those in search of specialty birds, animals or plants. .... species such as the King Vulture, Azure- ... After a succesf
BIRDERS’ MAGAZINE
Beaks and Peaks is an ethically and ecologically responsible birding and adventure tour company based in Gracias Lempira, Honduras. Sustainability, authenticity and diversity are the core values our company is built on. In combining the extensive knowledge and experience of Honduras’ very best guides and naturalists with the hospitality and authenticity of the local communities we strive to create a successful, productive partnership that benefits all. Honduras is a precious hidden gem, and we at Beaks and Peaks make it our mission to reveal Honduras’ stunning, vibrant true colors to adventurous travelers. And what better way to experience this beauty than by spotting colorful exotic birds, hiking through virgin cloud forests or listening to the enthralling stories of the local people? We always aim at offering our clients an experience they will never forget when they come on a tour with us; one that they will talk about to their friends, their colleagues, their family; one that they will still talk about many years from now. Because that is what Honduras needs and deserves. Living in Honduras we have in-depth knowledge of local politics, economics and culture. We travel extensively within our own country to discover all the best places and the most beautiful birds – which we can then show to you. But we don’t only think of you – we do in the first place of course – we also care for our fellow Hondurans. That is why we try to always involve local communities and local guides into our tours and projects. You will read more about that later on in this magazine. And of course we also cherish our natural environment. No forest, no birds. And no future. In many places around the world people have carelessly spilled their natural resources. Lakes have been dredged, rivers diverted, entire forests chopped down. Luckily in Honduras we still have plenty of open space, beautiful forests, a breath-taking lake, white-water rivers… It is our job as guides and as a tour company to show that beauty to visitors and locals alike, without causing too much damage, and to make them aware of the importance of what we still have. For now. Let us hope that many people will see and appreciate – and help us to protect Honduras’ incredible natural beauty. Katinka Domen and William Orellana Beaks and Peaks Management Team
Lake Yojoa, the ‘heart’ of Honduras
Pico Dama, towering above the La Moskítia
HONDURAS
NATURE PARADISE With nearly 100 protected areas, spanning an
Honduras’
incredible total of about 3.2 million hectares,
characterized
by
Honduras is THE dream destination for all nature
interspersed
with
lovers. White sandy beaches, virgin rainforests,
lagoons, estuaries and mangroves, with numerous
high mountain peaks, whitewater rivers, coastal
wetlands in the low-lying areas immediately inland.
lagoons and freshwater lakes – Honduras has it all.
north-facing long rocky
Caribbean white-sandy headlands,
coast
is
beaches coastal
Moving away from the coast, one can find
The country is located right in the middle of Central-
lowland rainforests such as those at Lancetilla.
America. It borders the Caribbean Sea on the north
Unfortunately there has been substantial clearing of
coast, Nicaragua in the east, the Pacific Ocean on
native vegetation over the years, but the remaining
the south coast (the Gulf of Fonseca), El Salvador
patches of lowland forest still provide important
in the south-east and Guatemala in the west.
and rich refuges for many species.
Sitting about 60 km off the Honduran mainland,
Rising steeply behind the coastal plains are the
in the Caribbean Sea, are the famous Bay Islands
impressive Nombre de Dios mountains and Pico
of Utila, Roatán and Guanaja. Given their excellent
Bonito National Park. The extensive rainforest here
location – near the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the
harbors a wealth of plant and animal species and
largest in the Caribbean and the second-largest in
although much of these forests are hard to access,
the world after the Australian Great Barrier Reef –
there are some fairly accessible prime locations for
they offer world-class snorkeling and scuba-diving.
those in search of specialty birds, animals or plants.
Cayos Cochinos, a little piece of Paradise on Earth
With some luck you may see big mammals such as
The ‘heart of Honduras’ or Lake Yojoa in the
Jaguars and rare and eccentric birds such as the
center of the country is yet another interesting
Tody Motmot or Lovely Cotinga.
destination. It offers an interesting combination
At the far north-east of the country lies “the Amazon of Central America” – La Moskítia. A vast, relatively unexplored region characterized by extensive and extremely diverse rainforests, impressive mountains and tumultuous rivers. This is a region for the adventurous. There are no roads, almost no villages, hardly any trails. The core of the Moskítia region is the Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Both true nature lovers and thrillseekers will be greatly rewarded when venturing into La Moskítia, for it is THE place to find rare fauna and flora, or to go on a hardcore hiking or rafting adventure. And recently researchers of National Geographic
of lowland forests, freshwater wetlands, and two impressive
mountain
ranges,
Montaña
Santa
Bárbara and Cerro Azul Meambar. Thanks to the great diversity of landscapes and habitats, this is one of the species-richest areas in the whole country. It is certainly worth spending a couple of days around here to go hiking, birding, kayaking, sailing… take your pick. As we move further west we encounter drier mixed pine/oak woodlands and dry shrublands. These habitat types around Gracias Lempira and Celaque National Park provide some of the best places to see the endemic Honduran Emerald and the elusive Ocellated Quail, two of Honduras’ best birds.
registered proof of a pre-Columbian civilization.
With this huge diversity of landscapes and habitat
Evidence of the existence and location of the
types Honduras also has incredible potential to
mythical ‘white city’ or ‘city of the monkey god’?
become an international top birding destination.
Further research – hopefully with respect for both
So far 776 bird species have been recorded, and
nature and men – will maybe shed more light on
with plenty of unexplored areas, there are many
the question.
more waiting for you to be discovered.
Honduran Brookfrog
Blue Morpho
Keel-billed Toucan
Tapir
Scarlet Passionflower
Pink Boa
D o YOU
already have these birds on your list?
Ocellated Quail
Rufous-browed Wren
Wine-throated Hummingbird
Honduran Emerald
Red-throated Parakeets
Keel-billed Motmot
White-faced Quail-Dove
Blue-crowned Chlorophonia
Prevost’s Ground-Sparrow
Resplendent Quetzal
eBIRD IN HONDURAS A real-time, online checklist program, eBird has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds. eBird’s goal is to maximize the utility and accessibility of the vast numbers of bird observations made each year by recreational and professional bird watchers.
D
uring the
the single
last
five
biggest
years,
event
in
Neotropical ornithology has been undoubtedly the launch of eBird
worldwide in 2010. When you’re reading this, birders in Central America will have collectively submitted more than 200,000 checklists to eBird, contributing to our knowledge of bird distribution on a scale not previously imagined. The majority of these observations are submitted by visiting birders such as you, but an increasing number of local birders are now also using eBird to keep track of their personal observations, in the process helping us understand spatial and temporal trends in Neotropical bird distribution. In Honduras, there’s a small but growing
White-faced Ibis, photo by John van Dort
birding community, and the majority of Honduran birders have embraced eBird. Many
birders
visiting
Honduras
also
contribute valuable data. Through eBird, we now have the most accurate map for the country’s only endemic species, the endangered Honduran Emerald. No other
Sabine’s Gull, photo by John van Dort
JOHN VAN DORT eBIRD REVIEWER HONDURAS & COSTA RICA John is an eBird reviewer for Honduras and Costa Rica; a regional compiler for North American Birds; a reviewer for Mexico and Central America for Butterflies and Moths of North America; an experienced bird bander and raptor counter; a significant contributor to Xeno-Canto; and BirdsEye’s editor for Latin America.
maps, not even the ones published in recent peer-
glance which species are common at that location,
reviewed literature, are as complete and detailed as
and which part of the year we can expect to see
the daily updated map for this species in eBird. eBird
them. eBird is a treasure trove of accurate, up-to-
also shows us that a bird considered to be a vagrant
date information on the birds of Honduras.
to Honduras by authoritative but older works such as Monroe’s Distributional Survey of the Birds of Honduras and Howell & Webb’s Guide to the Birds of Mexico and northern Central America – Rufouscollared Thrush – is in fact a fairly common pine-oak species of the interior mountains in western and central Honduras. eBird’s weekly bar charts shows us that a bird as recently added to the Honduras list as 2004 – Elegant Tern – is in fact present in southern Honduras most of the year. Many new country records from just the last few years (gulls like Kelp, California and Sabine’s; storm-petrels like Wedge-rumped, Black and Least; White-faced Ibis, the list goes on) have all been well documented with publicly available photos or recordings at precisely plotted locations – in eBird. The site, maintained by Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology and completely free
The number of submitted checklists in eBird for Honduras has doubled annually these past few years, and continues to grow. eBird may not be as big in Honduras as in some of the major birding destinations in Central America such as Costa Rica or Belize, but its steady growth means not just more and better information on where to find birds in Honduras. It also goes a long way in understanding conservation needs of many species whose life histories may not be as well-known as those of most temperate zone birds. By birding in Honduras and by putting your observations of birds into eBird, you are actively contributing to expanding our knowledge of birds in the Neotropics. This knowledge is an essential building block for protecting and conserving the rich avian diversity found in Honduras.
and open to anyone, is also a great place for birders planning to visit Honduras to see which species they can expect to find in any given location. Separate bird lists for hotspots are easily found online through
By John van Dort,
eBird, and bar charts for these hotspots tell us at a
eBird reviewer for Honduras and Costa Rica
Hospitality training At Casa Hotel Celaque in Gracias, Lempira
10th grade students during a housekeeping practical in the hotel
Students serving at CANATURH event attended by Minister of Tourism
The Class of 2016 has successfully completed Level 1 of the CHMTP designation
At Casa Hotel Celaque, we are more. We are more than a first-class environment for you to relax and enjoy the natural tranquil beauty in the shadow of Celaque National Park. We are more than organic, natural, and local food cooked-to-perfection. More than desserts and fresh juices that rejuvenate you at any time of the day. We are more than beautiful gardens, trees, and flora. We are more than a retreat that will leave you refreshed and rejuvenated. Casa Hotel Celaque is a hotel school where the kitchen, guest rooms, and restaurant become the classrooms for the Abundant Life Christian School students enrolled in our hospitality program. These students, many of whom are scholarship students, participate in an accredited program from the American Hotel & Lodging Association that will result in obtaining a CHTMP designation that is recognized globally in leading chains such as Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt as well as independent groups such as Modus Hotels. In addition to nearly 200 classroom hours focusing on hospitality operations, sales, marketing, and leadership the students are also required to perform 100 practical hours. During your stay, you may see some of our students assisting in the restaurant and hotel – cooking in the kitchen, serving in the restaurant, preparing our guestrooms, and taking reservations. Proceeds from your visit will go the scholarship fund that allows underprivileged students to receive a bi-lingual education. By Maryalice Viljoen, General Manager of Casa Hotel Celaque
Beaks and Peaks supports ecologically and socially responsible tourism projects
La Fuente de Vida Conservation and sustainable tourism in central Honduras
... and great birding too!
Rising majestically above the beautiful Lake Yojoa in central Honduras is one of the country’s more impressive mountain ranges – Montaña Santa Bárbara. Here the combination of volcanic and limestone landscapes surrounding the lake supports a rich diversity of habitat types and a corresponding diversity of plants and animals. Because of its central location in Central America it experiences influences from both North and South America as well as the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. The result – a region with some of the best birding in Central America! Nestled into the mountains are small friendly communities that make their living from growing coffee and subsistence agriculture. On first appearances this seems like an idyllic landscape but unfortunately, as is the case throughout much of the world, there is pressure to clear more forest to make way for agriculture in order to support a growing population. What is significant about this region is that three communities are working together to develop alternative sources of income based on ethical and sustainable tourism that will enable them to improve their livelihood while protecting the environment and maintaining their cultural values. By choosing a tour that visits this region you will have the chance to witness an inspiring conservation effort in a spectacular landscape, interact with the friendly people of the local villages, and experience some of the best birding that Honduras has to offer!
By Dr. Robert Lambeck, Strategic Advisor to the La Fuente de Vida project
Ocellated Quail, first photo record for Celaque National Park near Gracias Lempira, Honduras
The quest for
THE OCELLATED QUAIL The Ocellated Quail (Cyrtonix ocellatus) occurs in pine and pine-oak forests from southern Mexico to northern Nicaragua, making it a northern Central American endemic and an emblematic species for Honduras. It is one of those elusive birds the whole world tries to get a glimpse of – and Honduras offers some excellent spots to achieve just that!
Not too long ago, a team of Beaks and Peaks and the Tanunas Birdwatching Club found the perfect location to observe this secretive bird, right in their backyard, on the piny slopes of Celaque National Park. The spot is every Quail-seeking birder’s dream, for it is located close to the beautiful colonial town of Gracias Lempira where excellent accommodation is readily available and the area is nearly flat, making it relatively easy to walk.
That last point is not unimportant, knowing what it takes to get a view of this beauty. The Quest for the Ocellated Quail in western Honduras has been an interesting (learning) experience for the guides involved. They learnt how to proceed to get the best chances of not only flashing the bird, but of actually getting a reasonable view too. That involves making a line of birders tracking the area for signs of recent Quail presence and if such signs are found meticulously scanning the immediate vicinity for this ridiculously well camouflaged bird. It takes some work, but anyone who has ever done it will confirm that this species is absolutely worth every minute of strolling through the woods – the Ocellated Quail is gorgeous. With its fern and pine needle pattern it fully blends into its surroundings. The only thing that might give it away is the intricate black and white pattern of the male’s face.
Of course the Ocellated Quail is not the only bird that can be found in the area. Other great species such as the King Vulture, Azurecrowned Hummingbird, Crested Bobwhite, White-breasted Hawk and many more are also on the menu. Beaks and Peaks is working together with the MAPANCE (the NGO who manages Celaque National Park) and provides it with important data about the area and the Ocellated Quail, hoping that in doing so, we contribute to the protection of the bird and its natural habitat. We also invite members of the local Birding Club Tanunas to accompany us, helping them to get to know the site and the bird, and involving them in our tours as local guides as a way of finding a meaningful hobby or even start making a living as a guide.
After a succesful Quail search with one of our clients, Larry
Ocellated Quail Chick
TANUNAS BIRDWATCHING CLUB How a small birdwatchers club contributed to putting Honduras in the focus of the international birding community
B
irdwatching club Tanunas, located in Gracias Lempira in the West Honduran mountains, became active just a few years ago and famous at the same time. During their first official activity – a 3 day training session with a biologist and a national birding guide – the club went to a local river where they observed
the endemic Honduran Emerald. Big news because until then the Honduran Emerald had only been spotted in Olancho in the east of the country and very rarely in Santa Bárbara, but nobody expected it to be in Lempira, and in such an easy to reach spot too. Tanunas’ members are mostly locals who grew up working in the fields, on the coffee plantations, strolling the area and observing the birds, not realizing they could be part of a worldwide community of passionate birders. Some of them had probably seen the Honduran Emerald before but would anybody have believed them without proof, without pictures taken with advanced equipment they obviously didn’t have?
Tanunas birding at Río Grande near their home town Gracias Lempira
The picture that made the club famous: Honduran Emerald at Río Grande
Educating the next generation of birders in Honduras
The Emerald by the way is not the only big discovery the Tanunas can take credit for. Very recently, the Club discovered an easily accessible hotspot in Celaque National Park to observe the Occelated Quail – one of those birds everybody wants to see but is very hard to get. As the owner of Hotel Guancascos I have been involved in the tourist scene of Gracias Lempira for over twenty years, seeing the big potential of the area with the surrounding national parks, the country’s highest peak, the colonial town and the indigenous culture. When I was invited to the founders meeting of the Honduran Ornithology Association I knew I had to accept, but instead I sent two local guides working in Celaque National Park to represent Gracias – knowing it would be a boost for their careers and for us as a tourist destination. Shortly after that came an opportunity to send somebody from Gracias to a 3-week birdwatching training. At the time William Orellana was the only person I knew interested in nature and speaking English so he was our man. By now he is one of Honduras’ few full time birding guides, working with the company he and Katinka Domen founded – Beaks and Peaks Birding and Adventure Tours. They will be representing Honduras at the British Bird Fair in England for the second time this August, and at the American Birding Expo in Ohio in October. When William and I founded Birding Club Tanunas our goal was to train more people, find more birds, protect nature and attract more tourists to come to Gracias. The Club now counts about 25 members who go birdwatching together on a regular basis. As a group we discovered two important birds around Gracias, and several Club members work as local guides. I am proud to say I was named Honorary Member of the Club this year and I will continue my commitment. Sine we created Club Tanunas various other successful Birding Clubs have arisen, all under the umbrella of the Honduran Ornithology Association. With these community-based clubs and the right support Honduras has rapidly become an excellent birding destination for all you birders in the world to explore. By Fronica Miedema, Owner of Hotel Guancascos in Gracias, Lempira
ASHO The Honduran Ornithology Association Of all nature tourism the observation of birds as an essential part of avitourism notes the biggest increase worldwide, because of its sophistication and the high numbers of nature conservationists participating in it. Every year the number of avitourists who discover Honduras as the perfect destination for bird watching rises, thanks to the quantity and quality of the birds that inhabit the over 100 protected areas in the country. ASHO does its utmost to expand the knowledge about the birds in this country, both residents and migrants, by organizing bird counts, monitoring and other conservation activities. ASHO strives to promote the conservation of birds in Honduras by influencing all audiences (governmental authorities, NGOs, community organizations, public opinion etc). It aims at creating, managing and spreading scientific knowledge about the birds of Honduras and encourages and monitors the active participation of our members and partners in the activities that ASHO supports. To achieve those goals, ASHO... ... provides training for professional guides specialized in bird watching and the protection of birds; ... organizes bird counts and monitoring with the support of Bird Life International; ... studies and preserves rare or endangered birds; ... organizes workshops on bird ringing and netting with the support of the Missouri Conservation Department and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation; ... works with public and private partners to protect our protected areas; ... participates in fairs and congresses about birds and their conservation; ... publishes the official journal of the ASHO online „El Esmeralda“, which can be found under www. avesdehonduras.org, and work s on articles in collaboration with other publishers in the tourism sector.
Beaks and Peaks Birding and Adventure Tours is proud to be an active member of the ASHO.
When my daughter Casey took a job at a bilingual school in Honduras last year, we were a little concerned about her safety, and sad she would be so far from home. But then we started to realize this could be a great “excuse” to visit her AND do some fantastic birding. We knew we needed a good guide, since we were not familiar with the country and were not Spanish speakers. So we started working with William and Katinka to plan a trip. And before long we had a complete, customized, professional itinerary in our hands, detailing the places
NO SHORTAGE OF THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN HONDURAS looking forward to a return visit!
we would go birding, the hotels where we would stay, and when we would travel from place to place. While waiting
It was a pleasure working with Beaks and Peaks
for the trip to approach, I would return over and over to
Birding and Adventure Tours to organize and
the beautiful Beaks and Peaks website and dream about
guide us on parts of our trip to Honduras! We
our upcoming vacation, and all the birds we would see. It
especially appreciated the time-saving airport pick
was happy anticipation!
up and transport to Copán Ruinas. Hiking El Gallo trail in Celaque National Park and whizzing across
And the reality lived up to my best daydreams! William
the highest zipline course in Central America were
(and Katinka and Robert Lambeck) showed us many exot-
highlights of our visit to Gracias, Lempira and area.
ic and beautiful birds. He was expert at knowing the best
Katinka and William ensured all the details were taken care of, including providing a delicious lunch on our hike, and they were excellent company to two travelers who appreciate meeting locals.
THE REALITY LIVED UP TO OUR BEST DAYDREAMS!
There is no shortage of things to do and see in Honduras. For the adventure seekers, a trip to La Moskitia might be in order. For the coffee lovers, tours of coffee fincas is a fun (and delicious!) option. Admiring the scarlet macaw at Copán Ruinas is a must-do. Divers will find word-class diving in the
places to find the rarer ones, expert at knowing a lot of the biology and behavior of most of the species, and he had some cool “birding tricks” up his sleeve. Our experience of traveling around Honduras with Beaks and Peaks dispelled any uneasy feelings we may have had for our safety or Casey’s safety. They showed us the beauty of both the country and the people., whilst at the
Bay Islands. We did all of these activities and only wish we had more time to explore more of this beautiful country. It’s clear that Beaks and Peaks Birding and Adventure Tours have a passion for Honduras and they helped us plan the perfect introduction to the country. We look forward to a return visit!
same time making fellow Hondurans realize what natural resources they have, and how protecting and cherishing them, and sharing them with the world will benefit them in many practical, sustainable, and spiritual ways.
Cathy and Steve Kilburn North Caroline, USA
Carmen Webber and Rene Shah Calgary, Alberta, Canada
HUMMINGBIRD QUEST PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR
The ultimate tour for hummingbird and photography lovers, focusing exclusively on these agile little creatures — and on giving you the best chances of going home with stunning shots of some of Honduras’ most wonderful feathery acrobats.
Day 1 | Arrival in Tegucigalpa and transfer to La Tigra Day 2 | Birding in La Tigra NP Day 3 | Birding in Cerro de Hula Day 4 | Transfer to Lake Yojoa Day 5 | Birding in Lake Yojoa area Day 6 - 9 | Transfer to and birding in Rio Santiago and Pico Bonito Day 10 | Transfer to San Pedro Clockwise: Wine-throated Hummingbird, Black-crested Coquette, Azure-crowned Hummingbird, Green-throated Mountaingem
T
he Hummingbird Quest Photography Tour was created especially for photographers with a special interest in hummers. We will therefore exclusively focus on these tiny little creatures so you can make the best use of the time to find the best angle, the perfect light, that one stunning shot that might bring you fame — or at least the great feeling of having seen an excellent picture of an even better bird. We have developed a tour that will give you good chances of seeing over three quarters of Honduras’ 42 hummingbird species. We start our trip near Honduras’ capital of Tegucigalpa, in the cloud forest of La Tigra National Park. After that we go to Cerro de Hula to look for the Slender Sheartail — a hard on to get. We then head for Lake Yojoa, Honduras’ only freshwater lake. And last but not least we go to the hummingbird paradises of Pico Bonito and Rio Santiago near La Ceiba on the north coast. Spaces on this tour are limited to a maximum of six people to give all participants enough time and space to focus on their photography. Hummingbirds you are likely to see during this trip: Azure-crowned Hummingbird, Band-tailed Barbthroat, Berylline Hummingbird, Black-crested Coquette, Bluetailed Hummingbird, Blue-throated Goldentail, Brown Violetear, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Emerald-chinned Hummingbird, Garnet-throated Hummingbird, Green Violetear, Green-breasted Mango, Green-breasted Mountain-gem, Green-throated Mountaingem, Honduran Emerald, Long-billed Hermit, Long-billed Starthroat, Magnificent Hummingbird, Plain-capped Starthroat, Purple-crowned Fairy, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Salvin’s Emerald, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Slender Sheartail, Sparkling-tailed Woodstar, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Stripe-throated Hermit, Violet Sabrewing, Violet-crowned Woodnymph, Violet-headed Hummingbird, White-bellied Emerald, White-eared Hummingbird, White-necked Jacobin, Winethroated Hummingbird Top: Stripe-throated Hermit, Bottom: Blue-throated Goldentail
Red-capped Manakin
Discover Honduras 10-day Birding Trip in Honduras’ Central Highlands, L ake Yojoa and North Coast Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day Day
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
| | | | | | | | | |
Arrival at Tegucigalpa airport and transfer to Hotel Gloriales Birding in La Tigra NP Transfer to Marcala and birding on hotel grounds Birding in the highlands of Opatoro-Guajiquiro Transfer to Cerro Azul Meambar NP and birding at Panacam Lodge Birding in Santa Barbara NP and visit to La fuente de Vida project Birding in Lake Yojoa wetlands and transfer to Pico Bonito NP Birding at Pico Bonito Lodge Birding at Rio Santiago Nature resort Transfer to San pedro Sula airport
This trip focuses on Honduras’ north coast, Lake Yojoa and the central highlands. We start in a beautiful National Park called La Tigra, close to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. You wouldn’t expect such an excellent nature reserve so close to the big city, but La Tigra is just stunning. Thanks to its accessibility and the excellent network of comfortable trails, the cloud forest and its wide array of bird species here are accessible for everybody. From La Tigra we continue towards the central highlands, to the area of Opatoro en Guajiquiro, which offers some of Honduras’ best highland bird watching, especially since you can drive up to an altitude of over 2000m above sea level, through a mosaic of farmland, pine-oak forest, villages, coffee plantations and eventually into the cloud forest. Further north we stop at breathtaking Lake Yojoa, with over 500 species recorded probably the most diverse birding region of Honduras. During our time at the lake we also visit the La Fuente de Vida ecotourism project that Beaks and Peaks supports. You will find more information about that earlier in this brochure. To conclude we make our way to the impressive mountains of Nombre de Dios and Pico Bonito on the Honduran North coast. The dense rainforest covering the slopes of this coastal mountain ranges harbours yet another set of species to complete what is undoubtedly a long bird list already. Some of te species you are likely to see during this trip: Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet; White-necked Jacobin; White-throated Thrush; Whitenaped Brushfinch; White-faced QuailDove; White, White-breasted and Common Black Hawk; White- and Grey-breasted Wood-Wren; Whiskered Screech-Owl; Wedge-billed, Tawny-winged, Spotted and Cocoa Woodcreeper; Violet Sabrewing;
Stripe-throated and Long-billed Hermit; Spot-breasted and Rufous-browed Wren; Spectacled Owl; Sparkling-tailed Woodstar; Snail Kite; Slaty-tailed, Mountain, Gartered and Collared Trogon; Slate-colored Solitaire; Singing Quail; Rusty and Green-backed Sparrow; Rufous-collared Thrush; Rufousbreasted Spinetail; Ruddy, Scaly-throated and Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner; Ruddy Crake; Royal Flycatcher;Ringed Kingfisher; Resplendent Quetzal; Red-throated and Red-crowned Ant-Tanager; Red-capped Manakin; Red Crossbill; Purple-crowned Fairy; Prevost’s Ground-Sparrow; Paltry Tyrannulet; Pale-billed Grebe; Ornate Hawk-Eagle; Olivethroated Parakeet; Olive-backed Euphonia; Mountain Elaenia; Masked Tityra; Masked Duck; Little and Great Tinamou; Lesser Yellowheaded Vulture; Least Bittern; Kentucky Warbler; Keel-billed Toucan; Highland Guan; Guatemalan Screech-Owl; Grey-chested Dove; Grey-breasted Crake; Green-breasted and Green-throated Mountain-gem; Green Violetear; Green Shrike-Vireo; Great Potoo; Giant Cowbird; Fulvous and Great Horned Owl; Fork-tailed Flycatcher; Emerald-chinned, Violet-headed, Wine-throated, Scaly-breasted and Blue-tailed Hummingbird; Emerald Toucanet; Eastern Meadowlark; Crowned Woodnymph; Crimson-collared, Flamecolored, Blue-gray and Golden-hooded Tanager; Collared Aracari; Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer; Chestnut-capped Brushfinch; Buffy-crowned Woodpatridge; Buff-breasted Flycatcher; Brown-hooded, White-fronted and White-crowned Parrot; Brown Violetear; Blue-throated, Blue-crowned, Keel-billed and Turquoise-browed Motmot; Blue-throated Goldentail; Blue-crowned Clorophonia; Blackvented Oriole; Black-throated Jay; Blackheaded Nightingale-Thrush; Black-faced Grosbeak; Black-crowned Tityra; Black-crested Coquette; Black-cheeked Woodpecker; Blackbellied Whistling Duck; Barred Forest-Falcon; Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Red-throated Parakeets
Crested Bobwhite
WESTERN
HONDURAS
Culture and birding with the Mayas and Lencas
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10
Arrival in San Pedro Sula and transfer to Lake Yojoa Birding in Los Naranjos archaeological park and freshwater wetlands Birding in Cerro Azul Meambar National Park Birding in Santa Bárbara NP and visit to La Fuente de Vida project Transfer to Gracias and birding around Celaque NP visitors’ centre Birding in search of Honduran Emerald and Ocellated Quail Transfer to Copán and birding along the Copán river Birding in various Mayan archaeological sites Birding in Hacienda San Lucas and Rastrojon Transfer to San Pedro Sula airport
Elaborate artwork in Copán
Honduras’ western regions are characterized by an interesting mix of Mayan, Lenca and Spanish culture and heritage. Picturesque Spanish colonial towns and villages such as Gracias Lempira, Santa Rosa, Bélen or La Campa dot the mainly pine-oak covered slopes of the west-Honduran mountains. Higher up you can still find Lenca communities, one of the country’s many ethnic groups, trying to combine their indigenous culture with modern-day Honduras. And then there are of course the impressive Mayan ruins of Copán. Maybe not the biggest or best-known of the Mayan cities, but by far the most culturally, artistically and scientifically advanced of its time. Birding in western Honduras is an exhilerating experience for everyone who is keen to immerse into both Honduras’ nature and culture. What an amazing feeling to spot the Red-throated Parakeets hiding in the trees that grow over the pyramids, or see the Scarlet Macaws (released there, but still!) soar over the main plaza. Some species you are likely to see on this trip: Amazon Kingfisher, Azure-crowned, Black Phoebe, Black-crested Coquette, Blackheaded Nightingale-Thrush, Blue-black
Grassquit, Buff-throated, Scaly-throated and Ruddy Foliage-Gleaner, Buffy-crowned Woodpartridge, Bushy-crested Jay, Chestnutcapped Brush-Finch, Collared and Gartered Trogon, Crested Bobwhite, Crimson-collared, Golden-hooded and Blue-gray Tanager, Elegant Trogon, Emerald-chinned Hummingbird, Fulvous and Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Ringed, Amazon and Green Kingfisher, Greenthroated Mountain-Gem, Grey-crowned Yellowthroat, Honduran Emerald, Ivory-billed, Spotted and Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Keel-billed , Blue-crowned and Turquoisebrowed Motmot, King Vulture, Least Bittern, Limpkin, Long-billed Starthroat, Masked Duck, Mexican Antthrush, Montezuma and Chestnutheaded Oropendula, Ocellated Quail, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Prevost’s Ground-Sparrow, Redthroated Parakeet, Resplendent Quetzal, Ruddy and Grey-breasted Crake, Rufousand-white, Spot-breasted and Rufous-naped Wren, Rufous-breasted Spinetail, Rufousbrowed Peppershrike, Green-backed and Rusty Sparrow, Slate-colored Solitaire, Snail Kite, Squirrel and Striped Cuckoo, Streakbacked Oriole, Stripe-throated Hermit, Tody Flycatcher, Whiskered Screech-Owl, Whitebreasted Hawk
HONDURAS
BIRDING HIGHLIGHTS
Day 1 | Arrival at Tegucigalpa and transfer to Hotel Gloriales Day 2 | Birding in La Tigra NP
10-DAY BIRDING TRIP IN SEARCH OF TOPPERS SUCH AS THE HONDURAN EMERALD AND THE OCELLATED QUAIL
Day 3 | Transfer to Gracias and birding at Hotel Casa Celaque Day 4 | Birding at Honduran Emerald and Ocellated Quail locations
Honduran Emerald Day 5 | Transfer to Cerro Azul Meambar NP and birding at Panacam Lodge Day 6 | Birding in Santa Barbara NP and visit to La fuente de Vida project Day 7 | Birding in Lake Yojoa wetlands and transfer to Pico Bonito NP Day 8 | Birding at Pico Bonito Lodge Day 9 | Birding at Rio Santiago Nature resort Day 10 | Transfer to San Pedro Sula
Broadly, mainland Honduras can be divided into four birding areas, corresponding with the main winds North, East, South and West. This trip takes you through three of them, visiting Honduras’ top birding destinations, We start our tour towards the south, in La Tigra National Park near the capital of Tegucigalpa. The easy-to-reach cloud forest here offers excellent mountain birding along wide and fairly comfortable trails. We then make our way to Honduras’ westernmost regions, but not before passing by Honduras only lake. Rising majestically above beautiful Lake Yojoa in central Honduras are two of the country’s most impressive mountain ranges: Montaña Santa Barbara and Cerro Azul Meambar. Here the combination of limestone and volcanic landscapes supports a rich diversity of habitat types — including freshwater wetlands, pine-oak forest, lowland rainforest and cloud forest — and a corresponding diversity of plants and animals. We continue traveling west, to Gracias, Lempira. To talk about Gracias is to talk about the impressive mountains of Celaque National Park, which boasts Honduras’ highest peak -- Cerro de las Minas, towering an impressive 2849 meters above sea level. The area is characterized mainly by pine-oak forest, dry forest and cloud forest on the park’s highest elevations. Here we go in search of two prize birds: the Honduran Emerald (the country’s only endemic so far) and the Ocellated Quail (one of those highly secretive birds that is on every respectable birder’s list). We then let the winds -- or rather the birds -- take us up north, to the coastal mountains of Nombre de Dios and Pico Bonito NP. The extensive rainforest of these mountains harbors yet another set of top birds, and even though much of the area remains unexplored and hard to reach, there are a few very comfortable places where you will get the chance to add a whole lot of species to your by now already impressive list. Some species you are likely to see during this trip: Blue-and-white Mockingbird; White-eared, Wine-throated, Azure-crowned, Emerald-chinned, Violet-headed, Blue-tailed and Scaly-breasted Hummingbird; White-breasted Hawk; Greenbreasted Mountain-gem; Green Violetear; Sparkling-tailed Woodstar; Emerald Toucanet; Singing Quail; Resplendent Quetzal; Mountain, Elegant, Gartered and Collared Trogon; Barred ForestFalcon; Mountain Elaenia; Slate-colored Solitaire; Bushy-Crested Jay; Laughing Falcon, Bluecrowned, Keel-billed and Turquoise-browed Motmot; Common Yellowthroat, Rufous-capped Warbler; Altamira and Yellow-backed Oriole; Black-headed Saltator; Flame-colored, Crimsoncollared and Golden-hooded Tanager; Honduran Emerald; Striped Cuckoo; Green, Ringed and Amazon Kingfisher; Ocellated Quail; King Vulture; Crested Bobwhite; Pale-billed Grebe; Blackbellied Whistling Duck; Black-crested Coquette; Barred Forest-Falcon; Collared Aracari; Masked Tityra; Blue-crowned Chlorophonia; White-throated Thrush; Long-billed Hermit; Violet Sabrewing; Prevost’s Ground-Sparrow; Ornate Hawk-Eagle; Resplendent Quetzal; White-breasted Hawk; Green-throated Mountaingem; Buffy-crowned Woodpartridge; Ruddy, Scaly-throated and Buffthroated Foliage-Gleaner; Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush; Chestnut-capped and White-naped Brushfinch; Spot-breasted and Rufous-browed Wren; Masked Duck; Least Bittern; Fork-tailed Flycatcher; Black-crowned Tityra; Green-backed and Rusty Sparrow; Rufous-breasted Spinetail; Grey-breasted Crake; Brown-hooded, White-fronted and White-crowned Parrot; Little and Great Tinamou; Grey-chested Dove; Olive-throated Parakeet; Black-cheeked Woodpecker; Wedgebilled, Tawny-winged, Spotted and Cocoa Woodcreeper; Paltry Tyrannulet; Guatemalan ScreechOwl; Great Potoo; Purple-crowned Fairy; Red-capped and White-collared Manakin; White- and Grey-breasted Wood-Wren; White-throated Thrush; Kentucky Warbler; Red-throated and Redcrowned Ant-Tanager; Green Shrike-Vireo; Black-faced Grosbeak; Brown Violetear; Crowned Woodnymph; Blue-throated Goldentail; Stripe-throated and Long-billed Hermit; White Hawk; Olive-backed Euphonia; Yellow-bellied Tyrannulet; Spectacled Owl; Royal Flycatcher
LA MOSKÍTIA LOOKING FOR THE CITY OF THE MONKEY GOD – OR WAS IT THE BIRD GOD?
Rafting and birding on the Río Plátano, with a splendid view of Pico Dama towering above the Moskítia jungle
La Moskítia or the ‘Amazon of Central America’ is an area little visited by tourists – or anybody else for that matter. This still relatively unspoilt wilderness consists of mangrove swamps, lagoons, savannas and tropical rain forests, crossed by numerous streams and white water rivers such as the Río Plátano, our habitat for the next couple of days. The combination of hiking, rafting and tent camping makes this a demanding trip, but it provides great rewards for those prepared to venture forth. We are about to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime rafting adventure that provides a wealth of opportunities to view the greatest diversity of plants and animals in Honduras: tapirs, sloths and monkeys are regularly seen on this trip, and even jaguars are not out of the question! This is a trip for the adventurous. It will take a day’s drive and a long day’s hike to get to the Plátano headwaters where your rafting expedition will start. From there you will paddle through an alternation of rapids and tranquil waters, the latter allowing for some excellent birding too. And of course we make stops along the way, and at certain camp sites, to venture deeper into the jungle in search of all those mystery birds.
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 - 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12
Arrival at San Pedro Sula airport and transfer to La Ceiba Drive to Bonanza Full day hike to the headwaters of the Río Plátano Rafting and birding along the Río Plátano Navigating out of the jungle to Raistá by pipante Crossing the coastal lagoons to Palacios and driving to La Ceiba Return to San Pedro Sula airport
Birds you are likely to see on this trip: Slaty-breasted, Little and Great Tinamou; Tawnyfaced Quail; Agami Heron; Green Ibis; King Vulture; White-tailed Kite; Black Hawk-Eagle; Gray-necked Wood-Rail; Sungrebe; Scaled Pigeon; Blue Ground-Dove; Green-breasted Mango; Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer; Stripetailed Hummingbird; Blue-throated Goldentail; Black-throated, Slaty-tailed and Gartered Trogon; Rufous, Broad-billed, Keel-billed and Blue-crowned Motmot; Ringed, Belted, Amazon and Green Kingfisher; White-fronted Nunbird; Rufous-tailed Jacamar; Collared Aracari; Chestnut-mandibled and Keel-billed Toucan; Black-cheeked, Smoky-brown and Lineated Woodpecker; Brown-hooded, White-crowned, Red-lored, Yellow-naped, White-fronted and Mealy Parrot; Olive-throated Parakeet; Great Green and Scarlet Macaw; Dusky, Spotted and Bicolored Antbird; Wedge-billed and Cocoa Woodcreeper; Slaty Spinetail; Paltry Tyrannulet; Black-headed Tody Flycatcher; Ruddy-tailed, Sulphur-rumped and Royal Flycatcher; Brightrumped Attila; Rufous Mourner; Rufous Piha;
White-collared, White-ruffed and Red-capped Manakin; Northern Schiffornis; Yellow-throated and Blue-headed Vireo; Snowy Cotinga; Lesser Greenlet; Green Shrike-Vireo; Mangrove Swallow; Nightingale, Spot-breasted and Song Wren; Veery; Black-and-white, Prothonatary, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue, Buff-rumped Warbler; White-shouldered, Rufous-winged, Passerini’s, Blue-gray and Yellow-winged Tanager; Shining, Red-legged, Green Honeycreeper; Buff-throated, Grayish and Black-headed Saltator; Green-backed and Black-striped Sparrow; Red-throated AntTanager; Black-cowled, Orchard, Yellow-backed and Baltimore Oriole; Yellow-billed and Scarletrumped Cacique; Yellow-crowned, Yellowthroated and Olive-backed Euphonia; Scalecrested Pygmy Tyrant; Long-tailed Tyrant; Gray-headed Piprites; Solitary Eagle; Bluethroated Goldentail; Fasciated Antshrike; Blue Dacnis; Black-crowned and Spotted Antshrike; Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer; Snowcap; Streakcrowned Antvireo; Golden-crowned Spadebill; Slate-colored Grosbeak; Purple-crowned Fairy; White-whiskered Puffbird
