Birding in Belize

The Audubon Society has a strong presence in Belize thanks to the unique environment that is very conducive to a vast variety of avian species. More than 580 different species have been officially documented in Belize, including some 110 species that migrate to the country from North America. The diverse habitats and pristine nature in Belize are ideal for birds and new species are being discovered all the time, including the spot-breasted Oriole, Crested Caracara, and Canadian Geese.

The Audubon Society divides Belize into six different birding hotspots known as Important Bird Areas. Some of these habitats are owned or co-managed by the Audobon Society while others lie inside of national parks, nature reserves, and the offshore islands of the Belize Barrier Reef. Whether it’s deep in a tropical rainforest or hiking through the coastal plains, the landscape in Belize is truly a bird watcher’s paradise.

One of the great benefits of bird watching in Belize is the fact that the country is the only one in the region where English is the official language. This allows visitors to converse with ease with local guides and birding experts as they enjoy the wondrous panoramas of nature all across the country.

The following parks and nature reserves are managed or co-managed by the Audobon Society:

• Blue Hole Natural Monument
• Half Moon Caye Natural Monument
• St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park
• Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
• Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary
• Guanacaste National Park
• Victoria Peak Natural Monument

Tinamous birds in Belize include:

• Great tinamou
• Little tinamou
• Slaty-breasted tinamou
• Thicket tinamou

Ducks and waterfowl in Belize include:

• Ruddy duck
• Snow goose
• Green-winged teal
• Fulvous whistling duck
• Black-bellied whistling duck
• Lesser scaup
• American wigeon

Birds of the Cracidae family in Belize include:

• Crested guan
• Great currasow
• Plain chachalaca

Indigenous quail and turkey species in Belize include:

• Singing quail
• Spotted wood quail
• Black-throated bobwhite
• Ocellated turkey

Grebes found in Belize include:

• Least grebe
• Pied-billed grebe

Birds of the Sulidae family in Belize include:

• Masked booby
• Brown booby
• Red-footed booby

Other bird species native to Belize include the American flamingo, Wilson’s storm petrel, Manx shearwater, Audubon’s shearwater, magnificent frigatebird, Jabiru stork, wood stork, anhinga, (endangered) brown pelican, cattle egret, black-crowned night heron, turkey vulture, osprey, gray-headed kite, crested eagle, clapper rail, and the black and white hawk eagle.

Bird Watching Tours

Black Orchid Resort located in northern Belize offers a number of bird watching tours to see native and migrating avian species in all their feathered glory. Black Orchid organizes tours to the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary and cruises along the Belize River to spot some of the hundreds of bird species that make their home in Belize.

Email info@blackorchidresort.com to book a birding tour today!

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