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GUYANA

Birdquest's Guyana birding tour explores one of the newest South American birdwatching destinations, and one that is set to become much better known. Our Guyana tour achieves comprehensive coverage of this rarely-visited country and records numerous great birds, including the rare Red Siskin.

Saturday 21st September - Sunday 6th October 2013
(16 days)

Leader: Eustace Barnes

Group Size Limit: 8

Tour Category: Easy to Moderate

This tour has been organised to see the best of what Guyana has to offer, from the rainforests to the coastal mangroves and vast southern savannas. It offers an unparalleled opportunity to see much of the region’s endemic avifauna in the full splendour of pristine habitats that are so degraded in neighbouring countries. This trip therefore is of interest, not only to the neotropical enthusiast but also those visiting the South America for the first time.

The regional specialities we target include Blood-coloured Woodpecker, White-bellied Piculet, Rufous Crab-Hawk, Sun Parakeet, Blue-cheeked Amazon, White-winged Potoo, Red-billed Woodcreeper, Hoary-throated Spinetail, Black-throated Antshrike, Rio Branco Antbird, Guianan Red-Cotinga, Crimson Fruitcrow, Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, Dusky Purpletuft, Black Manakin, Finsch’s Euphonia, Red-and-Black Grosbeak and Red Siskin. This is indeed an impressive list of specialities, many of which are infrequently seen making this a must for the neotropical enthusiast.

In addition we shall see a stunning variety of more widespread species including both wetland species found across the much of the continent and many species restricted to the Guianan shield from Manaus to Venezuela. Amongst many species we should see are Scarlet Ibis, Black-faced Hawk, the huge Harpy Eagle, Black Curassow, Crestless Curassow, Marail Guan, Grey-winged Trumpeter, Painted Parakeet, Caica Parrot, Dusky Parrot and Red-fan Parrot. We also hope to find the rare Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo which seems more numerous here than in Venezuela. Our night birding may produce White-winged Potoo as well as a few owls and nightjars.

Of the more widespread species Crimson Topaz, Guianan Puffbird, Black Nunbird, Black-spotted Barbet, Guianan Toucanet, Green Aracari, Chestnut-rumped Woodcreeper and Yellow-green Grosbeak should be found during our exploration of the numerous rainforests sites visited. Of the Antbirds, Black-throated Antshrike, Rufous-bellied Antwren, Spot-tailed Antwren, Todd’s Antwren, Ferruginous-backed Antbird, Rufous-throated Antbird and White-plumed Antbird are fairly common and readily seen.

We shall explore riparian habitats along the Ireng river in search of the very localised Rio Branco Antbird and Hoary-throated Spinetail. A visit to the Mori scrub, a white sand forest, should produce Rufous-crowned Elaenia, Yellow-throated Flycatcher, Black Manakin and Guianan Red-Cotinga. The Cotingas are well represented and we have a very good chance of seeing the magnificent Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock at its lek, Guianan Red-Cotinga, Pompadour Cotinga and the bizarre Capuchinbird, also at a lek. These birds at their display sites are wonders of the natural world quite beyond compare.

This trip therefore offers the opportunity to see some spectacular species not easily found in nearby Brazil or Venezuela. The savannas of the south also give us the opportunity to search for the critically endangered Red Siskin to which we devote the best part of a day in pristine habitat where we will also see a good variety of other species including Blue and Yellow Macaw, Toco Toucan, White-throated Kingbird and others.

(Note: The above is a summary of the tour. For more information please download the detailed, day-by-day itinerary. The button is at the top right of the page.)

Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotels and lodges are of normal Birdquest standard, although in some cases at the simple but pleasant end of the scale (and a few remote accommodations have shared bathroom facilities). Road transport is by small coach or minibus and roads are reasonably good.

Walking: The walking effort is easy to moderate.

Climate: Mostly hot, dry and sunny, but it is sometimes overcast and it may rain at times. It is often very humid.

Bird Photography: Opportunities are worthwhile.

Tour Price: (provisional): $5960 Georgetown/Georgetown. Price includes all transportation (including all flights inside Guyana), all accommodations, all meals, bottled water, some drinks, all excursions, all entrance fees, all tips for local drivers/guides and for accommodations/restaurants, leader services.

Single Room Supplement: (provisional): $608. Some accommodations have only a limited number of rooms. If you have to share unexpectedly there will be an appropriate refund.

Deposit: 10% of the tour price (excluding any single supplement).

Air Travel To & From The Tour: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with the tour from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to travel in advance of the tour (and spend a night in an hotel so you will feel fresh when the tour starts), or return later than the end of the tour, or make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.

Download Detailed Itinerary 123kb

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