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| Migration routes of North American birds - Mesoamerica is comparable with Gibraltar and Bosporus on the bird migration routes between Europe and Africa - thousands of bird have to pass the isthmus. Guatemala is right on that way. |
Birdwatching is an enjoyable free-time activity that gained popularity during the last decades of the 20th century in the developed countries of the northern hemisphere. Because violence was wide spread throughout Guatemala until the late 1990s, it was not taken into account as a birdwatching destination until more recently. Costa Rica and Belize had been recognized as the top destinations for birding in Central America, but over the last few years tourism infrastructure has been developing rapidly in Guatemala and today comfortable and efficient transportation is available between key birding sites, allowing the opportunity to see more than 300 bird species within a visit of just three weeks. Guatemala is still emerging as a popular birding location, but rest assured, it offers much more variety than any of its competitors in Mesoamerica! One hundred and twenty protected areas cover more than a quarter of the country. By birding these areas you contribute to their conservation and the conservation of Guatemala ’s most beautiful landscapes.
In order to see as many bird species as possible, April is the best month for a birding visit to Guatemala. At this time of year species of the resident avifauna are very active and sing frequently - this is the main breeding season. Nearctic migrants are on the way back to their breeding grounds in North America with fresh molted plumage. You will see the Nearctic birds which stay in the region during the winter, in addition to those which spend their winter in South America.
Guatemala is a terrific tourist destination. Even if your travel partner is not as fanatic as birder as you may be, Guatemala has a wide diversity of attractions to visit. Guatemala is a living museum full of culture, natural beauty, historical sites, archeology, anthropology, and fascinating geology. While you are birding on the tops of ancient Mayan temples, your companion can take a tour of the Mayan cities, study the ancient Mayan culture, take in the impressive architecture, amazing stone carvings, wonderful ceramics, and all of this surrounded by an incredible rainforest. At other birding sites you will be very close to the Mayan culture that lives on today. Your partner can live a day in the life of a Maya Q’eqchi’ family in the highlands of Guatemala, admire a colorful hand-woven textile, learn more about the sustainable use of natural resources in house construction and taste a traditional cacao drink, a ceremonial hot beverage of the Maya. All this in a relatively small country, the only one in Central America where indigenous people form more than 50% of the population.
