Dadia, Greece is the perfect place to spend some time with raptors. Above during the hour-long trek from Dadia village to the bird hide, griffon vultures glide lazily through the blue sky. The local guides that will be taking you around say that the ideal time to watch the birds in this medieval village located 50 kilometers from Alexandropolis in northern Greece is at nine o’clock in the morning. In order to maximize your chances of seeing some of the 38 species of raptors native to Europe, including the black vulture and the sea eagle, you should leave for the hide well before eight in the morning.
Mexico’s Celestn Biosphere Reserve
One of Mexico’s most popular birding events takes place every year on Bird Island (Isla de Pájaros) in the Yucatán’s Celestn Biosphere Reserve. The winter months are the most exciting since this is when the major host, the beautiful pink American flamingo, arrives in large numbers to this wetlands preserve. A plethora of other birds, including warblers, sandpipers, herons, cormorants, great egrets, and pelicans, join them.
Be free to observe the festivities from afar if you so choose. From the Celestn pier, local boatmen (lancheros) provide visits to the island via the mangroves. There may be as many as 18,000 flamingos in the vicinity, but if you make too much noise, they may scatter and find somewhere else to congregate.
Nestled within a magnificent plantation of coconut palms on a private reserve overlooking the Gulf of Mexico is the modest hotel Eco Paraiso Xixim, located about 10 kilometers north of Celestn on the coastal route towards Sisal.
Awe at the Trinidadian avian splendor
The island of Trinidad is the most biodiverse of all the Caribbean islands. It is also home to hundreds of birds that can’t be found anywhere else, like the chachalaca and the bananaquit, which both sound like cool drinks you would have at a beach resort. The best place to see the birds in the area is at the Asa Wright Nature Centre, which is a wildlife reserve on top of the Northern Range.
The vervain plant next to the front desk is where you can see hummingbirds hanging out. On the center’s beautiful terrace, which has a number of feeders strung along the railing, you can see squirrel cuckoos, toucans, and parrots. By following one of several interesting bird routes, you can go on a trip with knowledgeable naturalists into the lush rainforest that is in this area.
It’s not just birdwatchers who come to check out the local fauna, though. As the most southern island in the West Indies (it is only 11 kilometers from Venezuela), Trinidad has a climate and plant life more reminiscent of South America than the Caribbean. There are approximately 2,000 varieties of flowering plants and over 600 species of butterflies on this tiny island. Spending a night or two at the main house or one of the rustic but lovely cottages tucked away in the grounds highly recommended in order to enjoy this variety fully.
Peruvian Jungle
There aren’t many birdwatching outings as simple as this one. In the Peruvian jungle, only twenty minutes from your cabin, you can watch the male cock-of-the-rock, the country’s national bird, conduct an elaborate mating dance to attract females by dipping its distinctive fan-shaped crested head and stretching its wings.
The Pampa Hermosa Reserve in the middle of the Peruvian cloud forest is home to this beautiful bird and has a strict prohibition on tree-felling, which has led to a dramatic increase in the population and hence a high likelihood of seeing one. There are eleven cabins in all, all constructed in the native Asháninca style. In addition to a 600-year-old cedar tree, the area populated by a wide range of odd species, such as armadillos and porcupines. See this shining example of how conservation can breed convenience if you enjoy hassle-free wildlife viewing.
September through November is the peak cock-of-the-rock watching period. Visit www.pampahermosalodge.com for information on how to get there via bus or vehicle from San Ramón as well as for current rates and to make a reservation.
Kingfisher Ecolodge
The beautiful Kingfisher Ecolodge is in a protected area in Champasak Province. Further, it is near a variety of wetland ecosystems in the northern part of the area. This eco-lodge fits in well with the natural environment where it is. It made up of six houses, each with a pointed roof made of wood. The houses are on stilts and are surrounded by green plants. All of the cabins are simple and run on solar power, but the most impressive thing about them is the huge glass windows that give you amazing views of the wide emerald sea from your own private wooden island.
Kingfisher is a convenient home base for visiting nearby Pakse, the Bolaven Plateau’s breathtaking waterfalls, and the Khmer ruins at Wat Phou. And there’s no time to bored, what with all the local options for mountain biking and birdwatching. It’s understandable if you’d rather relax with a slice of homemade cake and a cup of tea at the lodge’s restaurant.
Go out to Cambodia and look for a huge ibis
Just about a hundred breeding pairs of giant ibis remain, making it a birder’s (or “twitcher”) ultimate target. The only realistic chance of seeing this rare creature is on a birding excursion to the Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary, as the population is mostly limited to the marshes of northern Cambodia. This out-of-the-way location is home to an award-winning initiative spearheaded by the government and the Sam Veasna Centre (an ecotourism and animal conservation organization).
The Centre is the only company offering four-day tours from Siam Reap to Tmatboey, a village within the wildlife sanctuary. In search of the gigantic ibis and the white-shouldered ibis, which only eggs in the sanctuary, tourists are taken by local guides through swamp and deciduous forest once they enter the sanctuary. Only if you see either of these two birds while walking with the guides will you be required to make a donation to the village conservation fund, the proceeds of which are used to build schools and fish ponds. Villagers, who also provide accommodation and food, have a strong financial motivation to preserve their cherished possession in exchange for these benefits, rather than seeing conservation funding reduced.
New Guinea
Most birds of paradise are found in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, one of the least visited locations on Earth while being the holy grail of ornithologists everywhere. Birdwatching excursions, however, are quite well-established, and there are many tour companies that will take you to safe places to see birds of paradise, despite the fact that tourism in this area is still in its infancy.
One of the best journeys (usually six days) to the beautiful virgin forests of Western Province is led by local expert Samuel Kepuknai. His Kiunga nature trips kick up at KM17, where you can watch Greater and Raggianna birds of paradise mate on the same tree. Frame Bower Bird Hill and the Elevara River are two additional stops on the tour where you may get up close and personal with exotic birds like the azure kingfisher, great blue heron, and channel-billed cuckoo via a boat ride.
Jordan
It’s a birder’s dream to visit Jordan. Aqaba, located smack dab in the heart of the migration route of millions of birds from Europe, northwest Asia, and Africa, is a great place to see rare birds and check them off your list. An observatory is being built to look out over the expansive lagoons at the works, but you can also find a great diversity of birds simply by walking around the pools, bushes, and trees. We could go on, but I think you get the picture. Just bite your lip and start clicking your heels.
New Zealand’s Karori Wildlife Sanctuary
But, there are just a few spots in New Zealand where you can view the kiwi, the country’s national icon and a cryptic, flightless bird. Aside from Stewart Island in the deep south, the only other site on the mainland where you can catch sight of a kiwi is the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located just a few minutes outside of Wellington.
The sanctuary is an extensive effort to rehabilitate native vegetation and protect threatened species of birds. The sanctuary’s managing trust has replanted native trees and has brought in the little-spotted kiwi, brown teal, stitch bird, kaka bush parrot, North Island robin, tuatara lizard, and long-tailed bat, the only native land mammal in New Zealand.
There are 35 kilometers of trails to explore during the day, where you can hear birdsong rarely found on the mainland. But, kiwi is elusive birds that only come out at night, so if you want to hear their short whistle (and possibly see one), a guided night boat tour is your best choice. You’ll also get to witness kaka bush parrots eating, banks of glow-worms, and natural conservation in action.
Mauritius
In addition to its luxurious resorts and picture-perfect beaches, Mauritius is famous as the former dodo’s nesting ground. The extinction of the flightless bird brought widespread attention to the island, but in the meantime, other endemic species there have been declining to the point of extinction. Sugar-cane plantations and widespread industrialization have replaced much of the island’s flora, threatening the remaining wildlife.
For twenty years, the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) has worked to protect Mauritius’s native species. Guided tours of the small islet reserve of Ile aux Aigrettes are organized to help raise money for the organization’s efforts to protect endangered species including the giant tortoise and the pink pigeon. The population of this rare species has increased from ten in the early 1990s to more than 360 now, with roughly seventy-five of those birds residing on Ile aux Aigrettes. Guests take a boat ride through the reserve and then proceed on a guided walk around the island to witness the natural animals, the diversity of which provides a glimpse into the past of Mauritius.
The Dadia ecotourism center features basic rooms in white stone structures with wooded settings, so you may rest easy before your big day. It also means that while you aren’t watching the birds, you can relax and enjoy the slow pace of life in the nearby villages, complete with home-cooked meals prepared by the local women’s co-op.