If you’ve grown weary of spending hours fixed in one spot, attempting to catch a glimpse of a particular species, Central America and the Dominican Republic await your visit. In these destinations, nature retains all its pristine allure, far from the intrusive impact of humans, thus preserving the authenticity and richness of a diverse and magnificent native fauna. An exclusive world lies at your fingertips simply by opening your eyes. Birds are a prime example of this, and it’s no coincidence that Central America is renowned for harbouring some of the world’s most exotic avian species. Undoubtedly, it’s an ideal destination if you have a penchant for this kind of tourism, which also contributes to the economic growth of local communities based on eco-friendly activities that respect the environment, ecosystem, and species.
Nearly twenty per cent of the roughly 10,000 bird species found worldwide can be observed in this region. Apart from the more common species such as owls, quails, swallows, myrtles, and finches that migrate annually from North to South America, there’s also the passage of hoppers, cotingas, toucans, and antbirds in the opposite direction.
If we seek uniqueness in each country, we encounter the Rose-throated grosbeak (Cardellina versicolor) and the Resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus Mocinno) in Guatemala; the harpy eagle, the Honduran emerald hummingbird (Amazilia luciae), or the Speckled crowned oropendola (Psarocolius Cassini) in Panama; the Scarlet Macaw (Ara Macao), and the Turquoise-browed motmot known as Torogoz in El Salvador, and Guardabarranco in Nicaragua; the Yucatan Jay (Cyanocorax yucatanicu) in Belize; the Honduran emerald hummingbird in Honduras; the Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) in the Dominican Republic; or the Rufous-bellied thrush (Turdus grayi) in Costa Rica.
If you visit the region for a month, you can identify as many as 800 bird species. The most highly recommended areas for their abundant bird populations are the landscapes of the Mountain Pine Ridge (Belize); Pico Bonito and Santa Bárbara (Honduras); Petén, Todos Santos, Atitlán, Tecpán, and Antigua (Guatemala); the Indio Maíz reserve (Nicaragua); as well as Gamboa and Darién (Panama).