Bird Watching

With more than 570 species of resident and migrant birds identified throughout the country, and a wide variety of ecosystems and habitats, Belize abounds with great bird-watching sites. Even amateur bird-watchers should have little trouble checking off upwards of 100 species in a week's worth of watching.

Lodges with the best bird-watching include Chan Chich Lodge, near Gallon Jug; Lamanai Outpost Lodge on the New River Lagoon; Chaa Creek, duPlooy's, or any of the nature lodges outside of San Ignacio; Blancaneaux Lodge or any of the lodges in the Mountain Pine Ridge area; Lighthouse Reef Resort on the Lighthouse Reef Atoll; Pook's Hill outside of Belmopan; and The Lodge at Big Falls in the Toledo District.

Some of the best parks and reserves for serious birders are Cockscomb Basin Forest Reserve, for scarlet macaws and a host of primary forest dwellers; Shipstern Nature Reserve, for scores of different sea and shore birds; Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, for large varieties of wading birds, including the jabiru stork; Man-O-War Caye, a major nesting site for the magnificent frigate; Caracol Mayan ruins and the Chiquibil National Park, for many different resident and migratory forest species; Half Moon Caye, for the vast nesting flocks of red-footed boobies; and the Río Bravo Conservation Area, for ocellated turkeys and trogons. You'll also find excellent bird-watching in neighboring Guatemala's Petén province and around the Tikal area.

Bird-watchers staying on Ambergris Caye should certainly head to the Bacalar Chico National Park & Marine Preserve.

A Bird-Watcher's Bible -- Any serious bird-watcher will want to pick up a copy of Birds of Belize (University of Texas Press) by H. Lee Jones. Published in January 2004, this dedicated guide to the birds of Belize was long overdue. The book is wonderfully illustrated by Dana Gardener, and includes 574 species of birds.

A Tour Operator

Field Guides (tel. 800/728-4953 or 512/263-7295; www.fieldguides.com) is a specialty bird-watching travel operator. Its 9-day trip to Belize costs US$2,750, not including airfare. The trip focuses on the western mainland sections of Belize, and the accommodations are quite comfortable. Group size is limited to 14 participants.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (tel. 800/328-8368 or 512/328-5221 in the U.S.; www.ventbird.com) is a very well-respected small-group tour operator specializing in bird-watching trips, and a pioneer of the genre in Belize. These tours focus primarily on the area around Chan Chich Lodge and Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, two of the country's prime bird-watching destinations. Their 9-day trip costs US$4,075 and is limited to 10 participants.

Wings (tel. 888/293-6443 or 520/320-9868; www.wingsbirds.com) is also a specialty bird-watching travel operator with more than 28 years of experience in the field. Its 7-day Belize trip is based at the remote and luxurious Chan Chich Lodge and costs around US$3,640, not including airfare. Trip size is limited to 8 people.

A Belizean Birding Company

In addition to the operator listed below, the Belize Audubon Society (tel. 223-4985; www.belizeaudubon.org) is an active and informative organization worth contacting.

Paradise Expeditions (tel. 824-2772; www.birdinginbelize.com) specializes in bird-watching trips and adventures. Based in San Ignacio in the Cayo District, these folks offer small-group package tours and personalized guided and unguided itineraries to all of the major birding spots and lodges in Belize and western Tikal. A 7-day/6-night tour costs around US$1,200 per person.