TOURS – INTERNATIONAL

International Tour General Information

Reservation Deposits

10% deposit is required to reserve your space.

50% is due 120 days prior to start of tour.

100% is due 90 days prior to start of tour.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT IS $500.00 UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE

Refunds and Cancellations

100% Refund 120 or more prior to start of tour.

50% Refund of total tour cost 90-119 days prior to start of tour*

25% Refund of total tour cost 60-89 days prior to start of tour*

*If total cost for tour has not been paid in full refund may not be applicable

NO REFUNDS LESS THAN  60 DAYS PRIOR TO START OF TOUR UNLESS SPOT CAN BE FILLED IN WHICH A 25% REFUND WILL BE ISSUED.

Trips DO NOT include airfare, food, drinks, tips, or other expenses not specifically mentioned in the tour description.

CDC and Local Guidelines for Covid-19 will be followed.

Join Archaeopteryx Birding and Nature Tours on a birding adventure in tropical Belize this March. Find out why Belize is one of our favorite countries to visit! We’ll have the possibility of viewing 200+ birds in the country during the time of year of our visit. From the abundant Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds and Blue-Gray Tanagers to the more rare Keel-billed Toucans (the national bird) and Ornate Hawk-Eagles, Belize is nothing short of a birder’s and nature-lover’s paradise. Fly into Belize City March 3rd and we’ll pick you up and take you to our lodging for the week. Here is a breakdown of our tentative daily itinerary from March 3rd- March 10th, 2023 and a list of the more common species we will most likely see during the week:

March 3rd: Arrive in Belize City and drive out to our hotel in Belmopan or the San Ignacio area. Try to arrive between 11am and 2pm if possible. We’ll do some evening birding around the property of the hotel.

March 4th: Explore Elijio Panti NP- Red-legged Honeycreeper, White-crowned Parrot, Mealy Parrot, Vaux’s Swift, Olive-backed Euphonia, Red-billed Pigeon, White-tipped Dove, Red-lored Parrot, Olive-throated Parakeet, Yellow-throated Euphonia, Montezuma Oropendola, Blue-black Grassquit, Yucatan Poorwill, Mottled Owl, Collared Trogon, Keel-billed Toucan, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Melodious Blackbird, Red-throated Ant-Tanager, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Buff-throated Saltator, Spot-breasted Wren

March 5th: A visit to the Chaa Creek area- Great-tailed Grackle, Black-headed Trogon, Brown Jay, Northern Jacana, Collared Aracari, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Clay-colored Thrush, Plain Chachalaca, Ruddy Ground-Dove, Grove-billed Ani, Black-crowned Tityra, Lesser Greenlet, Gray-headed Tanager, Dusky-capped Flycatcher

March 6th: Green Hills Butterfly Ranch- White-collared Swift, White-necked Jacobin, Common Nighthawk, Black-headed Saltator, Oscillated Turkey, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Great Kiskadee, Yellow-green Vireo, Crimson-collared Tanager, Yellow-winged Tanager

March 7th: Belize Botanical Gardens- Thick-billed Seed-Finch, Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Mangrove Swallow, Band-backed Wren, Ivory-billed Woodcreeper

March 8th: Crooked Tree Village, Beck’s Bed & Breakfast- Swallow-tailed Kite, Plain-breasted Ground-Dove, Pale-vented Pigeon, Common Pauraue, Russet-naped Wood-Rail, Roadside Hawk, Brown Jay

March 9th: Breakfast and early morning birding around the lodge and zoo areas. Belize Zoo- Black-throated Bobwhite, Grace’s Warbler, Lesser Nighthawk, Rufous-breasted Spinetail, Black-cowled Oriole, Scarlet-rumped Tanager, Golden-hooded Tanager, Little Tinamou, Boat-billed Heron, Green Jay, and Morelet’s Seedeater. Try and locate any birds that were missed within a short drive of Belize City.

March 10th: Early morning birding and then flights home

The price for this tour will be $1,740 per person, double occupancy. This price includes all entry fees to parks, transportation, lodging, professional birding guides, and shared ebird checklists daily. The price does not include meals. Minimum 2 persons for this tour to take place. Please sign up no later than December 2nd, 2022. Full payments are due by this date. Please email us at archaeopteryxtours@gmail.com or call 609-553-0757 for more information, or to sign up for this tour. We look forward to hearing from you!

Join Archaeopteryx Birding & Nature Tours as we explore the pacific slope, cloud forest, and mangrove wetlands of Costa Rica. We’ll be staying 3 nights in the Pacific lowlands at Playa Hermosa, Puntarenas, 2 nights in the cloud forest of the Quetzal Valley, and 2 nights in Vara Blanca, Alajuela. Our accommodations will be natural, but comfortable ecolodges off the beaten path of most tourism. Here is the tentative itinerary for the tour:

3/18- Arrive in San Jose and travel to Playa Hermosa that evening. We’ll have dinner and light birding around the property of our lodge and begin birding early the next morning

3/19- Calle Conga Hill. Here we will be looking for Scarlet Macaws, Fiery-billed Aracari, Great Kiskadee, Streaked Flycatcher, Tropical Kingbird, Montezuma Oropendola, Lesson’s and Turquoise-browed Motmot, Palm Tanager, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Inca Dove, Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Black-striped Sparrow, Bright-rumped Attila, Yellow-crowned Euphonia, Gray-headed Chachalaca, and Masked Tityra

3/20- Jaco Mamedales Quebrada Bonita Wetlands- Red-breasted Meadowlark, Grayish Saltator, Variable Seedeater, Morlet’s Seedeater, Scarlett-rumped Tanager, Blue-black Grassquit, Thick-billed Seed-finch, Common Black Hawk, Northern Jacana, Scissor-tailed, Willow, and Social Flycatchers, Green-breasted Mango, Southern Lapwing, Brown Jay, Rose-throated Becard, Gartered Trogon, Boat-billed Heron, Blue-gray Tanager, Rufous-naped Wren, Crested Guan, Amazon and American Pygmy Kingfishers, Crimson-fronted Parakeet, and Mangrove Swallow

3/21- Mangrove boat tour- Green and Ringed Kingfishers, Yellow-headed Caracara, Yellow-naped Parrot, Mangrove subspecies of the Yellow Warbler, Mangrove Vireo, Double-striped Thick-knee, Lesser Nighthawk, Collared Plover, Ruddy Ground Dove, Hoffman’s Woodpecker, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Common Tody-Flycatcher, Squirrel Cuckoo, Black-headed Trogon, White-fronted Parrot, Orange-fronted Parakeet, Rufous-browed Peppershrike, and Neotropic Cormorant

3/22- Batsu Gardens for Volcano Hummingbird, Northern Emerald-Toucanet, Spotted Wood-Quail, White-throated Mountain-Gem, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Lesser Violetear, Flame-colored Tanager, Sooty-capped Chlorospingus, Silver-throated Tanager, Large-footed Finch, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, Ruddy-capped Nightingale-Thrush, Collared Redstart, and Talamanca Hummingbird

3/23- Spend the morning looking for the Resplendent Quetzal if we didn’t get to see him the morning before. We might also find Black Guan, Torrent Tyrannulet, Sulphur-winged Parakeet, Yellow-thighed Brushfinch, or Mountain Thrush. Then we’ll drive to Alejela province and check into Tiquicia Lodge

3/24- La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Bananaquit, Brown-headed Parrot, Green-crowned Brilliant, Black-bellied, Scintillant, and Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Violet Sabrewing, Common Chlorospingus, Chestnut-capped Brushfinch, Sooty-faced Finch, Melodious Blackbird, and Slate-throated Redstart.

3/25- Birding from the Mirador Cinchona cafe. We’ll have breakfast and beverages with the birds before our flights home. This area is known for the Prong-billed and Red-headed Barbets, as well as Green Honeycreeper, Buff-throated Saltator, and Crimson-collared Tanager. Flights home should be scheduled no earlier than noon to provide time to drive to the airport

The cost for this tour will be $2775.00 per person shared occupancy with a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5 participants. Meals are included for the first 3 days of the tour and then breakfasts for the remainder of the tour.
5% DISCOUNT FOR TOURS PAID IN FULL 120 DAYS PRIOR TO TOUR
10% deposit is required to reserve your space. $70 of this deposit is not refundable, as we need to book your space on the mangrove boat tour
Trip DOES NOT include airfare, food, drinks, tips, or other expenses not specifically mentioned in the tour description. The cost DOES include all park entry fees, professional birding guide, shared checklists, all transportation costs, and water & snacks. Please message us directly through Facebook, or call +1-609-553-0757 to book this tour with us, or to request additional information

DAY 1: ARRIVAL – NAIROBI, KENYA
We shall arrive via the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. We shall then head to our hotel in Nairobi, where we shall check in. Night in Nairobi.

DAY 2 AND 3: LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK
We shall continue to the beautiful Lake Nakuru National Park. The park is known for the mighty Lake Nakuru, a soda lake at the heart of the great ecosystem. This park is great for Black Rhinos and White Rhinos. Enjoy the large herds of herbivores, especially the local Cape Buffaloes, Thomson’s Gazelles, Grant’s Gazelles, Defassa Waterbuck, Rothschild’s Giraffes, Common Impalas, among many others. The local birds make the park special too, and it is often referred as the birdwatcher’s paradise. Birds include Lesser Flamingo, Greater Flamingo and Great White Pelican. Nights in Nakuru.

DAY 4, 5 AND 6: MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE
We shall then head to the beautiful and expansive Masai Mara National Reserve. This great savannah is part of the magical Serengeti ecosystem. Here we shall enjoy searching for members of the African Big 5 – Cape Buffalo, Black Rhino, Leopard, African Lion and African Elephant. Other mammals here include Topi, Thomson’s Gazelle, Maasai Giraffe, Common Hippo, Common Eland and Cheetah. Birds here include Secretarybird, Kori Bustard, Martial Eagle and Southern Ground Hornbill. Nights in Mara.

DAY 7: MASAI MARA TO NAIROBI
On this day, we shall enjoy a short morning game drive in the reserve. We shall then head to Nairobi. Later, we get to the airport; marking the end to our great Safari.

The price for this tour will be $4,355 per person. This price includes transportation around the country, hotels, meals, entrance fees to parks, safari vehicles, water and daily ebird checklists. It does not include your airfare to Nairobi, drinks, or tips.

This 7 Day Kruger National Park Birding safari is a once in a lifetime experience, where you can enjoy some of the
best birding in Southern Africa. We will be staying in the greater Skukuza area, which is a gateway to different
habitats and results in fantastic birding.
The big game viewing in Kruger rival that of any reserve in Africa with large African Elephant, African Buffalo and Lion populations being relatively easily seen. Due to its massive size and incredible biodiversity, Kruger National Park supports a unique combination of wilderness areas and varied habitats. For the birder, the high diversity and density of bird species is a great attraction.

October 10th: Arrival and Departure to Kruger National Park
Day Itinerary
Welcome to South Africa! Depending on your arrival time at OR Tambo International Airport we will drive to the
Kruger National Park area, where we will be staying for 6 nights. Our home for the next six nights is located in the area of the park’s headquarters – Skukuza. The habitat this lodge is situated in comprises riparian zones, with large trees lining the riverbanks, and Sabie River thickets away from the
river courses. The permanent water source here attracts large numbers of Impala, one of the main prey items of
Leopard, and we will be on the lookout for these and other predators such as Lion, African Wild Dog and Spotted
Hyaena. After arrival we will freshen up and do our first birding drive of the tour. We will return to our lodge for dinner.

October 11th-16th: Kruger National Park Day Itinerary
Using the Skukuza Area as a base gives us the opportunity to explore various habitats. Over the next 6 days we will
be exploring the following areas depending on your target list and interests:
SKUKUZA AND LOWER SABIE AREAS:
Skukuza is the park’s headquarters and its largest camp, and the campgrounds are well foliaged, with some lofty
trees along the river’s edge. Facilities are diverse, as are the animals and plants found both within the camp and in the surrounding areas. The camp is a great place to spot the dove-sized Wahlberg’s Epauletted Fruit Bat and the very cute South African Thick-tailed Galago. Birds like Crowned Hornbill, Grey-headed Bushshrike and African Green Pigeon are regularly seen in the camp. A few kilometers to the west of Skukuza, on the Paul Kruger Gate road, is the famous Lake Panic Bird Hide. This can be a very rewarding site, with Malachite Kingfisher, Green-backed Heron, Wire-tailed Swallow, Greater Painted Snipe, Spur-winged Goose, White-faced Whistling Duck, Black Crake and Thick-billed Weaver among the many species providing photographic opportunities.
The plant nursery at Skukuza attracts a variety of birds and here we will look for Marico and Collared Sunbird, while
the nearby golf course has had its fair share of rarities, including River Warbler and Buff-spotted Flufftail! The tall
riverine woodland along the Sabie and Sand rivers is one of the best places in South Africa to search for the rare
Thick-billed Cuckoo during the summer months. Driving south to Onder-Sabie the birds we will be looking for in this area of the park include Terrestrial Brownbul, Bearded Scrub Robin, Green-backed Camaroptera, Kurrichane Thrush, Grey Tit-flycatcher, Black-headed Oriole, Brubru, Retz’s Helmetshrike, Marico, Collared and White-bellied Sunbird, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Southern Black Tit, Pied and Giant Kingfisher, Red-billed and African Firefinch, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Cardinal and Bearded Woodpecker, Coqui Francolin, Brown-crowned and Black-crowned Tchagra, Burnt-necked and Yellow-bellied Eremomela and many
others.
SATARA AREA:
Driving north to Satara, we will focus on areas of open grassland, waterholes and broad-leaved woodland hosting
species such as African Cuckoo-hawk, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Green-capped Eremomela, Bennett’s Woodpecker
and even Bushveld Pipit. The damp depressions around streams sometimes yield Black Coucal and in season after
good rainfall, the odd Corn Crake. This area is particularly good for the elusive Black Rhinoceros and Lichtenstein’s
subspecies of Hartebeest, along with all the usual fantastic and numerous Kruger mammals. The area around Satara hosts species like Common Ostrich, Kori Bustard, Southern Ground Hornbill, Secretarybird, Sabota Lark, Chestnut-backed Sparrow-lark, Lesser Grey Shrike, Montagu’s and Pallid Harrier, Red-billed Quelea, Burchell’s Starling, Bennett’s Woodpecker and many more.
BERG AND DAL AREA:
Some of the species we will search in this area include Grey Penduline Tit, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Groundscraper Thrush, Red-headed Weaver, Mocking Cliff Chat, Croaking and Lazy Cisticola, Lizard Buzzard, Bushveld Pipit, Flappet Lark, Pallid Flycatcher, Striped Kingfisher, Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow and many more.

The scenery in the area closer to Berg-en-Dal is characterised by beautiful rocky outcrops and small hills, so it’s a
hotspot for Leopard! It also makes for some fantastic photographic opportunities. The area hosts high numbers of White Rhinoceros, Greater Kudu, Impala, Giraffe, some African Elephant, Southern Reedbuck, Klipspringer, Grey Rhebok and Common Warthog. Large packs of African Wild Dog are also regularly seen in the region.
PRETORIUSKOP AREA:
Pretoriuskop Camp is situated in the region of the Park that receives the highest rainfall and is dominated by a veld type known as Pretoriuskop Sourveld. The tall, coarse grasses growing here are not too palatable, so the area does not hold large numbers of grazers, though it is particularly good for White Rhinoceros and the rare and beautiful Sable antelope. It is immediately apparent to any visitor that Pretoriuskop is a unique camp, as brilliant red Common Coral trees adorn the camp, pre-dating the decision to make exclusive use of indigenous plants in laying out rest camp gardens. Nostalgia prompted an exception to the rule for Pretoriuskop, the Kruger’s oldest rest camp, and exotic flowering plants were allowed to stay, enhancing the strong sense of the past that is so pervasive. Birds we will be searching for in the surrounding grassland savannah area include Dark Chanting Goshawk, African Cuckoo-Hawk, Bushveld Pipit, Yellow-throated Petronia, Pale Flycatcher, Retz’s and White-crested Helmetshrikes, Red-billed Firefinch, Golden-breasted Bunting, Grey Penduline Tit, Neddicky, Green-capped and Yellow-bellied Eremomelas, among others. The impressive granite dome known as “Shabeni Hill” is not far from the camp; here we will look for Lizard Buzzard, Shikra, Little Sparrowhawk and the rare Ovambo Sparrowhawk. The dense thickets at the base of the dome are good for Southern Boubou, Red-throated Wryneck, Amethyst Sunbird, Striped Pipit, Brown-crowned Tchagra and Mocking Cliff Chat, as well as the more easily heard than seen Gorgeous and Grey-headed Bushshrike. There are several camp specials around the pool area and we will take a walk there and look for Brown-headed Parrot, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Black-headed Oriole, Common Scimitarbill, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Black-collared Barbet, Violet-backed Starling, Black-backed Puffback, Red-headed Weaver, Blue Waxbill and Arrow-marked Babbler.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES:
From our lodge we might have an opportunity to do a night drive. On this drive you may encounter some of the rarer nocturnal mammals such as African Civet, genets, Side-striped Jackal, the beautiful Serval, White-tailed Mongoose and even African Wildcat, along with several species of owl and nightjar. These include Spotted and Verreaux’s Eagle-owl, African Scops Owl, Southern White-faced Owl, and Square-tailed and Fiery-necked Nightjar.

October 17th: Kruger National Park to OR Tambo International Airport

Day Itinerary
Depending on your flight departure time we will make our way back to OR Tambo for your flight home.
Included: Transfer to the airport in air-conditioned vehicle

Price for this tour will be $3325 per person/double occupancy ($350 singles supplement). This price includes transportation around the country, hotels, meals, entrance fees to parks, safari vehicles, water and daily ebird checklists. It does not include your airfare to OR Tambo International Airport or tips. We’ll need 5-6 participants to be able to run this tour. Contact Archaeopteryx Tours through Facebook, or by emailing
archaeopteryxtours@gmail.com to sign up or to receive additional information.

Day 1 = Arrival in Accra Ghana. Akwaaba (Welcome to Ghana). Upon arrival, you will be met by your guides who will welcome you and transport you to a bird friend hotel for a good night rest and prepare for your 7 days long bird, wildlife and photography excursion in Ghana. Overnight at Hotel Erata. (Accra).

Day 2 = Shai Hills Reserve – Sakumono Lagoon. Your birding excursion in Ghana will kick start today in the morning with a visit to the open grassland savannah of Shai Hills, hoping to see and photograph some savannah birds and others that are associated with this site like Mocking Cliff-Chat, Stone Partridge, Blue-bellied Roller, Broad-billed Roller, Violet Turaco, Senegal Parrot, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Red-necked Buzzard, Oriole Warbler, Long-crested Eagle, Black-bellied Bustard, Temminck’s Courser, Chestnut Owlet, Red-shouldered Cuckooshrike, Whinchat, Flappet Lark, African Crake, and Ahanta Francolin just to mention few. After an incredible morning at Shai Hills, we will scan Sakumono Lagoon to add residential and migratory shorebirds to our list before we make our way to Cape Coast. Overnight at Hans Cottage Botel. (Cape Coast).

Day 3 – 4 = Kakum National Park (Canopy Walkway), Abrafo Forest – Twifo Praso.
After an early breakfast we will set off for the world-famous canopy walkway at Kakum National Park which is the leading destination for bird watching in Ghana. A wonderful world of amazing canopy species awaits you there. We hope to get there early to see the first light and record the first species that will fly out. Our day will bring out Black Dwarf Hornbill, Violet-backed Hyliota, White-crested Hornbill, Congo Serpent-Eagle, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Long-tailed Hawk, Brown-cheeked Hornbill, Red-cheeked Wattle-eye, Tit-hylia, African Piculet, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Little Green, Fire-bellied, and Buff-spotted Woodpeckers, Pin-tailed Whydah, Red-headed, Red-vented, Crested and Blue-billed Malimbe, Preuss`s and Yellow-mantled Weavers, Tambourine Dove, Blue-headed and Blue-spotted Wood-Doves, Ethiopian Swallow, Green-headed Sunbird, Lesser Striped Swallow, Green Crombec, Kemp`s and Gray Longbills, Swamp Greenbul, Western Bluebill, Copper-tailed, Long-tailed Glossy, and Chestnut-winged Starlings just to mention few of the incredible birds in this area. Overnight at Hans Cottage Botel. (Cape Coast).

Day 5 = Ankasa Forest Reserve. The key target for the day is Nkulengu Rail. We will be going all out to locate this rare species in the early morning hours. We will be searching for many Upper Guinea endemics such as Hartlaub`s Duck, White-breasted Guineafowl, Yellow-casqued Hornbill, African Finfoot, Shining-blue Kingfisher, White-bellied Kingfisher, Cassin`s Flycatcher, Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill, Olive and Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoos, Great Blue Turaco, White-throated Greenbul, Rufous-winged Illadopsis, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Shining Drongo, Forest Robin, Red-fronted Antpecker, Red-headed Quelea, Carmelite and Reichenbach`s Sunbirds, White-browed Forest-Flycatcher, Red-chested Owlet, Common Cuckoo, Gray-throated Rail, Red-thighed Sparrowhawk, Olive and Fraser`s Sunbirds, Black Cuckoo, Yellow-billed Turaco, White-tailed Alethe, Western Black-headed and Black-winged Oriole, Swamp Greenbul, Green-headed Sunbird, Golden Greenbul, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Red-fronted Parrot as well as many additional incredible species can be found here. Overnight Hotel Frenchman’s Lodge.

Day 6 = Ankasa NP – Picathartes Site – Kumasi. The big day is today. We will be visiting the White-necked Rockfowl nesting site. Please make sure that you have enough memory card. We will check out of our hotel after an early breakfast and make our way to Bonlro village where we will be targeting some key species we missed during our days at other sites or to get better views of species we just had brief views of. We will look for the famous species and pre-historic bird, the White-necked Rockfowl. It is hard to contain your excitement as these legendary prehistoric-looking birds hop and jump on the rocks whilst preening themselves just meters from your eyes giving photographers amongst you a great view. We will then continue our journey to Kumasi after we have enjoyed our target bird for the day. Overnight at Excesa Lodge. (Kumasi).

Day 7 = Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary – Tafo. Bobiri forest is one of the popular sites in Ghana where a number of birds can be seen including a huge number of
butterflies which will add more species to the tour. After early breakfast we will set off to Bobiri for some significant forest species like Narina Trogon, Gray Parrot, Long-tailed Hawk, Narrow-tailed Starling, Tit-hylia, Forest Woodhoopoe, Black Goshawk, Peregrine Falcon, Preuss`s Swallow, Compact Weaver, Simple, Plain, and Ansorge`s Greenbuls, Palm-nut and Hooded Vulture, African Harrier-Hawk, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Gray-throated Tit-Flycatcher, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, African Forest-Flycatcher, Black-headed Paradise-Flycatcher, Barn And Ethiopian Swallows, Green-headed Sunbird, African Cuckoo-Hawk, Black-throated Coucal, Little Flycatcher, Velvet-mantled Drongo, and Black-winged Oriole just to mention few. Overnight at Royal Bluemich Hotel. (Tafo).

Day 8 = Atewa Range Forest Reserve – To Accra – To the Airport. An early start as we head back into the Upper Guinea Rainforest habitat where so many of Ghana’s sought after special species are found. This morning we hope to see Tit-hylia, Green Hylia, Chestnut-winged Starling, Black-winged Oriole, Western Black-headed Oriole, Lowland Sooty Boubou, Blue-headed Crested-Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Barbet, Gray-headed and Red-tailed Bristlebills and the much sought after Yellow-footed Honeyguide, and Black-necked, Maxwell`s Black, Compact and Grosbeak Weavers, Whistling Cisticola, Black-crowned and Brown-crowned Tchagra, African Emerald Cuckoo, Klaas’s, Levaillant`s, Yellow-throated and Dideric Cuckoos, Black-headed Paradise-Flycatcher, Western Bluebill,
Dideric Cuckoo Tessmann’s Flycatcher and if we are lucky
Baumann’s Greenbul among others will be seen. After an incredible scan this day at Atewa we will then go to our hotel to shower, enjoy some meal before we find our way to the airport to say goodbye to Ghana.

The price for this tour will be $3,250 per person. This price includes transportation around the country, hotels, meals, entrance fees to parks, safari vehicles, water and daily ebird checklists. It does not include your airfare to Accra, drinks, or tips. 

Have you ever wanted to visit the site of the famous Australia Zoo, home to Steve Irwin and his family? Archaeopteryx Tours can make that dream into a reality on this one-week birding and nature adventure to the Brisbane, Queensland area. This tour is designed to get a basic introduction to the birds of the Brisbane area.

August 16th- Arrive in Brisbane no later than 2pm. We’ll pick you up from the airport and our first stop will be the Dowse Lagoon in Sandgate for our first introduction to Australian birds. At this location we should see the Australian Ibis, Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets, Pacific Black Duck, Noisyminer, Hard head, Silver Gull, Magpie Goose, Welcome Swallow, Tree and Fairy Martins, Maned Duck, Dusky Moorhen, Australasian Swamphen, Little Pied and Little Black Cormorant, Little Corella, Torresian Crow, Chestnut Teal, Australian Brushturkey, Australasian Darter, Wandering Whistling-Duck, Australasian Grebe, Tawny Frogmouth, Masked Lapwing, and Royal Spoonbill. Check into hotel for the night, have dinner, and talk about plans for the following days of the tour.

August 17th- A day at the Australian Zoo. Wild birds coming to the property include the Australasian Figbird, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Peaceful, Spotted, and Bar-shouldered Doves, White-throated Gerygone, Magpie-lark, Eastern Yellow Robin, Striated Pardalote, Golden Whistler, and the Silvereye.

August 18th- Marchant Park, Brisbane for Crested Pigeon, Brown Honeyeater, Willie-wagtail, Laughing Kookaburra, Variegated Fairywren, Rufous Whistler, Australian Magpie, Straw-necked Ibis, Brown Goshawk, Galah, Pale-headed Rosella, Gray Butcherbird, Bush Thick-knee, and the Long-billed Corella.

August 19th- Lytton Wader Roost and Wynnum Mangrove Boardwalk for the Sacred Kingfisher, Red-backed Fairywren, Gray Fantail, Rainbow Bee-eater, Australian Reed Warbler, Black Swan, Torresian Kingfisher, Yellow-faced, Blue-faced and Mangrove Honeyeaters, Mangrove Gerygone, White-faced Heron, White-browed Scrubwren, and Australian Pelican.

August 20th- Nature Reserve on Hawkesbury Road for Noisy Friarbird, Sulfur-crested Cockatoo, Rufous Fantail, Red-browed Firetail, White-throated Treecreeper, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Spangled Drongo, Olive-backed Oriole, Pied Currawong, Eastern Whipbird, Pied Butcherbird, and the Pheasant Coucal.

August 21st- Eprapah Creek via Sewage Treatment Plant for the Scarlet Myzomela. Then onto the Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve for Red-capped Plover, Pied Stilt, White-faced Heron, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, and Gray Teal.

August 22nd- Eagleby Wetlands for the Chestnut-breasted Munia, Gray Teal, Pacific Baza, White-breasted Woodswallow, Gray Shrikethrush, and Fan-tailed Cuckoo. Then Oxley Creek Common in the afternoon. Birds seen on this property include Brown Quail, Superb Fairywren, Tawny Grassbird, Black-fronted Dotterel, Australian King-Parrot, Little Lorikeet, and Striped Honeyeater.

August 23rd- Flights leaving in the morning. Drop off at the airport 7-8am for departing flights.

For advanced birders, I highly recommend a trip to the northeastern section of Queensland to experience seeing some of the endemic species of the province following this week. Price for this tour will be $2150 for the week (singles supplement of $600). Price includes transportation, hotel stay, water/snacks, bird checklists, and guide fee. The fee does not include meals. This tour is designed to stay in one area for the duration of the tour to avoid long road trips and hotel-hopping. We’ll be booking small groups only and we can take a minimum of 2 participants with a maximum of 5. Please contact us at archaeopteryxtours@gmail.com if you’re interested in signing up.

We’re putting together a week-long tour in Córdoba, Argentina with our partners who reside in the country. They have knowledge and expertise on the species of the region and will help to find us as many species as possible. This is a photography tour, so we’ll be moving at a slower pace than a regular birding tour and we’ll be restricting our movement by staying at least 2 nights in each location. Here’s the itinerary for the tour: Day 1:
Arrival in Cordoba, Pampa de Achala, and full birding day there. Night in San Javier.
Place: Pampa de Achala
Target species: Olrog’s Cinclodes, Sierran Meadowlark, Darwin’s Nothura, Andean Swift, Paraguayan Snipe, Andean Condor, Cinereous Harrier, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle,
Rufous-banded Miner, Cordoba Cinclodes, Puna Canastero, Cordilleran Canastero, Rufous-naped Ground-Tyrant, Grass Wren, Hellmayr’s Pipit, Plumbeous Sierra Finch, Ash-breasted Sierra Finch.
Name of the town: San Javier.
How many nights: 2
Habitat types: Grassland with rocky areas (see the video titled “Pampa de Achala” in folder).
How much walking and difficult: It is a mountainous terrain so there will be slopes and streams. But there will be no routes greater than 500 meters. Obviously, if you want to walk, we can do it, you decide.
Day 2:
Birding in San Javier and the surrounding area. Night in San Javier.
Places: Traslasierras Valley. San Javier, Luyaba and La Poblacion.
Target species: Red-tailed Comet, White Woodpecker, Cream-backed Woodpecker, Black-bodied Woodpecker, Olive-crowned Crescentchest, Brown-capped Redstart.
Name of the town: San Javier.
How many nights: 2.
Habitat types: Mountain or Sierran Forest, Chaco Forest.
How much walking and difficult: Very quiet walk on rural roads. There will be slopes but not too steep.
Day 3:
Birding in Chancaní. Night at Totoral.
Places: Los Tuneles, Chancani, Dean Funes, Totoral.
Target species: Black-legged Seriema, Chaco Eagle, Tataupa Tinamou, Sick’s Swift, Chaco Owl, Spot-backed Puffbird, Spot-winged Falconet, Crested Gallito, Crested Hornero, White-naped Xenopsaris, Suiriri Flycatcher, Cinereous Tyrant, Black-crested Finch, Cinnamon Warbling Finch,
Name of the town: Totoral
How many nights: 2
Habitat types: dry forest (see the video titled “Chancani” in folder)
How much walking and difficulty: All observations will be near the vehicle and a 3 km walk through flat terrain on a trail.Day 4:
Birding in Salinas surrounding area. Night in Totoral.
Places: Jose de las Salinas, Dean Funes, Chuña, Totoral.
Target species: Black-legged Seriema, Spot-winged Falconet, Crested Gallito,
Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail, Plain Tyrannulet, Southern Scrub-Flycatcher, Salinas Monjita, Lesser Shrike-Tyrant, Black-crested Finch, Cinnamon Warbling Finch, Straneck’s Tyrannulet.
Name of the town: Totoral
How many nights: 2
Habitat types: Dry Forest. Salty area (see the video titled “Salinas” in the folder).
How much walking and difficulty: This day is going to be very hot. We need to wake up early and maybe we can’t be in the salt flats after 11 am. The terrain is easy but the sun can be overwhelming. Day 5:
Birding in Cerro Colorado. Night in Miramar.
Places: Cerro Colorado, Laguna del Plata, Miramar.
Target species: Chaco Chachalaca, Chaco Sparrow, Ultramarine Grosbeak, Ringed Warbling Finch, Shorebirds and Ducks, Chilean Flamingo, Andean Flamingo, James’s Flamingo, South American Painted-Snipe, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Dinelli’s Doradito.
Name of the town: Miramar.
How many nights: 2
Habitat types: Sierran Forest, Lake, and Marshes. (see the video titled “Cerro Colorado” in folder)
How much walking and difficult: The terrain is flat but near the shore of the lagoon there is a lot of mud and you can sink. Here we say that “el barro te traicionará” (“the mud will betray you”) because it seems firm and suddenly you sink to the knee. I highly recommend wearing rubber boots. Day 6 and 7:
Mar Chiquita Lake. Return to Córdoba and flight to Buenos Aires.
Places: Miramar.
Target species: Chilean Flamingo, Andean Flamingo, James’s Flamingo, Dot-winged Crake, Rufous-sided Crake, Collared Plover, Two-banded Plover, Speckled Rail, Olive-crowned Crescentchest, Bay-capped Wren-Spinetail, Dinelli’s Doradito, Correndera Pipit, Solitary Black Cacique, Dark-throated Seedeater, Tawny-bellied Seedeater, Black-headed Duck, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture.
Name of the town: Miramar.
How many nights: 2
Habitat types: Lake and Marshes. (see the video titled “Mar Chiquita” in folder)
How much walking and difficult: The terrain is flat but near the shore of the lagoon there is a lot of mud and you can sink. Here we say that “el barro te traicionará” (“the mud will betray you”) because it seems firm and suddenly you sink to the knee. I highly recommend wearing rubber boots. Price for this tour will be $3275 per person double occupancy. This price includes your airport pickup/dropoff, transportation, meals, any park entry fees, water/snacks, and a checklist of the birds seen on your tour. It does not include your airfare to Buenos Aires. We’re looking for a minimum of 3 participants with a max of 5 to be able to run this tour this year. Our partners can also assist anyone who’d like to spend additional days in Buenos Aires with accommodations, things to do, wineries, transportation, even restaurants that cater to dietary restrictions.

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