GUATEMALA & HONDURAS – The richest area for endemics and near-endemics in northern Central America

PRICE INFORMATION

Birdquest Inclusions: Our tour prices include transportation, accommodations, meals and entrance fees.

We also include all tipping for local guides, drivers, boatmen and accommodation/restaurant staff.

Deposit: 20% of the total tour price. Our office will let you know what deposit amount is due, in order to confirm your booking, following receipt of your online booking form.

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The single supplement will not apply if you indicate on booking that you prefer to share a room and there is a room-mate of the same sex available.

This tour is priced in US Dollars. Amounts shown in other currencies are indicative.

GUATEMALA & HONDURAS BIRDING TOUR: DETAILED ITINERARY

Guatemala: Day 1

The main section of our Guatemala birding tour will begin this evening at Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala. Our hotel has an airport shuttle service.

Guatemala: Day 2

First off this morning, we will visit some productive hummingbird feeders that will provide a good chance to see two very important species: the Rufous Sabrewing, a bird restricted to the Pacific slope in Mexico’s Chiapas, Guatemala and El Salvador, and the near-endemic Green-throated Mountaingem. The range-restricted Azure-crowned and Berylline Hummingbirds, the spectacular Violet Sabrewing and Rivoli’s and White-eared Hummingbirds are also regular visitors. There are also chances for the range-restricted Mexican Violetear and Sparkling-tailed Woodstar.

Afterwards, we will transfer to Los Tarrales, situated on the Pacific slope of Guatemala, where we will stay for two nights. We will be able to spend much of the day at Los Tarrales.

Guatemala: Day 3

The lodge at Los Tarrales is located at an altitude of 700m (2297ft), but the reserve goes all the way up to 3000m (9843ft) on the slopes of Volcán Atitlan!

Our exploration of the very bird-rich Los Tarrales Natural Reserve will encompass a variety of habitats ranging from Pacific lowland rainforest in the lower part to foothill forest higher up on the slopes of Volcán Atitlan.

The more open habitats around the lodge offer great birding as birds are abundant there. The important conservation measures taken by the local people have enabled the area’s rich avifauna to recuperate. Los Tarrales has shot to fame in recent times in the Guatemalan ornithological world as an amazing 400 bird species have been recorded in the reserve, so we are sure to be kept busy during our visit!

There are a great number of birds we will be looking for during our time here, but important targets include White-bellied Chachalaca and Pacific Parakeet, both regionally endemic species. The chachalacas can be found along the very productive trails on the lower slopes at Los Tarrales, and we should rapidly enjoy good views of this bird. The parakeets are not difficult to find, but we may only see them flying past.

Along the trails, we will keep a lookout for Long-tailed Manakins at their lek and possibly enjoy views of their superb display behaviour. Unobtrusive Lesson’s and Tody Motmots and stunning Turquoise-browed Motmots should also be found, while the secretive, regionally-endemic occipitalis subspecies of the White-eared Ground Sparrow (a potential future split as Grey-crowned Ground Sparrow) will also be an important quarry. A great diversity of hummingbirds occurs here, and we may well encounter the striking Long-billed Starthroat, the charming Green-breasted Mango and Blue-throated Sapphire. With a bit of luck, we could find the secretive and range-restricted Northern Bentbill.

We will spend some time around our charming lodge, where birds are omnipresent and a productive feeding station attracts numerous species, including Cinnamon and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, the range-restricted Rufous-backed Wren, Yellow-throated Euphonia, Red-legged Honeycreeper, the hulking Black-headed Saltator and the beautiful, range-restricted White-throated Magpie-Jay.

The open areas around our accommodation also offer a nice opportunity to locate some attractive parrots, including the diminutive Yellow-naped Amazon, Orange-chinned Parakeet and the range-restricted Orange-fronted Parakeet. We will also have to keep a lookout overhead as raptors are regularly seen and may include the beautiful White Hawk and the impressive Black and Ornate Hawk-Eagles. King Vulture and Bat Falcon are more uncommon possibilities. Interesting passerines around the lodge or in the areas of agriculture and secondary growth include the range-restricted Rufous-breasted Spinetail and Spot-breasted and Altamira Orioles, as well as Green Shrike-Vireo and the interesting Yellow-breasted Chat (now a monotypic family).

A nocturnal excursion could deliver Mottled Owl, the striking Black-and-white Owl, Northern Potoo and Pauraque.

Other species we may encounter at Los Tarrales include Common Ground Dove, Short-tailed and Roadside Hawks, American Kestrel, Groove-billed Ani, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Collared Aracari, Gartered Trogon, Crested Caracara, Lineated and Smoky-brown Woodpeckers, Barred Antshrike, Yellow-olive and Eye-ringed Flatbills, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Eastern Wood Pewee, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Least, Great Crested and Brown-crested Flycatchers, Western Kingbird, Greenish Elaenia, Spot-breasted Wren, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, White-throated Thrush, Scrub Euphonia, Chestnut-sided and American Yellow Warblers, Ovenbird, Red-throated Ant Tanager and Blue-black Grassquit.

Guatemala: Day 4

After some more birding at Los Tarrales, we will head for the nearby Lake Atitlan area, where we will stay for three nights at Santiago Atitlan.

We will commence our exploration of the Atitlan area this afternoon.

Often considered to be the most spectacular of all of Central America’s lakes, Lake Atitlan is also a famous site in ornithological history as it was the habitat of the Atitlan Grebe, the only strictly endemic species of Guatemala, but sadly, now extinct. The species was first described in 1929 and quickly showed a massive decrease in its population when two invasive fish species were introduced into the lake. Food competition and predation on the chicks were the major reasons for the decline, while the 1976 Guatemala earthquakes, which provoked a fall in the lake level, only accelerated the decline. The grebe was officially declared extinct in the early 1990s, but had probably vanished earlier than that.

Guatemala: Days 5-6

There are multiple birding locations in the Atitlan region, and which ones we decide to visit will depend on the latest birding information. Our excellent local contacts will ensure that we do well.

We will surely explore some nice forest patches at Mirador del Rey Tepepul, located on the southeast flanks of Volcán Atitlan.  This is a good place for finding the near-endemic and highly attractive but uncommon Azure-rumped (or Cabanis’s) Tanager. Not far away is one of the best places to find the marvellous Resplendent Quetzal, and providing we have enough time (for there are a lot of special birds to find at Atitlan!), we will have a good chance to find this magical bird.

Other good birds include Crested Guan, the near-endemic Emerald-chinned Hummingbird, Yellow-throated (or Gould’s) Nightingale-Thrush, Golden-crowned Warbler, the elusive Scaled Antpitta (uncommon), the superb Blue-crowned Chlorophonia and, with a bit of luck, the scarce Buffy-crowned Wood Partridge. There is another chance here for the uncommon and unpredictable Sparkling-tailed Woodstar.

Elsewhere, we will visit the best current sites for three more important regional endemics: the stunning little Wine-throated Hummingbird, Slender Sheartail and the scarce Belted Flycatcher.

Additional regional endemics we are likely to encounter in the Atitlan area include groups of bold Bushy-crested Jays playing hide-and-seek in the canopy and the lovely Blue-throated Motmot. We will also keep a lookout for the regionally endemic Hooded Grosbeak and Black-headed Siskin. We should also encounter the mexicanoides subspecies of the Northern Flicker, a good candidate for a split. We will also have our first chances to see some regional endemics with a slightly wider distribution, such as the uncommon White-faced Quail-Dove, Emerald Toucanet, Velasquez’s Woodpecker, the scarce Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo, the handsome Black Thrush and the more common Grey Silky-flycatcher.

We will also explore the lower slopes of Volcán Toliman. Here, we will find ourselves at lower altitudes and will notice the change in the species composition. We hope to connect here with the regionally endemic Bar-winged Oriole, while the range-restricted Rusty Sparrow will also attract our attention. We may well find other good birds like Grey-collared Becard and the regionally endemic Prevost’s Ground Sparrow. We will also keep a lookout for the attractive Lesser Roadrunner.

The Atitlan area is a good place for finding the regionally endemic Fulvous Owl, and our local contacts will likely know of a daytime roost. This impressive owl typically inhabits montane pine-oak forest in its small range in southern Mexico and northern Central America.

More widespread species we should see in the Atitlan area include Western Cattle Egret, Turkey and Black Vultures, Grey, Broad-winged and Red-tailed Hawks, Band-tailed Pigeon, White-tipped, White-winged and Inca Doves, Squirrel Cuckoo, Chestnut-collared, White-collared and White-throated Swifts, Blue-tailed Hummingbird, Collared Trogon, and Golden-olive, Golden-fronted, Hairy and Acorn Woodpeckers.

Passereines include Spotted and Spot-crowned Woodcreepers, Scaly-throated and Ruddy Foliage-gleaners, Mountain and Yellow-bellied Elaenias, Greater Pewee, Olive-sided, Hammond’s, Yellowish, Social, Boat-billed and Dusky-capped Flycatchers, Great Kiskadee, Rose-throated Becard, Masked Tityra, Trilling Gnatwren, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Yellow-throated, Blue-headed, Brown-capped, Philadelphia and Warbling Vireos, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Band-backed, Cabanis’s, Rufous-and-white and House Wrens, Grey-breasted Wood Wren, Brown-backed Solitaire, Clay-coloured Thrush, Tropical Mockingbird, Lesser Goldfinch, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Yellow-billed Cacique, Great-tailed Grackle, Bronzed Cowbird, Melodious Blackbird, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Rufous-capped, Worm-eating, Black-and-white, Townsend’s, Wilson’s and Tennessee Warblers, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Slate-throated Whitestart, Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer, Common Chlorospingus, Hepatic, Summer, Western, White-winged, Flame-coloured, Blue-grey and Yellow-winged Tanagers, White-naped and Chestnut-capped Brushfinches, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Morelet’s Seedeater and Cinnamon-bellied Saltator.

The lake itself is not of great interest these days, so we will only make a short stop to look for such widespread wetland species as Blue-winged Teal, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Green, Great Blue and Little Blue Herons, Snowy Egret, Purple and Common Gallinules, American Coot, Spotted Sandpiper and Laughing Gull.

Guatemala: Day 7

After some final birding in the Atitlan area, we have a fairly long drive to the western part of the country. Our destination is the town of Sibinal, located on the slope of the famous Volcán Tacaná, where we will stay for two nights. At 4060m (13,321ft), the volcano is the second-highest peak in Central America and is shared between Guatemala and Mexico.

We plan to arrive at Sibinal in the late afternoon, enabling us to visit the surrounding reserve of La Unión Reforma, where we hope to get a few good birds just before dark. We may encounter the regionally endemic Guatemalan Pygmy Owl, and we will also have our first chances for the near-endemic Black-throated Jay and the uncommon near-endemic Black-capped Siskin.

We will also have our first opportunity to see such highland specialities as Highland Guan, Amethyst-throated and Garnet-throated Hummingbirds, the Central American form of the Steller’s Jay and the range-restricted Singing Quail. Other likely species include Vaux’s Swift, Red-billed Pigeon, Northern Tufted and Pine Flycatchers, Yellow-backed Oriole and Yellow Grosbeak.

Guatemala: Day 8

The main reason we have come to Sibinal is to try and see the incredible Horned Guan, undoubtedly one of the most charismatic and spectacular birds in the world! This stunning bird only occurs from west-central Guatemala to the Sierra Madre de Chiapas of Mexico and needs extensive areas of untouched cloud forest, a habitat that is now rapidly vanishing. The surviving population consists of only about 2000 to 2500 individuals. The most unusual feature of this endangered and retiring species is its well-developed red ‘horn’ of bare skin that projects from the top of its head. The guan usually betrays its presence by its very low-pitched booming call or by its snorts, clicking and bill-clacking.

This very exciting day will start with an early transfer of about 45 minutes from our hotel to Vega del Volcano in 4×4 vehicles. There we will meet up with our local guide, who is very familiar with the guans. Luckily, they can often be seen by the roadside these days, making it surely the most accessible place to see this splendid and once-upon-a-time ‘ghost-bird’ of the mountains! Even so, this is a tricky bird to see, and we are likely to need patience and persistence.

While looking for the Horned Guan, we will be deep among a particular type of high-altitude cloud forest that has some northern temperate zone influence. Wherever there are openings in the forest, we will keep a lookout overhead, as this is a good area for the regionally endemic Black-capped Swallow. Guatemalan Tyrannulet is another regional endemic that should be found in the area, while we may well find other good birds like Barred Parakeet, Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush, Mountain Thrush, Elegant Euphonia, Yellow-eyed Junco (of the near-endemic form alticola, a potential split as Guatemalan Junco) and Slaty Finch.

We will keep our fingers crossed today, as the rare and highly desired Maroon-chested Ground Dove occurs in the area and is sometimes seen here. This very secretive species remains one of the most special Neotropical birds that few birders have observed!

Guatemala: Day 9

This morning will be our ‘backup’ morning, just in case we missed Horned Guan the previous day. If all went well, it will be back to birding at La Unión Reforma.

Afterwards, we shall transfer to our next destination, the Huehuetenango region, where we will spend three nights.

We will commence our explorations this afternoon. Although we remain at high altitudes, we will notice a great change in habitat, with pine-forested slopes and some spectacular open savanna in the highest areas.

Guatemala: Days 10-11

During our stay in the region, we will explore the famous Todos Santos National Park, situated in one of the highest mountain ranges in all of Central America, where we will find ourselves at the highest point of the tour at an impressive elevation of 3800 meters (12,468 feet).

Areas of high-altitude grassland mixed with sparse pine-oak-juniper woodland are the typical habitat where two of the most important Guatemalan specialities occur: the stunning and near-endemic Goldman’s Warbler and the superb, regionally-endemic Ocellated Quail. Formerly considered conspecific with the Yellow-rumped Warbler, the stunning Goldman’s Warbler is nowadays treated as a distinct species restricted to the highlands of western Guatemala and some adjacent areas in the Mexican state of Chiapas. The species is fairly common in this highly specific habitat, and we should enjoy multiple sightings. The superb Ocellated Quail is one of the least known Neotropical birds, but here there is a good chance of finding this elusive ‘grailbird’ of Mesoamerica.

We will also keep a lookout for Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, Hutton’s Vireo, American Bushtit, Grace’s, Audubon’s, Crescent-chested and Golden-browed Warblers, Spotted Towhee and Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer. In addition, we should find Golden-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Brown Creeper, Red Crossbill and Pine Siskin. Most of these species are at the southernmost limit of their distributions, and the local forms look distinctive.

We will also search in the Chiabal area for the local form of the Savannah Sparrow, a species previously thought to be only a migrant visitor to Guatemala. A small breeding population has recently been located in the area, and the birds here could be a future split.

During our stay in the region, we will also explore a temperate cloud forest at Puerta del Cielo. In the pine-oak forest, we will want to see such regional endemics as the very attractive Pink-headed Warbler, the handsome Blue-and-white Mockingbird, Rufous-collared Thrush and Rufous-browed Wren. We should also find other interesting birds like Mountain Trogon, the range-restricted Black-vented Oriole and the enigmatic Olive Warbler (nowadays a monotypic family).

We will have yet another chance to catch up on any highland specialities we might have missed, including the sometimes tricky Garnet-throated Hummingbird, and we should encounter a good number of migratory wood warblers, including Black-throated Green, Hermit and MacGillivray’s Warblers and, with luck, Red-faced Warbler.

A major nightbird target during our stay in the Huehuetenango region is the near-endemic Bearded Screech Owl, and we have a good chance of seeing this much-wanted species., Another good nightbird is the elusive Unspotted Saw-whet Owl, which is certainly one of the most difficult Neotropical owl species to see, and we will try to find one. In addition, we should be able to find Whiskered Screech Owl and Mexican Whip-poor-will.

Guatemala: Day 12

After some final birding in the Huehuetenango region, we will return to Guatemala City for an overnight stay.

Guatemala: Day 13

Our Guatemala birding tour ends this morning at Guatemala City. Our hotel provides an airport shuttle service.

TIKAL EXTENSION

Guatemala (Tikal): Day 1

The extension will begin this morning at Guatemala City Airport. From there, we will catch a flight to the town of Flores in northern Guatemala, situated by the shores of the Petén Itzá lake. We will arrive at the impressively named ‘Mundo Maya International Airport’, which only has a few flights a day, and almost all are domestic ones!

We will spend three nights in the Tikal/Flores region and will enjoy much of today birding the area.

Guatemala (Tikal): Days 2-3

Tikal National Park is best known for its amazing historical sites, yet the park itself and the surrounding area are also famous birding locales. We will not only explore Tikal National Park itself, but also the surrounding area, as many of the best birding areas are outside the national park.

In the heart of the forest lies one of the most important and extraordinary complexes of the Mayan civilisation. Inhabited from the 4th century BC to its apogee during the Mayan Classic Period, from circa 200 to 900 AD, Tikal was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya, and it is widely believed that this remarkably elaborate complex held more than 85,000 inhabitants. The ruins have been part of a national park since the 1960s, and in 1979, they were declared to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They remain one of the most famous of all the tourist destinations in Latin America.

In the Tikal region, we will be birding in the largest remaining lowland broadleaf deciduous rainforest north of the Amazon basin, where no fewer than 400 bird species have been recorded. Some of the sensational Tikal temples, which rise higher than the tops of the surrounding forest canopy, were the tallest buildings in the New World until the 19th century. The natural ambience of Tikal remains as pristine as it has been for hundreds of years, and there is no doubt that it will be a memorable experience to search for birds in such an extraordinary and historic place!

We will start birding early in the morning, when the sunlight first starts to catch the sides of the imposing pyramids, offering a very atmospheric background as we seek out regionally endemic species.

Undoubtedly, the most important target we will encounter in this breathtaking site will be the bizarre-looking Ocellated Turkey. This sought-after species is restricted to the Yucatan Peninsula, and we should enjoy multiple sightings as these turkeys are ridiculously tame at Tikal.

Another major speciality is the widely distributed but surprisingly localised and, in many areas, elusive Orange-breasted Falcon. Here, a pair breeds right on top of the temple in the central plaza of the Tikal historical site!

During our visit to the Tikal area, we will also want to track down three other Yucatan endemics, specifically Yucatan Poorwill (the only endemic that is actually easier at Tikal than in Mexico!), Yucatan Flycatcher and the beautiful Rose-throated Tanager. If we are very fortunate, we will also come across Yucatan Jay.

There are some more regional specialities to look for while we are in the Tikal area, including White-bellied Emerald, the secretive Mayan Antthrush, White-bellied Wren (often first located by its distinctive song) and the attractive but sometimes tricky Grey-throated Chat.

The area is home to a nice variety of parrots, most of which are restricted to Central America. The highly localised northern form of the Mealy Amazon will be a target, while the much-wanted Brown-hooded and White-crowned Parrots, White-fronted and Red-lored Amazons, and Olive-throated Parakeet also occur in the area.

Though they are more widespread, other charismatic species of the Tikal area include White-necked and White-whiskered Puffbirds, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, the good-looking Pale-billed Woodpecker, the beautiful Keel-billed Toucan and the charismatic White-collared and Red-capped Manakins (which give away their presence by the clicking noises made by their wings). While walking the forest trails, we will also hope to come across the spectacular Great Curassow.

Mixed-species flocks and, if we are lucky, an army ant swarm should bring some good stuff, including Scaly-throated Leaftosser, Plain Xenops and Strong-billed, Ivory-billed, Ruddy, Tawny-winged, Olivaceous, Northern Barred and Wedge-billed Woodcreepers, while Dot-winged Antwren, Plain Antvireo and Tawny-crowned and Lesser Greenlets may join the party. Tikal is quite possibly the best place to observe the generally uncommon and range-restricted Black-throated Shrike-Tanager, which is sometimes a leader of a ‘bird wave’.

A host of tyrant flycatchers inhabits the Tikal area, and we will look for the scarce Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet, Slaty-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, the tiny Stub-tailed Spadebill, the charismatic Rufous Piha, the canopy-dwelling Bright-rumped Atilla, Northern Shiffornis and Tropical Royal Flycatcher.

We will also visit an abandoned airstrip, where a swampy area should deliver the extraordinary Boat-billed Heron (formerly considered a monotypic family) roosting in the dense vegetation, the range-restricted Ruddy Crake (easier to hear than see), the range-restricted Russet-naped Wood Rail and the monotypic Limpkin. Nearby drier habitat holds Thicket Tinamou (another one that is much easier to hear than see), Ruddy Quail-Dove, Short-billed and Scaled Pigeons, Blue Ground Dove, the uncommon Pheasant Cuckoo, Canivet’s Emerald and the range-restricted Northern Bentbill.

In the Santa Ana area, the habitat has now become cattle pastures and secondary growth forest, but it was once a tropical, humid savannah. Nonetheless, this degraded habitat is still home to three regionally endemic species: the much-wanted Yucatan Bobwhite, Black Catbird and Green-backed Sparrow. We will search here for these three prime targets, as well as the range-restricted Plain Chachalaca and the more widespread but localised Botteri’s Sparrow.

Wetlands and seasonal pools hold such species as Pied-billed Grebe, Neotropical Cormorant, Anhinga, Wood Stork, American White Ibis, Snail Kite, Green, Ringed and Belted Kingfishers, Tricoloured Heron, Great Egret, Black-necked Stilt, Killdeer, Wilson’s Snipe, Northern Jacana and Mangrove Swallow.

Additional species we may well come across in the Tikal region include Great Tinamou, Little Tinamou (much easier to hear than see), Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Grey-headed Dove, Plain-breasted and Ruddy Ground Doves, Striped Cuckoo, Middle American Screech Owl, Stripe-throated Hermit, White-necked Jacobin, Buff-bellied and Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, Wedge-tailed Sabrewing, Purple-crowned Fairy, White-tailed, Double-toothed, Plumbeous and Grey-headed Kites, Crane Hawk, Slaty-tailed and Black-headed Trogons, Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker and the beautiful Laughing Falcon.

Passserines include Great Antshrike, the glorious Piratic Flycatcher, the stunning Vermillion Flycatcher, Sepia-capped, Scissor-tailed and Fork-tailed Flycatchers, Couch’s Kingbird, White-eyed and Mangrove Vireos, Carolina Wren, White-breasted Wood Wren, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Grey Catbird, Brown and perhaps Green Jays, Montezuma Oropendola, Black-cowled Oriole, Dickcissel, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Bananaquit, Green Honeycreeper, Olive-backed Euphonia, Northern Waterthrush, Grey-crowned Yellowthroat, Golden-winged, Kentucky and Hooded Warblers, American Redstart, Tropical Parula, Golden-hooded and Grey-headed Tanagers, Red-crowned Ant Tanager, Blue Bunting, Blue Grosbeak, Thick-billed Seed Finch and Yellow-faced Grassquit.

Guatemala (Tikal): Day 4

After spending much of the day in the Tikal region, we will catch an afternoon flight back to Guatemala City, where we will join up with those arriving for the main tour.

HONDURAS EXTENSION

Honduras: Day 1

Our Honduras birding tour extension begins with a morning flight from Guatemala City to San Pedro Sula in northwestern Honduras.

From there, we head eastwards into the mountains until we reach the remote town of La Unión in the Olancho district. We will spend two nights here, and we should arrive in time for some initial exploration.

Honduras: Day 2

Close to La Unión is Muralla National Park, which protects a large area of pine-oak forests as well as cloud forests and lower-altitude evergreen forests in places.

Our two most important targets today will be two near-endemics: Green-breasted Mountaingem and Red-throated Parakeet.

This near-endemic hummingbird is only found in cloudforest habitat in parts of Honduras and northwestern Nicaragua. Elsewhere, in the pine-oak woodlands, ‘Red-throated’ Parakeet, a near-endemic speciality that is not seen during Guatemala birding tours as it barely occurs in the country, is quite common in this part of Honduras. More recently, the taxon rubritorquis has been lumped with the Green Parakeet.

Range-restricted specialities of only slightly wider distribution include Lesson’s Motmot and Slate-colored Solitaire.

Other important targets are the range-restricted Spot-bellied Bobwhite, the sought-after Great Swallow-tailed Swift (this is one of the best spots for this difficult species) and the aptly named, localised, uncommon and much-wanted Lovely Cotinga.

We should also come across Common Black Hawk, Black Phoebe and the lovely Painted Whitestart. Many other birds typical of these habitats will be found, but these are all likely to have been recorded in Guatemala.

Honduras: Day 3

After some final birding around La Unión, we will travel westwards to the Lake Yojoa region for an overnight stay.

Honduras: Day 4

Our reason for coming to the Lake Yojoa area is to use it as a base to visit a surviving area of dry woodland and cacti amongst pastures that hold the rare and endangered Honduran Emerald. This mega target, which is the country’s sole endemic, is straightforward to find in this area.

Other species in this unusual and rapidly declining habitat (which is being progressively cleared for ranching) include Lesser Roadrunner and, with a bit of luck, the shy Lesser Ground Cuckoo.

We may return from the emerald area with some time available for birding around Lake Yojoa.

Honduras: Day 5

This morning, we will transfer to San Pedro Sula airport, where our Honduras birding tour extension ends.

(There are direct international flights out of San Pedro Sula to Houston, Miami and elsewhere.)