The Guianan Shield Endemics!

Today is planned as arrival day. Flights to Georgetown, Guyana, usually arrive after dark at Cheddi Jagan International Airport, located 25 miles south of the capital city, Georgetown. You’ll be met at the airport by our local guide and driver, who will be carrying a sign that says (RON ALLICOCK BIRDING TOURS) on it. After a brief welcome at the airport, you will be transferred directly to your comfortable hotel where your room will be ready for immediate occupancy and a comfortable night’s rest. The next morning will be an early start.

Night at Georgetown Hotel. (No meals catered for on this day)

This morning we’ll leave our hotel at 5:00 AM (having downed a cup or two of caffeine to help us get started!) and heading eastward along the Atlantic coast, we’ll make a few stops to check out the mud flats for Scarlet Ibises as they set out to feed at dawn. We will continue towards the community of Mahaica where we'll take boat trip along the river. Among our targets will be Guyana’s national bird, the bizarre, primitive Hoatzin, which is found in abundance on this river system. We'll also look for a host of other species including the Rufous Crab Hawk (localized), Black-collared Hawk, Black Hawk-Eagle, Long-winged Harrier, Barred Antshrike, Silvered Antbird, Striped Cuckoo, Little Cuckoo, Green-tailed Jacamar, Golden-spangled Piculet, Mangrove Rail, and Mangrove Cuckoo.

Depending on the level of the river, we may be able to check the shoreline for birds such as Scarlet Ibis, Least, Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers, Whimbrel, Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers, Short-billed Dowitcher, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Little Blue Heron, Magnificent Frigatebird, Royal, Gull-billed and Least Terns, and Brown Pelican.

After lunch in Georgetown, we'll visit the Georgetown Botanical Gardens, an area of parkland with open grass, scattered trees, bushes and several ponds and wet areas. Here we will target several special birds including Blood-colored Woodpecker, White-bellied Piculet, the gorgeous Spotted Tody-Flycatcher, Rusty-margined Flycatcher, Southern Beardless and Yellow Tyrannulets, Lesser Kiskadee, Black-capped Donacobius, Yellow Oriole, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Wing-barred Seedeater, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Black-collared Hawk, and plenty of Snail Kites.

In the tree tops, we'll hope to see Red-shouldered Macaw, Orange-winged, Yellow-crowned and Mealy Amazons, and, with luck, the Festive Amazon, a species in serious decline due to the illegal pet trade. If the trees are flowering, we'll search for hummingbirds such as Black-throated Mango and White-chested Emerald and Plain-bellied Emeralds.

Night at Georgetown Hotel. (B, L, D)

After breakfast at our hotel, we will take a chartered flight over unspoilt pristine forest to Kaieteur Falls, the world’s highest free-falling waterfall. Though Venezuela’s Angel Falls is greater in total height, its filamentous drop occurs by stages, whereas Kaieteur is a single massive, thundering cascade 100 meters wide, created as the Potaro River makes a sheer drop of 228 meters, nearly five times the height of Niagara Falls. The spectacle is even more impressive for its remoteness. It is altogether possible that we’ll be the only persons viewing it. Here, we will hope to find White chinned and White-tipped Swifts swirling over the gorge, and perhaps we’ll be lucky enough to have our first sighting of the astonishingly colorful Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock and see an Orange breasted Falcon as it hunts for its favorite prey, the swifts We should also be able to find the rare and endemic Golden Tree Frog that lives in water held in the leaves of giant bromeliad plants. Our flight departure time is dependent on the weather conditions. There will be plenty of bottled water, soda drinks, sandwiches, nuts, and crackers for lunch. Weather willing, after a 2-hour stop at the falls, our flight will continue to Fairview Village where we'll be transferred to Iwokrama River Lodge in the heart of Guyana’s beautiful rainforest. Arriving at the lodge by 3 pm, we'll settle into our accommodations prior to a boating excursion on the Essequibo River before dark. This impressive surrounding forest protects a unique ecosystem in the heart of the Guianan shield where Amazonian and Guianan flora and fauna form one of the highest species biodiversities in the world. Our comfortable lodge has modern cabins each with balconies that overlook the beautiful Essequibo River. There will be plenty to look at with Pied Lapwings, Black-collared and White-winged Swallows over the river, and a host of species in the surrounding forest edges. With luck we may come across Spotted Antpitta, Rufous-capped Antthrush, Ringed and Waved Woodpeckers, Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireo, Helmeted Pygmy-Tyrant, Black-necked and Green Aracaris, Guianan Toucanet and possibly Red-rumped Agouti or a family of Red Howler Monkeys. Overnight at Iwokrama River Lodge. (B, L, D)

Don’t be surprised if you are awakened by the dawn calls of Spectacled Owl or Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon. Afterward, we will bird the trails around the lodge and visit a nearby Capuchinbird lek. To see and hear these strange birds displaying is a truly unique experience. We have had the pleasure of this experience on previous trips. We'll be up early birding the trails and then taking a boat trip on the Essequibo River. Turtle Mountain will be our objective where we will explore the main trail, visit Turtle Pond, and climb to an elevation of about 900 feet for a spectacular view of the forest canopy below. The trail to Turtle Mountain winds its way through beautiful primary forest where Red-and-black Grosbeak, Golden-sided Euphonia, Orange-breasted Falcon, Blue-and yellow and Scarlet Macaws, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Cream-colored Woodpecker, Yellow-billed Jacamar, Tiny Tyrant-Manakin, Cinnamon Attila, Black-chinned Antbird, Amazonian Antshrike, Ferruginous Antbird, Sunbittern and possibly Brown-bearded Saki Monkey can all be found.

The trail up the mountain is physically challenging but if you are up for the challenge, it has hand rails which was put there to help you walk at your own pace. The view from the top is indeed breathtaking – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to enjoy nature at its best. We may see a fly-by King Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Short-tailed Hawk or Red-and-green Macaw, while mammals here include Red Howler Monkey and Black Spider Monkey. We'll return to River Lodge for lunch and in the afternoon, go birding in the environs of the lodge. Depending on how active the area is, we can go for a walk on one of the nearby forest trails to pick up on some Antbird species we may have missed. However, the ideal thing would be to find a swarm of army ants leading us to a Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo, a Spotted Antpitta, or a Red-billed Woodcreeper, which are all possible in the area.

Night at Iwokrama River Lodge. (B, L, D)

This morning, departing River Lodge after an early breakfast, we'll bird on the road along the way to Atta Lodge. Some forest birds are very elusive and hard to see, including Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo, Dusky-throated Antshrike, Chestnut-rumped and Plain-brown Woodcreepers, Brown-bellied, Gray and White-flanked Antwrens, Cinereous Antshrike, Channel-billed Toucan, and Yellow-throated Woodpecker. By chance, we may even find an Amazonian Pygmy-Owl. This is a very productive road, as you will see, and the birding simply spectacular. In the stunted white-sand forest known as Mori Scrub we'll look for Black Manakin, Rufous-crowned Elaenia, Cinnamon Attila, and nearby we will search for Rufous Night and Blackish Nightjars. This will also be a fantastic opportunity to spot the magnificent Jaguar, but obviously a lot of luck will be involved. From open areas we can check tree tops for the amazing Red-fan Parrot, Dusky Parrot, Red-and green Macaw, Caica Parrot and possibly Blue-cheeked Amazon, and Painted and Golden-winged Parakeets. Forest edges may reveal Lineated, Waved, Yellow-tufted, Golden-collared and Cream-colored Woodpeckers, Green-tailed and Paradise Jacamars, Rufous-rumped Foliage-Gleaner, Guianan Shiffornis, Gray-winged Trumpeters, Black Curassow, and, with good fortune, the stunning Guianan Red Cotinga or the even more stunning Crimson Topaz, which comes out and fly catches in the early morning and evening. We Plan to arrive at Atta Rainforest Lodge in time for lunch. During the afternoon and into the evening, we will walk forest trails where an optional night walk into the forest will target the much sought-after White-winged Potoo.

Night at Atta Rainforest Lodge. (B, L, D).

To spend the night at Atta Rainforest Lodge is to spend the night surrounded by pure nature with only the sounds of the forest. At dawn, we will visit the canopy walkway to look for passing flocks of canopy-dwelling species. Time will be spent looking for Todd’s Antwren, Spot-tailed Antwren, Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant, Guianan Toucanet, Green Aracari, Painted Parakeet, Screaming Piha, Black-headed Parrot, Guianan Puffbird, Dusky Purpletuft, Paradise Tanager, Opal-rumped Tanager, Golden-sided Euphonia, Purple and Green Honeycreepers, Black-faced Dacnis and Black Nunbird. This entire morning will involve birding on the canopy walkway and the trails around the lodge. This wonderful area is famed for its variety of colorful cotingas and if we can locate a few fruiting trees we will be in for an avian spectacle with possibilities of Pompadour, Purple-breasted, and Guianan Red Cotingas, as well as White Bellbird and the outrageous Crimson Fruitcrow. Within the forest that surrounds the lodge, we'll look for Red-legged and Variegated Tinamous, Gray-winged Trumpeter, Cayenne Jay, Amazonian Barred Woodcreeper, Red-billed Woodcreeper, Helmeted Pygmy-Tyrant, Ferruginous-backed Antbird, Waved, Chestnut and Red-necked Woodpeckers, as well as Black Spider Monkey and White-faced Saki Monkey.

After lunch, we will spend the afternoon birding on the main road through the Iwokrama Forest. We can try again for Black Manakin and Rufous-crowned Elaenia as well as Blue-backed Tanager, Swallow-winged Puffbird, Black-chinned, Scale-backed and Gray Antbirds, Guianan Streaked Antwren, Amazonian and Mouse-colored Antshrikes, Reddish Hermit, Tiny Tyrant-Manakin, Rose breasted Chat, Black and Red-throated Caracaras, Guianan Trogon, Golden-winged Parakeet and Yellow-green Grosbeak. While birding along the road, we will also keep watch for the elusive Jaguar and Tapir, which are often seen at dawn and dusk.

Late evening, on our way back to Atta Lodge, we'll use a spotlight to do some night birding, mainly looking for owls and potoos. Beside a small wetland we could find, Sunbittern, Green and Rufous Kingfisher, American Pygmy Kingfisher and the Crimson Topaz. This is a great place to look for potoos, but it must be stressed these birds can be very hard to find. Nevertheless, there are possibilities for White-winged, Rufous, Great, Common, and Long-tailed Potoos, plus Spectacled and Crested Owls.

Night at Atta Rainforest Lodge. (B, L, D)

Today will be dedicated to seeing the Harpy Eagle at its nesting site. A 30-minute drive from Surama Eco-Lodge will bring us to the Harpy Eagle nature trail. We'll walk for an hour on a flat trail through virgin rainforest and hope to see the Harpies at their nest. If they are not there, we will wait for them to return from hunting. On past trips, we have witnessed the adults bringing in their prey including monkeys, sloths, iguanas, macaws, and the Red-Rumped Agouti. We'll have lunch back at the lodge. Then in the late afternoon, we'll do a final walk on the forest trails around the eco-lodge where there are excellent opportunities for birding. Swarms of army ants may be encountered patrolling the forest floor in search of prey. Species that can be found here include Capuchinbird, Red-legged Tinamou, Black-spotted Barbet, Green Aracari, Black-necked Aracari, Guianan Toucanet, Green-backed Trogon, Marail Guan, Red-throated Fruitcrow, Golden-collared Woodpecker, Spotted Puffbird, Yellow-throated Flycatcher, Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner, Amazonian Barred Woodcreeper, Black-banded Woodcreeper, Olivaceous Woodcreeper, Chestnut-rumped Woodcreeper, Eastern Slaty Antshrike, Tiny Tyrant-Manakin, Golden-headed Manakin, Rufous-throated Antbird, White-plumed Antbird, Scale-backed Antbird, Spotted Antpitta, and even Crimson Fruitcrow and Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo.

Night at Surama Eco-Lodge. (B, L, D)

Today, our journey will take us across the Northern Rupununi Savannah. The road we'll follow skirts numerous gallery forests and wetlands offering great views of a variety of herons, ducks, Jabiru, possibly Pinnated Bittern, Great-billed Seed-Finch, Bicolored Wren, Gray Seedeater, Grassland Yellow-Finch, Yellowish Pipit, White-fringed Antwren, Crested Bobwhite, Green-rumped Parrotlet, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, the colorful Orange-backed Troupial, and the agile Aplomado Falcon. We may even encounter a Giant Anteater if we are lucky. In the afternoon, we will bird the local forest and some ponds where we'll hope to see Sunbittern, Azure Gallinule, White-faced Whistling-Duck, White-headed Marsh Tyrant, White-browed Antbird, Buff–breasted Wren, Pale tipped Inezia, Blue-backed Manakin, Striped Woodcreeper and maybe Undulated Tinamou. An evening excursion to the open grasslands as the sun sets should see the end of a magical day with White-tailed Nightjar, Spot-tailed Nightjar, Nacunda, Least and Lesser Nighthawks.

Night at Caiman House Lodge. (B, L, D)

This morning, we will start with a cup of Brazilian-style coffee before heading out into the Rupununi Savannah by 4x4. As we move across the savannah, we'll scan the vast wetland areas for the sought-after Bearded Tachuri plus Sharp-tailed Ibis, Yellowish Pipit, Pinnated Bittern, Brazilian Teal, White-tailed Goldenthroat, Vermilion Flycatcher, Bicolored Wren, Double-striped Thick-knee, Burrowing Owl and Maguari Stork. We'll also check an area where the rare and localized Crested Doradito was recently discovered. This is also our best chance to see the remarkable Giant Anteater in habitat that is perfect for it and Savanna Fox.

In the afternoon, we'll have an opportunity to do a boating trip on the Rupununi River. Depending on the water lever, we will visit an oxbow lake and focus on seeing the rare Lesser Razor-billed Curassow, our best chances of seeing this bird is along the river banks as they come to drink water in the afternoon. We are also likely to find Green-and-rufous and Amazon Kingfishers, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Agami and Capped Herons, Sungrebe, Sunbittern, Pied Lapwing, Boat-billed Heron, Common Potoo, Band-tailed Nighthawk, Bare-necked Fruitcrow and Spot-breasted Woodpecker. In addition, we may be lucky enough to see Giant River Otter, Capybara, Black Caiman, Spectacle Caiman and many species of monkeys and even the occasional Emerald Tree Boa and Amazonian Tree Boa as they come out to feed just as it gets dark. Our sunset expedition wraps up with a delicious and hearty dinner back at the Caiman House Lodge.

Night at Caiman House Lodge. (B, L, D)

Today moving on we head for Karassabai Village, a distant border village perched between the northern Rupununi Savannah and Pakaraima Mountains along the Brazilian border. Here is where we are delighted to have a rare opportunity to see the highly endangered Sun Parakeet. In the early 1990’s, this species was on the brink of extinction due to extreme pressures from the pet trade until local villages took aggressive action to rehabilitate the population. A mere 7 individuals who remained at the time have struggled to regain their previous numbers, but signs are hopeful and current population counts suggest at least 300 birds are thriving in the area today. Karassabai is well off the standard tourist track, offering a government guest house with adequate but sparse accommodations for our group. Nonetheless, local hospitality reigns and when not on the trail looking for the sun parakeet we’ll have a great opportunity to meet and interact with an Amerindian community that sees very few tourists and is eager to share their stories and learn about a world outside their own and maybe offer to show them birds through a scope. We will see plenty of other species during the day but our main focus will be on finding and seeing this gorgeous parakeet. After seeing the Sun Parakeets we will enjoy an delightful lunch before departing Karassabai in the afternoon and continue to Manari Ranch near the town of Lethem.

Night at Manari Ranch (B, L, D)

Today we leave the lodge very early at 3:00am in our 4x4’s. Roughly 90km southeast of Lethem the drive will take us about six hours depending on what we see along the way. The road is actually a traffic-less sand track meandering across the hilly savannahs with ample opportunities for spontaneous bird watching stops. We can scan numerous wetland areas for Maguari Stork, Brazilian Teal, White-tailed Hawk and Double-striped thick-knee, plus Bearded Tachuri. Along the way we pass the Amerindian communities of St. Ignatius and Shulinab where the traditional homes and lifestyles of Amerindian Guyana are on display and remind us just how far we’ve come. We will meet one of our local guides who have been studying the rare and localized Red Siskin a bird only discovered in Guyana in 2000.

The Red Siskin, Pale-bellied Tyrant Manakin and Sharp-tailed Ibis are much sought after species by birders so our efforts will be concentrated on seeing these special birds, although many other species will be seen on our quest. In the surrounding areas we could find Little Chachalaca, Black collared Hawk, Amazonian Scrub Flycatcher, Plain-crested Elaenia, Pale-tipped Inezia, Brown crested Flycatcher, White-naped Xenopsaris, Burnished Buff Tanager, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, Tropical Gnatcatcher, Glittering-throated Emerald, Ashy-headed Greenlet, Hooded Tanager, Vermilion Flycatcher and Flavescent Warbler. We will enjoy a delightful lunch at Dadanawa Ranch before making our way back across the savannah to Manari Ranch.

Night at Manari (B, L, D)

Another early morning start will have us leave our delightful base where we have access to the dry scrub and savannah alongside the Takatu and Iring Rivers. Once again, our 4x4’s will come into play as we have to get to an area where two highly restricted and poorly known species occur, namely the Hoary-throated Spinetail, and Rio Branco Antbird. These two birds will be our main focus and once we have succeeded in finding them we will spend the remainder of the morning searching areas of wetlands as well as the dry desert for a variety of species such as Pinnated Bittern, Black bellied Whistling Duck, Masked Duck, Maguari Stork, Double-striped Thick-knee, South American Snipe, Pied-billed and Least Grebe, Crested Bobwhite, Pearl Kite, White-tailed Kite, Savanna Hawk, Aplomado Falcons, Brown-throated Parakeet, Red-bellied Macaw, Pale-legged Hornero, Fork tailed Palm Swift, Sooty-capped Hermit, White-tailed Goldenthroat, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, White-bellied Piculet, Black-crested and Barred Antshrikes, , Mouse-coloured Tyrannulet, Yellow-olive and Ochre-lored Flatbills, Vermilion, Short-crested and Fork-tailed Flycatchers, Yellowish Pipit and Orange-backed Troupial. With two exceptionally rare birds under our belts we will return to our lodge for lunch. After lunch we will head to the Lethem Airport to board our departing schedule flight.

Night at Georgetown Hotel (B, L, D)

Today, we will arrange for you to be transferred to the airport in good time for your check in time and departing flight. Please check on your flight schedule before departing for the airport.