French Guiana (1 Viewer)

[pbjosh]

Bonjour

I just spent 12 days in Fr Guiana and really enjoyed a lot. It’s particularly well setup for independent birding with zero hassles other than the fact that there few flight options to get there. once there there is forest everywhere that is all freely accessible and easy access to some traditionally pretty hard to see birds. Basically show up rent a car buy some food and get birding.

Notably it’s the only place to see Sooty Barbthroat and seemingly the best place to see White-throated Pewee, Rusty Tinamou, and perhaps Band-tailed Antshrike as well, and one of the better places for birds like Guianan Gnatcatcher and Dusky Purpletuft. I also did really well with Cotingas, Parrots, and Parrotlets And the majority of the general Guianan Shield birds are pretty easy.

I think it’s not on the birding circuit so much largely just due to lack of knowledge/reputation, so I have written up a quick trip report with key logistics, GPS, sites, and major target birds in an effort to perhaps raise the profile a bit.

https://www.cloudbirders.com/be4/download?filename=BECK_FrenchGuiana_1112_2023.pdf

 

[cajanuma]

Thanks for this one! I was seriously considering it for a birding trip with friends in early 2022 when Covid restrictions made it more difficult to travel outside the EU. It ultimately fell through but it remains on the backburner. Any idea on how it stacks up vs Suriname, especially in terms of cost? It looks like one major target for me (Wing-banded Antbird) may be easier in Suriname but other great birds are better in FG.

I did just get the field guide (in French), which lacks info on vocalizations and taxonomy but is surely the most impressive photo guide to Neotropical birds yet published.

EDIT: now that I read your trip report more carefully I saw that you did have Wing-banded Antbird. I guess that might still leave Crimson Fruitcrow as easier in Suriname but it makes FG even more appealing!

 

[pbjosh]

I don’t know how expensive Suriname is, but I get the impression that it’s broadly comparable. FR Guiana could be done really inexpensively if you were 2-3 people sharing a car and were camping and using carbets.

On Amazonian Wing-banded Antbird it seems that Tresor is a really reliable site for it from what I hear. Another friend overlapped with me a touch on my trip and we birded together for a morning. He went to Tresor a couple days after I did and found the Antbird as well.

On Crimson Fruitcrow - yeah I think Suriname and Guyana are probably best but it really has a pretty big range. Uncommon but widespread E of the Madeira to I think the Xingu? Then widespread E of the Branco… just that it’s only locally common in a few places it seems. I probably could have juggled my time around a bit differently to have targeted it, but to be honest I’m far less keen than I used to be to burn the candle at both ends on every birding trip and always be exhausted. Sometimes it’s nice to just enjoy the birding and leave a couple things on the table for next time, which is why I let Peperpot go and didn’t kill myself to see Crimson Fruitcrow or Boat-billed Tody-Flycatcher.

 

[temmie]

How are the croissants? Crunchy and airy, or heavy / half-baked?

 

[lgonz1008]

EDIT: now that I read your trip report more carefully I saw that you did have Wing-banded Antbird. I guess that might still leave Crimson Fruitcrow as easier in Suriname but it makes FG even more appealing!

On Crimson Fruitcrow - yeah I think Suriname and Guyana are probably best but it really has a pretty big range. Uncommon but widespread E of the Madeira to I think the Xingu? Then widespread E of the Branco… just that it’s only locally common in a few places it seems. I probably could have juggled my time around a bit differently to have targeted it, but to be honest I’m far less keen than I used to be to burn the candle at both ends on every birding trip and always be exhausted. Sometimes it’s nice to just enjoy the birding and leave a couple things on the table for next time, which is why I let Peperpot go and didn’t kill myself to see Crimson Fruitcrow or Boat-billed Tody-Flycatcher.

Some feedback from when I was in Guyana, the Fruitcrow is relatively reliable there but nowhere close to guaranteed, we spent 5 of our 10 days trying for it at least one hour every morning but never connected with it.

From the local guide's experience, he gets them about 60-70% of his tours in Guyana, but his friend based out of Suriname has a success rate of 80-90% per tour.

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

Some feedback from when I was in Guyana, the Fruitcrow is relatively reliable there but nowhere close to guaranteed, we spent 5 of our 10 days trying for it at least one hour every morning but never connected with it.

From the local guide's experience, he gets them about 60-70% of his tours in Guyana, but his friend based out of Suriname has a success rate of 80-90% per tour.

We got them hanging out at Atta Lodge in Guyana during a mid-day break.

 

[lgonz1008]

We got them hanging out at Atta Lodge in Guyana during a mid-day break.

We really hoped for that too, sadly no luck, our consolation prize was Pelzeln's Tody-Tyrant, so I can settle for it for now.

 

[Jeff Hopkins]

We really hoped for that too, sadly no luck, our consolation prize was Pelzeln's Tody-Tyrant, so I can settle for it for now.

Not nearly as charismatic , but a very good bird. I saw that near Presidente Figueiredo north of Manaus.

 

[pbjosh]

How are the croissants? Crunchy and airy, or heavy / half-baked?

Pretty shit really. The food outside of posh places in Cayenne was decidedly more mediocre random tropical destination and less straight out of Paris

 

[kb57]

Re-reading your excellent trip report as there's a real possibility I'll make it to French Guiana in November or early December this year, despite the poor quality croissants. We've been trying to arrange a visit to a friend in Guadeloupe for some time now, and it looks like it might be finally going to happen. We're thinking of flying in and out of Martinique as a hub for both destinations, where my partner will have a slightly more luxury break while I get to have at most a week in Guiana before going on to Guadeloupe.
With limited time, I was thinking of sticking to the Tresor - Sentier de CdR - Kaw axis and maybe basing myself somewhere like Amazonia Lodge. I'd also build in some time for coastal habitats (around Cayenne or Kaw?) to boost my list of New World shorebirds and give myself a break from lowland humid forest birding. Quite happy to wing it solo here as I can get around OK in French, but I know just enough now about South America to recognise I know very little (!) - I'll miss a lot on my own, so if the trip gets confirmed I'll see if your friend is available for a day's guided birding.
I have a question about field guides - did you use Birds of Northern South America or does Birds of Venezuela cover most things? I had the Colombia bird app when I visited there a few years ago, which uses an extract of those illustrations, and wasn't over-impressed. I've been trying to track down the French field guide mentioned by @cajanuma but the only one I can find just seems to illustrate 200 species - however, if it's a good introduction to the avifauna and habitats it could be a good pre-trip read.

 

[cajanuma]

Re-reading your excellent trip report as there's a real possibility I'll make it to French Guiana in November or early December this year, despite the poor quality croissants. We've been trying to arrange a visit to a friend in Guadeloupe for some time now, and it looks like it might be finally going to happen. We're thinking of flying in and out of Martinique as a hub for both destinations, where my partner will have a slightly more luxury break while I get to have at most a week in Guiana before going on to Guadeloupe.
With limited time, I was thinking of sticking to the Tresor - Sentier de CdR - Kaw axis and maybe basing myself somewhere like Amazonia Lodge. I'd also build in some time for coastal habitats (around Cayenne or Kaw?) to boost my list of New World shorebirds and give myself a break from lowland humid forest birding. Quite happy to wing it solo here as I can get around OK in French, but I know just enough now about South America to recognise I know very little (!) - I'll miss a lot on my own, so if the trip gets confirmed I'll see if your friend is available for a day's guided birding.
I have a question about field guides - did you use Birds of Northern South America or does Birds of Venezuela cover most things? I had the Colombia bird app when I visited there a few years ago, which uses an extract of those illustrations, and wasn't over-impressed. I've been trying to track down the French field guide mentioned by @cajanuma but the only one I can find just seems to illustrate 200 species - however, if it's a good introduction to the avifauna and habitats it could be a good pre-trip read.

This is the field guide I was mentioning: Guide des oiseaux de Guyane - Le Club Biotope

It treats all 740 species including vagrants in detail and is one of the most impressive collections of photos of Neotropical birds I've seen. It does not cover vocalizations because, as stated in the introduction, there are now comprehensive online sources for those, which is an understandable decision, although I personally think that good descriptions of vocalizations in fields guides (and sonograms if there is room) are of great value.

 

[kb57]

This is the field guide I was mentioning: Guide des oiseaux de Guyane - Le Club Biotope

It treats all 740 species including vagrants in detail and is one of the most impressive collections of photos of Neotropical birds I've seen. It does not cover vocalizations because, as stated in the introduction, there are now comprehensive online sources for those, which is an understandable decision, although I personally think that good descriptions of vocalizations in fields guides (and sonograms if there is room) are of great value.

Thanks very much - the book I'd seen advertised elsewhere was Deville's 'Les Oiseaux du Guyane', which appears to be a more general guide. This looks great; I can't see any information on the Club Biotope site about delivery outside France - don't normally like to buy on Amazon if I can get it from an independent source, but can see it on Amazon.fr for the same price (45 euros) and guess they'll deliver to Portugal.

 

[opisska]

Can I be lazy to read and just you what do you think are good times to visit? You did not go in sry season, but there is supposedly an even rainier one later?

 

[cajanuma]

Thanks very much - the book I'd seen advertised elsewhere was Deville's 'Les Oiseaux du Guyane', which appears to be a more general guide. This looks great; I can't see any information on the Club Biotope site about delivery outside France - don't normally like to buy on Amazon if I can get it from an independent source, but can see it on Amazon.fr for the same price (45 euros) and guess they'll deliver to Portugal.

I got it from Club Biotope and it arrived promptly here in Italy so it should not be a problem

 

[kb57]

I got it from Club Biotope and it arrived promptly here in Italy so it should not be a problem

Thanks, good to know - my strong preference instead of Amazon!

 

[pbjosh]

I have a question about field guides - did you use Birds of Northern South America or does Birds of Venezuela cover most things? I had the Colombia bird app when I visited there a few years ago, which uses an extract of those illustrations, and wasn't over-impressed.

@cajanuma indeed linked to the best current guide if you can hack a bit of French. I saw digital versions of the plates several times from my friend and from the author and from others and it looked really good.

I didn’t take a field guide as I wasn’t aware of this new guide (and it wasn’t quite out) and my trip was last minute and improvised. I was already in Pará (BR) and there is no guide better than Van Perlo there which I don’t bother to bring to BR so I was in S America already with no books :/

I have a lot of time spent in S America (like 1200+ days birding?) so between Merlin, XC, and checking things on BotW from time to time I can always make it work. I would and do carry a guide when I can get a decent one though.

 

[pbjosh]

Can I be lazy to read and just you what do you think are good times to visit? You did not go in sry season, but there is supposedly an even rainier one later?

I honestly don’t know for certain. You could reach out to Hugo or it should overlap with seasons for Suriname / Guyane. I largely ignore seasonality in S America aside from Patagonia and a few migratory species as you can see most birds year round in the tropical zone. Not all, but most. When I was there the rainy season was starting and I had the impression Oct/Nov would be “easier” but I had good weather and found all the birds so no complaints.

 

[opisska]

I dunno man, ignoring seasonality can backfire in some areas - I wouldn't really want to be in Pantanal when it's 45 degrees And some parts of Ecuador and Peru and probably completely off the grid for a part of the biggest rains, no? Oct/Nov would play into our hands as that's when we could make time the best!

I have copied some sentences from your introduction and our entire ensemble (which is, truth to be told, me and two people ) got quite excited about the country. The only real drawback is the airfare - already now, the cheapest tickets I could find for autumn go for 1200 EUR return and even that's from bloody MUC. I don't get why they ask for almost double to fly from Prague, somebody in AF must be high on something.

 

[pbjosh]

I dunno man, ignoring seasonality can backfire in some areas - I wouldn't really want to be in Pantanal when it's 45 degrees And some parts of Ecuador and Peru and probably completely off the grid for a part of the biggest rains, no?

Re: Pantanal I’ve not been and I would have a glance before going for sure. For EC/PE I have spent about 15 months total in the two countries, mostly continuously, and as far as I can remember had no dips that were attributable to season. I lost a good bit of tome to rain in SE Ecuador and spent a few days waiting for a landslide to clear but I had time so it wasn’t a big deal and ultimately I saw everything I had hoped to except frustratingly a heard only Subtropical Pygmy-Owl.

Of course for some birds like Brazilian Laniisoma, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, and a lot of the migrants as soon as you get far enough south yeah the season matters more. Or like Solitary Tinamou is only vocal part of the year so much harder in austral fall/winter. But Amazonian birds sing year round mostly.

 

[opisska]

"A few days waiting for the landslide to clear" is roughly the kind of problems that we who can't get our lives in order enough to do the logical thing and move to South America have in mind when being wary of wet seasons So I think we are on the same page. Since you clearly did not have a similar magnitude of issues in FG, I am quite a bit less worried.

As for the season birds, I am a lousy birder nowadays, I don't really care much about the targets. Give me a forest with unrestricted access, there will be something interesting, vertebrate or not.