Over the holidays I went to Belize, Central America, for a week. I didn’t take a camera, but I brought my phone. And though I’m not an expert iPhoniscoper by any stretch, the tropics offer enough large, colorful birds that even I was able to nab a few pics through my Nikon Monarchs.
It was a great trip—a modest 171 species in 7 days, including 3 days just hanging around (and snorkeling from) the sleepy beach town of Placencia. I had spent the Saturday before my trip on a Christmas Bird Count in western Massachusetts, where we fought 20-degree weather for a Golden-crowned Kinglet and a Winter Wren.
Three days later I had seen three species of toucan before seven in the morning. We also saw all four toucan species, two motmots, a jacamar, four kingfishers, three parrots, both oropendolas, two manakins, a hawk-eagle, a family of howler monkeys, plus subtler delights like Sepia-capped Flycatcher and Rufous Mourner.
I was also amazed to be reminded of how so many of North America’s breeding birds cram themselves into roadsides and forest edges of Central America. Gray Catbirds were the most common species we saw, period. They were in towns, abandoned lots, forest interiors, pastures and plowed fields, along streams, crossing roads at dawn, and on fenceposts at dusk. Usually with a Wood Thrush or two right alongside them. I saw more Magnolia Warblers than I’ve ever seen before, along with 17 other species of warblers and the occasional Rose-breasted Grosbeak.
Belize is a friendly country where English is the main language (spoken with a delightful Caribbean lilt); the food revolves around coconut-flavored rice and beans, spiced with habañero peppers if you like. Large parks and preserves help the country retain more of its forest than in many other Central American countries. The size of the country (60 by 180 miles; about the same area as Massachusetts) keeps its bird list manageable (in the 600 range), meaning it can be a great introduction to tropical birding. Does anyone else have good memories from a trip to Belize?
(Images by Hugh Powell)
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…and we did see all three toucans in that one Cecropia tree that first morning. The Emerald Toucanet and aracari shots are from later in the trip, when we ran across a well-attended fruit feeder – tanagers, ant-tanagers, chachalacas, and more!
Well, I do, as you well know. I spent two weeks in 1981 in Belize on an expedition of the Royal Air Force Ornithological Society. The leader of the expedition had been an exchange officer with the USAF and he and I were onetime office mates. In those days there were virtually no tourist facilities and no reliable paved roads outside of Belize City. We camped in some marvelous spots along tropical streams. We were doing mainly exploration (Belize was largely “terra incognita” in those days.), taking careful notes for succeeding expeditions. There were a couple of ringers who set up everywhere we camped and caught and studied whatever was about. I did a little hummingbird project, the main result of which is that tropical hummingbirds do not come as readily to feeders as our temperate zone birds do. Hugh and I want to compare notes and consider some sort of project about the impact of 30 years of development on a tropical landscape.
Oh, my yes! It’s one of my favorite destinations since Tom and I first visited there in 1983 on our honeymoon (which was also a tropical biology field course). I’ve been back a dozen times since and enjoy it more each time.
A couple of my most vivid memories are watching a Blue Morpho flitting down a trail at the Cockscomb Reserve while a White Hawk circled overhead against a clear blue sky, and climbing the Caana pyramid at Caracol at dawn, surrounded by the roars of howler monkeys, the croaks of toucans, and other sounds of the forest waking up.
I’ve got another trip planned for next March, the first since November 2004 (far, far too long). More memories to be made!
Great stories! I saw morphos but no White Hawks at Cockscomb… will have to go back there! Thanks for writing in – Hugh
My wife and I spent 9 days in June ’09 across Belize. From Jabiru in Crooked Tree to King Vultures from Ben’s Bluff in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. Watch out for heavy rains that tend to washout the only road north and south.
We cant wait to go back! Placencia rocks!
Must be a sort of jet lag or disbelief to be in Mass.USA one moment and in the tropical forest viewing all those splendid birds of color we only get to see in pet stores! Sending us your stories and photos is like helping us to be there and experience this with you. Thanks so much. Gail