Birding in Chiapas -- suggestions? (1 Viewer)

I am anticipating an 18 day trip to San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas at the end of August. I'll be tied up afternoons and evenings with work in the town on the weekdays of two of those weeks, but I expect to be able to bird around town some mornings. I also have the weekends and 3 days afterwards to get out for some sightseeing, birding and other nature-viewing. Any suggestions for good birding sites that are reasonably safe and accessible without a private car? Local birding or naturalist guides? (Spanish-speaking guides are fine.) Coffee-growing cooperatives that welcome birders? Reasonably priced accommodations that make an effort to attract birds or promote bird-friendly environmental practices?
As an older woman, travelling alone, I don't intend to wander out--no matter how terrific the birds are--without some reliable guidance or local contacts. But I hope that surely there are enough tourists who want to appreciate the highlands' natural beauty that there will be a few good opportunities for me to do some birding there. I would welcome any suggestions, pointers, or practical advice. Thanks.

Hi! My name is Francesca and live in San Cristóbal de Las Casas. I would love to go out birding with you, but my main problem is that I work every week morning except on tuesdays. I usually am free after 12pm every day though.
I'm afraid that bird-friendly environmental practices are not common at all around here and birders usually wander in small groups, either by theirselves or with an organized tour they bought elsewhere. The safest place to bird in San Cristóbal is the "Reserva Ecológica Huitepec", run by "Pronatura", it's a small patch of a cloud forest that once covered the whole region. But if you want to see a few more endemics like the Pink-headed Warbler, you should visit the site at the km. 2 of the Ocosingo highway. I do recommend it but it's not 100% safe, almost every piece of land here is claimed to be owned by indigenous people that can sometimes get agressive if they catch you wandering around. We could go together if you whish, I've personally never had any trouble there. I hope we can meet as I never get to know birders here and usually have to go by myself. It's a great place and I'm sure you will enjoy it. Please feel free to ask me anything you whish. I will be out of town tomorrow but I'll be back tomorrow night.
I hope we will meet soon! :t:
Cheers

Francesca, Thanks for the fantastic offer to bird together! I'll try to rearrange some of my work so that we'll have more chances of finding a mutually convenient time. I'll send you a private message, when I find out my schedule for the first week and we can set up a tentative meeting time/place. I will certainly have some more specific questions as the trip planning goes along. Is that bird in your foto something local? Gorgeous bird; great foto! Thanks, Meredith

Is that bird in your foto something local? Gorgeous bird; great foto! Thanks, Meredith

Click to expand...

Meredith, nice to hear from you! The bird I use as my avatar is a Rosita's Bunting and it's a very localized endemic (it only exists in a small zone between the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca). You have to travel towards the coast to see it though, I took the photo on the highway to Arriaga, Chiapas. It can be done in one day from San Cristóbal if you just want to see the bunting or two days if you whish to get to the coast and look for a few more endemics like the Giant Wren and the White-bellied Chachalaca.
I would be very happy to show you around, the only problem is that you will be here at the peak of the touristic season and that's when I work the most and consecuently have little free time. Sorry about that, but I hope we can arrange something anyway.
You can PM me anytime!
Cheers

Oh my...I just realized that due to the high amount of work that we get for the high season, we usually don't close on tuesdays during the month of august. :eek!:
Well, nevermind, we'll find a way.

Birding Chiapas in April 2008

Francesca,

I'll be in Chiapas from early-April to about the 22nd, and would love to go birding with you! My base will be San Cristobal (staying with friends), with plans to visit El Triunfo and the Pacific Coast region (Giant Wren!) My traveling companion has an interest in birding, but not on the same level as me, so it would be nice to go afield with an experienced, ardent, local birder.

Regarding El Triunfo, my friends apparently know someone who is willing to take us into the Biosphere Reserve; however, do you have any tips on the best way to bird in that area? Do you know of any experienced guides who would be willing to accompany us should their contact not pan out? It appears very difficult to get any information about access and guides (outside of the 'formal' birding tours, which are far too expensive).

Thanks in advance, Francesca!