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Belize

Chestnut-coloured Woodpecker Celeus castaneus ©Glen Bartley Website

Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east with the second-longest barrier reef in the world flanks much of the 386 kilometres (240 mi) of predominantly marshy coastline, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a water boundary with Honduras to the southeast. The Maya civilization spread into the area of Belize between 1500 BCE and 300 CE and flourished until about 1200 CE. Belize covers an area of a fraction under 23,000 km2, but has a population of well under half a million people. It is the least populated and least densely populated country in Central America. It is considered a Central American and Caribbean nation with strong ties to both the American and Caribbean regions. Its capital is Belmopan, and its largest city is the namesake city of Belize City. It is the only Central American country where English is the official language, while Belizean Creole is the most widely spoken dialect. Spanish is the second-most-commonly-spoken language, followed by the Mayan languages, German dialects, and Garifuna. Over half the population is multilingual due to the diverse linguistic backgrounds of the population.

Belize is shaped roughly like a rhombus that extends about 280 kilometres north-south and about 100 kilometres east-west, with a total land boundary length of 516 kilometres. The undulating courses of two rivers, the Hondo and the Sarstoon River, delineate much of the country’s northern and southern boundaries. The western border follows no natural features and runs north–south through lowland forest and highland plateau. The north of Belize consists mostly of flat, swampy coastal plains, in places heavily forested. The flora is highly diverse considering the small geographical area. The south contains the low mountain range of the Maya Mountains.

Maya Mountains, Cayo District – ©drterdal, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Belize has a tropical climate with pronounced wet and dry seasons, although there are significant variations in weather patterns by region. Temperatures vary according to elevation, proximity to the coast, and the moderating effects of the northeast trade winds off the Caribbean. Average temperatures in the coastal regions range from 24 °C in January to 27 °C in July. Temperatures are slightly higher inland, except for the southern highland plateaus, such as the Mountain Pine Ridge, where it is noticeably cooler year-round. Overall, the seasons are marked more by differences in humidity and rainfall than in temperature. Average rainfall varies considerably, from 1,350 millimetres in the north and west to over 4,500 millimetres in the extreme south.

Four terrestrial eco-regions lie within the country’s borders – the Petén–Veracruz moist forests, Belizian pine forests, Belizean Coast mangroves, and Belizean Reef mangroves. 60% of Belize’s land surface is covered by lush forest, only 20% being cultivated land and human settlements. Savanna, scrubland and wetland constitute the remainder of Belize’s land cover. Important mangrove ecosystems are also represented. Belize has a rich variety of wildlife because of its position between North and South America and a wide range of climates and habitats for plant and animal life. Its abundance of terrestrial and marine plants and animals and its diversity of ecosystems, including extensive coral reefs, give it a key place in the globally significant Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. 37% of Belize’s land territory falls under some form of official protection, giving Belize one of the most extensive systems of terrestrial protected areas in the Americas, 10% more that even Costa Rica.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary – ©Pgbk87, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is a nature reserve in south-central Belize established to protect the forests, fauna, and watersheds of an approximately 400 km2 area of the eastern slopes of the Maya Mountains. The reserve was founded as the first wilderness sanctuary for the jaguar and is regarded by one author as the premier site for jaguar preservation in the world.

Birding Belize

Belize, formerly British Honduras, is the only English-speaking country in Central America. With a land area about the size of Wales, or the state of Massachusetts; it is also one of the least populated areas in the region. All of which is pretty good news for the birds and other animals of Belize and even better news for the increasing number of birders who are discovering the natural riches of Belize.

A large proportion of the land enjoys some form of protected status which is not to say that there are not pressures on the environment from farming, logging and occasional tropical storms. The jaguar population of Belize is the largest anywhere as a result of legislation to protect the animal and the land. Belize is also home to the second largest barrier reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef, with the reef extending from Ambergris Caye in the north down to the Sapodilla Cayes off the coast of Toledo.

Belize Barrier Reef, Ambergris Caye – ©Bernt Rostad, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The country includes a diverse range of landscapes and habitats from the coral reefs and cayes off the Caribbean coast, through the swamps, lagoons and pine savanna grasslands of the coastal plains to the broadleaf forests of the south and west and the plateau highlands in Cayo district which contain a mix of pine, oak and broadleaf forest. Each habitat contains its own distinctive species with Belize as a whole being home to over 600 bird species.

Being just 160 miles from north to south and no more than 70 miles from east to west nowhere in Belize is more than a five-hour drive from the international airport in Belize City and the cayes and the coastal towns of Dangriga, Placencia and Punta Gorda are well served by the two domestic airlines. Most birding tours to Belize will stay at several different resorts and lodges to cover as many habitats as possible during the visit.

Birding highlights in the west of Belize, in what is known as the Mountain Pine Ridge, include the Stygian Owl, the rare Orange-Breasted Falcon and King Vulture Falls on the Hidden Valley estate where dozens of these creatures roost each night. Mayan archaeological sites can be good places to find birds and birdwatchers will often go to Caracol south of San Ignacio for the national bird, the Keel-Billed Motmot, which is also resident further south in Toledo close to the Guatemalan border.

Also, in Toledo the Aguacaliente Wildlife Sanctuary consists of almost 6000 acres around three large lagoons which are home to breeding colonies of American Woodstork and Boat-billed Herons as well as five species of kingfisher, Black-bellied Whistling Duck and many others. North of Belize City Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary comprises six lagoons in 16,000 acres with about 260 recorded species. Crooked Tree is run by the Belize Audubon Society.

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary – ©Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

In the north west of Belize the Rio Bravo Conservation Area (250,000 acres) is managed by the non-profit organization ‘Programme for Belize’ with regular sightings of jaguar and flocks of keel-billed toucan this is a genuine sanctuary where hundreds of species flourish. Equally dramatic is the 130,000-acre Gallon jug Estate just south of Rio Bravo and in Stann Creek district the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve is another great birding location. Just a few miles further south at Red Bank village flocks of Scarlet Macaw spend the first three months of each year feeding on the Annatto shrub Bixa Orellana, whose seeds surrounded by orange-red pulp colour their magnificent tail-feathers.

Most birders are also nature lovers and besides the avifauna Belize has innumerable butterfly and moth species, insects and other animals, orchids and bromeliads. It is a natural history adventure you will never forget.

Contributors
Number of Species

  • Number of bird species: 621

    (As at August 2024)

    National Bird: Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus

Checklist

  • Avibase

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist includes all bird species found in Belize , based on the best information available at this time. It is based on a wide variety of sources that I collated over many years. I am pleased to offer these checklists as a service to birdwatchers. If you find any error, please do not hesitate to report them.

  • Birding Belize

    PDF Checklist
    Complied from several sources by Paradise Expeditions

  • Exotic Birding

    Checklist
    List of all species known to occur in the country. Table indicates whether each species is globally threatened or endangered according to the IUCN and also whether it is migratory, very rare, or accidental in the country. See sidebar for meaning of location codes and symbols associated with common names

  • Wikipedia

    Annotated List
    This is a list of the bird species recorded in Belize. Belize includes around 450 smaller cays and islands lying in the Caribbean Sea in addition to the mainland. The avifauna of Belize included a total of 621 species as of May 2023, according to Bird Checklists of the World.[1] Of the 618, 99 are rare or accidental and four have been introduced. None are endemic to the country. Additional accidental species have been added from another source.

  • eBird

    PDF Checklist
    This checklist is generated with data from eBird (ebird.org), a global database of bird sightings from birders like you. If you enjoy this checklist, please consider contributing your sightings to eBird. It is 100% free to take part, and your observations will help support birders, researchers, and conservationists worldwide.
Useful Reading

  • A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Adjacent Areas: Belize, Guatemala and El Salvador

    | By Ernest Preston Edwards and Edward Murrell Butler | University of Texas Press | 1998 | Paperback | 209 pages, 51 col plates, 1 map | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780292720916 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Belize

    | By H Lee Jones & Anne C Vallely | Lynx Edicions | 2002 | Paperback | 71 pages, maps, tables | ISBN: 9788487334351 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Belize Field Guides: Birds

    | By Robert Dean | Rainforest Publications | 2002 | Unbound | 2 pages, colour illustrations | ISBN: 9781888538304 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Belize: Birds

    | By Robert Dean & Mark Wainwright | Rainforest Publications | 2009 | Unbound | 14 pages, colour illustrations, 1 colour map | ISBN: 9781888538564 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Birds of Belize

    | By H. Lee Jones & Dana Gardner | Christopher Helm | 2004 | Paperback | 317 pages, 56 colour plates, 28 b/w illustrations, 234 maps | Out of Print | ISBN: 9780713667608 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Birds of Belize

    | By Steve NG Howell & Dale Dyer | Princeton University Press | 2023 | Flexibound | 304 pages, 116 plates with colour illustrations; 15 colour photos, 600 colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780691220727 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Birds of Central America

    | (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) | By Andrew Vallely & Dale Dyer | Princeton University Press | 2018 | Paperback | 560 pages, 260 plates with colour illustrations; 1190+ colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780691138022 Buy this book from NHBS.com

  • Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Northern Central America: Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

    | By Jesse Fagan, Oliver Komar, Robert Dean & Peter Burke | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | 2016 | Paperback | 438 pages, 189 plates with colour illustrations; colour distribution maps | ISBN: 9780544373266 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Birding Aps

  • Belize Birds Field Guide

    Apple iOS |
    | Michael Mullin | 300.3 MB | Requires iOS 8.0 or later |

    Full-featured birding field guide for Belize
Useful Information

  • Travel to Belize

    Information
    Planning to visit Belize? Here is a Belize specialist
Museums & Universities

  • Belize Zoo & Tropical Education Center

    Website
    The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Centre was started in 1983, as a last ditch effort to provide a home for a collection of wild animals which had been used in making documentary films about tropical forests. Shortly after the backyard zoo began, it was quickly realized that its Belizean visitors were unfamiliar with the different species of wildlife, which shared their country. This very aspect fomented the commitment to develop the little zoo into a dynamic wildlife education centre. Today, The Belize Zoo is settled upon 29 acres of tropical savannah and exhibits over 125 animals all are native to Belize. The zoo keeps animals which were either orphaned, born at the zoo, rehabilitated animals, or sent to The Belize Zoo as gifts from other zoological institutions. How Zoos should be.

  • Las Cuevas Research Station

    Website
    Las Cuevas Research Station is nestled within Belize's Maya Mountains and in the heart of the Chiquibul forest. Since 1994 LCRS has promoted biological, botanical, wildlife, climatic, and archaeological research and education.
Organisations

  • Belie Bird Conservancy

    Website
    We conserve birds in their habitats across Belize through on-the-ground scientific research, education, advocacy, and collaborations.

  • Belize Audubon Society

    Website
    Belize Audubon Society, P0 Box 1001, 12 Fort Street, Belize City. +501 2 35004; base@btl.net Belize is a small Central American / Caribbean nation bordered on the North by Mexico, the East and South by Guatemala, and the West by the Caribbean Sea. Belize`s landscape mixes mountains, savannas and coastal lagoons. Offshore lies one of the longest barrier reefs in the world. Belize, for its size, is unique in the number of different habitats and species within its borders. We at the Belize Audubon Society tend to deal with a little more than just birds. We are a team of conservationists, aiming to preserve Belize`s wildlife and natural resources by taking all aspects of our natural heritage into consideration.

  • Belize Bird Rescue

    Website
    Founded in 2004, Belize Bird Rescue (NGO) operates under license and support from the Government of Belize Forest Department, and is Belize's only multi-species avian rescue and rehabilitation centre. Belize Bird Rescue is situated on a privately owned 50 acre reserve. More than half of the land directly supports the avian rehabilitation and the remainder is a wildlife sanctuary bordered by 100 acres of dense forest.

  • Belize Birding Network

    Facebook Page
    Group by Francis Canto Jr

  • Neotropical Bird Club

    Website
    Neotropical Birding and Conservation is an international organisation for birders and ornithologists interested in the birds of the Neotropics (Mexico, Middle and South America, and the Caribbean).

  • Protected Areas Conservation Trust

    Website
    PACT was established in 1996 as a statutory body after several years of consultation and meetings with various non-government organizations, government departments, private sector and international conservation organisations

  • Toledo Belize Birding Club

    Facebook Page
    A group of interested people who meet monthly to enjoy and share their passion of Belize birds!
Reserves

Abbreviations Key

  • *List of protected areas of Belize

    InformationSatellite View
    Interactive list of National Parks, Nature Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries etc...

  • BR The Halfmoon Rookery

    ArticleSatellite View
    The island has been protected since 1928 when it became a Crown Reserve…

  • CMA Rio Bravo

    InformationSatellite View
    The Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area is an innovative forest conservation project. Three hundred thousand acres of subtropical moist forest are being managed to maintain the healthy forests and its abundant wildlife. Other goals include the production of commercial scale hardwood lumber, chicle, and other forest products on a sustainable basis. Forest and archaeological research as well as tourism are other uses of the area…

  • CMA Shipstern

    InformationSatellite View
    The Shipstern Nature Reserve is the only protected area in Belize which encompasses seasonal northern hardwood forest, saline lagoon systems and mangrove shoreline…

  • FR Caye Caulker

    InformationSatellite View
    Caye Caulker is a small limestone coral island off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea measuring about 5 miles (8.0 km) (north to south) by less than 1 mile (1.6 km) (east to west). The island is basically a sand bar over a limestone shelf. An underwater cave named Giant Cave is found below the Caye in the limestone. In front of the village, a shallow lagoon, between 6 inches (150 mm) and 14 feet (4.3 m) deep, meets the Belize Barrier Reef to the east.

  • FR Chiquibul

    InformationSatellite View
    The Chiquibul Forest reserve (CFR) lies within Belize's Greater Mayan Mountains. The Forest Reserve lies adjacent to the Belize-Guatemalan border and as such had been the focus of illegal harvesting of Xate by Guatemalan Xateros. The Chiquibul forest reserve consists of 59,822 hectares. The Chiquibul Forest Reserve is bordered to the southwest, east, and south by the Chiquibul National Park, on the northwest edge by the Caracol Archaeological Reserve (CAR), and on the north side by the Mountain Pine Ridge. The Chiquibul Forest Reserve along with the Chiquibul Park and the Caracol Archeological Reserve compose the Chiquibul Forest.

  • FR Mountain Pine Ridge

    InformationSatellite View
    The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is a huge 300-square-mile area that features Caribbean Pine and bracken ferns instead of the typical tropical forests and lianas which cover most of the rest of Belize…

  • MR Glover's Reef

    InformationSatellite View
    Glover's Reef is a partially submerged atoll located off the southern coast of Belize, approximately 45 kilometres from the mainland.[1] It forms part of the outermost boundary of the Belize Barrier Reef, and is one of its three atolls, besides Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef. The Wildlife Conservation Society operates the Glover's Reef Research Station on Middle Cay. It was opened in 1997 for the purpose of promoting and facilitating long-term conservation and management of the wider Belize Barrier Reef complex. Since its opening, the station has hosted more than 200 scientific and research expeditions

  • NP Bacalar Chico

    InformationSatellite View
    Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve (BCNPMR) is a protected area and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the northern part of Ambergris Caye in Belize.

  • NP Chiquibul

    InformationSatellite View
    Chiquibul National Park is Belize's largest national park.[1] It is 1,073 km2 (414 sq mi) in size.[2] The park is located in Belize's Cayo District. The national park surrounds Caracol,[3] a Mayan city.[4] Caracol has been designated as an archaeological reserve and is not included within the park's total area

  • NP Five Blues Lake

    InformationSatellite View
    Almost 200 species of bird have been recorded here, including various water birds, among them the Sungrebe…

  • NP Guanacaste

    InformationSatellite View
    Guanacaste National Park is the name of a fifty acre parcel of tropical forest located on the northside of the Western Highway just to the east of the Roaring Creek Bridge…

  • NP Laughing Bird Caye

    InformationSatellite View
    Laughing Bird Caye is an island off the coast of Placencia, Belize. On 21 December 1991, Laughing Bird Caye National Park was declared. It is spread over an area of 1.8 acres (0.73 ha). The national park is named after the laughing gull which breeds there.

  • NP Mayflower Bocawina

    InformationSatellite View
    Since its establishment as a National Park an estimated 238 species of birds has been identified. Some species include the motmot, parrot, toucan, great green macaws. Other than birds there is also wildlife present such as anteater, howler monkey, jaguars, and tapirs.

  • NP Payne's Creek

    InformationSatellite View
    This national park, which stretches along the lower reaches of the Monkey River, was previously disturbed by banana farming and slash-and-burn agricultural practices; however, in 2007 a verdant broadleaf secondary forest provides habitat for a diverse tropical flora and fauna.

  • NP Sarstoon-Temash

    InformationSatellite View
    The park covers approximately 41,898 acres of broadleaf, wetland and mangrove forest. It was designated a wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention (2005).

  • NP St. Herman's Blue Hole

    InformationSatellite View
    The park has over 200 species of birds, including unusual tropical species such as the slaty antwren, piratic flycatcher and red-legged honeycreeper. Species considered local specialties are tody motmot and northern nightingale-wren. The ocelot, jaguarundi, and jaguar have all been recorded.

  • NR Bladen

    InformationSatellite View
    Bladen Nature Reserve is a landscape of caves, sinkholes, pristine streams and rivers, undisturbed old growth rainforest and an abundance of highly diverse flora and fauna which includes a great deal of rare and endemic species. This large expanse of primarily forested uplands and valleys is essential for the survival of species such as the scarlet macaw, white-lipped peccary and harpy eagle, which need large contiguous forest stretches in order to maintain viable populations. 93 species of mammal, 337 species of birds and 92 herptiles are considered confirmed for Bladen.

  • NR Burdon Canal

    InformationSatellite View
    The Burdon Canal Nature Reserve in Belize is a low-lying basin, comprising the backswamps of the Belize River/Haulover Creek delta. It is permanently waterlogged, with a gradient of saline to fresh water arising from regular tidal inundation at the seaward fringe and freshwater flooding from inland. Overall, about 50 birds were recorded.

  • NR Tapir Mountain

    InformationSatellite View
    A biological survey (December 1994) concluded that within this reserve there are 129 species of migratory birds and resident birds and 10 mammals.

  • National Parks in Belize

    InformationSatellite View
    In Belize, national parks are areas designed for the protection and preservation of natural and aesthetic features of national significance for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. Therefore, they are areas of recreation and tourism, as well as environmental protection. National parks are gazetted under the National Parks System Act of 1981. They are administered by the Forest Department and managed through partnership agreements with community-based non-governmental organisations.

  • Slate Creek Preserve

    InformationSatellite View
    Slate Creek Preserve (SCP) is a community-based non-profit organization that is actively involved in the conservation of the habitats around Slate Creek and Upper Barton Creek in the Cayo district and the areas bordering this approximately 3,750 acre protected area…

  • WS Aguacaliente

    InformationSatellite View
    Checklist

  • WS Cockscomb Basin

    InformationSatellite View
    The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Southern Belize below the jagged peaks of the Maya Mountain's Cockscomb Range. The area was declared a forest reserve and a No Hunting area in 1984 to protect the large jaguar population and other resident wildlife. In 1986, a small portion of the forest reserve was given sanctuary status, which afforded it complete protection. The sanctuary was expanded in 1990 to include the entire forest reserve, resulting in a totally protected area of over 100,000 acres…

  • WS Crooked Tree

    InformationSatellite View
    Located 33 miles northwest of Belize City and just 2 miles off the Northern Highway, the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary provides an opportunity to view some of Belize's magnificent wildlife. Established in 1984 for the protection of resident and migrant birds, the sanctuary consists of a network of inland lagoons, swamps and waterways. During the dry season, thousands of birds congregate here, taking advantage of the food resources, and migrants find a safe resting spot on their spring migration back to the north.

  • WS Spanish Creek

    WebsiteSatellite View
    The Spanish Creek Wildlife Sanctuary offers river and wildlife education and adventure in the heart of Belize. The SCWS is comprised of nearly 6,000 acres of jungle, wetlands, and river habitat. Rare and endangered species of birds make the SCWS their home, making it a wonderful destination for serous birdwatchers, tourists looking for a unique adventure, or just casual visitors. You can enjoy everything from a relaxing walk on marked paths to a guided multi-day canoe and hiking trip through the jungle. This community-based conservation project is managed by the Rancho Delores Environmental and Development Group and benefits the local community…
Sightings, News & Forums

  • eBird

    Sightings
    Belize City--Belize Audubon Society
Guides & Tour Operators

  • Belizing

    Local Day Tours
    Belize is a birdwatcher’s paradise! As many as 587 birds have been recorded in Belize

  • Bird Treks

    Tour Operator
    Organize at least one trip each year - planned for 2003 in February.

  • Birdwatching Belize

    Tour Operator
    Welcome to Birdwatching Belize, your birding partner in Belize, the only English-speaking destination in Central America located just a one-hour flight from the USA.

  • Caves Branch Jungle Lodge

    Local Day Tours
    These birding treks occur early in the morning, as this is when most bird species are feeding or are moving to new locations, making it ideal for viewing. As the night sky lightens and the jungle comes to life, you’ll start your walk down our 1km drive that shares three different and distinctive birding habitats. It is not unusual to spot over 100 species over a couple of mornings.

  • EagleEye Tours

    Local Day Tours
    Wonderful, often easy birding, with some highly localized and scarce species numerous and obvious (e.g. Ocellated Turkey)

  • FieldGuides

    Tour Operator
    BELIZETropical Birding, Short and Sweet

  • HeatherLea

    Tour Operator
    Belize - Wildlife of the Yucatan Peninsula

  • Indigo Birding

    Tour Operator
    Be Enchanted with our week-long tour of Belize: Birding, Culture, and Culinary Delights Await!

  • Naturalist Journeys

    Tour Operator
    We are pleased to offer many Belize birding tours and Belize nature tours every year. If any of our Belize tours or other Central American birding tours pique your interest, please contact one of our travel planners.

  • Naturally Belize

    Tour Operator
    Over half of Belize is primary forest which means there is unusual, rare and exciting wildlife living in the forest, with a number of species unique to Belize. These large areas of tropical rainforest provide a huge diversity of species and opportunities to see animals living in their natural habitat. Belize is a birdwatchers paradise, over 500 species of bird have been recorded.

  • NatureTrek

    Tour Operator
    A 16-day holiday of varied, gentle neo-tropical birdwatching...

  • Paradise Expeditions - Birding in Belize

    Tour Operator
    Paradise Expeditions (PE); established in 1992, is an affiliate of the Crystal Paradise resort, which was developed by Victor Tut and remains one of the few Belizean-owned and operated resorts in the nation. PE`s headquarters is at the Crystal Paradise, located near San Ignacio in western Belize. This area is a favorite of nature enthusiasts. PE conducts birding trips and provides information on birding in Belize. Both expert and beginning birders will marvel at the great diversity of bird life.

  • Rockjumper

    Tour Operator
    Tiny Belize, the only English-speaking Central American nation, supports the highest density of Jaguar known to man and claims the world’s second largest barrier reef...

  • Tropical Birding Tours

    Tour Operator
    Belize is a tiny country that punches well above its weight in terms of birding; in spite of being comparable in size to the small US state of Massachusetts, it can boast nearly 600 species of birds...

  • WINGS

    Tour Operator
    Belize is quite simply a birder’s paradise. Formerly known as British Honduras, this small Central American country is a popular destination for tourists.

  • WhiteHawk

    Tour Operator
    The Caribbean coast of Belize and its islands are filled with enough resident birds to keep even the most avid birder busy...

  • Wildside Nature Tours

    Tour Operator
    Belize is the country that changed the life of Wildside’s owner, Kevin Loughlin. After Kevin’s visit to go birding in Belize (and photographing, too, of course), Kevin returned home and started planning his first tour to Belize. He soon quit his job and founded Wildside Nature Tours!
Trip Reports

  • 2015 [04 April] - Peter Burke

    Report
    ...Unforgettable views of Great Tinamou, Black-throated Bobwhite, Agami and Boat-billed herons, King Vulture, Gray-headed and Plumbeous kites, Black-and-white Owl, White-necked Jacobin, White-whiskered Puffbird, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Chestnut-colored and Yucatan woodpeckers, Barred Antshrike, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Northern Schiffornis, White-collared Manakin...

  • 2015 [12 December] - David A Showler - Belize and Tikal area, Guatemala

    Report
    We spent 16 days birding in Belize and Guatemala in December 2015. Upon arrival we travelled by bus from Belize City to the Guatemalen border, and onwards to El Remate village/ Tikal National Park where we spent three very enjoyable days. Upon return to Belize City we hired a 4-wheel drive jeep for 10 days, exploring as far north as Tower Hill Bridge (near Orange Walk), south to The Dump and Pueblo Viejo, with our last two nights on the island of Caye Caulker....

  • 2017 [04 April] - Megan Edwards Crewe

    Report
    ...A Black-faced Antthrush strutted across a clearing, followed by an Ovenbird, a pair of Chestnut-colored Woodpeckers hammered challenges on a resonant branch (soon followed by a pair of Pale-billed Woodpeckers), and a Rufous-tailed Jacamar flashed, jewel-like, above our heads near one of the Lamanai temples...

  • 2018 [02 February] - Bob Behrstock

    PDF Report
    This tour visited three popular lodges in the northern half of Belize: Pook’s Hill Lodge, Lamanai Outpost Lodge, and Chan Chich Lodge.

  • 2018 [02 February] - Bob Behrstock

    PDF Report
    After breakfast, we did a more extensive walk that took us, via forest trails, to an open park-like meadow surrounded by forest. Although it was a rather drippy stroll, we encountered a variety of species including Lineated Woodpecker, perched Red-lored Parrots, Keel-billed Toucan, Couch’s

  • 2018 [03 March] - Bob Meinke

    PDF Report
    Despite being within a residential district, our proximity to the canal, the mangroves, and the nearby ocean allowed us to get a quick head start on our birding, and we ended up seeing several species here that we would miss during the rest of the trip.

  • 2019 [03 March] - Bob Meinke

    PDF Report
    an enormous Mango tree that concealed several squabbling Plain Chachalacas and a shy Keel-billed Toucan. Further scrutiny revealed Blue-gray Tanager, a pair of Black-headed Trogons, both Yellow-throated and Scrub Euphonias, Couch’s Kingbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, and Red-lored Parrot, plus several of the warbler species we’d seen earlier. We could have watched that tree all day!

  • 2019 [03 March] - Pat Lueders

    PDF Report
    After lunch, some rested while others birded the grounds of Beck’s, finding colorful male and female Vermilion Flycatchers, vocalizing Northern Beardless-Tyrannulets, busy Acorn

  • 2020 [02 February] - Dodie Logue

    PDF Report
    Some of the birds seen right on the grounds for the early arrivals were Blackcowled Oriole, Red-lored Parrot, and Lineated Woodpecker...

  • 2020 [03 March] - Martyn Kenefick

    PDF Report
    Clay-colored Thrushes were scattered in the leaf litter, and we were able to entice in both Black and White Warbler and American Redstart. A pair of Vermilion Flycatchers sought the shade of a densely foliated tree and both Social and Least Flycatcher perched out in the open. Without question, the star bird of the afternoon was a particularly showy and confiding adult male Hooded Warbler, a species often secretive and loathed to give itself away with a male Magnolia Warbler, moulting into breeding dress, running it a close second.

  • 2021 [07 July] - Robert Gallard

    PDF Report
    ...A pair of White-necked Puffbirds were excavating a nest inside an arboreal termite colony. Right behind us was a lovely Royal Flycatcher that was continuously sallying out for bugs but would often land on the same vine. A Pale-billed Woodpecker also decided to make a showing at the same spot as well as Yellow-throated and Olive-backed Euphonias...

  • 2021 [10 October] - James P Smith

    PDF Report
    A highly successful green season trip and a much-needed tonic for those that hadn’t been overseas since lockdown began in March 2020. For most on the tour it was their first international adventure in 18 months and the wildlife duly delivered with an “off the charts” sighting of a Jaguar at Lamanai less than 24 hours after setting foot in Belize! The remainder of the tour fell neatly into place as our group enjoyed two beautifully appointed eco lodges hosted by friendly, hospitable staff. Naturally, Covid protocols were strictly adhered to...

  • 2021 [11 November] - Bob Meinke

    PDF Report
    After pick-up by a lodge driver on the afternoon of Nov. 4, we headed to the resort, which is situated on the banks of the Belize River. Birding commenced from the van almost as soon as we left the airport grounds, with Melodious Blackbird, Roadside Hawk, Vermillion Flycatcher, Tropical Mockingbird, Wood Stork, Black Vulture, and Tricolored Heron among the species easily seen before we even unloaded our luggage...

  • 2021 [12 December] - Peg Abbott

    PDF Report
    ...Peg spent her added day on a photo jaunt to Crooked Tree Lagoon, while the three enjoyed shopping and exploring Belize City with a visit to the well-regarded Belize Zoo where they could see a Tapir, a King Vulture and other species up close while learning from local signage of a Caribbean flair. Black Orchid is not far from the airport which makes a good place to rest up from travels...

  • 2022 [01 January] - James P Smith

    PDF Report
    ...The birding on site was busy with a diminutive Trilling Gnatwren, wintering Gray Catbirds, Northern Waterthrush, American Redstart and Black-and-white Warbler all being found in the grounds of the resort. Moving out onto the road, noisy flights of Red-lored Parrots and Olive-throated Parakeets furnished the tropical ambiance, while Tropical Kingbirds and Pale-vented Pigeons teed up for easy viewing in the scrub. The real prize, however, was a pre-roost movement of some 15-20 Montezuma Oropendolas,...

  • 2022 [01 January] - jared Clarke

    Report
    Buoyed by the return of international travel, our group of five nature-lovers headed south from Canada to explore the incredible birds, wildlife and history of Belize & neighbouring Tikal in Guatemala

  • 2022 [03 March] - Dave Mehlman

    PDF Report
    ...After that extremely satisfying morning, we headed over to Bats Landing, where would depart for the boat trip down the New River to New River Lagoon and the Lamanai Outpost Lodge. Since we had a bit of time, most of the group strolled around the area, finding Yellow-winged Tanager, American Restart, Black-and-white Warbler, and Common Tody-Flycatcher in the trees. A very obliging Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, the only one seen on the trip, perched at the top of some grasses for an extended view, even allowing scope looks! Then, we all piled into the boat, Captain Eddie at the helm and First Mate Vidal spotting, for the 2-hour ride down to the Lodge...

  • 2022 [11 November] - Pat Leuders

    PDF Report
    While enjoying our first cup of coffee, we excitedly watched the large variety of birds visiting the feeders including Collared Aracari, White-necked Jacobin, Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, Yellow-throated and Olivebacked Euphonias and a new visitor that had just arrived: Green Honeycreeper. Wow, what a great start! ..

  • 2023 - Wildside Nature Tours

    Report
    After arriving at Rio Bravo, we only had a brief bit of light before dinner but Ocellated Turkey and Great Curassow wandered the grounds to our hearts delight.

  • 2023 [02 February] - James P. Smith

    PDF Report
    As a group we tallied some 254 bird species highlighted by three species of hawk-eagles, three regional endemics, 11 species of hummingbirds and giant Scarlet Macaws winging across the slopes of the Maya Mountains!

  • 2023 [03 March] - Bryan Calk

    PDF Report
    We lucked out on generally mild and warm weather with few bugs in this season, and nearly daily sightings of great mammals like howler monkeys. And of course, the birds were non-stop impressive with highlights too numerous to list, and everyone in our group getting a big batch of lifers and photo opportunities.

  • 2023 [05 May] - Stephen Blaber

    Report
    Although the targets from the Belize list were about 50 species, many of these were unrealistic and vagrants. In the event, we were very satisfied with 22 new species.

  • 2023 [11 November] - James P. Smith

    PDF Report
    Our watery adventure tallied over 260 bird species, testament to the effort made by our group and hardworking local guides in testing conditions. This was an especially memorable trip in so many respects not least of which was the warmth and friendliness of the people of Belize.

  • 2024 [01 January] - Drew Haffenden

    PDF Report
    This was a wonderful nine day combination of birding, wildlife and Mayan structures and culture In Belize. We saw 207 species of birds, 10 species of mammals and numerous reptiles and amphibians. We also had a side focus on butterflies with experts Deb and Caydee.

  • 2024 [02 February] - James P Smith

    PDF Report
    We experienced immaculate weather throughout recording an impressive tally of over 270 species, thanks to the outstanding contribution made by our group and hard working local guides.

  • 2024 [03 March] - James P Smith

    PDF Report
    Thanks to all of our hard-working group we collectively tallied over 290 bird species!

  • 2024 [03 March] - Rick Weiman

    PDF Report
    With night excursions on boats and safari vehicles; jungle and savanna walks, and river, lagoon and creek boat trips, we saw or heard 237 species of birds, 14 different mammals including Ocelot, Tapir and Kinkajou and 11 species of reptiles and amphibians.
Places to Stay

  • Bananas on the Beach

    Accommodation
    ... the ultimate getaway at Bananas on the Beach...

  • Belizean Dreams Resort

    Accommodation
    Belize offers bird enthusiasts the opportunity to observe over 570 species of our feathered friends. Because of Belize’s protected rainforests and small population, we have a vast number of undisturbed habitats where tropical birds flock and thrive. Our country has become a favorite among not only birders, but nature lovers of all kinds.

  • Bird’s Eye View Lodge

    Accommodation
    Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary is the top neotropical birding site in Belize and Bird’s Eye View Lodge, located along the famous Crooked Tree Lagoon offers the best tours and lodging options in this part of Belize.

  • Black Rock Lodge

    Accommodation
    At Black Rock Lodge, we are passionate and literate about the flora and fauna that surrounds us, but we have a particular love for birds. Our commitment to birdwatching, bird conservation, and bird research make Black Rock the premier destination for birding in Belize.

  • Bocawina Rainforest Resort & Adventures

    Accommodation
    Located in the southern district of Stann Creek is the Mayflower Bocawina National Park consisting of over 7100 acres of lush jungle, refreshing waterfalls and ancient Mayan sites. Nestled in the heart of this beautiful Belize National Park is Bocawina Rainforest Resort & Adventures; a spacious jungle eco-resort that runs on alternative energy and offers a wide range of adventure and cultural & wildlife tours in the property and around Belize! If you're looking for the best Belize vacation, tours and experience, this is the place for it!

  • Caves Branch Jungle Lodge

    Accommodation
    Ian Anderson`s CAVES BRANCH Jungle Lodge, Belize is centered in the privately owned 58,000 acre Caves Branch Estate beneath the 100 foot rainforest canopy and along side the turquoise waters of the Caves Branch river where pristine jungle, wildlife and adventure surrounds you

  • Chaa Creek Natural History Centre Lodge

    Accommodation
    The Lodge At Chaa Creek Adventure Centre, Rainforest Reserve and Spa is located on the banks of the Macal River, a short drive from San Ignacio Town. By vehicle, you may reach us by taking the Benque Viejo road out of San Ignacio and following the signs to Chaa Creek

  • Chabil Mar Resort

    Accommodation
    Placencia's location is ideally suited for daily access to a variety of birding hotspots endorsed by the Belize Audubon Society, for viewing of birds from forest species to pine woodland and savanna species, restricted to riverine areas, and birds associated with higher elevations. You can include the wetlands of Aguacaliente, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Shrimp Farms and Lagoon Waders (All Season). The unmistakable Scarlet Macaw flocks in the small Maya Village of Red Bank may be substituted or added, December to March only, for Waders.

  • Chan Chich Lodge

    Accommodation
    Located within a 250,000 acre private reserve, Chan Chich Lodge is bordered to the north by another 262,000 acres of protected lands managed by Programme for Belize. At Chan Chich you can retrace the footsteps of the Maya on your own, or local guides with extensive knowledge of the flora, fauna and Maya history are available to guide you through this tropical paradise. For the experience of a lifetime stay with us at Chan Chich Lodge.

  • Crystal Paradise Resort

    Accommodation
    Birding tours are available for both avid and casual birders. Any tour going out can include birding or nature of some sort. Spotting scope and binoculars are always available at Crystal paradise resort grounds and on tours. Of course you do not have to go on a tour to go birding, while dozens of species can be seen on our grounds

  • Hamanasi

    Accommodation
    Hamanasi, a Belize eco-resort, promotes responsible, sustainable nature based eco-tourism! The hotel is nestled in 21 acres of rare coastal forest teaming with birds, flora and orchids!

  • Howler Monkey Lodge

    Accommodation
    The Howler Monkey Lodge nature trail is located on 15 acres of our grounds. This trail is well marked and safe to explore on your own, or request for a guided tour which gives you local and botanical names for many medicinal plants, hardwood trees, edible plants and renewable plants used for building. Additional information is available in our botanical reference library. Birds, bats, squirrels and Monkeys may also be sighted along the trail

  • La Casa del Caballo Blanco

    Accommodation
    La Casa del Caballo Blanco is a family owned hacienda and a bird rehabilitation & release center (Casa Avian Support Alliance, LLC, NGO) within a 23 acre sanctuary in Cayo, Western Belize. Casa is located 1.3 miles west of San Ignacio Town, on the hillsides forming the southern side of the Mopan River Valley. Please take a few moments and explore our lodging and accommodations, services, and grounds in these pages..

  • Lamanai Outpost Lodge

    Accommodation
    We are not a bird tour company: We do not send people all over the world and we do not view birds as a mere tick on a checklist. We live in Belize, we research birds in Belize, and we know her phenomenally diverse avifauna as no one else does. We are a joint project of the Lamanai Outpost Lodge - one of Belize`s finest inland lodges - and the Lamanai Field Research Center - one of the most innovative field research facilities in the world. The concept is simple: You can join us in real ornithological fieldwork and birding with ornithologists and some of the best naturalists in Belize.

  • Manatee Lodge

    Accommodation
    Manatee Lodge - in the Southern Lagoon - encircled by the majestic Maya Mountains is the ideal vacation destination. Centrally located yet remote, Manatee Lodge serves as a great base of operations from which to enjoy the rich natural beauty and wide variety of activities Belize offers.

  • Mariposa Lodge

    Accommodation
    Mariposa, (butterfly in Spanish) is ideally located on the Placencia Peninsula in Southern Belize. Nestled in a grove of palm trees, among tropical gardens, the beach suites present the traveler with a truly lovely setting

  • Mopan River Resort

    Accommodation
    Twelve luxurious caba

  • Pook's Hill

    Accommodation
    Pook's Hill is a 300 acre Private Nature Reserve of Pristine Jungle set in the foothills of the Maya Mountains. It is bordered by the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve and the Roaring River. The Lodge is an easily accessible real jungle experience, in the Cayo District en route to Tikal and the Mountain Pine Ridge Area. It surrounds a small Maya Plaza with lawns leading to the creek and jungle

  • San Ignacio Hotel

    Accommodation
    Start off your morning with a warm cup of coffee at our Running W Steakhouse & Restaurant. Then, take a walk with our experienced guide through our 17-acre private reserve and enjoy the twitter and sweet sounds of our backyard friends. Our natural surroundings showcase over 110 species of colorful creatures including the Blue Tanager, Blue Crowned Mot Mot, Warblers, Woodpeckers, Aracari Toucan, and even rare sightings of our national bird, the Keel-Billed Toucan.

  • Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge

    Accommodation
    Welcome to Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge, a Muy’Ono Resort

  • Tanager Forest Lodge

    Accommodation
    Southern Belize offers the most diverse communities in Belize (Garifuna, Mayan, East Indian and Mennonite), impressive Mayan ruins, great fishing and profuse birding enveloped by the lushest tropical climate in Belize! It had been off the beaten path until about 25 years ago when the paved road was made connecting the south to Belize City.
Other Links

  • Birding in Belize

    Webpage
    Chasing Winged Wonders: A Guide to the World’s Best Birding Sites in Belize

  • Birds Of Belize

    Information
    With over 587 different, colorful species of birds in the country, Belize is a must for the professional or amateur bird-watcher and those into eco-tourism. In the Orange Walk District alone, over 400 species of birds have been recorded. Of these, approximately 20 percent are migrants from North America. Almost every year new species are reported. Eight new records were confirmed in 2007, including the Crested Caracara and Spot-breasted Oriole

  • Birds of Ambergris Caye

    Website
    Welcome to the Birds of Ambergris Caye. Many of these articles are from a weekly column in The San Pedro Sun. Elbert and his friend Bubba have been long-time watchers of the birds and humans on Ambergris Caye, and their insights are often both rewarding and amusing. This website contains information about the 260 species of birds that occur on that island and its collection of mangrove cayes.

  • Programme For Belize

    Website
    Nestled in the sub-tropical forests of northwestern Belize only two and one-half hours away from Belize City lies the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area (RBCMA or Rio Bravo); Belize's largest private reserve and second largest single protected area…
Blogs

  • Elbert Greer - Bubba's Birding Blog for Birdwatching in Belize

    BLOG
    Last update 2011 Birds, Birdwatching, Ambergris Caye, Belize - The Bubba Birdwatching Philosophy - For Elbert birdwatching is another way to relate to life. He says it's a different, more graceful path that makes living enjoyable and its problems easier to solve.
Photographers & Artists

  • Photographer - Marie-France Grenouellet

    Gallery
    I am a french Wildlife Photographer. The purpose of my non-profit Website is to just pictures to make people dream and to help the protection of the Worldwide Wildlife

  • Photographer - Richard Seaman

    Gallery
    Belize and Guatemala Bird Photo Galleries

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