Martsam Travel

Alternative Tourism & Adventure

Bird watching Guatemala

The project Bird Watching Guatemala is an encounter with the wonderful world of birds of Guatemala, involving rural communities, national parks, private reserves and Martsam Tour and Travel as the operator in the circuits and destinations that are blended to take you to the fascinating world of Birds of Guatemala.

Taking into consideration the privileged natural and cultural environment that Guatemala has like 19 ecosystems, 300 microclimates, more than 37 volcanoes, rivers, lakes and beaches that are united in our ethnic diversity forming a destination of mystical magic and adventure.

Biological diversity has enabled Guatemala to stand among the 25 countries with the most variety of natural resources in the world. Millions of species living in its varied ecosystems, more than 700 species of birds, mammals like the jaguar, tapir and a variety of reptiles and insects.

Our programs are developed for sustainable tourism on the basis of our economic policies, social and environmental support to the communities within the reserves and eco-tourism projects becoming an alternative which contributes to slow down the deterioration of our natural and cultural resources.

Our destinations for bird watching are manifested as a journey through different ecosystems and multicolored communities, developed to ensure your complete satisfaction.

The project was born with the merge of two leading companies in Guatemala, Martsam Tour & Travel a well recognized Guatemalan Tour Operator founded in 1994 whose social economic and environmental policies have earned the privilege of being certified with the Green Deal Seal, and sign the agreements of best practices and sustainability with Rain forest Alliance.

By its own means, Otus a company dedicated to biological research of the natural resources of Guatemala for the process of the design of protected areas.

It has also conducted expeditions for The Nature Conservancy, research for the National Council of Protected Areas and defenders of nature among others it has developed projects to train communitarian guides in bird watching and environmental interpretation, localization and monitoring of endemic species threatened or symbolic.

Taking into consideration our unified experience and our proved experience our tours have a high scientific content, and our guides are biologists or naturalists immersed in the field of research and conservation by ensuring the quality of our services and creating unique experiences.

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Bird Watching Guatemala

by Martsam Tour & Travel

The rain forest:
The tropical rain forests areas are the richest in botanic species in the world. Yaxha is a representative area of this type of forest do to its abundance of water sources that favors a great diversity of fauna. Recent studies have reported 40 mammal species, 14 amphibious, 45 reptiles, 22 fish and 150 types of birds.

With the correct integration and conservation of the natural and cultural patrimony it can be accomplished that foreign and national tourists can identify themselves with this great nature


Yaxha:
Yaxha is located in the Riviera of the lake with the same name and extends over a cliff that is connected to the beach by a trail for about 3 km. Yaxha has around 500 structures aconditionated by nivelations and terraces in descendent order from East to West. Even though Yaxha is the third largest Mayan city in Guatemala after Tikal And El Mirador.

For more information about your vacations in Guatemala please feel free to contact us,

Martsam Tour & Travel

Calle 30 de junio

Ciudad FloresPeten, Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala

San pedro El Alto 3001

PH: (502) 5705 6904

FAX: (502) 7882 4427

USA

2222 Benz View

Kingwood TX 77339

PH: (305) 395 3935

Call Toll Free

1-866-832-2776

www.martsam.com

info@martsam.com

Birdwatching Guatemala is a registered trademark of Martsam Tour & Travel

Copyright® 2,009
http://www.birdwatchingguatemala.com/
http://www.martsam.com/

Birdwatching Guatemala by Martsam Travel

Bird Watching Guatemala

by Martsam Tour & Travel

"V International Bird Watching Encounter"

The first half of our International bird watching encounter will take place mainly in Antigua Guatemala with daily mini-tours which are half-day birding tours to different locations. Besides these tours, there will be lectures and educational activities for the general public.

The second half of the event is exclusively for traveling birders who want to visit other birding sites in Guatemala. Each visitor has to choose one of 4 options.

Option 1: The Western Highlands:

Visited sites include:

Private Nature Reserve los Tarrales, Nature reserve Los Andes, Municipal Park San Pedro Volcano

Ecosystems: cloud forest and pine-oak forest

Some of the birds that can be seen on this tour: Mountain Trogon Collared Trogon, Resplendent Quetzal, Blue-throated Motmot, Blue-crowned Motmot, Emerald Toucanet, Golden-fronted Woodpecker and White-fronted Parrot, Crested Caracara, Laughing Falcon, Highland Guan, Horned Guan.

Requirements: good physical condition, as this tour includes climbing San Pedro Volcano.

Option 2: The Verapaces region (or Central Highlands):

Visited sites include:

Archaeological site Guaytan, Private nature reserve Rio Escondido, Nature reserve Los Ranchitos, Nature Reserve Chajbaoc, Archaeological park Hun Nal Ye.

Ecosystems: thorn scrub, Pine-oak forest, Cloud Forest, tropical rain forest.

Some of the birds that can be seen on this tour: Russet-crowned Motmot, Turquoise-browed Motmot, Altamira Oriole, Bushy-crested Jay, Rufous-collared Robin, Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped Swallow, Resplendent Quetzal, Highland Guan, Violet Sabrewing, Black-throated Jay, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Plain Chachalaca, Little Hermit, Collared Trogon, Blue-throated Motmot, Blue-crowned Chlorophonia, Azure-crowned Hummingbird, Crimson-collared Tanager, White-breasted Hawk.

Requirements: walking.

Option 3: Izabal (the Atlantic low-lands):

Visited sites include:

Río Dulce National Park, Caribbean sea, Sarstún Wildlife Refuge, Quiriguá archaeological site.

Ecosystems: tropical rain forest, mangrove forest

Some of the birds that can be seen on this tour: Turquoise-browed Motmot, Orange-breasted Falcon, Anhinga, Black-crowned Night Heron, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Brown-hooded Parrot, Violet Sabrewing, Emerald Toucanet, Red-lored Parrot, Chestnut-colored Woodpecker, Red-capped Manakin, White-collared Manakin, Golden-hooded, Tanager, Crimson-collared Tanager, Montezuma Oropendola.

Requirements: walking

Option 4 Tikal and the Scarlet Macaw Sanctuary:

(Las Guacamayas Biological Station)

Visited sites include:

Laguna del Tigre National Park, Tikal National Park.

Ecosystems: tropical humid forest.

Some of the birds that can be seen on this tour: Red macaws, Yucatan Flycatcher, Yucatan bob White, Yucatan Jay, Lovely Cotinga, Ocellated turkey, Orange breasted falcon, Grey throated chat, Black catbird, keel-billed toucans.

Requirements: walking

Please note that all prices are per person, and include:

• Land Transportation (in the case of the Peten trip, it includes air fare)
• Hotel accommodation in double occupancy
• Bird watching guide
• Some include all meals, and others include most meals.


If you are interested in any of these tours and would like to see the full detailed information (day by day itinerary, meals and other services included, etc.), please write use for more information

Martsam Tour & Travel

Calle 30 de junio

Ciudad Flores

Peten, Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala

San pedro El Alto 3001

PH: (502) 5705 6904

FAX: (502) 7882 4427

USA

2222 Benz View

Kingwood TX 77339

PH: (305) 395 3935

Call Toll Free

1-866-832-2776

www.martsam.com

info@martsam.com

reservations@martsam.com

www.birdwatchingguatemala.com is a registered trademark of Martsam Tour & Travel
Copyright® 2,009
www.birdwatchingguatemala.com
www.martsam.com

Bird portraits

Black-throated Green-warbler

Bird pictures have always different rewarding moments, but the opportunity to show a portrait is simply indescribable. These two pictures are a sample of migrant bird images I’ve taken during my birding trips in Guatemalan highlands in the last three years.

Blue-headed Vireo

Photo by Maynor Ovando

Posted by Maynor Ovando

http://www.birdwatchingguatemala.com/ is a registered trademark of Martsam Tour & Travel Copyright® 2,008
http://www.birdwatchingguatemala.com/
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Birding in San Miguel Village

Miguel Marin, an expert member of Bird Watching Guatemala Project

Photo by Maynor Ovando

San Miguel is a small village just five minutes in a boat ride from Flores Island in Petén lowlands. And like many places in Guatemala is a great birding hotspot. Miguel Marin is an extraordinary birder and a terrific birding guide who lives in this small bird paradise.

Mangrove Swallow

After years leading birding groups he has got an extra sense to find birds, sometimes people say that Miguel has a treat with birds because just in the moment he speaks about a bird, it comes in front of your eyes. He knows perfectly every bird that can be found in his domains and as members of the Bird Watching Guatemala birding staff I took a couple of hours to walk with him around the place.

Northern Jacana

I was thinking that my chances to get many birds were low because of the rainy weather but my expert friend had no problem to show me 52 bird species in this short visit.
Miguel has been recording patiently every bird since he’s able and to the date the bird list reaches 214 bird species, including Royal Flycatcher he found for the first time two days ago.

Social Flycatcher

I was thinking that my chances to get many birds were low because of the rainy weather but my expert friend had no problem to show me 52 bird species in this short visit.

Blue-gray Tanager

Miguel has been recording patiently every bird since he’s able and to the date the bird list reaches 214 bird species, including Royal Flycatcher he found for the first time two days ago.

This is San Miguel bird list updated to October 22th.

1 Great Tinamou
2 Thicket Tinamou
3 Slaty-breasted Tinamou
4 Least Grebe
5 Pied-billed Grebe
6 Brown Pelican
7 Neotropic Cormorant
8 Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
9 Great Blue Heron
10 Great Egret
11 Snowy Egret
12 Little Blue Heron
13 Cattle Egret
14 Green Heron
15 Black-crowned Night-Heron
16 Boat-billed Heron
17 Black Vulture
18 Turkey Vulture
19 King Vulture
20 Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
21 Osprey
22 Hook-billed Kite
23 White-tailed Kite
24 Double-toothed Kite
25 Gray Hawk
26 Roadside Hawk
27 Black Hawk-Eagle
28 Laughing Falcon
29 Bat Falcon
30 Plain Chachalaca
31 Great Curassow
32 Ruddy Crake
33 Gray-necked Wood-Rail
34 Sora
35 Purple Gallinule
36 Common Moorhen
37 American Coot
38 Limpkin
39 Black-necked Stilt
40 Northern Jacana
41 Laughing Gull
42 Black Skimmer
43 Rock Dove
44 Scaled Pigeon
45 Red-billed Pigeon
46 White-winged Dove
47 Ruddy Ground-Dove
48 Blue Ground-Dove
49 White-tipped Dove
50 Gray-headed Dove
51 Olive-throated Parakeet
52 Brown-hooded Parrot
53 White-crowned Parrot
54 White-fronted Parrot
55 Red-lored Parrot
56 Black-billed Cuckoo
57 Yellow-billed Cuckoo
58 Squirrel Cuckoo
59 Groove-billed Ani
60 Central American Pygmy-Owl
61 Mottled Owl
62 Lesser Nighthawk
63 Common Pauraque
64 Whip-poor-will
65 Vaux's Swift
66 Stripe-throated Hermit
67 Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
68 Wedge-tailed Sabrewing
69 Green-breasted Mango
70 Canivet's Emerald
71 White-bellied Emerald
72 Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
73 Buff-bellied Hummingbird
74 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
75 Black-headed Trogon
76 Violaceous Trogon
77 Collared Trogon
78 Blue-crowned Motmot
79 Ringed Kingfisher
80 Belted Kingfisher
81 Green Kingfisher
82 American Pygmy Kingfisher
83 Rufous-tailed Jacamar
84 Collared Aracari
85 Keel-billed Toucan
86 Golden-fronted Woodpecker
87 Smoky-brown Woodpecker
88 Golden-olive Woodpecker
89 Chestnut-colored Woodpecker
90 Lineated Woodpecker
91 Pale-billed Woodpecker
92 Plain Xenops
93 Tawny-winged Woodcreeper
94 Ruddy Woodcreeper
95 Olivaceous Woodcreeper
96 Northern Barred-Woodcreeper
97 Ivory-billed Woodcreeper
98 Great Antshrike
99 Barred Antshrike
100 Plain Antvireo
101 Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet
102 Greenish Elaenia
103 Yellow-bellied Elaenia
104 Northern Bentbill
105 Slate-headed Tody-Flycatcher
106 Common Tody-Flycatcher
107 Yellow-olive Flycatcher
108 Stub-tailed Spadebill
109 Royal Flycatcher
110 Greater Pewee
111 Eastern Wood-Pewee
112 Tropical Pewee
113 Least Flycatcher
114 Bright-rumped Attila
115 Dusky-capped Flycatcher
116 Great Crested Flycatcher
117 Brown-crested Flycatcher
118 Great Kiskadee
119 Boat-billed Flycatcher
120 Social Flycatcher
121 Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher
122 Piratic Flycatcher
123 Tropical Kingbird
124 Eastern Kingbird
125 Rose-throated Becard
126 Masked Tityra
127 White-collared Manakin
128 Red-capped Manakin
129 White-eyed Vireo
130 Mangrove Vireo
131 Yellow-throated Vireo
132 Warbling Vireo
133 Philadelphia Vireo
134 Red-eyed Vireo
135 Yellow-green Vireo
136 Lesser Greenlet
137 Green Jay
138 Brown Jay
139 Yucatan Jay
140 Purple Martin
141 Gray-breasted Martin
142 Mangrove Swallow
143 Northern Rough-winged Swallow
144 Barn Swallow
145 Spot-breasted Wren
146 Carolina Wren
147 House Wren
148 White-bellied Wren
149 Long-billed Gnatwren
150 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
151 Tropical Gnatcatcher
152 Swainson's Thrush
153 Wood Thrush
154 Clay-colored Robin
155 Gray Catbird
156 Olive Warbler
157 Blue-winged Warbler
158 Golden-winged Warbler
159 Tennessee Warbler
160 Northern Parula
161 Yellow Warbler
162 Chestnut-sided Warbler
163 Magnolia Warbler
164 Yellow-rumped Warbler
165 Black-throated Green Warbler
166 Blackburnian Warbler
167 Yellow-throated Warbler
168 Bay-breasted Warbler
169 Black-and-white Warbler
170 American Redstart
171 Prothonotary Warbler
172 Worm-eating Warbler
173 Ovenbird
174 Northern Waterthrush
175 Kentucky Warbler
176 Common Yellowthroat
177 Hooded Warbler
178 Wilson's Warbler
179 Yellow-breasted Chat
180 Gray-throated Chat
181 Red-legged Honeycreeper
182 Gray-headed Tanager
183 Red-throated Ant-Tanager
184 Summer Tanager
185 Western Tanager
186 Crimson-collared Tanager
187 Blue-gray Tanager
188 Yellow-winged Tanager
189 Scrub Euphonia
190 Yellow-throated Euphonia
191 Olive-backed Euphonia
192 Blue-black Grassquit
193 White-collared Seedeater
194 Yellow-faced Grassquit
195 Green-backed Sparrow
196 Botteri's Sparrow
197 Grayish Saltator
198 Black-headed Saltator
199 Northern Cardinal
200 Rose-breasted Grosbeak
201 Blue-black Grosbeak
202 Blue Bunting
203 Indigo Bunting
204 Dickcissel
205 Red-winged Blackbird
206 Eastern Meadowlark
207 Melodious Blackbird
208 Great-tailed Grackle
209 Giant Cowbird
210 Black-cowled Oriole
211 Orchard Oriole
212 Yellow-tailed Oriole
213 Baltimore Oriole
214 Yellow-billed Cacique

Posted by Maynor Ovando

http://www.birdwatchingguatemala.com/ is a registered trademark of Martsam Tour & Travel Copyright® 2,008
http://www.birdwatchingguatemala.com/
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