birding in tropical area in rainy season - any reason to? (3 Viewers)

[earlytorise]

As opposed to the dry season, when obviously birding is easier,

are there any benefits to tropical region birding in the wet season?

Anyone wants to share their experience doing just that?

NB: specifically tropical areas. Malaysia, the Amazon, Uganda etc.

Possibilities, which may or may not correspond to reality for all I know:

frogs/moths/flowers, the rain isn't that bad, price cheaper, etc.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A lot of birds breed during the rainy season, so there can be more singing and more activity. Sometimes the dry season can be hard work, particularly if birds aren't breeding, so I would dispute that the birding is always easier. That said, you don't want things to be too wet.

I visited Ecuador in April, which is pretty much the wettest time of the year. It was good and I didn't lose much time to rain. Also, keep in mind that in drier tropical habitats (e.g. dry forest or savannah areas) wet season is likely to be very much the best time to visit for bird activity, even more than in rainforest.

 

[Andy Adcock]

A lot of birds breed during the rainy season, so there can be more singing and more activity. Sometimes the dry season can be hard work, particularly if birds aren't breeding, so I would dispute that the birding is always easier. That said, you don't want things to be too wet.

I visited Ecuador in April, which is pretty much the wettest time of the year. It was good and I didn't lose much time to rain. Also, keep in mind that in drier tropical habitats (e.g. dry forest or savannah areas) wet season is likely to be very much the best time to visit for bird activity, even more than in rainforest.

I'd suggest that this is down to both location, in terms of how rainy the wet season actually is, and luck.

We lost several days to rain in Costa Rica and this was outside the wet season, the same in Trinidad and certainly in parts of Asia, rain would be a major issue, you'd definitely lose a great amount of time. In Borneo, during the best birding time weather wise, we'd still use a couple of hours a day, like clockwork, to rain, the same in Vietnam and parts of Indonesia.

Aside from the wet, humidity makes birding very uncomfortable in some places during rainy season, India for one.

 

[Xenospiza]

I have been in places where the rain made birding impossible. Thanks to high rivers and washed-away bridges, it even made reaching the birding sites impossible. That is a major issue to consider. You could get stuck somewhere or worse.
However, some birds (like Lesser Florican) are only really seeable in the monsoon.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

The question was about whether there were any benefits to birding in the wet season, not whether sometimes birding is almost impossible or extremely difficult in the wet season in some places, which is obviously true. Since the tropics are extremely varied, it's hard to generalise. For example, I think the Pacific coast of Ecuador is supposed to be best in the wet season, as the dry season is really hot and the birds aren't breeding.

Also, even within a relatively small area, there can be some areas that are in wet season and some in dry. For example, the OP mentioned Uganda. In our summer, western Uganda has its dry season but it's the wet season in the east. When I went in June/July last year I visited both. The east was sometimes tricky, but there weren't big problems. Doing it the other way around (i.e. birding the wetter west in the wet season) might not work as well though.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Central America during "green season" - didn't loose much time due to weather, indeed following a heavy downpour activity would often spike, sometimes to the same level as early/late in the day. Heavy rains increased the variability and appearance of various ant colonies on the move (bullet ant swarm not recommended), this certainly helped with getting diverse species flocks (antbirds etc).
Philippines/Singapore during rainy season this June - no Palearctic migrants, but species becoming easier to see and more vocal, this certainly helped with my aim of increasing my Pitta list.
Uganda in September (start of rainy season) similar experience to above, birds more vocal and some actively breeding.
Fewer tourists too - always a bonus!
Waterproof clothing + good footwear + cloth for wiping rain/sweat off of optics and/or face and you'll be fine.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I'd also add that, although bad luck with weather can obviously make things impossible in the wet season, the dry season in some places isn't always as dry as might be expected. I remember being in northern Thailand in January a few years back (when it's really not supposed to rain much at all) and it chucked it down for a day. Even after it stopped raining, during the days afterwards some mountain areas were either inaccessible or were shrouded in low cloud.

 

[Lerxst]

N Tanzania in rainy season was absolutely wonderful. Lush, birdy, and the rain never impacted birding. A bit here and there in the afternoons or at night posed no problems at all.

Lived an entire year in Thailand and generally had better birding in the wet season there.

 

[jurek]

Essentially, the difference is like between spring and autumn birding in the North. Many birds are much easier to see and hear in wet season. Some tropical birds in dry season migrate or become nomadic and may be impossible to find, essentially can disappear from large areas.

Also, some birds are in their breeding plumage and displaying. In African dry season, you see whydahs and widowbirds as almost identical drab birds. In the breeding season, they grow spectacular breeding plumages and display. In Costa Rica, Long-wattled Umbrellabirds are not visible and displaying in winter. Also, many other wildlife, like butterflies, are present more or only in the wet season.

BTW, do you realize that you can check reports online at cloudbirders, africanbirdclub etc to see what are preferred seasons to bird in every country?

 

[Mysticete]

I've birded the wet season in Panama and the Dry season in Ecuador, and both were very different experiences

In Panama, the wet season (or green season as they try to spin it) is in summer, which means you miss out on boreal migrants. This didn't matter to me as I live in Wisconsin. I think there was only one day where we lost a significant bit of time to rain...otherwise rain was in the afternoon mostly and in the form of mist/light showers that didn't impede birding. I do know that with the forest floor wet, it can make certain species a tad more difficult, as you can't hear the skulky species scurrying through dry leaf litter. Only real downside was the humidity, which was extra painful given that I wear glasses.

I visited the Mindo region Ecuador in the dry season. This I think did impact things: Yanacocha was hot and dry with little bird activity, and I missed several "gettable" species there. Tanagers were generally more dispersed and so fruit feeder activity was more limited, although apparently Trogons and Toucans are easier at this time of year according to the guide. On the other hand travel was mostly easy, so we didn't have to worry about landslide or similar road closures.

So basically I will chime in with everyone else. You can't really generalize what time of year is better, since it does vary by region, specific site, and target species. Best advice is to just read trip reports from different times of year, or consult a guide/lodge personal/lodge website and see what they think.

 

[DMW]

The way I would put it is that the wet season is generally better so long as it doesn't rain.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Waterproof clothing + good footwear + cloth for wiping rain/sweat off of optics and/or face and you'll be fine.

I've had numerous lost days which would put a big '?' against this statement.

Rain, so heavy that it penetrated our umbrellas or bounced up from the ground and wet us on the rebound then ran down waterproof clothing, filling our boots, the same boots would then be heavy with a fine, clay like mud, birding was quite simply, impossible. Aside from rain, lightning is also a real danger if you're exposed but as I said before, luck is maybe a factor too both in terms of duration and severity of downpours.

The same thing applies here as to the use of public tranport in my view, you need to be able to afford any lost time which, on a two week trip, most people won't.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

I think I've been lucky so far by the sounds of it then Andy.
Having made the above statement, I can attest that a bin big and flip flops are highly unsuitable alternatives in field use; after losing my suitcase en-route to Sri Lanka, this was my field "outfit" for two days in Sinharaja. My feet and legs were covered in leeches, whilst I sweated so much in the bin bag I ended up birding in heavy rain wearing just a t-shirt.

 

[Steve Lister]

If you are paying for a trip it can be significantly cheaper in the wet ('green') season.

 

[Andy Adcock]

If you are paying for a trip it can be significantly cheaper in the wet ('green') season.

That would make perfect sense Steve, given that you may lose half of it to weather

 

[Mysticete]

That would make perfect sense Steve, given that you may lose half of it to weather

yeah but that depends on the location. Certainly it didn't cause too many issues in Panama for instance.

 

[dalat]

I just did trip to Costa Rica in the green season (July/August). The advantages were: more time for the trip because of school holidays, low season in most parts of the country (though still plenty of people and not exactly cheap), country was wonderfully green even in dry Guanacaste. Disadvantages: not too many, two mornings lost due to rains, no north American migrants.

I lived in Vietnam for a couple of years and there I definitely did most my birding in the dry season and only little in the rainy season. Advantages of rainy season are a few breeding visitors (e.g. Blue-winged Pitta), more insects (e.g. Butterflies). But dry season was much better: migrants present, less leeches and bugs, less rain and fog, and most bird's active breeding season also happens before rains start.

So I guess it depends much on the location and your own constraints like holidays. And in any case: birding in the tropics is always awesome and more exciting than the European summer, not matter how much it rains.

Also, seasonal climate is not equal weather. E.g. early rainy seasons (as I know from SE Asia or Central America) are usually not bad at all, but if a tropical storm hits it just pours down for 1-2 weeks and ruins everything.