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Welcome to our October emailing!
Birding friends, welcome to our October e-news! Fall migration is in full swing across the Northern Hemisphere—songbirds are moving through the trees, shorebirds are probing the mudflats, raptors cruising south along the ridges, and every cold front shuffles the deck and brings us something new. For many of us, this is the best time of year to get outside and enjoy the spectacle, whether in a backyard, local park, or on a full-fledged Field Guides tour.
Speaking of tours, as you read this, we have groups exploring Brazil and Australia, and in just a few days we’ll be heading out to Peru, New Guinea, South Africa, Mexico, and Bolivia. From the New World tropics to the Old World temperate zones, there’s no shortage of incredible birds to see—and we’d love to have you join us afield!
In this month’s email we’re showcasing Asia, with four standout tours that feature everything from temples and tropical forests to high peaks brimming with birds. We’ve also added a pair of extra departures in the first quarter of next year for two popular itineraries. Oaxaca is on the menu, too, with one of our longtime favorites that blends culture, cuisine, and some superb birding. On the practical side, we’re rolling out a new online payment option to make joining us even easier. And for a little armchair travel, we’ve got a fresh video from a recent Peru tour, plus a link to a new birding "documentary" that has many in the birding world buzzing.
As always, you’ll find our regular features: a new Recent Photos Gallery with more than 130 images from 12 departures to 8 countries on 5 continents. We also have 7 new reports from recent tours and 10 fresh itineraries. Finally, for those who like to travel on short notice, we’ve rounded up all our tours with space available through March.
Many thanks to guide Sam Wilson for contributing the photo above of a White-crested Coquette from Part One of last winter's Costa Rica: Birding the Edges tour. That same itinerary departs again on January 22 with Chris Benesh guiding, and Part Two begins January 30. There’s still plenty of space available on both!
Our thanks as well to guide Cory Gregory for the group shot below, showing folks birding on a brisk morning in Iceland.
We’re grateful you’ve spent a bit of your day with us. If a tour sparks your interest, just contact our office, we’re happy to help.
| | If bird-rich forests, sweeping mountains, and the cultural treasures of Asia are calling, we have four tours that might be just the answer. From Cambodia’s ancient temples paired with rare waterbirds, to the lush lowlands and towering ridges of Borneo, to the sweeping variety of Thailand with its hornbills, gibbons, and broadbills, and on to the Himalayan realm of Bhutan with pheasants and prayer flags, each tour offers its own mix of natural wonders and cultural highlights. With comfortable lodgings, expert guides, and some of the most memorable birding on the continent, these itineraries deliver experiences as colorful and diverse as the birds we seek. Here's more about each of these exciting Asia tours. | | Cambodia: Angkor Temples & Vanishing Birds, guided by Doug Gochfeld (with a local guide), offers a “last chance” to see some of Asia’s rarest waterbirds, many now gone from neighboring countries, alongside regional specialties and the cultural marvel of Angkor Wat. We begin in Siem Reap, birding among temple ruins with time for a guided visit to Angkor Wat itself. At Changkran Roy we'll see a village conservation project that hosts blinds for Coral-billed Ground-Cuckoo, Siamese Fireback, and Bar-bellied Pitta, with proceeds supporting local conservation. On Lake Tonle Sap we’ll marvel at a vast waterbird colony of herons, a few pairs of Greater and Lesser adjutants, and Painted Storks. Being out on the lake among the floating villages en route to the sanctuary is an amazing experience. Wetlands such as Ang Trepang Thmor hold Sarus Cranes, jacanas, and Pied Harrier, while nearby grasslands are home to the endangered Bengal Florican. At Tmatboey, we’ll search for the last stronghold of Giant Ibis, White-shouldered Ibis, and a fine selection of owls and woodpeckers. A visit to the “Vulture Restaurant” may reveal three of Cambodia’s Critically Endangered vultures. We’ll conclude near Phnom Penh with hopes of seeing the recently described Cambodian Tailorbird. | |
| |  | Our Thailand tour offers superb birding amid rich culture and cuisine. Guided by Jay VanderGaast and local expert Uthai Treesucon, our route covers lowland wetlands, national parks, and the mountains of the northwest. This dry-season survey of Thailand's northwestern and central regions provides great birding variety, with a series of multi-night stays allowing two to three full days of birding at several excitingly different venues, ranging from sea level to above 8000 feet. Along the coast south of Bangkok, we’ll search for the Critically Endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper plus scarce shorebirds like Nordmann’s Greenshank and Asian Dowitcher. At Kaeng Krachan and Khao Yai national parks, we’ll look for Siamese Fireback, Wreathed Hornbill, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Broadbill, and Ratchet-tailed Treepie, as well as charismatic mammals such as Indian Elephant and White-handed Gibbon. In the northwest mountains, cool forests bring an entirely different cast, from Hume’s Pheasant and Giant Nuthatch to barwings, sibias, and migrant flycatchers. With a bird list of more than 1000 species, Thailand's variety is remarkable. Add in fabulous food and the warm “land of smiles,” and this tour is as memorable as it is bird-rich.
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Borneo’s ancient rainforests are among the tallest and richest on Earth, home to orangutans, proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, and dazzling birds. Endemics such as the odd Bornean Bristlehead, Whitehead’s Trogon, and Fruit-hunter join a chorus of hornbills, pittas, and broadbills. Our tour, guided by Doug Gochfeld and a local guide, visits three prime areas of the northeastern state of Sabah: the Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the Danum Valley, Kinabatangan River, and Kinabalu Park, giving us chances at nearly all of Borneo’s 48 endemic birds plus a wealth of other wildlife. Towering dipterocarp forests, montane ridges, and winding rivers make for diverse and scenic birding. With comfortable lodges right in the wild, this is a superb visit to one of the world’s most remarkable natural treasures.
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Our Bhutan tour combines spellbinding landscapes, a vibrant culture, and some of the most intact Himalayan forests remaining. On this spring journey we’ll cross passes and valleys alive with rhododendrons, ferns, orchids—and birds in full song. Pheasants, Ward’s Trogon, Rufous-necked Hornbill, Beautiful Nuthatch, and Satyr Tragopan are among the highlights, alongside flocks of laughingthrushes, yuhinas, and sunbirds. More than 700 species have been recorded in this small kingdom, where forests still cover more than 60 percent of the land. Our itinerary includes a mix of comfortable lodges and outfitted camps (please see our tour page for more information about the camps), placing us close to prime birding areas without trekking. Few places offer such a rewarding blend of avian riches, dramatic scenery, and cultural wonder.
Whichever tour you choose, each promises unforgettable wildlife, spectacular scenery, and a lifetime of stories. Please contact our office for more information or to sign up.
(Photo credits: Angkor Wat statues by guide Phil Gregory, and Green Peafowl, Proboscis Monkey, and Great Hornbill by participants Myles McNally, Matt Denoncour, and Ephraim Heller.)
| | Two added departures: Santa Marta & Hawaii | | |
We're always excited when we can add a second departure to a popular tour. This month we have two to announce!
The first is our Colombia's Santa Marta Mountains & Caribbean Coast, guided by Dan Lane. This short tour explores the endemic-rich Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a mountain range rising abruptly from Colombia’s Caribbean coast to snowcapped peaks, separated from the Andes by some 50 miles. Its isolation has produced a remarkable number of species found nowhere else, many of them bearing the “Santa Marta” name.
We begin in Barranquilla, where mangroves and marshes of the Magdalena River delta offer regional specialties, then continue east to the Guajira Peninsula for desert birds such as White-whiskered Spinetail, Tocuyo Sparrow, and Vermilion Cardinal. The centerpiece is the Santa Martas themselves, where a comfortable lodge at 6000 feet provides access to multiple elevations and feeders alive with activity. In eight days we typically tally around 300 species, including Chestnut-winged Chachalaca, White-tailed Starfrontlet, Golden-breasted Fruiteater, and a suite of Santa Marta endemics.
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| | | The second is Hawaii, guided by Sam Wilson and local guide Mandy Talpas. This itinerary is crafted to experience the extraordinary avian diversity of the Hawaiian Islands on a tour across Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii (the Big Island). As the world’s most isolated archipelago, Hawaii has fostered remarkable speciation, including the endemic Drepanidinae, the Hawaiian honeycreepers, found nowhere else on Earth. Our adventure begins on Oahu, where we’ll seek Oahu Amakihi, Oahu Elepaio, and the colorful White-rumped Shama. On Kauai, the Garden Island, lush forests host Kauai Elepaio, Kauai Amakihi, Anianiau, and Apapane. Finally, the Big Island offers dramatic landscapes shaped by Kilauea Volcano with native species such as Hawaiian Hawk, Iiwi, Hawaii Amakihi, Omao, Nene, Hawaii Creeper, Akepa, and the uniquely billed Akiapolaau. From highland forests to black-sand beaches, and dry lowlands to semi-desert coastlines, Hawaii combines breathtaking scenery with unforgettable birding, making it a paradise for both endemic landbirds and spectacular seabirds.
Please contact our office for more information or to sign up.
(Photo credits: Santa Marta mountains by guide Cory Gregory, Iiwi by participant Paul Beerman.)
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Oaxaca has long been one of our most popular destinations—we typically visit three times a year—and it’s easy to see why. The region holds more than twenty Mexican endemics—among them Gray-breasted Woodpecker, Beautiful and Dusky hummingbirds, Boucard’s Wren, Oaxaca Sparrow, and the brilliant Red Warbler—set against a backdrop of striking landscapes and fascinating culture. Our Mexico: Oaxaca Valley tour is based in lovely Oaxaca City, and from there we make short drives to diverse habitats where specialties abound, from arid valleys to cactus forests. Off the birding trail, Oaxaca offers archaeological wonders like Monte Albán and Yagul, reminders of the Zapotec civilization, as well as a vibrant modern culture reflected in superb cuisine and markets festooned in color. This blend of rich birding, deep history, and delicious food makes Oaxaca a perennial favorite. And who knows...you might just sample a mole that rivals the birds.
Please contact our office for more information or to sign up.
(Photo credit: a Oaxaca mole tasting by tour participant Paul Koker.)
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We're not above screaming to get your attention... Our Guyana: Wilderness Paradise and two-parted Costa Rica: Birding the Edges tours have long been favorites. We typically have plenty of folks signed up for them, so we’re a little surprised to find ourselves still a few travelers short this winter. We know the tours are good—great birding, reliable highlights, experienced guides, and the kind of experiences and memories that last well beyond the flights home. All they need now is you (or you and a friend!) to make them go. They're likely to be small groups, which we know many of you prefer. So if you’ve been waiting for an excuse to join us, consider this a nudge!
Questions or ready to sign up? Just contact our office and we'll be happy to assist.
(Photo of a Screaming Piha in Guyana by participant Jeanette Shores.)
| | New Online Payment Platform! | | |
Forget carrier spoonbills or stamped envelopes—you can now easily send funds for your next adventure in just a few clicks. Our new online payment platform makes U.S. bank and credit card payments secure, fast, and worry-free.
Field Guides Payment Options
(Roseate Spoonbill photo courtesy of participant Eric Gustafson.)
| | The new documentary LISTERS: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching has been getting a lot of buzz among birders and non-birders alike. It’s funny, fast-paced, and surprisingly insightful about the quirks of competitive listing. Fair warning: the language is a bit salty at times, but the heart of the story is the birds and the birders. | | A short video from a recent tour | | |
Many of our tour reports now include highlight videos featuring birds, wildlife, scenery, culture—or some blend of it all.
This month we have a highlights video from this August’s Iquitos, Peru: Canopy Walkways & Ancient Forests tour, put together by guide Micah Riegner. Click here or on the picture of Luis and Micah below.
| | Field Guides merch is available! We've got shirts, hats, hoodies, mugs, stickers, tote bags, and more—all a click away at our Field Guides Store. Fashionable and functional—sure to keep you comfortable and looking spiffy—check it all out at the store. | | Reports from recent tours | | We have annotated and illustrated reports from recently completed tours linked below, each with some lovely images and some with video clips, and all with great texts by our guides. Enjoy! | | Comments from participants | |
We carefully read each post-tour evaluation we receive from our participants, so that we can continue to offer the best possible birding experiences and service on Field Guides birding tours. Here are two representative recent comments. From all of us at Field Guides, our thanks for all your valuable feedback. | | |
“The tour was a delight from beginning to end. The itinerary was thoughtfully varied, giving us the chance to visit a broad range of habitats and see a wide range of bird families and species. The hotels were pleasant, and the meals were enjoyable, including the picnic lunches as well as the breakfasts and dinners. Of course, it was a sheer pleasure to have Megan Edwards Crewe and Willy Perez as guides. Not only are they both extraordinarily good as guides, but they are a joy to travel with. It was great fun to see how well they work together seamlessly as a team. We already knew from an earlier trip that we would be enjoy spending another trip with Megan. Traveling with her in France was just as enjoyable as when we traveled with her earlier this year in Costa Rica. We had not previously traveled with Willy, but we had heard wonderful things about him both as a guide and as a person. We now know that all the great stories about him are true. Not only does he have a remarkably good ability to spot and follow mostly hidden birds, but he is able to help others find those birds, showing great patience. His enthusiasm is infectious.” J.T., France: Camargue & Pyrenees, 2025
"Our overall tour experience was quite excellent. John Coons is an excellent guide with phenomenal hearing ability, allowing him to find the birds—even if they were not visible at that moment, we knew they were nearby. The sheer number of life birds was super exciting, and there could not have been a better guide to take us around Flagstaff. Picnic lunches in the field every day was above and beyond! Food was outstanding and a huge thank you to John’s wife, Lynn, for that. And then there was our group being invited to John and Lynn's home for a salmon dinner on our second night! Wowsie! Never even heard of that surprise being served up by any other tour group, and I suspect you are the ONLY group that does that!" L.M., Northern Arizona's Canyons and Condor I, 2025
| | Tours with openings through March | | Each month we list in this section the Field Guides departures over the next six months that still have at least two spaces available (unless otherwise noted). | | |
Southern Arizona makes a terrific winter birding escape, which is why we created our Arizona Winter Specialties tour, guided by Cory Gregory (Dec 27-Jan 2). While the trogons and hummingbirds are largely gone for the season, winter brings its own cast of stars. The San Rafael Grasslands are abuzz with finches, scarce thrashers sing from desert mesquites, and thousands of Sandhill Cranes rise bugling from the Sulphur Springs Valley. Raptors are in abundance, and winter irruptives like Lewis’s Woodpecker, Mountain Bluebird, and Lawrence’s Goldfinch often steal the show—sometimes joined by a surprise Mexican visitor. Our short tour takes in Phoenix, Tucson, Patagonia, Nogales, Sonoita, and more, with comfortable bases each night in either Phoenix or Tucson. Why not trade in some winter drudgery for some southern Arizona’s riches? (Photo of a Greater Roadrunner by guide Cory Gregory.)
SOUTH AMERICA
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Spectacular Southeast Brazil (Part One), Oct 17- Nov 3 with Bret Whitney & Marcelo Barreiros
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Antarctica, South Georgia, & the Falklands, Oct 20- Nov 12 with Doug Gochfeld
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Spectacular Southeast Brazil (Part Two), Nov 1-14 with Bret Whitney & Marcelo Barreiros
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Chile: The Classic Tour, Nov 3-23 with Willy Perez & local guide (1 space)
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Trinidad & Tobago I, Dec 1-10 with Micah Riegner
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Trinidad & Tobago II, Dec 28-Jan 6 with Marcelo Barreiros & Alex Sundvall (1 space)
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Nowhere but Northeast Brazil!, Jan 13-30 with Marcelo Barreiros & Bret Whitney (1 space)
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Brazil: Bahia Birding Bonanza, Jan 28-Feb 11 with Marcelo Barreiros
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Birds & Wines of Chile and Argentina, Jan 31-Feb 14 with Marcelo Padua (1 space)
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Jewels of Ecuador: Hummers, Tanagers & Antpittas, Feb 19-Mar 8 with Willy Perez
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Colombia's Santa Marta Mountains & Caribbean Coast II, Feb 21- Mar 1 with Dan Lane
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Guyana: Wilderness Paradise II, Feb 26-Mar 10 with Marcelo Barreiros & local guide
NORTH AMERICA
MIDDLE AMERICA & WEST INDIES
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Mexico: Yucatan & Cozumel, Nov 22-Dec 1 with Megan Edwards Crewe & Alex Sundvall (1 space)
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Mexico: Oaxaca Valley II, Dec 20-27 with Dan Lane & Jay VanderGaast
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Panama's Canopy Lodge: El Valle de Anton, Dec 28-Jan 4 with Chris Benesh & local guide
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Costa Rica: Birding the Edges (Part One), Jan 22-31 with Chris Benesh & local guide
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Costa Rica: Birding the Edges (Part Two), Jan 30-Feb 8 with Chris Benesh & local guide
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Belize: Tropical Birding, Short and Sweet, Feb 6-14 with Megan Edwards Crewe & Alex Sundvall (1 space)
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Jamaica I, Feb 27-Mar 6 with Cory Gregory & local guide (1 space)
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Mexico: Oaxaca Valley I, March 1-8 with Chris Benesh & Doug Gochfeld
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Panama's Canopy Tower & Lodge II, Mar 6-14 with John Coons & local guide
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Mexico: Oaxaca's Atlantic & Pacific Slopes, Mar 8-19 With Dan Lane & Bret Whitney
AFRICA
EUROPE
ASIA & AUSTRALASIA
To learn more about any of these tours or to hold a space, please contact our office.
| | Recently posted upcoming itineraries | | Click on any image or link below to see the detailed itinerary for the following tours. All of these itineraries are packed with information (and have a few nice photos as well). | |
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