Guyana: A Top Destination for Birders

December 28, 2018 - 5 minutes read

Birding enthusiasts search the world over for destinations like Guyana with more than 800 bird species and a diverse variety of habitats! Here, the likelihood of spotting a rare bird or life bird, like the red siskin, sun parakeet, blood colored woodpecker or harpy eagle, is high.

The canopy of the Amazonian Rainforest and the stretches of savannah, grasslands, and river corridors are havens for bird-life and invite you to tucker down, with binoculars in hand.

Georgetown is known among serious birders for having an amazing number of bird species for a capital city. Here, you can enjoy an easygoing experience in the Botanical Gardens, a bird sanctuary situated in the heart of the Capital City.

This is only the beginning of your epic adventure; whether you are an avid birder or a beginner, you must embrace the challenge to spot several hundred species during your visit, including the little known and popular species like the sun parakeet in Karasabai, rio branco antbird, guianan cock-of-the-rock, scarlet ibis, guianan red cotinga, capuchinbird, crimson fruitcrow, grey-winged trumpeter, red riskin and the magnificent harpy eagle and crested eagle.

Choose from a variety of Locations

Birding Regions vary in Guyana. and the diverse landscapes are teeming with species which can be only be found in  specific habitats like the low coastal plains, high forests, hilly sand and clay areas, and interior savannahs. Wherever you are in the country you can stop for a quick view of the bird population around you. In addition to the Botanical Gardens in Georgetown, hotspots not to miss include the Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve, Atta Rainforest Lodge, Kaieteur Falls, and along the Mahaica River. Of course, you cannot afford to miss Guyana’s National Bird, the Hoatzin, locally known as the Canje Pheasant, found mainly in swampy waterside forest, or more easily spotted along the Mahaica River.

Best time for Bird-watching

While the seasons in Guyana interchange from peak or dry season (September to March) and green or wet season (April to August) you are bound to spot a multitude of bird species. Getting around is easy during the dry season by foot or 4×4, and exploring is made easier by the brilliant sunshine. It may be more challenging during the wet periods, but if you are up for a challenge, you can hop in a boat to spot the bird species along the many rivers, streams and small tributaries.

Location, Location, Location

If you opt to bird-watch in the north and south areas of the Rupununi, there are many suitable accommodations which will bring you closer to nature and make your bird watching experience all the more rewarding. The Iwokrama River Lodge is ideal for spotting the scarlet, red and green macaws, spangled cotinga, spotted puff bird, paradise jacamar, and
purple throated Fruitcrow among many others. The habitat here accommodates over 300 bird species! While the Canopy Walkway provides the perfect vantage point, suspended 100 feet above the ground, you can also follow the nature trails for more discoveries of even more species. Make your way to Atta Lodge located within the Iwokrama Reserve
for the opportunity to spot many other species of animals along the route. Karanambu Lodge and other community owned facilities like Surama and Rewa are also ideal.

In Kaieteur National Park, you can relish a one-of-a-kind bird watching experience if you’re up for a night in a hammock in the guesthouse located just a mere minutes’ walk away from the falls. The cave behind the falls is home to three species of swifts. There is a colony of several thousand white-chinned swifts. Whitetipped swifts and the white-collared swifts can also be seen circling above the falls in the early morning and at dusk.

Birding Tours

You are free to make your way to any of Guyana’s birding hotspots. However, for a more enriching experience and likely more bird sightings, you should opt to join one of the many birding tours, guided by experts from various companies including Leon Moore Nature Experience, Ron Allicock Birding Tours, Rupununi Trails, Wilderness Explorers and Mahaica Tours.

One thing is certain, whether you are taking a tour or going it alone, in the Rupununi, in the City, or at Kaieteur Falls, Guyana is a birdwatcher’s paradise.

 

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