What countries or regions are good for solo birding? (1 Viewer)

[lgonz1008]

In my experience, some owls are tricky without knowing nest sites. I've still been able to find Northern Hawk-Owl and Northern Pygmy Owl myself, although in the former case I used the completely excellent Norwegian bird reporting system to help find the location. Capercaillie are pretty easy. Just drive forest roads enough and you should find some eventually (and often fairly quickly). Woodpeckers aren't too difficult, although early spring is certainly best.

Good to know, is there any particular Scandinavian country that was better for the birds over others?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Good to know, is there any particular Scandinavian country that was better for the birds over others?

I'm tempted to say Estonia, although it's not really Scandinavian (though it has most of the birds). Finland is very good, although it's hard to find some things there and I don't think up-to-date information is as publicly available in English as in e.g. Norway. Norway is good but expensive.

 

[lgonz1008]

I'm tempted to say Estonia, although it's not really Scandinavian (though it has most of the birds). Finland is very good, although it's hard to find some things there and I don't think up-to-date information is as publicly available in English as in e.g. Norway. Norway is good but expensive.

Will keep it in my note, thank you!

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

Owls in Finland can largely be done by adding in a day with Finnature; value for money when you can get Pygmy, Tengmalm’s, Ural, Great Grey and Eagle Owls in a day; Hawk Owl can be found by yourself.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

I mostly meant without having to spend extra money for hiring someone. Like get a car and drive to a hotspot or region and just be able to ID most birds without wanting to give up because they stay just out of view.

Good to know about Argentina, I want to do all the birds families of the world, so it would help to visit the country for a few key families and most tours cost an arm and a leg compared to most other countries.

Which key families are you thinking of? I did a guided tour of Southern Argentina just before COVID so can suggest a little of the likelihood.

 

[Maroon Jay]

There are many countries you can bird without a guide although a guide would get you more sightings. You would pretty much have to rent a vehicle. Most of Europe is good. Australia is great but you need a lot of time; it is a big place. Other countries I have birded on my own include Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Canada, the USA, and Belize. Belize is the only one that I did without a vehicle. Lots of birds and the language is English. You can travel around the country on the old school busses that they use for inter-city transport. Belize is a great place for a vacation, birding or not. There is a bird club there that would probably help you with a lot of tips on sightings. Belize and Australia would be my top choices. I drove all around the coast of Australia, 27,000 km in seven months.

 

[DMW]

Glad to hear South Africa is safe, I keep hearing certain reports from some parts of the country that make me wonder how safe it is overall and Namibia is a beautiful surprise for solo traveling for sure.

In Malaysia was the birding in the mainland or Borneo? Did you have much difficulty finding your targets by sight or are you good with the bird calls?

There are certainly parts of South Africa that are not safe (mainly urban areas that most birders would avoid anyway), but so long as you do a little research and exercise basic common sense, you are unlikely to encounter problems. In particular, the more arid western regions are very lightly populated and felt extremely safe.

Travelling in both Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo are both very straightforward solo, but most birding is in tropical evergreen forest so this can be challenging. However, unlike much of the Amazon, it is possible to spend long periods in pristine forest at reasonable cost.

 

[lgonz1008]

Owls in Finland can largely be done by adding in a day with Finnature; value for money when you can get Pygmy, Tengmalm’s, Ural, Great Grey and Eagle Owls in a day; Hawk Owl can be found by yourself.

That sounds like an amazing birding day just to see that many owl species

 

[Xenospiza]

The roads are generally very good in Oman, so that reduces travelling time. It's only really the 'empty quarter' that's time consuming and that's partly because there are few obvious birding stops to break the journey. Otherwise it's fine. You could have problems in remote areas I guess, although most birding spots aren't that remote.

You can also fly from Salalah to Muscat to avoid the drive.

I'd assume quite a few Caribbean islands are easy enough on your own (I've only been to Aruba which does not have much to go for, although finding a new bird for the island is quite easy).

Driving around in SE Brazil is easy enough, with the language not particularly challenging as long as you only have to read it. Even Colombia is possible although you'd better get really good information on where not to go. Panama (except some remote parts) is readily accessible (with a toy-4WD), with the added bonus of the Pipe Line road being the easiest jungle birding in the world.

 

[lgonz1008]

Which key families are you thinking of? I did a guided tour of Southern Argentina just before COVID so can suggest a little of the likelihood.

Not counting some families that can be easily found in Brazil like Rheas and Seriemas, some of the ones I think are best found in Argentina are Snowy Sheathbill and Magellanic Plover along with the best chances to see Seedsnipes, Tinamous and a pelagic trip around the Beagle area should give me Albatrosses, Diving-Petrels, and other seabirds.

Plus, the Patagonia region has some highly sought-after birds for me like Lesser Rhea, Andean Condor, Magellanic Woodpecker, Magellanic and King Penguin, and Hooded Grebe.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

Albatross, Tinamous, Rheas, Penguins, Seedsnipes should all be findable without help,as well as Magellanic Plover. Hooded Grebe is tricky, only saw a single, distant Sheathbill, and missed Diving Petrel, although one was seen on our trip on the Beagle Channel.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

You can also fly from Salalah to Muscat to avoid the drive.

That's true. I'd also add that you can drive like the locals along those roads i.e. very fast. Watch out for camels though!

 

[lgonz1008]

Albatross, Tinamous, Rheas, Penguins, Seedsnipes should all be findable without help,as well as Magellanic Plover. Hooded Grebe is tricky, only saw a single, distant Sheathbill, and missed Diving Petrel, although one was seen on our trip on the Beagle Channel.

Good to know, what time of the year did you do the trip in the region?

 

[njlarsen]

I have birded in the US many times, Yucatan many times, many of the smaller Caribbean islands (Hispaniola and east), Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, and Chile, and all of the above with guides on single days here and there but mostly on my own. I have not done Amazonian South America anywhere, and like others I might have missed some species by being on my own, but happy birding experiences in all of those places.

One example was a recent (relatively, but well before covid) trip to southern Ecuador. We stayed in four different lodges but had guiding 2x half day during an about 2 week period (in both cases to see an antpitta).

Niels

 

[lgonz1008]

I have birded in the US many times, Yucatan many times, many of the smaller Caribbean islands (Hispaniola and east), Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, and Chile, and all of the above with guides on single days here and there but mostly on my own. I have not done Amazonian South America anywhere, and like others I might have missed some species by being on my own, but happy birding experiences in all of those places.

One example was a recent (relatively, but well before covid) trip to southern Ecuador. We stayed in four different lodges but had guiding 2x half day during an about 2 week period (in both cases to see an antpitta).

Niels

How was the driving and birding loop in Southern Ecuador? I know the infrastructure is not as well constructed as it is in the Mindo-Quito area but not sure how much that's changed recently.

 

[njlarsen]

How was the driving and birding loop in Southern Ecuador? I know the infrastructure is not as well constructed as it is in the Mindo-Quito area but not sure how much that's changed recently.

I did four lodges from Jocotoco. I rented a 4wd and this got us through. There was one road we did that was pretty bad - better map would have sent us on a longer but probably faster detour. There was another part of the trip with pretty bad fog. Those were the main problems with infrastructure. The lodges were good to great (food somewhat local and boring after a while, not bad quality but a little too similar the different places). Which changes Covid might have induced I do not know.
Niels
Edit: timing was june 2019. This was not the most rainy season and as such, roads might suffer a bit more at a different time of the year.
Edit around 202 species in about 2 weeks with guiding only for two mornings.

 

[lgonz1008]

I did four lodges from Jocotoco. I rented a 4wd and this got us through. There was one road we did that was pretty bad - better map would have sent us on a longer but probably faster detour. There was another part of the trip with pretty bad fog. Those were the main problems with infrastructure. The lodges were good to great (food somewhat local and boring after a while, not bad quality but a little too similar the different places). Which changes Covid might have induced I do not know.
Niels
Edit: timing was june 2019. This was not the most rainy season and as such, roads might suffer a bit more at a different time of the year.
Edit around 202 species in about 2 weeks with guiding only for two mornings.

Good information for future reference, Ecuador is always the top birding country.

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

Argentina was in November.

 

[opisska]

Well, an important thing to keep in mind is that "solo" in one country can be quite different from "solo" in another one. Take Ecuador which has been mentioned: while you can easily visit many places by staying at a lodge and birding there without a guide, it's a little bit of an artificial difference with respect to a guided trip, as you will be getting plenty of services, birding trails that have been prepared for you - and all of that at a cost that may be higher than taking a full guided tour in some countries. Yes, there are places in Ecuador where this is not the case (most prominently Mindo), but in the Amazon part, it's not that easy. May not be a problem for you, but it's something to keep in mind.

As for not finding all the birds without a guide - yes, that may happen. Our triplists from tropical trips are famously short, but that doesn't mean we did not enjoy them. Finding difficult birds without help is one of the moat satisfying things I know.

 

[nkbj]

Good to know, is there any particular Scandinavian country that was better for the birds over others?

Denmark has a lot to offer during migration season (April-May or September-October), mainly shorebirds and raptors. Short driving distances and most Danes speak decent English.