International Birding Tours
Bird the world with Tucson Bird Alliance and our partners!
Check this page soon for upcoming information on 2027 trips to Colombia with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours and India with Naturalist Journeys!
Peru: Cusco to Manú National Park with Naturalist Journeys
October 2-17, 2026, w/Peg Abbott and Tucson Bird Alliance Jennie MacFarland
Optional Machu Picchu extension through October 20
Stretching across thousands of square miles on the eastern flank of the Peruvian Andes, Manu National Park and the biosphere reserve that surrounds it encompasses a continuous tract of pristine wilderness that preserves the entire spectrum of Andean slope ecosystems—from high Andean puna grasslands to lowland Amazonian rainforest. Stretching across so many altitudes and habitats, this reserve lays claim to the most diverse fauna and flora of any park in the world: 1000+ bird species, 160 mammal species, and 4,385 plant species have been recorded in its boundaries with more still being discovered. By following the very birdy Manu-Kosnipata Road and staying at lodges at different altitudes, this tour offers a rich transect of all the habitats present in the Manu Biosphere Reserve.
Our tour begins in Lima, where nutrient-rich upwellings from the cold Humboldt Current offer nourishment for teeming seabird colonies that include boobies, cormorants, and penguins. After a short flight to Cusco, we travel across natural high mountain grasslands and fields farmed for centuries in search of endemics like Bearded Mountaineer and Creamy-crested Spinetail. Once we reach the rest of the Acjanaco Pass, above the treeline, the landscape tumbles downward into progressively taller and wetter forest. Our first stop is Wayqechua Biological Station, where we explore misty elfin forests buzzing with high elevation tanagers and hummingbirds. Then we continue to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge, where lush cloud forests harbor exuberant leks of the Andean Cock-of-the-rock, mixed flocks of technicolor tanagers like Paradise, Saffron-crowned, and Beryl-spangled, and brilliant songsters such as Andean Solitaire and Chestnut-breasted Wren. A bit further down still at Villa Carmen Biological Station, we explore spiney Guadua bamboo and foothill rainforest for the shimmery Bluish-fronted Jacamar, adorable Black-backed Tody-Flycatcher, and skulking Manu Antbird.
Finally, we reach the awe-inspiring Amazonia Rainforest: a habitat layered with diversity, complexity, and sheer beauty. Here, we spend four full days soaking up the spectacle of parrot clay licks attended by hundreds of parrots, visiting quiet oxbow lakes inhabited by prehistoric Hoatzin and elegant Agami Heron, watching for brightly-colored toucans and cotingas from canopy platforms, and seeking out large mammals like Giant Otter and South American Tapir. All in all, this tour covers one of the greatest birding roads in the world.
An optional tour extension to the major historical site of Machu Picchu can be added to your tour
Tour Summary
- 16-Day / 15-Night Manú National Park Tour
- $7,390 DBL; $8,290 SGL
- 4-Day / 3-Night Machu Picchu Tour Extension
- $2995 DBL / $3585 SGL
- Arrival/Departure Airport is Lima, Peru (LIM)
See the full itinerary and details here, and the registration info here. See Naturalist Journeys for terms and conditions.
Your participation supports conservation, and a portion will be donated to Tucson Bird Alliance! For registration contact our partner company for this tour, Naturalist Journeys from the registration link on this page, or contact Naturalist Journeys at travel@naturalistjourneys.com or call (866) 900-1146.
Guatemala: Birding and Culture in the Mayan World with Sabrewing Nature Tours
January 20–29, 2027 (and extension through Feb 3) with Rob Ripma and Tucson Audubon host Luke Safford
Guatemala has incredibly diverse habitats and spectacular birds to offer visiting birders. From the cloud forests where Horned Guans can be found to the pine forests where species such as Pink-headed Warbler live, there is always something wonderful to see. Guatemala is also a country with a rich culture which we will have the privilege of experiencing throughout our trip!
Our main tour will focus on birding in the Central Highlands where we’ll spend nine days exploring a variety of elevations. We’ll also take in some of the cultural side of Guatemala with a visit to the historic town of Antigua, Guatemala. Highlight species on this portion of the tour could include Horned Guan, Tufted Flycatcher, Pink-headed Warbler, Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo, Blue-throated Motmot, Gray Silky-flycatcher, Wine-throated and Garnet-throated Hummingbirds, Long-tailed Manakin, and Azure-rumped Tanager.
At the conclusion of the main tour, continue with us on our extension to the lowlands. This extension will offer a much different bird list than the main tour. Our first stop will be Las Guacamayas Biological Station before we move on to the famous Mayan ruins at Tikal National Park. Some highlights in the lowlands include Agami Heron, Sungrebe, Ocellated Turkey, Crested Eagle, Scarlet Macaw, Gray-throated Chat, and Orange-breasted Falcon.
Main Tour Summary
- January 20–29, 2027
- $4399 (double occupancy)
- Arrival/Departure Airport is Guatemala City
Extension Summary
- January 28–February 3, 2027
- $3599 (double occupancy)
- Arrival/Departure Airport is Guatemala City
See the full itinerary and registration info here. See Sabrewing Nature Tours for terms and conditions.
Your participation supports conservation, and a portion will be donated to Tucson Bird Alliance! For registration, contact our partner company for this tour, Sabrewing Nature Tours from the registration link on this page.
South Texas Birding & Nature with Naturalist Journeys
December 3-11, 2025 with Greg Butcher and Tucson Bird Alliance host Jennie MacFarland
South Texas is one of the greatest birding destinations in the United States, and for good reason. Due to its proximity to the humid tropics of Mexico, the subtropical woodlands of the Rio Grande Valley boast over two dozen tropical bird species that spill across the border, from chachalacas to pauraques. Here, colorful Great Kiskadee and personable Green Jay mingle with temperate species. These tropical species occur nowhere else in the United States!
Tour Summary
- December 3-11, 2025
- 9-Day / 8-Night
- $3890 (double occupancy) / $4870 (single occupancy)
- Arrival Airport is Corpus Christi (CRP)
- Departure Airport is McAllen (MFE)
See the full itinerary and registration info here. See Naturalist Journeys for terms and conditions.
Your participation supports conservation and a portion will be donated to Tucson Bird Alliance. For registration please contact Naturalist Journeys, let them know you wish to travel on the custom South Texas journey set up for Tucson Bird Alliance and they will help you with forms, payment and tour information. Email: travel@naturalistjourneys.com / 866-900-1146. Naturalist Journeys is located in Portal, AZ.
Mexico: Oaxacan Adventure with Sabrewing Nature Tours
January 8-18, 2026 with Rob Ripma and Tucson Bird Alliance host Alexis Stark
TOUR IS FULL – For an additional Sabrewing Nature Tours Oaxaca tour offering please click here.
Mexico is home to incredible biodiversity, and Oaxaca stands as its crown jewel for birding, with a wide range of ecosystems supporting diverse species. Whether you’re exploring the high-altitude pine forests or the tropical lowlands, each destination offers unique opportunities for birdwatching and ecological exploration. Check out the full itinerary but highlights will include birds such as Orange-breasted Bunting, Rufous-crowned Motmot, and Red Warbler, along with a pelagic outing, cultural opportunities, and the famous Oaxacan cuisine.
Orange-breasted Bunting, Rob Ripma
All 2024 Tours are FULL
Upcoming 2025 Tours (More Info to Come)
- January 23 – February 2, 2025 – Belize with Victor Emanual Nature Tours and Tucson Bird Alliance
- October 2025 – Chile with Sabrewing Nature Tours and Tucson Bird Alliance
Belize: Lagoons, Savannas, & Forests with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours
January 24 – February 3, 2025 with Brian Gibbons and Tucson Bird Alliance host Donito Burgess
Designed exclusively for the Tucson Bird Alliance community, this exciting natural history experience explores one of the most inviting countries in Central America, Belize. This tiny English-speaking country on the Caribbean Sea features a tremendous range of habitats, and each of the three very comfortable lodges we have selected offers a rich sampling of unmistakably tropical diversity.
This trip offers a dazzling introduction to a jewel of Neotropical natural history. We’ll have great birding based in three comfortable lodges in very different habitats: Crooked Tree, Lamanai Outpost Lodge, and Black Rock Lodge. We will look for a number of sought-after Central American specialties on a list that should approach 300 bird species, plus good opportunities to study fantastic tropical mammals, at some sites against a backdrop of Maya ruins.
Tour Summary
- 11-Day / 10-Night Belize Birding Tour
- $5,795 (double occupancy), from Belize City, Belize
- Arrival/Departure Airport is Belize City, Belize
See the full itinerary and details here, and the registration info here. See Victor Emanuel Nature Tours for terms and conditions.
Your participation supports conservation, and a portion will be donated to Tucson Bird Alliance! For registration contact our partner company for this tour, Victor Emanuel Nature Tours from the registration link on this page, or call the VENT Operations Manager at 800.328.8368 or 512.328.5221.
