groups he has got an extra sense to find birds, sometimes people say that Miguel has a treat with birds because just in the moment he speaks about a bird, it comes in front of your eyes. He knows perfectly every bird that can be found in his domains and as members of the Bird Watching Guatemala birding staff I took a couple of hours to walk with him around the place. Northern Jacana I was thinking that my chances to get many birds were low because of the rainy weather but my expert friend had no problem to show me 52 bird species in this short visit. Miguel has been recording patiently

Louisiana Waterthrush ( Seiurus motacilla ) La primera ave migratoria que observé esta temporada en Guatemala fue un Louisiana Waterthrush en mi visita al sitio arqueológico El Perú - Waká el 4 de agosto de este año. Curiosamente esta especie y el Magnolia Warbler fueron los últimos que observé a finales de mayo. Observando y tomando nota de los acontecimientos de cuales somos testigos podemos colaborar a demostrar los cambios que ocurren en las diferentes poblaciones animales del mundo. Posted by Maynor Ovando http://www.birdwatchingguatemala.com/ is a registered trademark of Martsam Tour & Travel Copyright® 2,008 http://www.birdwatchingguatemala.com/ http://www.martsam.com/

Lemuel, Melvin and me birding at Ixpanpajul Photo by Maynor Ovando A couple of weeks ago I joined to Melvin and Lemuel, two of the best birding guides in Guatemala, to an early birding walk in Ecological Park Ixpanpajul. We started at 6:00 in the morning and the sound of Blue-crowned Motmot, Clay-colored Robin and Great Tinamou was announcing the sunrise. Vermillion Flycatcher (female) The first bird in sight was a female Vermillion Flycatcher and then a complete flycatcher parade was in front of our eyes, including Yellowish Flycatcher, Social Flycatcher, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee and Tropical Kingbird. Through the dense vegetation surrounding the trail we observed Green-backed Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, Red-throated Ant-tanager, Tawny-winged Woodcreeper and Olivaceous Woodcreeper. Bronzed Cowbird Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Yellow Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, Blue-gray Tanagers, Bronzed Cowbirds and hundreds of Northern Rough-winged Swallows were easy to see. Two hour

Bare- throated Tiger-heron Last days have been rainy and wet on Guatemala’s highlands and the direct effect on Peten lowlands is flood on areas along rivers. I went with my friends Melvin and Diego from Martsam Tour & Travel to birding around Ceibal and the experience was extraordinary. Hundreds of aquatic and shorebirds feeding on the extended ponds like Great-blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, Great Egret and Bare-throated Tiger Heron. Gray-necked Wood-rail Through the bushes we saw Ruddy Crake, Mangrove Vireo, Gray-necked Wood-rail and Least Grebe. Over clean branches we had this great sight of the Amazon Kingfisher and a couple of Snail Kite. Amazon Kingfisher By the end of the day we had a bird list of 98 species. Posted by Maynor Ovando www.birdwatchingguatemala.com is a registered trademark of Martsam Tour & Travel Copyright® 2,008 www.birdwatchingguatemala.com www.martsam.com

Cerro San Gil The Gulf of Honduras is a marine and terrestrial site located in eastern Guatemala. The Nature Conservancy and its partner, Fundación para el Desarrollo y la Conservación (FUNDAECO), are working to conserve the Gulf of Honduras including the Cerro San Gil Protected Area, which is one of the last remaining tracts of very humid tropical forests within the Central American isthmus. Cerro San Gil also includes important fresh water springs, bird sanctuaries and mangroves. Location Located on the Atlantic coast of Guatemala between Belize and Honduras, Cerro San Gil comprises more than 19,000 acres of lush rainforest in the Mico Mountains. Intense humidity and rainfall combined with elevations in excess of 3,900 feet have created a unique zone with extraordinary biological value. AnimalsThe Gulf of Honduras is refuge to 56 species of mammals including the tapir, manatee and the jaguar and more than 50 species of reptiles and amphibians including: Morelet's crocodile Hawksb

Rio San Pedro © Maynor Ovando En los días recientes tuve la extraordinaria oportunidad de visitar una región de la Reserva de Biosfera Maya de Guatemala, el sitio arqueológico El Perú. Una auténtica aventura que necesitó transportarnos en un microbús desde Flores, tomar una lancha en la comunidad de Paso Caballos para navegar el Río San Pedro y caminar 5 kilómetros a través de la selva. Descubriendo el entorno © Maynor Ovando Tuve el honor de compartir el viaje con la familia Schroeder, visitantes norteamericanos que buscaban conocer más acerca de los mayas y tener una experiencia cercana a la naturaleza. Además de practicar sus habilidades con el idioma español. Campamento del Instituti de Arqueología, Etnología e Historia © Maynor Ovando Sitio arqueológico El Perú © Maynor Ovando El entorno natural y las atenciones de nuestro guía comunitario complementan perfectamente la experiencia de visitar una antigua ciudad Maya oculta en el medio del bosque tropical lluvioso. Pavos Ocelado

Mis amigos Bill Thompson y Julie Zickefoose . En Guatemala se pueden observar aves en todas partes. Siendo el país relativamente pequeño y con tantas especies de aves, casi en cualquier lugar se pueden ver al menos 10 especies. Sin mucho esfuerzo se pueden observar en las Ciudad de Guatemala: Zopilote de cabeza negra (Black Vulture) Zopilote de cabeza roja (Turkey Vulture) Zanate (Great-tailed Grackle) Cenzontle (Clay-colored Robin) Palomas de Castilla (Rock Dove) Chocoyo (Pacific Parakeet) 2 especies de Coronaditos (Rufous-collared Sparrow) (House Sparrow) 1 especie de Gorrión ó Colibrí (White-eared Hummingbird) 1 especie de Mosquero (Social Flycatcher) Coronadito (Rufous-collared Sparrow) El anterior es un listado de aves para la Ciudad de Guatemala (Bird Checklist en inglés) y no es más que la lista de las aves que se han observado con certeza en un lugar determinado, ya sea un parque, una ciudad, un departamento o un país. Zanate (Great-tailed Grackle) Los pajareros llevan meticu

¿Chiltote ó Chorcha? Si tienen un par de minutos para ver las fotos que presentamos en este espacio, notarán que los nombres de las aves mostradas están en inglés. Para los conocedores del tema no es nada nuevo pero si usted está empezando a participar de la actividad de observar aves, déjeme explicarle. Los nombres comunes de las aves varían de país a país, incluso de región a región en el mismo país. Durante mi infancia mi papá me enseñó el nombre común de algunas aves, por ejemplo, mientras visitabamos el oriente del país me dijo que un ave anaranjada de garganta negra, con alas negras y manchas blancas se llama Chorcha. Años después, viajando por la costa sur le pregunté a un administrador de una finca cafetalera si en el área se encontraban las Chorchas y me respondió que no. Al describirle el ave me dijo que Chorchas seguramente no, pero por la descripción lo que iba a encontrar eran Chiltotes. Al final es claro que se trata de la misma ave. Por esta razón los científicos han ut

Atitlan Lake Photo by Maynor Ovando Have you heard about the New 7 Wonders of Nature? It’s a global campaign to choose 7 nature sites to declare them Treasures of the World. Atitlan Lake is a nominated candidate for this contest and it makes sense due to the beautiful views you can get in every angle you have of it. But birders have a better reason to support this nomination: the incredible bird diversity. Resplendent Quetzal Only around Atitlan Lake you can tick in a couple of days an amazing bird list like this: Belted Flycatcher Azure-rumped Tanager Horned Guan Resplendent Quetzal Blue-tailed Hummingbird Slender Sheartail Rufous Sabrewing Bar-winged Oriole Bushy-crested Jay Pink-headed Warbler Hooded Grosbeak Highland Guan Green-throated Mountain-gem Blue-throated Motmot Rufous-collared Robin Black Robin Black-capped Swallow Rufous-browed Wren Black-throated Jay Chestnut-sided Shrike-vireo Prevost’s Ground-sparrow Unicolored Jay Yellow-eyed Junco Black-capped Siskin Northern Flicke

Observadores de Aves en Parque Ecológico Hun Nal Ye © Maynor Ovando La observación de aves o Bird Watching es una actividad relativamente nueva en Guatemala. Muchas veces hemos visto turistas de diferentes partes del mundo con cámaras y binoculares en mano, buscando en los árboles de parques y al lado de las carreteras, sin saber que tanto ven. Esta es una rama del ecoturismo en que las personas visitan parques para observar aves libres en la naturalesza. Nuestro país tiene una gran riqueza de especies de aves, mas de 700, de las cuales alrededor de 500 viven permanentemente en nuestro territorio y las demás pasan el invierno boreal en estas tierras cálidas y regresan a sus territorios norteños para procrear. Acompáñenos desde este sitio en nuestros diversos viajes de campo a “pajarear” y comparta los increíbles tesoros que la naturaleza del país tiene para ofrecer. Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Cheje de frente dorada) Posted by Maynor Ovando www.birdwatchingguatemala.com is a regist

Blue Ground-dove Many times we have a poor concept of some bird species. Vultures have a bad reputation because they made the “dirty job” of nature. They are not good singers or colorful of pretty… but they are efficient. Doves are seen almost in the same way because many hear the word dove and think in a Rock Dove. People even call them “air rats” because their abundance in almost every city in the world. But when you can show how diverse are members of Columbidae family they will start to think different. Guatemala has 20 dove species and I digiscoped these doves in a birding trip to El Zotz Biotope in Petén lowlands. White-tipped Dove Posted by Maynor Ovando www.birdwatchingguatemala.com is a registered trademark of Martsam Tour & Travel Copyright® 2,008 www.birdwatchingguatemala.com www.martsam.com

A troop of birders in Peten lowlands Photo by Maynor Ovando As many of you already know there are more than 710 bird species from which about 200 are neartic migrants. The question many people is rounding their minds is: What are the best ticks I can expect to add in Guatemala during a birding trip? I like to have a top ten bird list in mind for these occasions: 1. Horned Guan 2. Pink-headed Warbler 3. Azure-rumped Tanager 4. Belted Flycatcher 5. Blue-throated Motmot 6. Resplendent Quetzal 7. Bushy-crested Jay 8. Bar-winged Oriole 9. Green-throated Mountain-gem 10. Rufous-browed Wren Blue-throated Motmot Bushy-crested Jay Rufous-browed Wren And there are like 25 more with almost the same restricted distribution that can be seen in Western and Central highlands.But if you are visiting Northern lowland of Petén the bird list should be: 1. Gray-throated Chat 2. Ocellated Turkey 3. Green-backed Sparrow 4. Orange-breasted Falcon 5. Yucatan Jay 6. Lovely Cotinga 7. White-fronted Parrot 8

Lake Atitlan Guardians: Toliman, Atitlan and San Pedro Photo by Maynor Ovando Southern Guatemala has a chain formed by volcanoes. They shape the landscape of the foothills from Pacific slope to the highlands; this barrier is responsible for most of the endemism of northern Central America. Birds like Azure-rumped Tanager and Horned Guan are restricted to some volcanic areas between Mexico and Guatemala. Atitlan Volcano Photo by Maynor Ovando Three from the 33 volcanoes in the country are active. Pacaya Volcano is the nearest to Guatemala City and is the most visited. Fuego Volcano is near Antigua Guatemala and Santiaguito Volcano in southwestern is the most active and dangerous. San Pedro Volcano Photo by Maynor Ovando Hiking and birding on volcanoes is just great. All volcanoes has been decalared protected areas and most of them are National Parks that offers services and security to visitors. Fuego Volcano Photo by Maynor Ovando Pacaya Volcano Photo by Lemuel Valle Posted by Ma

A typical handicrafts store Photo by Maynor Ovando Guatemala is a unique place in the world; diversity is easily observed in our landscape, nature and people. With 23 ethnic groups and languages we have so many different ways to express ourselves and find the answer to our problems as birds do in a mixed foraging flock in the rainforest. Textiles Photo by Maynor Ovando Something extraordinary about how we see life is the way craftsman use colors. Textiles and handicrafts are the best examples and birds are common motive of inspiration. Bird motives in textiles Photo by Maynor Ovando It’s not hard to understand why if you have the chance to walk in a forest trail and enjoy the sight of amazing colorful birds like Ocellated Turkey, Scarlet Macaw, Keel-billed Toucan or Resplendent Quetzal. Scarlet Macaw Photo by Benedicto Grijalva Keel-billed Toucan Ocellated Turkey Resplendent Quetzal Even if you are not a birder you can’t miss them! Posted by Maynor Ovando http://www.birdwatchingguatem