Home

Guatemala

Colombia

Noteworthy Adventures

• Bearded Screech-Owls in the mistNovember 21, 2022
  Birding in cloud forest is a mystical experience, the delicate mosses, ferns and orchids seem to melt, motionless into the fog. Drops form on every bit of vegetation as a result of condensation, though it is not raining, there is a huge amount of water coming down out of the trees making the trail muddy and feeding clear mountain streams. Here in this still forest where nothing can be heard but the steady dripping from the cloud-catching trees and the occasional Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush saying goodnight, is the home of the Bearded Screech-Owl. It gets dark early in the cloud forest,Continue reading “Bearded Screech-Owls in the mist”
• Birding the Montezuma RoadFebruary 11, 2021
  The famous birding hotspot known as the Montezuma Road is easily one of the best birding destinations in Colombia. With nearly 600 species of birds recorded along the 14 km track from the Montezuma Rainforest Lodge to the top of Cerro Montezuma. The elevational gradient from the Lodge at 1300m to the mountaintop at 2550m is simply spectacular for birding. Located on the Pacific Slope of the Western Andes, Montezuma is part of a broader region known as the Chocó, one of the most biodiverse areas on earth. When I first visited Montezuma, back in 2016, I fell in loveContinue reading “Birding the Montezuma Road”
• John hits 700 sp. milestone for GuatemalaOctober 19, 2020
  At 4 o’clock, Friday afternoon, John Cahill and Michelle Tapasco encountered a Southern Lapwing. As they were scouting a route at Laguna Chichoj for the October Big Day, John spotted the contrasting plumage of the Lapwing in a field clear on the other side of the Lake. After snapping a quick ID shot, they notified the Pajareros de Verapaz local birding group, and within the hour five of the regions top birders showed up to marvel at the spectacle. To date John has now observed, 92% of the country’s total bird species. From all of us at Xikanel, we wouldContinue reading “John hits 700 sp. milestone for Guatemala”
• Birding the ChixoyMay 21, 2020
  By John Cahill and Michelle Tapasco Thinking that it would be a good idea to get out of the house for some socially distanced birding, we headed down to the Chixoy River, in the southwest corner of Alta Verapaz. The arid landscape along this portion of the river is a great area for birding. The weather was just perfect. Despite being down near 800 meters above sea level, the day was not too warm. A casual stroll along the rocky riverbank produced some real highlights: a pair of Fan-tailed Warblers, numerous Turquoise-browed Motmots, a male Elegant Trogon and several CarolinaContinue reading “Birding the Chixoy”