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Welcome to our September emailing!
Greetings, birding friends! Fall migration is in full swing, and every passing front brings a fresh influx of southbound migrants to local patches across the continent. It’s a favorite time of year for many of us, and we hope you are out taking full advantage of it. Right now, we have groups in the field seeking West Coast specialties in California, scouring the Pribilof Islands of Alaska for migrants and rarities, and venturing south into the Pantanal of Brazil and the bushlands of Australia. We hope your autumn birding is off to a stellar start—and that you find a moment to check out what we have lined up for the months ahead!
In this month’s emailing, we’re featuring an exciting lineup of upcoming tours and new announcements. We’re highlighting guide Tarry Butcher’s back-to-back spring departures to Africa, featuring the rainforests and rockfowl of Ghana and the dramatic desert-to-delta landscapes of Namibia & Botswana. We’re also introducing a brand-new tour to Honduras with Jesse Fagan, recapping our annual business meeting in Portal, Arizona, and sharing a reminder about our inaugural Mindful Birding Retreat in Sedona. Additionally, we’re spotlighting our upcoming departure to Brazil's species-rich state of Bahia, along with a short note about a small-group getaway to Cape May with Doug Gochfeld.
As always, we've also included our monthly Recent Photos Gallery, with over 130 images from 12 tours to 11 countries on five continents. We also have 12 reports from recent tours, eight fresh itineraries, two new trip videos, and a list of departures over the next six months that still have space available.
Our thanks to participant Harold Browning for the great photo of a Yellow-winged Tanager from one of our Belize: Tropical Birding, Short and Sweet departures. Belize is a great introduction to—or a continuation of—your Neotropical birding. We have a departure coming up over Thanksgiving, guided by Chris Benesh, and there is still space available.
Our thanks as well to guide Tarry Butcher for the dramatic photo below of an Oryx in front of an amazing landscape, taken while he guided last spring's Namibia & Botswana tour.
| | Spring in Africa with Tarry Butcher | | Next spring brings two incredible opportunities to experience the rich birdlife and spectacular landscapes of Africa, from the lush primary rainforests of the west to the dramatic desert and wetland contrasts of the south. Our upcoming departures to Ghana (March 13–April 1) and Namibia & Botswana (April 13–May 2) highlight the extraordinary biomes and localized specialties that make the continent a premier destination for birders. Leading both back-to-back spring adventures is guide Tarry Butcher. Born and raised exploring the vast dry wilderness of Namibia and currently residing with his family in Pretoria, South Africa, Tarry brings a lifelong passion for Africa's wildlife, deep regional expertise, a great sense of humor, and a relaxed field style to these tours that makes exploring these diverse habitats an unforgettable experience. Oh, and if you are wondering about Tarry's bird name, it is quite fitting: Rockrunner! | | |
Ghana: Window into West African Birding (March 13–April 1)
Featuring over 770 bird species, Ghana stands as a premier West African birding destination, offering access to core habitats ranging from coastal lagoons to primary Upper Guinea Rainforest. Our itinerary targets a host of regional endemics and sought-after prizes, chief among them the legendary White-necked Rockfowl at its forest nesting colony. At Kakum National Park, a spectacular canopy walkway provides unprecedented views of canopy dwellers, including up to ten species of hornbills such as the rare Black-casqued, Yellow-casqued, and Brown-cheeked. We'll also explore the Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary and the lush, wet evergreen forests of Ankasa Reserve near the Ivory Coast border. Specialty targets include Egyptian Plover, Hartlaub's Duck, Congo Serpent-Eagle, Rufous-sided Broadbill, and Orange-breasted Forest Robin. Throughout the journey, we'll stay in comfortable hotels and lodges, including a new lodge at Ankasa, completely eliminating the need for camping.
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Namibia & Botswana (April 13–May 2)
This tour showcases the dramatic environmental contrast between Namibia’s striking desert landscapes and the lush, watery expanse of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. In Namibia, we search for highly localized regional endemics like Hartlaub's Spurfowl, Rueppell's Parrot, Monteiro's Hornbill, Herero Chat, and White-tailed Shrike amidst the red dunes of Sossusvlei and the rocky Erongo Mountains. Moving into Botswana, we travel by charter aircraft deep into the Okavango Delta, staying in two wonderful camps surrounded by reed beds and open water. Here, boat and 4x4 excursions target the secretive Pel's Fishing-Owl, Slaty Egret, Wattled Crane, and White-backed Night-Heron. Mammal viewing is equally spectacular, with regular encounters including Gemsbok, Common Giraffe, Elephant, Lion, and Blue Wildebeest, plus nocturnal possibilities like African Wildcat, Common Genet, and Moholi Bushbaby.
Please contact our office office for more information or to hold a spot.
(Top photo—the endearing and brilliantly bizarre White-necked Rockfowl courtesy of participant Sid England. Photo of Tarry Butcher by guide Micah Riegner. Lion photo provided by guide Tarry Butcher.)
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Honduras: Land of the Emeralds
April 27–May 4 | Jesse Fagan
Field Guides is headed back to Honduras in partnership with the International Conference for Women Birders (IC4WB), taking place in Tela from May 4–8, 2027. As the conference beautifully puts it, “The name celebrates women. The invitation is for everyone.” Our own Megan Crewe, a member of the IC4WB Board, has been involved in past events and is thrilled to support this year’s gathering.
Before the conference kicks off, we’re offering a weeklong birding adventure along Honduras’s North Coast and interior dry forest, including a highlight visit to Lake Yojoa. Tour dates are April 27-May 4, 2027. You’ll be traveling with Jesse Fagan, author of the Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Northern Central America, alongside Honduran guide Isis Castro Alberto, who is also helping organize the IC4WB event. Isis is a sustainable tourism professional and tour leader with more than 20 years of experience in nature-based travel. A pioneer in Honduran birding, she has guided international groups across the country since 2021 and stands as Honduras’s only female professional tour leader running nationwide itineraries through her own company.
Our journey begins in the lush highlands above Lake Yojoa, the largest freshwater lake in Honduras and a hotspot for biodiversity. We’ll spend two nights in Cerro Azul Meambar National Park, surrounded by cloud forest and rich foothill habitat. This region is home to the elusive Keel‑billed Motmot, and we’ll make a dedicated effort to find the endemic Honduran Emerald in nearby dry forest.
From there, we head south toward Comayagua, visiting the El Chircal Archaeological Site and the El Jilguero Reserve, a small but productive patch of forest where Resplendent Quetzal and Highland Guan are regularly encountered. Then it’s north to coastal La Ceiba, based at the wonderfully comfortable Lodge at Pico Bonito, before finishing in Tela just in time for the start of the conference.
Participants on this tour will have $100 of their IC4WB conference registration fee covered by Field Guides. In addition, Field Guides will make a financial donation to Aves Honduras in support of their grassroots work promoting birding tourism and biodiversity conservation throughout the country.
Join us for a tour that blends excellent birding, meaningful conservation, and international community—a memorable way to experience Honduras and support the future of birding in the region.
For more information, please contact our office and we'll be happy to assist.
(Photo of an endemic Honduran Emerald by guide Jesse Fagan)
| | Field Guides annual business meeting | | |
This past August, Field Guides wrapped up its annual business meeting in Portal, Arizona. We’ve been holding these gatherings for a long time now, and with our guides and staff spread across the globe, it’s always a fun and productive way for us to meet in person each year. It’s hard to believe this was our 42nd year in business!
This year we had folks from the United States, Canada, Kenya, England, Brazil, Peru, and Mexico joining us. One of the best traditions of the week is the evening meals, where guides and staff cook amazing meals for the crew. We enjoyed a traditional Brazilian moqueca prepared by Marcelo Padua, homemade lasagna from the office team, good ol' meat and potatoes, and some outdoor grilling courtesy of Micah Riegner and Jorge Montejo‑Diaz. There was also a large jigsaw puzzle on hand that gets worked on throughout the week. Mornings and evenings were spent enjoying Southeast Arizona's birdlife alongside other cool critters like horned lizards, rattlesnakes, and scorpions! And, of course, during the day there’s plenty of business to attend to and discussion about how we can continue offering excellent birding tours.
We look forward to finishing up 2026 in style, and we’re super excited to celebrate our 43rd year in 2027 continuing to offer you top-notch service, safety, and unforgettable experiences in the field. Thanks for being with us!
Cheers—Jesse Fagan
(Top: group photo of the Field Guides staff. Above: photo of Micah Riegner with a Texas Horned Lizard.)
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Brazil: Bahia Birding Bonanza
Jan 31–Feb 14 | Marcelo Barreiros
Bahia is one of Brazil’s most diverse and bird-dense states, harboring a spectacular concentration of Atlantic Forest endemics and highly localized caatinga and tropical dry forest specialties. Led by native Brazilian guide Marcelo Barreiros—a former long-time researcher at the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) with extensive field experience across Brazil’s most iconic biomes—this fast-paced tour covers a rich tapestry of habitats from the coastal Atlantic forest to the dry interior plateaus. Key avian targets include regional crown jewels such as Hook-billed Hermit, Giant Snipe, Pink-legged Graveteiro, Banded Cotinga, Stresemann's Bristlefront, Bahia Tapaculo, and Slender Antbird, alongside a staggering array of hummers, spinetails, and antbirds. Staying in comfortable lodges with minimal long transit days, this itinerary offers an efficient, immersive deep-dive into one of South America's ultimate endemic hotspots. Please click the tour page below for much more information about one of Brazil's truly hidden gems.
Please contact our office for more information or to sign up.
(Photo of a Blue-backed Manakin by group member Francois Grenon)
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As winter winds down, Mexico offers three distinct regions for spectacular late-winter birding, from desert peninsulas and high-altitude valleys to lush, forested slopes and cloud forests. We have four upcoming departures scheduled for February and March that cover this splendid geographic variety. Whether you are looking for Baja endemics alongside wintering Gray Whales and overwintering Monarch Butterflies, the rich cultural and avian heritage of the Oaxaca Valley, an in-depth exploration of the Pacific and Atlantic slopes, or the tropical biodiversity of Chiapas, these late-winter itineraries provide exceptional birding with our excellent guides.
Central Mexico & Baja: Birds, Butterflies & Whales, Feb 7–18
The Baja Peninsula provides a starkly beautiful backdrop for winter birding, blending desert scrub, unique flora, and rich coastal waters. Guided by Micah Riegner and Jorge Montejo-Diaz, this tour targets local endemics and regional specialties including Xantus’s Hummingbird, Gray Thrasher, Belding’s Yellowthroat, and San Lucas Robin. Beyond the avian highlights, the itinerary coincides with the peak of the Gray Whale calving season, offering unforgettable close encounters in coastal lagoons, alongside wintering seabirds, shorebirds, and desert flora in full bloom. And did we mention one of the most impressive butterfly spectacles in the world?
Mexico: Oaxaca Valley I, Feb 28-Mar 7
Centering on one of Mexico’s most culturally vibrant and biologically diverse states, this weeklong tour with Alex Sundvall and Sam Wilson explores the high-altitude Oaxaca Valley and surrounding pine-oak forests of the Sierra Madre. Key targets include Oaxacan endemics like the White-throated Towhee, Boucard’s Wren, Ocellated Thrasher, and Blue-capped Hummingbird. Combined with comfortable lodging, exceptional local cuisine, and a rich Zapotec history, it is an ideal short getaway for high-quality endemic birding.
Mexico: Enchanted Chiapas, Mar 5-14
Chiapas anchors the northern edge of Central American avifauna, harboring a distinct blend of Neotropical species and highland endemics. Led by Micah Riegner and Jorge Montejo-Diaz, this itinerary spans from the lush cloud forests of the highlands to the species-rich foothills and lowlands. Highlights include searches for the sensational Horned Guan, Pink-headed Warbler, Azure-rumped Tanager, and Nava’s Wren, set against a backdrop of ancient Maya archaeological sites and dramatic southern Mexican landscapes.
Mexico: Oaxaca's Atlantic & Pacific Slopes, Mar 7-18
Expanding on our classic valley itinerary, this extended journey with Dan Lane and Alex Sundvall ventures beyond the central highlands to explore the steep elevation gradients of both the Pacific and Atlantic slopes. By covering habitats ranging from humid foothill rainforests to dry tropical deciduous forests along the coast, the species count increases dramatically. Targets include Red-breasted Chat, Rosita’s Bunting, Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow, and a suite of cloud forest specialties unavailable in the central valley.
Please click the links to the tour pages for full information about each of these tours. You can also contact our office for more information or to sign up.
(Photo above of a Brown Pelicans and cormorants by participant Herb Fechter)
| | ICYMI: Mindful birding retreat | | |
In case you missed it, last month we introduced a brand-new concept to the Field Guides portfolio: the Arizona Mindful Birding Retreat: Sedona (April 15–19, 2027, and again in April 2028).
Partnering with Holly Merker and Holly Thomas of the Mindful Birding Network—alongside our own Chris Benesh—this unique gathering pairs exceptional birding with nature-based wellness practices that foster health and personal restoration. Based at the tranquil Briar Patch Inn along Oak Creek, our mornings feature gentle excursions through Oak Creek Canyon and Red Rock State Park, leaving spacious afternoons for relaxation and reflection.
You can read the full description and view the complete itinerary on our Arizona Mindful Birding Retreat: Sedona page.
Please contact our office for more details or to hold a space.
(Photo above of a Scott's Oriole by guide Chris Benesh)
| | Short videos from recent tours | | |
Our tour reports frequently feature video highlights—bringing the birds, wildlife, landscapes, and culture of each itinerary to life.
The first video is from our Namibia & Botswana tour, guided by Tarry Butcher. It is just a few minutes long and features some great video and stills of some of the birds and wildlife from the tour. If this piques your interest, we're running this tour again in April of 2027, guided by Tarry. You can click the link for more info. To see the video, you can click here or on the Rosy-faced Lovebird below to watch the video. (Photo by Tarry)
The second video is a highlight reel that guide Megan Edwards Crewe put together from our Classical Greece tour that she guided last May. Click here or on the photo of the singing Great Reed Warbler below to watch the video. (Photo courtesy of participant Doug Clarke)
| | A highlight video from last spring's Namibia & Botswana tour | |  | A highlight video from our Classical Greece tour | | | Looking for field-ready gear or a comfortable layer for your next trip? The Field Guides Store offers shirts, hats, hoodies, mugs, totes, and accessories. Browse the collection online at the Field Guides 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 write-ups 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.
“My overall tour experience was excellent! I had Mongolia in mind, and after a recommendation by another birder, I contacted Field Guides and I decided to book the tour. Mongolia itself was a great country to experience. Phil Gregory—the tour leader—and local guide Gombo (Sundev Gombobaatar) were excellent! They were a great combination team to lead us. So much humor and intelligence! Their expertise was at such a high level to get us on the birds and other creatures in all of the destinations. It was great to be in their company on this adventure! The tour manager—Sharon Mackie—and office staff were also excellent. Absolutely top rate in every way! Answered many questions pre-trip and at the start, too. Things were well organized and handled.” M.H., Mongolia: The Gobi Desert, Steppe & Taiga, 2026
“I have taken birding tours with a few other companies, all of which have done a great job, but Field Guides is the best. I feel as though you have a solid grip on logistics and will always come up with the best possible options for locations, lodging, and meals. My overall tour experience was really great. Our guide, Megan Edwards Crewe, is just unbeatable. She knows her birds, is great with the logistics, and makes everyone feel like a friend. I'd love to go with her again one of these days. The tour manager and our office staff were terrific, as always. Karen Turner booked me some flights that I couldn't sort out on my own and they were perfect. I am a Field Guides lifer at this point. I think your guides are incredibly talented birders and extremely personable. The tour managers have just been "on it" with every trip I've taken with you. I feel like everyone at the company is careful, thorough, and focused on finding great birds and providing the best possible local guides, lodgings, and food.” S.S., Borneo II, 2026
| | Tours with openings through February | | 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). | | |
If you’re looking for a last-minute escape over Thanksgiving, our Jamaica tour with Cory Gregory (November 21-28) offers a quick adventure on one of the West Indies’ great destinations for endemic birds. Jamaica has at least 29 species found nowhere else, along with numerous regional specialties and wintering wood warblers, and in just a week we stand a good chance of encountering all of the island’s endemics. Based for most of the tour at comfortable Goblin Hill, we’ll bird at a leisurely pace in the northeastern part of the island, with field trips into the John Crow Mountains, Blue Mountains, and the Cockpit Country, as well as stops along the coast for terns, frigatebirds, shorebirds, and herons. We’ll finish at Rocklands Bird Sanctuary, where wild birds have been fed for decades and Red-billed Streamertails and Jamaican Mangos may come right to your hand. (Photo of a Jamaican Mango by participant Doug Clarke)
SOUTH AMERICA
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Spectacular Southeast Brazil (Part I), Oct 16-Nov 2, with Bret Whitney & Marcelo Barreiros
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Southern Argentina: The Pampas, Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego, Oct 29-Nov 14, with Doug Gochfeld (1 space)
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Spectacular Southeast Brazil (Part II), Oct 31-Nov 16, with Marcelo Barreiros & Micah Riegner (1 space)
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Uruguay: Birds & Wines in the Land of the Gauchos, Nov 8-20, with Marcelo Padua
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NEW TOUR! Emperor Penguins in the Weddell Sea: In search of Antarctica's most iconic bird, Nov 23-Dec 6, with Doug Gochfeld
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Ecuador's Wildsumaco Lodge, Dec 28-Jan 7, with Willy Perez (1 space)
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Amazonian Ecuador: Sacha Lodge I, Jan 7-16, with Jesse Fagan (1 space)
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Colombia's Marvelous Magdalena Valley, Jan 23-Feb 2, with Dan Lane (1 space)
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Brazil: Bahia Birding Bonanza, Jan 31-Feb 14, with Marcelo Barreiros
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Southwestern Ecuador Specialties: Jocotoco Foundation Reserves, Feb 11-23, with Willy Perez (1 space)
NORTH AMERICA
MIDDLE AMERICA & WEST INDIES
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Belize: Tropical Birding, Short and Sweet II, Nov 20-28, with Chris Benesh & Sam Wilson
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Jamaica, Nov 21-28, with Cory Gregory
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Mexico: Oaxaca Valley II, Dec 19-26, with Dan Lane & Alex Sundvall (1 space)
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Holiday Costa Rica: Rancho Naturalista I, Dec 19-27, with Jay VanderGaast & Vernon Campos
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Panama's Canopy Lodge: El Valle de Anton, Dec 27-Jan 3, with Chris Benesh & local guide
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Panama's Canopy Camp: Lowland Darien, Dec 27-Jan 4, with John Coons
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Holiday Costa Rica: Rancho Naturalista II, Dec 28-Jan 5, with Sam Wilson & Vernon Campos (1 space)
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Costa Rica: Birding the Edges (Part I), Jan 8-17, with Megan Edwards Crewe
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Costa Rica: Birding the Edges (Part II), Jan 16-25, with Megan Edwards Crewe
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Belize: Tropical Birding, Short and Sweet I, Feb 6-14, with Chris Benesh
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Central Mexico & Baja: Birds, Butterflies & Whales, Feb 7-18, with Micah Riegner & Jorge Montejo-Diaz
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Western Panama: Chiriqui & Bocas del Toro, Feb 26-Mar 7, with Jesse Fagan
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Mexico: Oaxaca Valley I, Feb 28-Mar 7, Alex Sundvall & Sam Wilson
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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