Private birding day trips in Guatemala with CAYAYA BIRDING
Hover over / click map for descriptions of birding day trips in Guatemala!
We organize private half or full day birding trips from various tourism hotspots in Guatemala (day tours from US$74.00 per person in group of 4 pers.):
Full-day tours last from sunrise (5 to 6 a.m., depending on the time of the year) to 4 to 5 p.m., with a lunch break. Half-day tours last from sunrise (5 to 6 a.m.) to mid-day. All tours include pick-up at your hotel and end with drop-off at your hotel.
CAYAYA BIRDING full and half day trips are led by expert birding guides. If your group is small, from 1-3 persons, we use a 4-WD van for the transport from your hotel to the birding site. If your group is larger, from 4-8 persons, we use a microbus or a coaster for transport.
for recommendations on the best sites for your day trip based on your target birds, interest in photography, time, and budget.
Some birds seen during CAYAYA BIRDING day trips in Guatemala
Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno in Guatemala.
Great Tinamou Tinamus major in old-growth forest of Tikal National Park.
Blue-throated Motmot Aspatha gularis, endemic to northern Central America and southern Mexico.Orange-breasted Falcon Falco deiroleucus in Tikal.
Pink-headed Warbler Cardellina versicolor in the Guatemalan highlands.Tody Motmot Hylomanes momotula in the forest understory.
Rufous-collared Robin Turdus rufitorques, endemic to southern Mexico and northern Central America.Red-lored Parrot Amazona autumnalis belongs to the commonly seen parrots in Tikal and Yaxhá.Black-capped Swallow Atticora pileata, endemic to the highlands of southern Mexico and northern Central America.
Adult Ornate Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus ornatus perched in the forest canopy.
Belted Flycatcher Xenotriccus callizonus, endemic to the highlands of northern Central America and southern Mexico.
Red-capped Manakin Ceratopipra mentalis.Mountain Trogon Trogon mexicanus, endemic to the highlands of Mexico and northern Central America.
Keel-billed Toucan Ramphastos sulfuratus in the forest canopy.Green-throated Mountain-gem Lampornis viridipallens, endemic to the highlands of northern Central America and southern Mexico.
White-winged Tanager Piranga leucoptera.Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem Lampornis amethystinus occurs mainly in the highlands of Mexico and northern Central America.A female Great Curassow Crax rubra.
What birders say about CAYAYA BIRDING day trips
October 2023, Half-day birding tour from Antigua Guatemala
"We booked a 1/2 day private birding trip with CAYAYA BIRDING and it was definitely an awesome experience. Claudia’s extensive knowledge of birds and her dedication to research conservation made for a truly unique and unforgettable experience. The highlight of the trip was observing the many different hummingbirds at the flowers and feeders. We would definitely book another trip with CAYAYA BIRDING!!!" Nancy McGee
September 2023, half-day birding tour from Antigua Guatemala
"I cannot say enough how amazing this half-day tour with Claudia was. My husband is a relatively experienced birder, and I was more of a novice, and Claudia was totally at ease with both of us. She took us to multiple locations, all with great vantage points and lots of diversity. We learned so much about the area around Antigua too! She knew all the bird songs and calls and would have the spotting scope focused on the bird before I even found my binoculars. She gave us a list of area birds and we marked down all the ones we saw; even outside of breeding season we saw dozens of new species and more than a handful of uncommon species she was especially excited to see! I'm a lecturer in ecology and conservation in the US, and the research and conservation work she and CAYAYA BIRDING do throughout Guatemala (which they fund with tours!!!) is world-class and extremely important. It was an honor and a joy to spend the day with someone so knowledgeable and interesting and to support the work that they do. We would recommend this tour to anyone with an interest in nature, birders and non-birders alike. Thank you so much Claudia!!!" Amy & Jeremy King-Henry, California
August 2023, half-day day tour from Antigua Guatemala
"Claudia and Knut are amazing scientists, naturalists and birders. They gave us a very engaging two-hour tour to our large family group at Finca El Pilar outside of Antigua. They engaged with all members of our group, from the grandmother to the eight-year-old. Everyone especially enjoyed the hummingbirds, and the whole group got to see many other birds in the spotting scope, including a pair of beautiful Black-vented Orioles. In the past, Knut and Claudia have taken me on serious birding outings, and they are the best in the country for that as well. I could not recommend them more highly for both serious birding and for more casual nature tours." Kevin Omland, Baltimore, MD
August 2023, day tour from Antigua Guatemala
"Knut has unsurpassed ornithological expertise and experience in this country. His knowledge and skills in the forest were exceptional. Simply put, he knows all of the birds and where to find them. It was also impressive in how rapidly he could get a scope on each bird even in dense vegetation. The tour included very pleasant stops for breakfast and lunch. We very much enjoyed Knut's company with plenty of time at each location to seek out as many birds as possible. We also got to meet Claudia to end the day among hummingbirds. I will book with CAYAYA BIRDING again while in the country and definitely recommend them to my birding friends.
" Michele Kelly, USA
May 2023, 2 half-day birding tours from Antigua Guatemala
"Claudia took us birding to nature reserve near Guatemala City. She organized to stop for us to get breakfast. We started birding early before park was opened, and really enjoyed Claudia’s knowledge, ability to find birds and really interesting information. She was a real pleasure to birdwatch with, enjoyed every minute."
John Larrea, USA
March 2023, half-day birding tour from Guatemala City
"Superb tours, CAYAYA BIRDING offers some of the best birdwatching tours in Central America. They tailor their tours to their customers needs. They are some of the most renowned bird experts in the region, so they can lead high level tours, but they also are great for taking more casual birders and photographers. Highest recommendation."
Glenn Carmichael, UK
February 2023, half-day birding tour from Antigua Guatemala
"Our guide Knut, from CAYAYA BIRDING, was one of the most knowledgeable bird guides and naturalist that I have ever hired. I have birded with professionals on 6 continents and Knut truly stands out as one of the best! Not only could he identify the birds by sound and visuals but he shared his extensive knowledge about the plants and trees. His passion for Fincar El Pilar is only surpassed by his drive to help others understand the beauty here. We were able walk away knowing that CAYAYA BIRDING is not only there to show you the birds but help you understand the need to preserve this amazing place. Don't hesitate to contact CAYAYA BIRDING!" Patricia Wimpfheimer, USA.
September 2022, day tour from Antigua Guatemala
"We did a full day birding tour from Antigua to Finca El Pilar with Knut in September. Knut is very knowledgeable, experienced and well organized guide. He picked us up in our hotel on time and he was a pleasant company. How many birds depends on many factors but with Knut you cannot go wrong." Milan Jamrich, USA
October 2021, half-day tours from Antigua Guatemala
"Claudia Avendaño is an exceptional guide and we loved all of the great local information about things other than birds! Claudia and Knut are to be congratulated on what they have achieved in building up birding tours in the Antigua region - Finca El Pilar and Los Tarrales especially." Chris Harbard , USA
January 2020, day tour from Antigua Guatemala
"Claudia Avendaño and Knut Eisermann are likely the two most experienced bird guides in Guatemala. I have been birding with them several times at El Pilar and Finca Filadelfia near Antigua. Both are extremely knowledgeable, organized and delightful to be with. As they are local, they have detailed knowledge of birds, birding sites, transportation and logistics of Guatemala that no international tour organization could possibly compete with. If you need some key target species for your life list, or if you are a just an ecotourist in Guatemala and you want to get out and see some birds, CAYAYA BIRDING is the way to go." Kevin Omland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
December 2019, day tour from Antigua Guatemala
"We (my wife and I) spent a wonderful day with Claudia Avendaño near Antigua. We saw many birds, including a great collection of hummingbirds. As well as being very knowledgeable, Claudia was a great companion. We are very much novice birders and she took great care to introduce us to the birds. All in all, it was a great day out." David Eisner, Manchester, UK.
November 2019, CAYAYA BIRDING day tour from Antigua Guatemala
"My wife and I spent a wonderful day with Claudia Avendaño birding at the end of a weekend stay in Antigua. We have gone birding with world class guides in Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica and Panama, and I can say without hesitation that Claudia is in that class. Given that she and Knut Eisermann are the longest running bird guiding outfit in Guatemala, it is to be expected that she knows and can find the birds of Guatemala better than anyone else. That she is a professional ornithologist, and active in conservation only makes recommending CAYAYA BIRDING that much easier. Most importantly, she was able to take account of our age (early 70s), infirmities (altitude impact) and conditioning to give us the measured activity that allowed us to enjoy our day and see what we came to see. She is as quick to line birds up in her scope as anyone I've birded with, and knows the birds of Guatemala and where to find them from her more than 25 years of study, field research and leading trips all in Guatemala. Claudia is a delightful, charming and interesting woman who clearly enjoys doing what she does so well.
" Joel Rosenthal, Miami, Florida, USA.
October 2019, CAYAYA BIRDING half-day tour from Guatemala City
"We completed a half-day birding tour to Tecpán with Claudia Avendaño. She had sent us detailed information about what to expect for the trip. She was very punctual and we promptly left for our adventure. I considered myself a beginner birder and my husband comes along as he enjoys the nature trails as much as I do. We stopped at Rincón Suizo to eat breakfast and review some bird information. Claudia is a wealth of information! We were very impressed. This lady certainly knows her birds. We plan on going on another birding tour in the future and highly recommend her.
" Marta Ketter, Illinois, USA.
July 2019, CAYAYA BIRDING day tour from Antigua Guatemala
"Claudia Avendaño is a professional ornithologist, Birdlife International consultant and naturally a great birder!
Tecpan gave us the opportunity to search for Blue-throated Motmot and Pink-headed Warbler both of which Claudia found but birding here without a guide would be very difficult.
El Pilar trip started with a visit to some superb hummingbird feeders which were excellent with so may hummers across six species. If you're a photographer be prepared to spend some serious amount of time there!
I have no hesitation in recommending CAYAYA BIRDING and especially Claudia.
" Katherine Branch, United Kingdom.
March 2019, CAYAYA BIRDING day tour from Antigua Guatemala
"Great tour of Pilar forest. Claudia Avendaño is clearly an excellent and experienced guide. Would recommend her any day." Wendy Baker, Canada.
October 2018, 6-day birding tour in southern Guatemalan highlands
"Five days in the company of Knut Eisermann birding the hills and valleys of the countryside surrounding Antigua, Guatemala was an absolute delight. Knut is as much an ornithologist, with a special interest in owls, as he is a birder and this made the trip extra special. I am a serial guide user in the Americas and Knut is up there with the best of them." Kevin Buckley, New Jersey, USA.
July 2017, day trip from Antigua Guatemala
"Great birding and great company by a knowledgeable guide, my day trip to Tecpan and Antigua was problems-free and full of regional endemics. Knut Eisermann (and Claudia Avendaño) took care of everything before my arrival to Guatemala, and in the field he was very professional (but treated me like a friend, what I appreciate a lot). I got most of my targets and many other goodies! Thanks guys!" Jan Axel Cubilla, Panama.
June 2017, CAYAYA BIRDING day trip from Antigua Guatemala
"Claudia Avendaño was very professional and knowledgeable. Her English was impeccable, and I felt very comfortable spending the day with her. She was lightening quick with her spotting scope, and as a result I was able to see many birds I never would have seen without her assistance. She was a good listener and answered all my questions. I was impressed with her keen ear for the birds. I would highly recommend CAYAYA BIRDING tours to any bird lover. It is worth every penny!" Tina Collins, USA.
May 2017, day trip from Guatemala City
"We were very pleased with our trip. Very much appreciated the expertise of Claudia Avendaño, who demonstrated extensive knowledge of birds, habitats, and ecology. Everything from our timely pickup, birding, meals together, and transportation was pleasant and professional. Claudia was very patient with our desires to take photos, and linger at various spots. She was an expert in quickly locating and drawing a bead on numerous species." Bryan & Judy Hollinger, USA.
August 2016, day trip from Antigua Guatemala
"Since the first response to my email, I realized that CAYAYA BIRDING was a great find. The information provided and the proposed plan were just what I needed and it all went as expected. The professionalism of Claudia Avendaño was amazing and finding the target species seemed like a routine for her. Besides the great birding, I had a very pleasent time talking about plants, geography and culture." Esteban Biamonte, Costa Rica.
July 2016, day trip from Guatemala City
"Birded with Knut Eisermann one day in Finca Pilar close to Antigua. Would have to say he is one of the best birding guides I have ever hired. The Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl and the Ocellated Quail were just two of the great birds we saw that day. Without him as a guide I would have found very few birds.
I have also birded with Claudia Avendaño, and they are both great birding guides." Mike Parker, USA.
July 2016, day trip from Antigua Guatemala
"At first, I didn't know what to expect, but I was taken completely off guard at how great this trip ended up being! Knut Eisermann was my guide, and he is incredibly knowledgable about the birds of Guatemala (it appears his partner, Claudia Avendaño is as well). It was fun to see a veteran birder get as excited as a kid when finding a bird that he sees almost everyday. I highly recommend CAYAYA BIRDING for any birding experience. I will be going with them again before I go home! They plan everything for you, leaving you with nothing to worry about!" David Schas, USA.
February 2016, multiple day trips
"CAYAYA BIRDING provided expert birding, intimate knowledge of the country, and meticulous trip planning." Gregory Palermo, USA.
