CAYAYA BIRDING target trips in Guatemala for avid birdwatchers
Have you birded northern Central America or southern Mexico already, and want to come back to the region to see the birds you have not seen yet, or do you want to see as many of our regional endemics as possible, or other species of your special interest? Get in touch with us and we advise you on the best travel time for seeing your target birds in Guatemala and prepare an itinerary that maximizes chances of seeing as many as possible of your sought-after species.
CAYAYA BIRDING target trips are private tours for 1-4 birders, but they can also be adapted to larger groups. These birding tours are customized to your target list, and include also sites which are not included in our birding hotspots. These trips provide better chances of seeing difficult birds such as owls and nightjars, quail-doves, and quails.How to book your CAYAYA BIRDING target trip. We are looking forward to hearing from you. What birders say about CAYAYA BIRDING target trips.
Some of Guatemala's special birds seen during CAYAYA BIRDING tours
Pink-headed Warbler Cardellina versicolor, endemic to the highlands of Guatemala and southern Chiapas, Mexico.Horned Guan Oreophasis derbianus in the Guatemalan highlands.
Maroon-chested Ground-Dove Paraclaravis mondetoura in the Guatemalan highlands.
Adult male Goldman's Warbler (Setophaga goldmani), endemic to the highlands of Guatemala and southern Chiapas, Mexico.
A male rufous morph Bearded Screech-Owl Megascops barbarus, endemic to the Atlantic slope highlands of Guatemala and eastern Chiapas, Mexico.
Azure-rumped Tanager Poecilostreptus cabanisi, endemic to the highlands of southern Guatemala and southern Chiapas, Mexico.
A male Black-capped Siskin Spinus atriceps, endemic to the highlands of Guatemala and southern Chiapas, Mexico.
Highland Guan Penelopina nigra, endemic to the highlands of northern Central America and southern Mexico.
Belted Flycatcher Xenotriccus callizonus, endemic to the highlands of northern Central America and southern Mexico.
Ocellated Quail Cyrtonyx ocellatus, endemic to the highlands of northern Central America and southern Mexico.
Male Wine-throated Hummingbird Selasphorus ellioti, endemic to the highlands of northern Central America and southern Mexico.
Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge Dendrortyx leucophrys, endemic to southern Mexico and Central America.Unspotted Saw-whet Owl Aegolius ridgwayi, endemic to the highlands of southern Mexico and Central America.
Blue-throated Motmot Aspatha gularis, endemic to northern Central America and southern Mexico.Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo Vireolanius melitophrys, endemic to northern Central America and southern Mexico.
Adult and juvenile Fulvous Owls Strix fulvescens, endemic to northern Central America and southern Mexico.Slender Sheartail Doricha enicura, endemic to the highlands of northern Central America and southern Mexico.
Blue-crowned Chlorophonia Chlorophonia occipitalis, endemic to northern Central America and southern Mexico.
White-faced Ground-Sparrow (Prevost's Ground-Sparrow) Melozone biarcuata, endemic to northern Central America and southern Mexico.
Red-faced Warbler Cardellina rubrifrons, mainly a Mexican breeding bird wintering also in pine-oak forests in the Guatemalan highlands.Rufous Sabrewing Pampa rufa, endemic to the Pacific slope highlands of northern Central America and southern Mexico.Female Hooded Grosbeak Coccothraustes abeillei, endemic to the highlands of Mexico and northern Central America.Male Singing Quail Dactylortyx thoracicus, endemic to Mexico and northern Central America.Resplendent Quetzal Pharomachrus mocinno, endemic to the highlands of southern Mexico and Central America.Pacific Parakeet Psittacara strenuus, endemic to northern Central America and southern Mexico.Ruddy Crake Laterallus ruber, endemic to the lowlands of southern Mexico and northern Central America.
Plan today your target trip in Guatemala!
What target birders say about CAYAYA BIRDING
February/March 2023, 10-day target birding tour through the highlands of Guatemala
"Knut was expert at finding the birds we were looking for and often managed to have them quickly in the scope so that I enjoyed many great views. The hike up to see the Horned Guan was nicely interrupted to look for owls on the way up; I didn't dream to have such great views of the Horned Guans posing and then feeding in the aguacatillo trees." Jean-Francois Burhis, Netherlands
May 2023, 2 half-day birding tours from Antigua Guatemala
"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."
John Larrea, United States
November-December 2019, 16 days birding tour throughout Guatemala
"Guatemala with CAYAYA BIRDING - far from the longest bird-list I've ever had, nor perhaps equalling the great wild-life spectacles of East Africa, but this was one of the very best birding trips I've ever been on. The leader is key on any sort of wild-life trip and I make no apology for the emphasis that I place on this area. We picked up all the "marquee" species and had many extra surprise bonus birds. All this is because Knut Eisermann has to be one of the world's very top bird leaders. His ability as a bird-finder must be unrivaled and he has the unique ability to get scope views of rainforest rarities. This alone makes a huge difference. He also has an unrivaled knowledge of the country's avifauna and has an extensive array of contacts, including local guides, to smooth the finding of rarities. Our list of owls, photographed as well as seen, was amazing. A bird leader also needs lots of "softer" skills and once more Knut excels - multi-lingual, resourceful, and with an excellent sense of humour. It really was like going birding with an old friend. There was always flexibility and a Plan B if necessary. To literally wet your appetite, the food and accommodation were absolutely superb. If you are thinking of a bird trip to Guatemala, and you should, then I'm afraid that there is no alternative to CAYAYA BIRDING." Mike Thompson, United Kingdom
"A great trip with a brilliant guide. Knut Eisermann was both fun to be with and excellent at getting us onto all the birds." David Crawshaw, United Kingdom
"Thank you Knut and Claudia for one of the best birding trips I have been on, well considered and organised itinerary led by a highly knowledgeable and likeable guide who quickly located birds in the scope. Great birds, scenery, accommodation and coffee, I couldn't recommend CAYAYA BIRDING highly enough." Fiona Ireland, United Kingdom
November 2019, 6-day target birding trip in the highlands of Guatemala
"A much anticipated return to this wonderful country after a several year break. A huge thanks to Knut Eisermann and Claudia Avendaño, for yet another absolutely fantastic trip. The whole thing meticulously planned and operated. Exceptionally knowledgeable, focused, patient and kind, the CAYAYA BIRDING team are the natural choice for birdwatching in Guatemala. Already planning our next visit!
" Harry Barnard, United Kingdom and Costa Rica.
February 2019, 6-day bird photography tour in the Guatemalan highlands
"Four of us went to Guatemala in the hope of photographing the regional endemics. Thanks to Knut's expertise, we saw and photographed almost all on our wish list. I would recommend CAYAYA BIRDING company for anyone birding or pursuing serious photography in Guatemala. Knut Eisermann not only knows the birds and how to find them, but is an accomplished photographer himself, so he knows just what a photographer needs when in the field. We can't wait to come back." Richard Greenspun, Florida, USA.
January 2019, 1-week target photography tour in the Guatemalan highlands
"I traveled with Knut Eisermann from CAYAYA BIRDING this past week, looking for highland species such as Horned Guan. We found almost all our target species and were able to get good photos of most of them. Knut is an excellent guide who instantly knows all the bird calls. He is very patient and doesn't mind the long drives to get to all the birding sites." Pete Ferrera, New York, USA.
December 2018 - January 2019, 15-day target birding tour through Guatemala
"Me and four well travelled friends used CAYAYA BIRDING for a private 15-day Guatemala birding tour in December 2018 - January 2019. Our focus was regional endemics plus we wanted to visit and bird Tikal. We were more than satisfied with the tour. It exceeded our expectations. The whole arrangement was excellent with a good mix of habitats, ensuring that we ended up with a very nice trip list (386 species, of which 13 were heard only). Knut Eisermann was a splendid guide, very keen to find our targets and with excellent knowledge of all the birds occurring in Guatemala. A slightly unexpected bonus was his special interest in owls, which meant that owling was an almost nightly exercise. Our final trip list included nine species of owls and they were all seen!
I can thoroughly recommend a birding tour to Guatemala. It is a very scenic country and it has A LOT of special birds, many of which do not occur in Costa Rica for example. If you visit in the winter you can also expect to see many wintering North American warblers, which is always nice.
If you decide to go birding in this beautiful country, be sure to use CAYAYA BIRDING for your tour." Tomas Hedmark, Sweden.
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.
August 2018, 5-day target trip in the Guatemalan highlands
"I had the pleasure of birding the highlands with Knut Eisermann for a week in August with two friends. Besides seeing some mega birds - Horned Guan, Pink-headed Warbler, and Belted Flycatcher for example - I was really impressed by the amazing scenery, delicious cuisine and comfortable accommodations. I hope to book another trip with CAYAYA BIRDING again soon!" Michael C. Duffy, New York, USA.
April-May 2018, 18-days target trip throughout Guatemala
"We had an extremely good trip. Everything was organized with an incredible attention to detail; we saw a huge amount without feeling rushed; and the food and accommodation were far better than we had expected. Knut is an excellent guide with an incredible knowledge of the birds, wildlife and culture of his adopted home. He is also very pleasant company in the field. Very highly recommended." Graham Tebb, Vienna, Austria.
"Birding tour guided by Knut Eisermann. Nearly 400 species (376 species seen) thanks to Knut's excellent knowledge of bird sounds and locations.
Great accommodations, too. Excellent food. Lovely people. I enjoyed all places we visited, with Tikal being the most impressive. 3 weeks seemed a good length for our trip, but I could have stayed longer!" Gerlinde Taurer, Vienna, Austria.
February 2018, 5-day birding trip focused on warblers in Guatemala
"I just returned from a very productive birding trip down to Guatemala with my primary focus being warblers. I had a target list and managed to find all of them thanks to the expert guiding from Knut. I let them know exactly what species I was looking for and they planned an itinerary that would give us the best chances of finding them. I would highly recommend them as they know where the birds are, get you on them and tailor the tour to whatever you want to find. Although Knut is originally from Germany he has been down in Guatemala for 20 years so knows the country very well and I always like providing business to local guides when I travel." Larry Therrien, Massachusetts, USA.
October 2017, 7-day target trip
"Knut took a friend and I in search of rare species. Even though we weren't able to reach one area due to road closures, Knut was able to quickly come up with alternate locations and great birds. He is a very personable and skilled guide that I would recommend to anyone wanting to bird Guatemala. Also he is a very safe driver." Ken Havard, Canada.
April 2017, 18-day target trip
"The trip was absolutely the best. I have been on many guided trips to a number of countries, but none were more well organized and thought out than yours." Dennis Shirley, Utah, USA.
April 2017, 14-day target trip
"CAYAYA BIRDING are the Guatemala experts. For expert guiding, logistics planning and knowing where the birds are, you can't beat the team of Knut and Claudia! Thanks for a great trip, guys!!" Mark Conrad, Arizona, USA.
March 2017, 9-day birding trip through Guatemala
"Excellent organized birding tour with Knut as a world-class birding guide." Fritz Furrer, Switzerland.
"Knut was outstanding, friendly, kind, had unbelievable patience in finding the bird. He knew every call and song (as much as I could tell). The trip was exceptionally well organized and documented." Alfred Raab, Canada and Panama.
April-May 2016, customized 2-weeks birding loop for 6 birders
"In May 2016 five friends and I were guided by CAYAYA BIRDING in western Guatemala and Tikal NP. This was my second birdwatching tour with Knut and Claudia (principals of CAYAYA BIRDING) and both trips were truly excellent. Knut and Claudia work together as a smooth team to ensure that everyone's needs are met -- every day of the tour.
An unexpected highlight of the recent trip was spotting a Baird's Tapir in Tikal -- a thrill for everyone!" Mike Mulligan, Canada.
April 2016, 6-day target trip
"Guatemala + CAYAYA BIRDING = World class birding, a match made in ornithological heaven." Stuart Millar, Trinidad.
November 2015, 6-day target trip
"I highly recommend Knut as a guide. His ability to spot birds I couldn't see was uncanny. They went above and beyond to get my luggage to me when it missed my flight and arrived later." David McDonald, Houston, Texas, USA.
June 2015, 17-day target trip
"CAYAYA BIRDING is outstanding: they not only offer world-class guides, but remarkably comfortable accommodation. They have taken care to ensure good relations with the communities they visit, which means you will not only see a long list of endemics and rarities, but also learn a lot about Guatemala's cultural diversity." Matthew Koch, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
December 2014, CAYAYA BIRDING 11-day target trip through Guatemala
"Our guide, Knut Eisermann was EXCELLENT!!! I was impressed by his bird knowledge, phenomenal eyes and ears, and on how well he took care of us. He was charming at all times, attuned to all of our needs both birdwise and otherwise, and extremely patient and considerate. He is lightning-fast on getting a bird in the scope! He is also a very safe driver. We had a delightful time. Claudia Avendaño was very prompt on her responses to all of our queries. Her pre-trip information was comprehensive and very clear. I would highly recommend that anyone interested in birding Guatemala contact them first." Lorna L. Engleman, MD, and Dodge Engleman, MD, San Antonio, TX.
April 2014, 11-days target trip
My experience in Guatemala could not have been better. Knut is a very accomplished guide who knows the birds beyond field guide information. Mark Lockwood, Alpine, TX, USA.
A fantastic tour! Very well-organized, with friendly, enthusiastic, and expert guides that knew where to find the birds we wanted to see. They made sure we were well taken care of, and they worked hard to ensure that everyone in our group saw the birds we were targeting. All lodging was highly satisfactory and we never missed a meal. Extremely pleasant and highly recommended! Paul Sunby, Austin, TX, USA.
April 2013, 12-days target trip
A great trip with an excellent guide. Our trip went smoothly and we saw more speciality species than we expected. Dave Sargeant, Thailand.
We found Knut Eisermann an extremely knowledgable, enthusiastic, patient and attentive leader. He knows the birds, the locations, the people. He involves local guides that he trained himself wherever possible - we were impressed by this. His sense of humour is also an asset. Ian D. Harrison, Aberaeron, UK.
May 2007, 5 days target trip
"In 2005, my wife and I went to Guatemala on holiday for a week in November.
During that trip, we arranged a 3 day birding trip with CAYAYA BIRDING to
look for the Horned Guan. We had a very successful (albeit very strenuous)
hike up the side of Volcano Atitlan, the highlight of which was prolonged
looks at two Horned Guans looking back at us. I was very impressed with everything
about Knut Eisermann, co-owner, chief cook and bottle washer for CAYAYA BIRDING.
He is a brilliant field ornithologist, a great logistician and an all-around
very pleasant fellow. Thus when business took me back to Guatemala
in May 2007, I pre-arranged a 5 day trip with Knut once again. My goal this
time was to look for Resplendent Quetzals and look for highland rainforest
owls." See trip report Alan van Norman, Bismarck, North Dakota, USA.
April 2007, 8 days target trip
"Until recently, I'd never thought too much about birding Guatemala. Our trip with Knut has convinced to return as soon as possible and see more of this fascinating country. Experiencing the Mayan culture and the fabulous birds in the mountains is something I'll never forget. Having traveled with other birding companies, I'd have to recommend CAYAYA BIRDING over the others for personal service and effort given to show us every possible species. A truly remarkable experience." Howard King, Riverside, CA, USA.
"Knut and Claudia are amazing.....we told them what we wanted to see and they planned a perfect itinerary. We saw almost all of our target birds! Can't wait to do another trip with them!
" Lori Conrad, Hermosa Beach, CA, USA.
March 2007, 10 days target trip:
"CAYAYA BIRDING did a great job for us and was outstanding both in terms
of the birding and the logistics of the trip. Knut Eisermann and Claudia Avendaño,
who run CAYAYA BIRDING together, are deeply knowledgeable about the avifauna
of Guatemala, are great birders and organized everything without a hitch.
They are working hard surveying the birdlife in Guatemala, developing birding
and eco-tourism through local lodges such as Los Tarrales, and exposing Guatemala as a first rate birding destination with marquee
species that may be found more easily in Guatemala than in any other area.
We would heartily recommend them for anyone interested in birding in Guatemala." Jeffrey F. Peters, Weston, MA, USA.
