International arrivals to Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) in Belize City. Please plan your flights to arrive before 2:00pm to allow for time to drive to our first lodge of the trip.

We will spend the first 3 nights at the famous La Milpa Eco-lodge nestled in the Rio Bravo Conservation Area of northern Belize. Light birding along the way for raptors and waders around the savannahs and rice fields. Before dinner, gather around the dining area for a full orientation while enjoying some refreshments.

Night at La Milpa Eco-Lodge.

Morning birding around lodge grounds before breakfast, where we will get our first huge taste of tropical birding! Great Curassows and Crested Guans roam the lodge grounds, and the trees hold multitudes of tanagers, like Yellow-winged Tanager, Olive-backed Euphonia, and Green Honeycreeper, as well as parrots, and toucans, including Belize’s national bird, the Keel-billed Toucan.

We will keep our eyes on the sky around mid-morning for soaring raptors, including a few key targets like Ornate Hawk-Eagle and King Vulture. These species are tied to large areas of intact rainforest, meaning the reserve around La Milpa is a key area for them.

The Rio Bravo Conservation Area is a massive reserve which connects with Guatemala and Mexico to form La Selva Maya or The Mayan Rainforest, the largest tract of lowland rainforest north of the Amazon! It comprises multiple reserves, national parks, and other protected areas to create a massive safe haven for tropical wildlife. Ocellated Turkey, a bizarrely gorgeous bird, and the only other species of turkey, is only found in the rainforest of the Yucatan region, and is another target for this area.

Night at La Milpa Eco-lodge

Today we will roam the vast forest roads and trails of the reserve in search of secretive forest interior species like Tinamous, Antbirds, Quail-Doves and Motmots. This area is also a good area for Gray-headed Kite and White Hawk, some charismatic raptors of the rainforest. Around the archaeological site, we will search for Ruddy Woodcreeper, White-collared Manakin, and Royal Flycatcher among other forest species.

We will have another relaxing afternoon around the grounds of the eco-lodge, enjoying a myriad of tropical species like Black-throated Shrike-Tanager, Green-backed Sparrow, Wedge-tailed Sabrewing and Collared Aracari.

After nightfall, a whole different suite of animals become active! After dinner, we will do some night birding searching for Mottled and Black-and-White Owls, Middle American Screech Owl, and nightjars like the Yucatan Poorwill and Northern Potoo.

Night at La Milpa Eco-Lodge.

Sunrise birding around the eco-lodge grounds before breakfast, after which, we will start heading south towards the Mountain Pine Ridge.

We will traverse the southern portion of the Rio Bravo Reserve followed by the Belize Maya Forest. Upon exiting the reserve, the open grasslands and farming areas provide habitat for several species of raptors such as Aplomado Falcon, White-tailed Hawk and Bat Falcon, along with the more common species like Laughing Falcon and Roadside Hawk.

We arrive late in the afternoon at Mountain Pine Ridge, where we will spend the next 2 nights.

Night at Pine Ridge Lodge.

Today we will have an early breakfast and spend the day birding around the Mountain Pine Ridge. This area is an elevated plateau of pine forest above the lowland rainforest, and is home to a few of our biggest targets of the trip, like the endangered Orange-breasted Falcon!

We will head south towards Las Cuevas Research Station and the massive Chiquibul Forest. Here we explore the subtropical broadleaf forest, but also touch a bit of the subtropical pine forest of the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve.

A number of other pine forest species will keep us busy throughout the day, like Rusty Sparrow, Grace’s Warbler, Hepatic Tanager, and Black-headed Siskin.

Mid-morning will find us watching for soaring raptors from strategic vantage points, looking for King Vulture, both White and Gray Hawks, and if we are very lucky, we may spot the mysterious Solitary Eagle!

At night, we will look for Stygian Owls, which are incredibly rare and hard to find throughout their range, but the Mountain Pine Ridge is famous for being a great place to spot them.

Night at Pine Ridge Lodge.

After a nice morning of birding nearby, we will pack up and head to Crooked Tree. This massive wetland is a designated Ramsar site (world recognized wetland conservation status) where thousands of waders and shorebirds gather to fuel up during their northbound migration. Along the way we will try for Rufous-breasted Spinetail, Grace’s Warbler, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, and Olive Sparrow.

We will have some off time in the early afternoon before boarding our skiff for a sunset birding by boat!

On this boat ride we will be looking for Boat-billed Herons, Russet-naped Wood-Rail, Agami Heron, Black-collared Hawk, Great Black Hawk, and Snail Kites, plus over a dozen waders, waterfowl, including the elusive Sungrebe.

As the sun sets, we enjoy a drink while the Jabirus and Wood Storks fly overhead looking for a nighttime roost.

Night at Bird’s Eye View Lodge.

Quick birding and breakfast before heading to the beautiful and mysterious Maya city of Lamanai. After a short ride, we board a boat on the New River which will take us upstream to this ancient city. Along the way, we keep vigilant for Jabirus, Snail Kites and Black-collared Hawk along with the smallest Kingfisher in the western hemisphere, the American Pygmy Kingfisher!

Once at the archaeological site, we keep searching for Trogons, Toucans, Motmots, and Woodcreepers among the temples, including the sought-after Tody Motmot.

Lamanai is an incredible ancient Maya site that was once a sizable city in the Mayan era. It was occupied for nearly 2,000 years, and unlike other Maya sites that were abandoned in the 10th century, Lamanai was active all the way up to the 17th century!

After dinner, we will do more night birding searching for owls and nightjars, including the Yucatan Nightjar and Northern Potoo.

Night at Bird’s Eye View Lodge.

We spend our last morning around the lodge and nearby trails looking for Rufous-breasted Spinetail, Yellow-headed Parrot and Striped Cuckoo.

The Savannahs and wetlands behind the village are excellent for some regional Yucatan endemics like Yucatan Jay and Black-throated Bobwhite. Green Jays, Mangrove Vireo, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, and an occasional Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl are also around for us to enjoy!

After some light birding and breakfast, we will head towards Belize City, making a few stops along the way depending on time. Airport drop off by 11am.

Please plan your flights for departures after 12:00pm to allow travel time to the airport from Crooked Tree, a 45 minute drive.