While tropical birds will accent the trip—approximately 700 species occur here—we will also visit pine and cloud forests, look for rain forest monkeys and iguanas, and explore the spectacular classic period ruins at Palenque, Yaxchilán, and Chinkultic. Comitán is the starting point for our visit to Lagunas de Montebello National Park. The bromeliad-draped cloud forest at Montebello hosts Blue-throated Motmot, Emerald Toucanet, Strong-billed Woodcreeper, and Unicolored Jay. Chinkultic, a seldom-visited archaeological site located on the edge of this beautiful national park represents one of the few highland Mayan pyramids—and an excellent location for Bat Falcon, Beautiful Hummingbird, and the scarce and local Prevost’s Ground-Sparrow. Descending from Lagunas de Montebello, the recently completed border highway skirts the enormous Montes Azules Biosphere, where turquoise rivers drain an emerald rain forest. A two-night stay at the new and quite comfortable Las Guacamayas Lodge on the edge of this vast reserve gives us a chance to observe such fabled birds as Agami Heron, King Vulture, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, and Scarlet Macaw. Here, too, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird and Rufous-tailed Jaçamar are actually fairly common. Next comes Yaxchilán. Renowned as Mexico's premier tropical lowland birdwatching experience, the Great Plaza at Yaxchilán positively pulsates with bird activity most mornings. Among the hundreds of tropical birds possible here are such exotics as Blue Ground-Dove, White-whiskered Puffbird, Chestnut Woodpecker, Dusky Antbird, Cinnamon Becard, Lovely Cotinga, Green Honeycreeper, Black-throated Shrike-Tanager, and Yellow-tailed Oriole. While quite rare, Harpy Eagles have nested in the vicinity of Yaxchilán on several known occasions. Over a millennium old and best-preserved of the Mayan ruins, Palenque is situated amidst a particularly lush tropical rain forest. Birds here include majestic Black Hawk-Eagles, White Hawks wheeling over the pyramids, and Violet Sabrewing hummingbirds in the African tree tulips. Also present are four species of the trogon family, incredible Keel-billed Toucans and Collared Araçaris, as well as brilliant-hued Golden-hooded and Crimson-collared Tanagers. 

Leaders: David Salas & Rick Taylor

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