Trip
Information
Date: November
30 - December 10, 2008
Duration: 11 days Leader: Héctor
Gómez de Silva
Limit: 12 people
Cost: $2850
USD, $2985 CDN, Single supplement $385 USD, $395 CDN
From: Cancun,
Mexico
Highlights
• Excellent birding in a wide variety
of habitats:dry and wet forests to mangroves and coastal lagoons.
A large tally of birds from
trogons and toucans to Greater Flamingos and a host of Yucatan endemics
• Spectacular
ruins of a very interesting past civilization, the Mayan
• Cozumel
Island and its special birds
• Your leader, Hector Gomez de Silva,
is among the foremost birders of Mexico
Featured Birds:
• Cozumel Vireo
• American Flamingo
• Black
Catbird
• Yucatan Wren
• Yucatan Vireo
• Turquoise-browed
Motmot
• Mexican Sheartail
Trip Summary
• Easy walking
• Warm climate
• Good accommodation & all
meals included
• Spectacular scenic ruins
• Easy birding
with many endemic species
• 4 - 8 participants with one, 9 to 12
with two leaders
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Lots
of marvellous tropical birds amidst spectacular Mayan ruins, shimmering
flocks of
Greater Flamingos, several endemics and a leisurely exploration of Cozumel
Island. In the presence of the magnificent Mayan ruins at Chichén-Itzá,
Cobá and Tulum, we look for Yucatán Parrot, Yucatán
Jay, Yucatán Flycatcher, and Yucatán Wren,  as
well as very special species like Rose-throated Tanager and Gray-throated
Chat.
We visit coastal lagoons and Cozumel Island for endemics and Caribbean
species difficult to find elsewhere.
See detailed itinerary
below.
Click here to download
a list of birds from our most recent tour to Yucatan and Cozumel.
Click here to download
a registration form
Photos:
Brown Pelican by Renee Franken, Red-capped Manakin by Lois Knaggs |
Itinerary
Day
1 - Arrival in Cancun
Our trip starts after dinner in Cancun. We will plan this day according to
people’s arrival schedules; there are several good birding areas around
Cancun and we may visit some of them if time permits. Night in Cancun.
Day 2 - Travel to Tulum and Felipe Carrillo Puerto
We depart from Cancun and travel south along the east shore of the Yucatan,
stopping near Puerto Morelos at a spot that can be very productive for birds
of moist woodlands, and at the coastal ruins of Tulum, small Mayan ruins
in a beautiful seaside setting. We should encounter Yucatan Vireo and several
species of orioles, among other species. We then head off to Felipe Carrillo
Puerto, stopping at one or two localities en route. Night at Felipe Carrillo
Puerto.
Day 3 and 4 - Felipe Carrillo Puerto
We spend two mornings and one afternoon exploring the Vigía Chico
road, a wide limestone road surrounded by tropical deciduous forest richer
in species than the forests further north on the peninsula. In the afternoon
of Day 4 we will head to Cobá, where we spend the night. Nights at
Felipe Carrillo Puerto and Cobá.
Days 5 - Exploration of Cobá
We spend the day exploring the luxuriant tropical forest around this beautiful
Mayan ruin. Birdlife is more characteristic of the rainforests of Belize
and Guatemala, and we should encounter some fine species such as Keel-billed
Toucan, Ruddy and Tawny-winged Woodcreepers, Green, Brown and Yucatan Jays,
and Pale-billed Woodpecker. There should also be good representation of North
American migrants here, including several species of warblers and vireos.
There is always a possibility of a very rare species such as Ornate Hawk-eagle.
Close to our hotel is a fairly large lake, very unusual on the Yucatan. Ruddy
Crakes occur here.
Night-time birding around Cobá can be productive. There are Common
Pauraques, Yucatan Nightjars, Yucatan Poorwills and Common Potoos in the
region, and we may venture out one evening to find one or more of these species.
Night at Cobá.
Day 6 - Cobá to Chichén-Itzá
We spend the morning birding around Cobá, searching in particular
for species not yet detected, and then we depart for the interior of the
Yucatan peninsula and Chichén Itzá. We should arrive by mid-afternoon,
giving us ample opportunity to wander among the grounds and buildings of
this remarkable Mayan site. Birds here include dry woodland species such
as Turquoise-browed Motmot, Orange Oriole, Cinnamon Hummingbird and Ferruginous
Pygmy-owl. Night at Chichén Itzá.
Day 7 - Río Lagartos
After a short birdwalk at Chichén Itzá and breakfast, we depart
for the arid scrubland and shoreline lagoons on the north shore of the Yucatan.
In the lagoons we look for American Flamingos, which nest here by the thousands
during the summer. There should also be shorebirds, gulls, terns, and various
species of herons - we may be fortunate to find Boat-billed Heron, Reddish
Egret and American Pygmy Kingfisher. The coastal scrub supports two endemics
- Mexican Sheartail and Yucatan Wren - and with luck we may encounter a covey
of Black-throated Bobwhites. Night at Tizimin.
Day 8 – Río Lagartos to Cozumel
After a morning at Río Lagartos we return to Cancun where we board
our flight to Cozumel Island. Night in Cozumel.
Day 9 - 10 – Cozumel Island
We explore this interesting island at our leisure for the next two days.
We concentrate on finding the endemics - the Cozumel Vireo, which is quite
widespread, one recently split species, the Cozumel Emerald, and one which
will likely be split, the Cozumel Wren. Distinctive subspecies of Rufous-browed
Peppershrike, Bananaquit and Stripe-headed Tanager occur on the island, and
it is probably the best locality for finding Black Catbird and Rose-throated
Tanager. There should be lots of neotropical migrants on the island, possibly
including Cape May, Black-throated Blue and Prairie Warblers, all of which
are scarce on the mainland. White-crowned Pigeons and Caribbean Elaenia can
be found in the dense tropical forests of the island, and we will watch for
Yucatan Parrots. Nights in Cozumel.
Day 11 - Departure
After breakfast we will catch a return flight to Cancun, arriving before
noon. Our tour will conclude at the Cancun Airport.
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