Crested Guan— Photo: David Wolf

We are pleased to offer this comprehensive two-part tour to the premier birding locales in the popular country of Belize (formerly British Honduras).

Chan Chich Lodge is thought by many to be one of the best ecotourist lodges in the world. Anyone who has had the privilege to visit Chan Chich has been very impressed with the comfortable facilities, the special ambience, and the overall superb birding. It's an ideal situation for both novice and veteran birders alike, especially those who wish to spend a short period of time enjoying fantastic birding at only one location. For many years this area was private property, inaccessible to the public. In 1988, the owner completed tourist facilities which permitted birders and naturalists to have the unprecedented opportunity to experience wildlife on hundreds of thousands of acres of pristine, subtropical moist forest.

If you've visited the ruins of Tikal in northern Guatemala or Palenque in southern Mexico, you will find that the habitats and the avifauna are similar at Chan Chich. The significant difference with Chan Chich is the lack of large villages, commercial establishments, vendors, discos, and continual flow of busloads of tourists. There is nothing to distract us from the wonderful sights and sounds of nature; we have the entire range of habitats exclusively for our own enjoyment. This is a region where rare and/or secretive species may still be encountered, many of which have been eradicated from Palenque and are increasingly endangered at Tikal. Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Ocellated Turkey, Great Curassow, Crested Guan, Tody Motmot, Gray-throated Chat, and Rose-throated Tanager are among the many targets here. Many wonderful tropical species are readily found on the lodge property including toucans, trogons, motmots, parrots, woodcreepers, manakins, and tanagers. Mammals are also frequently encountered with Central American spider monkey and Mexican black howler monkey likely, and even a real possibility for seldom-seen species such as ocelot, red brocket deer, or even the nearly mythical jaguar. Simply put, this may be the largest tract of undisturbed, easily accessible lowland forest remaining in Central America.

Excellent accommodations and food; swimming pools at all locations; easy to moderate terrain, considerable birding on foot (on easy to moderate trails); one morning boat trip; weather generally warm, sometimes humid. Parts I and II may be taken separately or together.