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EL TRIUNFO, MEXICO
Mexico's 'Lost World of the Horned Guan'
Birdquest's El Triunfo, Mexico birding tour is certainly one of our more unusual North American birdwatching experiences. Our El Triunfo tour is a true adventure to southern Mexico's cloudforest 'Lost World' of the fantastic Horned Guan and many other wonderful birds.
Wednesday 15th February -
Friday 24th February 2012
(10 days)
Leader:
Mark Van Beirs
Group Size Limit: 8
Tour Category: Easy to Moderate
The magnificent country of Mexico has an amazing avifauna of over 1050 species, and, together with the more difficult-of-access northern Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador and Nicaragua, holds no fewer than 215 regional endemics.
On our Western Mexico tour we record no fewer than 80 of these and on our Southern Mexico tour we find around 110. But one very special bird is seen on neither of these, for in a remote corner of this incredible country lives a semi-mythical bird that every international birder craves to see, the spectacular Horned Guan. The best place to admire this mind-boggling species is the wonderful Biosphere Reserve of El Triunfo, located on the highest ridges of the Sierra Madre in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas.
The El Triunfo cloud forest is enveloped in an almost constant mantle of mist, and is one of the most pristine and diverse natural areas remaining in Mexico. The reserve covers about 120,000 hectares and comprises several vegetation zones, including the most extensive area of cloud forest remaining in Mexico. With an avifauna of more than 400 species, El Triunfo holds some of the most fascinating and enthralling birds of the American tropics. Best of all is the wonderful Horned Guan, a truly bizarre member of the cracid family, that only occurs in the Mexican state of Chiapas and in neighbouring Guatemala. With its striking red horn, piercing white eyes and arresting black and white plumage, this is surely one of the most outstanding birds in the world. The smart, but very localized Cabanis’s or Azure-rumped Tanager keeps a low profile in its humid evergreen forest habitat and has a similar range. The brilliant Resplendent Quetzal is another of those ‘must see before you die’ birds and the local subspecies is favoured with an even longer tail than the ones in Costa Rica!
We begin our journey in Tuxtla Guttierez, the huge capital of the state of Chiapas, from where we drive into the foothills of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. The El Triunfo experience involves a fairly demanding four to five hour hike, but at a relaxed pace and with plenty of time to rest, to reach the base camp and six nights of camping in a couple of well chosen locations. But these minor hardships are a small price to pay as we stand a very good chance to see two of the most spectacular birds in the world: the Horned Guan and the Resplendent Quetzal. At night we will endeavour to locate the gorgeous and impressive Fulvous Owl in one of the forest giants, while listening to the loud, wailing calls of Cacomistles or Southern Ring-tailed Cats. Other bird phenomena of these eerie forests are Blue-throated Motmot, the delicate Rufous Sabrewing, Green-throated Mountain-gem, the charming Wine-throated Hummingbird, Yellowish Flycatcher, Black-throated Jay and Cabanis’s Tanager. At lower altitudes, in semi-deciduous and upper tropical evergreen forest, we should encounter the sneaky Pheasant Cuckoo, the endearing Tody Motmot, Green Shrike-Vireo and Black-capped Swallow.
(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 are of normal Birdquest standard. There will be six nights of camping at El Triunfo in special camps set up by our competent local outfitters. Tents are available for single or twin occupancy. Road transport is by minibus and roads are reasonably good.
Walking: The walking effort is easy to moderate. The uphill hike up to El Triunfo at the start of the visit takes about 5 hours, including regular birding stops, and is on a wide, well constructed trail.
Climate: Generally warm or hot, dry and sunny at lower altitudes, but much cooler in upland areas. Whilst overcast weather is quite regular, rain is infrequent at this season.
Bird Photography: Opportunities are worthwhile.
Linkable Birdquest: Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula
Tour Price: $2580 Tuxtla Guttierez/Tuxtla Guttierez. Price includes all transportation, 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/Tent Supplement: $233.
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.
Birdquest LLC, 3721 Executive Center Drive, Suite 268, Austin, TX 78731
Ph: 512-343-1700, Fax: 512-343-1701
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