Best Central/South American Country for Birding--Late May (1 Viewer)

[ISeeMostBirds]

I am thinking of visiting somewhere in Central/South America in late May for birding. Can anyone recommend me a good country/region for me to go?

Here is the plan:

• I have around 10 days
• I have never been to Central/South America so I don't have particular species in mind, although I would love to see some toucans, trogans, humming birds, owls, parrots, etc.
• I'm likely going to be travelling alone, so criminal safety is a concern
• I do not plan to have a guide with me for the whole time, although I wouldn't mind day guides for a few days
• I am not a pro so the bird identifying has to be relatively easy
• I don't mind walking
• I can drive
• Cost is not a main concern as long as its reasonable
• I know Spanish (so no Brazil for now)

Originally I was thinking about going to the Mindo area in Ecuador (accessible, hotels with trail systems, etc.), but based on what I saw on ebird I feel like May is not the best time to visit. But please correct me if I am wrong.

Looking forward to hearing everyone's suggestions, thanks so much!

 

[THE_FERN]

Doubtless someone will correct me as I've not been to much of Central America. However, many South American destinations aren't great at that time. So I'd try central America. I understand Costa Rica is very safe. I had no problems in Panama (especially if you're closer to the CR border: Darien is wilder)

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

But Darien is great with a guide; surely Harpy Eagle is tempting...

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I'm a bit curious about why people think somewhere like Ecuador would be 'bad' in May, or indeed at any time. There are loads of birds there. The only difference that's likely to have a significant impact on birding is rain, but it can rain a fair amount in most areas for most of the year. I went in April, which is pretty much the wettest time, and saw loads and lost very little time to rain.

 

[David_]

Haven’t been to Ecuador but the few times I have been to Latin America in the rain season I always had to make detours because some streets were impassable or mudslides had washed away streets. Maybe just bad luck but the chance for this to happen is relatively high in the tropics during rain season. Wouldn’t want to risk this during a short 10 day trip as this can cost you a lot of time

 

[Dortmundbirder]

I would suggest Yucatan. A little bit outside of the dry season which is till April so a little bit of rain is expected but in 10 days you could cover all Endemics, see a lot of desired stuff like Toucans, Trogons, Parrots, Hummers and in Calakmul as well Great Curassow, Crested Guan and Occelated Turkey.

Completely doable without a guide and by self driving.

+ Birding will not be completely overwhelming, you will find a lot of similiar species and families to the ones you know from the US with a good mix of new ones. But you dont have to learn 800+ species like in parts of South America.

 

[THE_FERN]

But Darien is great with a guide; surely Harpy Eagle is tempting...

Just don't go with the guide I had (more or less the only one)

 

[THE_FERN]

I'm a bit curious about why people think somewhere like Ecuador would be 'bad' in May, or indeed at any time. There are loads of birds there. The only difference that's likely to have a significant impact on birding is rain, but it can rain a fair amount in most areas for most of the year. I went in April, which is pretty much the wettest time, and saw loads and lost very little time to rain.

I can't comment about May in Ecuador specifically. (But Ebird weekly presence records seem to dip a bit.) Certainly June July tends to less good: I wouldn't recommend non-Amazon Colombia then: birds tend to be quite tatty and certainly less obvious.

It might be a good time to visit coastal Ecuador: Machalilla is wet in July so could be dry in May but with activity picking up. Perhaps Jorupe is still good; July/August is definitely too late there (no sign of the ant pitta when I was there for example; retreat into the centre of the reserve)

 

[THE_FERN]

But Darien is great with a guide; surely Harpy Eagle is tempting...

The big lure of Darien is those things that are so difficult elsewhere. But the West is far better general/introductory birding. Lots of good endemics and quetzals! It's quite easy to travel even by public transport. I didn't do it but would love to do the hike from volcan

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

I went with Euclides Campos, and found him excellent.

 

[njlarsen]

My Costa Rica birdfinding guide describes the dry season as something that actually exist in Guanacaste (NW) but in the rest of the country it is better to think of "less wet". I would expect especially in the NW that there would be more visible birdlife once the rains start, simply because there will be more flowers, insects, etc. The guide states something to the order of not avoiding the wet season because good birdlife can be had and most rain is concentrated to a couple of hours in the afternoon.

I would think for both CR and Panama, that the main risk of rainfall leading to flooding etc would happen during hurricane season, June to November. This would happen if a cyclone makes landfall in the area - even a tropical depression can dump a lot of water! But chances of running into one of these isn't very large.
Niels

 

[Mysticete]

Late May/Early June of last year I did my first neotropics trip, which was to Panama and arranged through the Canopy Family group of lodges. For a fairly reasonable price you can get a package deal that includes lodging, food, transport, and guided bird tours each day, visiting a range of spots. I did 7 days in the canal zone at the Canopy Tower and 3 days at Canopy Lodge. I managed to get well over 200 lifers and a large swath of the classic Neotropical bird groups, like antbirds, tanagers, toucans, woodcreepers etc. The guides are all great and no there stuff.

Now this WAS during the green season (the nicer way of saying the Rainy season), which did mean there was some rain most days, however it generally rained during midday which was a lull period for the most part anyway. And most of the time the rain wasn't much more than a light sprinkle, and easily dealt with using a umbrella. It was also pretty warm and humid at times, although not unbearably so, and things were a bit nicer at the Canopy Lodge, which is at higher elevation. Now, I would NOT do the Darien during the green season...I ran into some birders who had just come back from there, and while they managed to get Harpy Eagle and some other nice birds, it did sound like conditions were more extreme on both the rain and heat fronts, and there may have been some issue with roads/trails and flooding.

I really can't recommend Panama enough as an introduction to birding in this part of the world: you get a lot of the "classic" neotropical experiences (Army Ant Swarms, cool mammals, canopy towers, mixed flocks, etc) and a good bird list, but things aren't quite as crazy with the mixed flocks (No having to ID 10 species of Tanager in 5 minutes as they move past you!)

I'm planning on doing a trip this year around that time to Ecuador. While it isn't as popular a time, I haven't really seen anything to indicate that it is horrible, and current newly changed COVID restrictions allow entry with just a negative antigen test.

 

[pbjosh]

If it is your first trip to the neotropics the classic answers are Costa Rica, Panamá, Ecuador, or parts of Mexico. I wouldn’t worry too much about weather, and would more decide based on which country you wish to visit. The Canopy Family setup in Panamá is one of if not THE easiest / best intros to neotropical birding, they are great people and I always recommend it.

One thing you say about “not wanting a lot of guiding” and “wanting easy bird ID” - this is going to depend on how much you study ahead of time. But certainly Mexico will be “easier” than Costa Rica or Panamá, and either of those will be slightly easier than Ecuador, in terms of diversity / how foreign the species are. In Mexico traveling solo is no problem and the Yucatán is really easy. Other parts of MX may or may not be safe/easy enough for you depending on your comfort level but, for instance, San Blas area or Oaxaca are also easy and excellent, just avoid driving / being out at night unless you know the area is safe enough for your standards. If you do go to Mindo area in Ecuador, take care if you go to Rio Silanche, there have been recent robberies of birders along the road there, inside the reserve should be fine.

Just pick based on food or which country you want stamped in your passport, and study the birds as much ahead of time as possible to maximize your enjoyment and appreciation

 

[ISeeMostBirds]

If it is your first trip to the neotropics the classic answers are Costa Rica, Panamá, Ecuador, or parts of Mexico. I wouldn’t worry too much about weather, and would more decide based on which country you wish to visit. The Canopy Family setup in Panamá is one of if not THE easiest / best intros to neotropical birding, they are great people and I always recommend it.

One thing you say about “not wanting a lot of guiding” and “wanting easy bird ID” - this is going to depend on how much you study ahead of time. But certainly Mexico will be “easier” than Costa Rica or Panamá, and either of those will be slightly easier than Ecuador, in terms of diversity / how foreign the species are. In Mexico traveling solo is no problem and the Yucatán is really easy. Other parts of MX may or may not be safe/easy enough for you depending on your comfort level but, for instance, San Blas area or Oaxaca are also easy and excellent, just avoid driving / being out at night unless you know the area is safe enough for your standards. If you do go to Mindo area in Ecuador, take care if you go to Rio Silanche, there have been recent robberies of birders along the road there, inside the reserve should be fine.

Just pick based on food or which country you want stamped in your passport, and study the birds as much ahead of time as possible to maximize your enjoyment and appreciation

Late May/Early June of last year I did my first neotropics trip, which was to Panama and arranged through the Canopy Family group of lodges. For a fairly reasonable price you can get a package deal that includes lodging, food, transport, and guided bird tours each day, visiting a range of spots. I did 7 days in the canal zone at the Canopy Tower and 3 days at Canopy Lodge. I managed to get well over 200 lifers and a large swath of the classic Neotropical bird groups, like antbirds, tanagers, toucans, woodcreepers etc. The guides are all great and no there stuff.

Now this WAS during the green season (the nicer way of saying the Rainy season), which did mean there was some rain most days, however it generally rained during midday which was a lull period for the most part anyway. And most of the time the rain wasn't much more than a light sprinkle, and easily dealt with using a umbrella. It was also pretty warm and humid at times, although not unbearably so, and things were a bit nicer at the Canopy Lodge, which is at higher elevation. Now, I would NOT do the Darien during the green season...I ran into some birders who had just come back from there, and while they managed to get Harpy Eagle and some other nice birds, it did sound like conditions were more extreme on both the rain and heat fronts, and there may have been some issue with roads/trails and flooding.

I really can't recommend Panama enough as an introduction to birding in this part of the world: you get a lot of the "classic" neotropical experiences (Army Ant Swarms, cool mammals, canopy towers, mixed flocks, etc) and a good bird list, but things aren't quite as crazy with the mixed flocks (No having to ID 10 species of Tanager in 5 minutes as they move past you!)

I'm planning on doing a trip this year around that time to Ecuador. While it isn't as popular a time, I haven't really seen anything to indicate that it is horrible, and current newly changed COVID restrictions allow entry with just a negative antigen test.

Thanks guys.

The Canopy family does look quite tempting. However, I am wondering if I would have to book one of their tours to go there, or could I go independently and stay in their rooms? Also, are there any birding trails on the property or is birding done elsewhere? Thanks again.

The reason why I said Ecuador might not be the best in May is because based on the stats on ebird. For the Mindo area there are only 269 species in May, compared to 352 in November. I'm sure its still going to be amazing, but perhaps May is just not the best best.

 

[njlarsen]

I have only done the Darien Camp with Canopy. On that week, there were a number of places visited outside their property, but also some time spent in their exclusive area. I do not believe they rent out rooms, only packages.

If you want to do things independently, there are places to stay around Gamboa and in El Valle del Anton (the same areas with Canopy Tower/Lodge). For 10 days you will not want to do more than two areas. Some areas around Gamboa can only be visited with groups (or possibly at least in company with recognized guides), which means that some guiding might be necessary to get the full benefit.

Niels

 

[kb57]

The reason why I said Ecuador might not be the best in May is because based on the stats on ebird. For the Mindo area there are only 269 species in May, compared to 352 in November. I'm sure its still going to be amazing, but perhaps May is just not the best best.

There's going to be some observer effort bias there though...more visitors in high season, therefore bigger numbers. Also the absence of wintering Nearctic migrants will contribute to lower species numbers - which is a major factor for birders from Europe or Asia, but not North American-based birders like yourself.
In terms of your birding goals, I'm sure there are major advantages on many levels to starting your Neotropical adventures in Central America - FWIW I found Colombia birding a bit overwhelming when I had zero experience of neotropics - but on the plus side there are way cooler hummingbirds in South America (e.g. sword-billed, trainbearers..), and much better representation of families like Cotingidae.

 

[pbjosh]

Indeed, Canopy Family is more package based birding with guides. For truly independent birding Panamá is good as well, though info about, say, Costa Rica, Mindo, and Yucatán is going to be easier to find and more abundant than info about doing Panamá independently.

I still would recommend not choosing based on eBird species totals. I mean no offense but as a novice to the neotropics you will miss the vast majority of birds present and it doesn’t matter if a location has 200, 250, or 600 species possible - without mastering birdsong and a lot of experience, you’ll log 60-80 or so species per day. If you were going truly on number of species possible, you could go to eastern slope foothill sights or Amazonian sights with 600+ species possible. Not really recommended for a first trip though

Again whichever you choose just study the birds as much as possible ahead of time and if you bird by ear make some effort to learn the most common songs for your destinations as well.

 

[ISeeMostBirds]

I still would recommend not choosing based on eBird species totals. I mean no offense but as a novice to the neotropics you will miss the vast majority of birds present and it doesn’t matter if a location has 200, 250, or 600 species possible - without mastering birdsong and a lot of experience, you’ll log 60-80 or so species per day.

There's going to be some observer effort bias there though...more visitors in high season, therefore bigger numbers. Also the absence of wintering Nearctic migrants will contribute to lower species numbers - which is a major factor for birders from Europe or Asia, but not North American-based birders like yourself.
In terms of your birding goals, I'm sure there are major advantages on many levels to starting your Neotropical adventures in Central America - FWIW I found Colombia birding a bit overwhelming when I had zero experience of neotropics - but on the plus side there are way cooler hummingbirds in South America (e.g. sword-billed, trainbearers..), and much better representation of families like Cotingidae.

Points taken
I think I have unconciously associated the number of species with the number of individual birds present and the quality of birding. In this case I guess I might just stick to my Ecuador-Mindo plan.
I don't know if anyone has been but if I just stay in the birding lodges in Mindo I suppose a car wouldn't be necessary?

 

[Mysticete]

If you were going to do independent birding, than the Canopy family of tours isn't really for you. Staying at the Canopy Tower, you can walk down Semaphore road (which has good birding), and at the base is Plantation Trail. That is pretty much it, besides the tower itself which is pretty fantastic in the morning. Canopy Tower has a few very short trails, so it's probably worst in that regard. The birding packages themselves visit places that are close, but not near enough to walk. But as others have said, there are other lodging option in Gamboa if you choose to rent a vehicle and make that your base.

And I would agree with others on using ebird stats....I suspect you are seeing a bias from people just not visiting Ecuador at that time period. After all, for most of us, May is spring migration, and so I imagine many birders stay close to home during that time period for that reason.

 

[njlarsen]

Points taken
I think I have unconciously associated the number of species with the number of individual birds present and the quality of birding. In this case I guess I might just stick to my Ecuador-Mindo plan.
I don't know if anyone has been but if I just stay in the birding lodges in Mindo I suppose a car wouldn't be necessary?

Not sure I would recommend that, unless you have a guide with a vehicle some days. On my first trip to Ecuador, we stayed in Bellavista, Sashatamia and Yellow House, and I don't think there was a day when we did not use the car. One morning visiting Angel Paz at their place; one day with a guide in our rental car to Milpe and Rio Silanche, just to mention two things we did use the car for.

Niels