Guatemala
2017
by John Cahill
Day 1 – Motagua Valley
1:30 pm
Arriving at Guatemala City
Airport
2:00 pm
Lunch in Guatemala City.
2:45 pm
Depart to Motagua Valley
(aprox. 1 hour, 30 minutes).
4:15 pm-5:00 pm
Thorn-forest birding at
Guaytan Archeological Site.
White-lored Gnatcatcher,
Russet-crowned Motmot, Turquoisebrowed Motmot, Streak-backed Oriole, Northern
Beardless-Tyrannulet and Stripe-headed Sparrow.
5:00 pm
Depart to Posada del Quetzal (aprox. 2 hours, 30
minutes).
7:30 pm
Dinner at Posada del Quetzal.
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Day 2 – Baja Verapaz
5:30 am-7:30 am
Birding at Posada del Quetzal. Rufous-collared Trush,
Green-throated Mountain-gem, Bushycrested Jay, Black-capped
Swallow.
7:30 am
Breakfast.
8:15 am
Transfer to Biotopo del Quetzal.
8:30 am-12:00 pm
Birding Biotopo del Quetzal. Golden-browed
Warbler, Yellowish Flycatcher, Spotted NightingaleThrush, Tawny-throated Leaftosser, Unicolored Jay,
Resplendent Quetzal.
12:30 pm
Lunch at Posada del Quetzal.
3:30 pm
Transfer to Río Escondido Pine-Oak Reserve.
3:45 pm-6:00 pm
Birding at Río Escondido Pine-Oak Reserve. Goldencheeked Warbler, Grace’s Warbler, Hepatic Tanager,
Painted Redstart.
6:00 pm
Return to Posada del Quetzal.
6:30 pm
Dinner at Posada.
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Day 3 – Baja Verapaz
5:45 am
Transfer to Ranchitos del Quetzal.
6:00 am-10:00 am
Birding and breakfast at
Ranchitos del Quetzal.
Resplendent Quetzal, Azurehooded and Unicolored Jay,
Black-headed and Spotted
Nightingale-Thrush, Slatecolored Solitaire.
10:00 am
Depart to CCFC’s agroecology center (aprox. 1 hour).
11:00 am-6:00 pm
Birding CCFC’s agroecology center. Crimson-collared
Tanager, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Ocellated
Quail, Tufted Flycatcher.
6:30 pm
Dinner at CCFC’s agroecology center.
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Day 4 – Alta Verapaz
5:30 am-11:00 am
Birding and breakfast at CCFC’s agroecology center:
Chilax at the finca Rubel Chaim. Brown-capped
Vireo, Paltry Tyrannulet,
Hooded Grosbeak, Buffthroated Saltator, Yellow-backed
Oriole.
11:00 am-2:30 pm
Lunch and free time/CCFC tour.
2:30 pm
Depart to Laguna Chichoj.
3:30 pm-6:00 pm
Birding Laguna Chichoj. Ruddy Duck, Limpkin,
White-throated Flycatcher, Ruddy Crake.
7:00 pm
Dinner at CCFC.
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Day 5 – Alta Verapaz
5:30 am-7:00 am
Breakfast at CCFC.
7:30 am
Depart to Chajbaoc (aprox. 40
min).
8:10 am-10:00 am
Birding Chajbaoc. Scaled
Antpitta, Slate-colored Solitaire,
Rusty Sparrow, Prevost’s GroundSparrow, Mottled Owl, Collared
Trogon, Blue-crowned Motmot, Yellow-faced
Grassquit.
10:00 am
Depart to Hun Nal Ye (aprox. 2 hours).
12:00 pm
Lunch at Hun Nal Ye.
2:30 pm-6:00 pm
Birding Hun Nal Ye. Green Honeycreeper, Longbilled Hermit, Orange-billed Sparrow, Black-faced
Grosbeak, White Hawk, White-collared Manakin,
Gartered Trogon, Nightingale Wren.
6:30 pm
Dinner at Hun Nal Ye.
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Day 6 – Alta Verapaz - Petén
6:00 am-10:30 am
Birding and breakfast at Hun Nal Ye. Red-capped
Manakin, Golden-hooded Tanager,
Passerini’s Tanager, Variable
Seedeater.
10:30 am
Depart to Petén (aprox. 5
hours).
12:00 pm
Lunch at Chisec.
3:30 pm-4:00 pm
Short stop at El Rosario National Park. Black-collared
Hawk, Bat Falcon, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Stripethroated Hermit, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-olive
Flycatcher.
7:00 pm
Dinner at Casa de Don David.
Day 7 – Tikal
6:00 am
Transfer to Cerro Cahui.
6:10 am-9:00 am
Birding Cerro Cahui. Dot-winged Antwren, Graythroated Chat, Green-backed Sparrow, White-belied
Wren, Blue Bunting, Black-headed Trogon.
10:00 am
Relaxed birding in the garden and lake-shore at Don
David’s. Purple Gallinule, Snail
Kite, Roadside Hawk, Ruddy
Ground-Dove, Northern Jacana.
12:30 pm
Lunch at Don David’s
1:30 pm
Depart to Tikal (aprox. 40
min).
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2:30 pm
Arrive and check in to Jaguar Inn.
3:00 pm-6:00 pm
Birding Tikal (aguada Tikal). Graynecked Wood-Rail,
Montezuma Oropendola,
Black-cowled Oriole, Keelbilled Toucan, Red-lored
Parrot, Giant Cowbird.
6:30 pm
Dinner at Jaguar Inn.
Day 8 – Tikal
5:00 am-8:00 am
Birding Tikal’s abandoned airstrip. Mangrove Vireo,
Rose-throated Tanager, Scaled Pigeon, Boat-billed
Heron, American Pygmy-Kingfisher, Pheasant
Cuckoo.
8:00 am
Breakfast at Jaguar Inn.
9:00 am- 1:00 pm
Birding the archaeological site. Orange-breasted
Falcon, Black-throated Shrike-Tanager, Slaty-tailed
Trogon, Ocellated Turkey, Bright-rumped Attila,
Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Olive-backed Euphonia.
1:00 pm
Lunch Jaguar Inn.
3:00 pm-6:00 pm
Birding the archaeological site.
Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet,
Tawny-winged and Ruddy
Woodcreeper, Gray-headed
Tanager, Scaly-throated
Leaftosser, Black-faced
Antthrush.
6:30 pm
Dinner at Jaguar Inn.
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Day 9 – Tikal
5:30 am-8:00 am
Birding Tikal’s abandoned airstrip. Olivaceous
Woodcreeper, Spot-breasted Wren,
Lesser Greenlet, Chestnutcollared Woodpecker.
8:30 am
Breakfast at Jaguar Inn.
9:30 am
Depart to Rio Duce (aprox. 4
hours).
11:00 am-12:00 pm
Birding Santa Ana (on the way). Black Catbird,
Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Striped Cuckoo, Blackthroated Bobwhite.
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Day 10 – Rio Dulce
5:00 am-7:00 am
Birding and breakfast at Hacienda Tijax. Graybreasted Crake, Variable Seedeater, Gray-crowned
Yellowthroat.
8:30 am-11:00 am
Boat tour on Rio Dulce.
White-winged Becard,
Northern Jacana,
Sungrebe, herons, terns.
12:00 pm
Lunch at Hacienda Tijax.
2:30 pm-4:00 pm
Birding Quirigua Archaeological Site. Turquoisebrowed Motmot, Tropical Pewee, Streak-headed
Woodcreeper, Dusky Antbird.
4:00 pm
Return to Guatemala City (5 hours).
7:00 pm
Dinner on the way to Guatemala City (Sarita’s
Restaurant).
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Day 11 – Departure
6:00 am-8:00 am
Birding Cayala or Cerro Alux (depending on
departure times).
12:00 pm
Departure on flights leaving La Aurora International
Airport in Guatemala City.
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