Birdwatching Guatemala

16/01/2025

🌿✨The White-faced Ground-Sparrow ✨🌿
The White-faced Ground-Sparrow (Melozone biarcuata) is a charming bird native to southern Mexico to western Honduras, typically between 600 and 1,600 meters. With its distinctive markings and ground-foraging behavior, this sparrow is a delightful resident of its semi-open woodland habitats. 🐦🤍

👉We found this bird during our Antigua Guatemala Birding Walk.

🕊 Key Facts About the White-faced Ground-Sparrow:
🌟 Size: Medium-small, about 15 cm (6 inches) long.
🌟 Colors: Features a rufous crown and neck sides forming a half-collar around its striking white face, with olive-brown upperparts and primarily white underparts.
🌟 Habitat: Found in various environments, including coffee plantations, thickets, gardens, and hedgerows, at 600 and 1,600 meters.

🌸 What They Love:
These sparrows are ground specialists, searching for seeds, fallen fruits, insects, and spiders among the leaf litter. They’re often seen in pairs and are most active in the calm hours of the morning or evening.

💡 How You Can Help:
🌼 Opt for products from farms that support sustainable practices, like shade-grown coffee.
🌳 Plant native shrubs and trees to create habitats that meet their needs.
🚫 Avoid the use of pesticides to protect their natural food sources.

14/01/2025

Posted • 🌿✨The Orange-fronted Parakeet in Guatemala ✨🌿

The Orange-fronted Parakeet (Eupsittula canicularis), also known as the Orange-fronted Conure or Half-moon Conure, is a lively and social parrot that lights up the forests of Central America. With its vivid colors and charming behavior, it’s truly a treasure of the tropics! 🐦🧡

🕊 Key Facts About the Orange-fronted Parakeet:
🌟 Size: Medium-sized, about 23 cm (9 inches) long.
🌟 Colors: A bright green body with a vibrant orange forehead and a striking blue crown.
🌟 Habitat: Found in semi-open areas like forest edges, savannas, and plantations, from western Mexico to Costa Rica.

🌸 What They Love:
These delightful birds feed primarily on fruits, seeds, and flowers. They’re also known for their unique nesting habit—carving out cozy cavities in arboreal termite mounds! 🪵🐦

💡 How You Can Help:
🌼 Support efforts to protect their habitats from deforestation.
🛑 Avoid purchasing wild-caught parrots to combat the illegal pet trade.
🌳 Contribute to reforestation projects in Central America to help these birds thrive.

14/01/2025

🌿✨The Orange-fronted Parakeet in Guatemala ✨🌿

The Orange-fronted Parakeet (Eupsittula canicularis), also known as the Orange-fronted Conure or Half-moon Conure, is a lively and social parrot that lights up the forests of Central America. With its vivid colors and charming behavior, it’s truly a treasure of the tropics! 🐦🧡

🕊 Key Facts About the Orange-fronted Parakeet:
🌟 Size: Medium-sized, about 23 cm (9 inches) long.
🌟 Colors: A bright green body with a vibrant orange forehead and a striking blue crown.
🌟 Habitat: Found in semi-open areas like forest edges, savannas, and plantations, from western Mexico to Costa Rica.

🌸 What They Love:
These delightful birds feed primarily on fruits, seeds, and flowers. They’re also known for their unique nesting habit—carving out cozy cavities in arboreal termite mounds! 🪵🐦

💡 How You Can Help:
🌼 Support efforts to protect their habitats from deforestation.
🛑 Avoid purchasing wild-caught parrots to combat the illegal pet trade.
🌳 Contribute to reforestation projects in Central America to help these birds thrive.

13/01/2025

Posted • 🌿✨ A Gem of the Highlands: The Purple-Throated Mountain-Gem ✨🌿
The Purple-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis calolaemus) is a radiant hummingbird species that graces the cloud forests of Central America with its stunning beauty. With its striking plumage and vibrant personality, this bird truly lives up to its gemstone-inspired name. 🐦💜

🕊 Key Facts About the Purple-throated Mountain-gem:
🌟 Size: Medium-sized for a hummingbird, with males averaging 5.5 inches long.
🌟 Colors: Males flaunt an iridescent purple throat (gorget) and emerald-green feathers. At the same time, females display softer tones with orange and green accents.

🌟 Habitat: Found in high-altitude cloud forests from southern Nicaragua to Panama, they thrive in cool, lush environments.

🌸 What They Love:
These dazzling hummingbirds feed primarily on nectar from flowering plants, often favoring shrubs and trees in their mountainous habitat. They also consume small insects to supplement their diet, helping maintain ecological balance.

13/01/2025

🌿✨ A Gem of the Highlands: The Purple-Throated Mountain-Gem ✨🌿
The Purple-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis calolaemus) is a radiant hummingbird species that graces the cloud forests of Central America with its stunning beauty. With its striking plumage and vibrant personality, this bird truly lives up to its gemstone-inspired name. 🐦💜

🕊 Key Facts About the Purple-throated Mountain-gem:
🌟 Size: Medium-sized for a hummingbird, with males averaging 5.5 inches long.
🌟 Colors: Males flaunt an iridescent purple throat (gorget) and emerald-green feathers. At the same time, females display softer tones with orange and green accents.

🌟 Habitat: Found in high-altitude cloud forests from southern Nicaragua to Panama, they thrive in cool, lush environments.

🌸 What They Love:
These dazzling hummingbirds feed primarily on nectar from flowering plants, often favoring shrubs and trees in their mountainous habitat. They also consume small insects to supplement their diet, helping maintain ecological balance.

09/01/2025

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl 🌿🦉

The Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) is a small but fearless bird of prey, found from the southern United States to South America, including Guatemala. Standing at just 6–7 inches tall, this owl features reddish-brown to gray plumage, streaked underparts, and striking yellow eyes. A unique feature is its "false eyes"—dark spots on the back of its head that may help deter predators.

Unlike most owls, this species is active during the day, particularly at dawn and dusk. Its diet includes insects, small birds, reptiles, and even small mammals. Known for its bold hunting style, this tiny owl often tackles prey larger than itself!

Common in lowland forests and semi-open areas, the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl is currently listed as Least Concern. However, habitat loss from deforestation remains a growing threat.

03/01/2025

Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)
This little warbler visits our garden daily in Antigua Guatemala. However, we noticed fewer birds this year than during the previous migratory season.

13/12/2024

🌿✨ Neotropical Migration - Rose-breasted Grosbeak ✨🌿

The Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) enjoys the golden richness of the Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica). 🍃🍑 This seasonal feast of fruits, flowers, and insects aligns perfectly with the rhythm of neotropical migration, showing the wisdom of nature's timing. 🐦🌸

12/12/2024

🌿 Majestic Encounter with the Garnet-throated Hummingbird🌿

Nature blessed us with a stunning encounter with the Garnet-throated Hummingbird (Lamprolaima rhami). This vibrant jewel of the forest graced us with its presence and delighted our photography group, perching perfectly under the golden light.

11/12/2024

🌿✨ Birdwatching Guatemala 🌟

Discover the vibrant birdlife of Guatemala's highlands on our Antigua Birding Walk! 🐦. From majestic hummingbirds to unique species of the region, it's the perfect introduction to this natural paradise.

Here's a stunning Rivoli's Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) that made our day extra special with its cooperative charm. 🕊️ Whether you're a seasoned birder or just starting, this walk promises unforgettable moments with nature.

📍 Antigua, Guatemala

📅 Join us for your birdwatching adventure today!

10/12/2024

🌿 Feathered Friends in Antigua 🌿
Our garden in La Antigua Guatemala has been graced by two cute visitors today: the Grace's Warbler (Setophaga graciae) and the Hermit Warbler (Setophaga occidentalis)! 🐦✨

09/12/2024

Yellow-olive Flatbill (Tolmomyias sulphurescens)
The Yellow-olive Flatbill, a member of the Tyrannidae family, is widely distributed across regions from southern Mexico to northeastern Argentina. This particular specimen was observed in the Maya Lowlands of Guatemala.

07/12/2024

Posted • Birdwatching Mexico by Birding Expeditions

We enjoyed encountering various vibrant and fascinating bird species during our recent Yucatán- Quintana Roo Birding Expedition. Among them was the White-eyed Vireo—a migratory songbird from southeastern North America.

What made this experience even more special was the abundance of this species, which we observed in nearly all our locations. This is an encouraging sign of the population's health and a testament to this region's rich biodiversity.

24/11/2024

These delightful small birds, Bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus), frequently visit me on the slopes of the majestic Agua Volcano in Antigua Guatemala. Always traveling in a group, they perform a fascinating task—cleaning the bugs off the rose bushes and other plants. 🐦🌹🌿

12/11/2024

Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) by Birdwatching Guatemala

Known for its striking crest and commanding presence, the Lineated Woodpecker is a true gem of the Americas. Found in lush forested areas across the continent, this species showcases the unique biodiversity that Guatemala has to offer.

02/11/2024

How to Support Local Wildlife with a Garden for Birds and Butterflies

👉https://guatemalatravel.blog/support-wildlife-garden-birds-butterflies/

29/10/2024

This article explores Guatemala's unique bird species, focusing on the conservation and evolution of Goldman's Warbler, a highland songbird found only in this region.

Guatemala is home to a unique array of bird species, playing a crucial role in Central America's rich biodiversity. Among its most distinctive avian inhabitants is Goldman's Warbler (Setophaga goldmani), a highland songbird found only in this region.

28/10/2024

📸 Spotted on Our Antigua Birding Walk!

The stunning Black-vented Oriole (Icterus wagleri), native to open woodlands and scrublands from western Mexico to Nicaragua, appeared quietly to be photographed! These beautiful birds thrive from sea level to 2,500m in Middle America, gracing us with their vibrant colors. The Birdwatching Guatemala team captured this sighting during our unforgettable Antigua Birding Walk.