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Birding Guyana, Surinam and Roraima trek
By Gunnar Engblom of Kolibri Expeditons
Join Kolibri Expedtions on a new bird watching holiday to the Guyanas and the tepui highlands of Roraima. The trip consists of three sections. The first section visits Guyana and the virgin rain forests of Iwokrama and the Canopy Walkway at Atta Lodge and a key area for Crimson Fruitcrow, White-winged Guan, Crimson Topaz, Guianan Toucanet, Blue-backed Tanager, Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock and many more. The area is also great for spotting Jaguars. Before leaving Georgetown we shall look for Blood-colored Woodpecker and then board the flight to Iwokrama, which will make a detour to the magnifiscent Kaeiteur Falls with a free drop of 400m, featured in the Wim Wenders documentary "The White Baloon". Here we may spot White-chinned Swifts. At the end of the first section we shall make an expedition into the Rupanami Savannah to a newly discovered population of Red Siskin. The second section concentrates on a trek on the Roraima Tepui, the 2800m table mountain that makes the boarder of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana. Here many Roraiman endemics occur such as Tepui Wren, Tepui Nightjar, Tepui Parrotlet, Tepui Swift, Tepui Antpitta, Greater Flowerpiercer, Tepui Foliagegleaner, Roraima Barbtail, Red-banded Fruiteater, Chapman's Tyrannulet, Tepui Goldenthroat, and many more.
But apart from the great birds, this trek is as much as for the eye and for the spirit, as it is to get some highly sought endemics. The views of the tepuis are just spectacular. The Roraima was the setting of Arthur Conan Doyles "Lost Worlds" On the way back to and from Santa Elena on the Venezuelan border we shall pass Boa Vista in Brazil, where we shall look for some very localized endemics such as Rio Branco Antbird, Sun Parakeet and Hoary-cheeked Spinetail. The third week is dedicated to Volksberg, Raleigh Falls and Coewewijne in Surinam. Many species difficult or not present in Guyana can be seen in Surinam, such as Guianan Piculet, Boat-billed Tody-Tyrant, Band-tailed Antshrike, White-throated Pewee, Glossy-backed Becard and many more. The full week in Surinam also gives us second chance on many of the species listed for Guyana. The full three weeks will maybe be somewhat intense for some birders, as the chief aim of this trip is to see many of the birds difficult to see elsewhere in South America. The itinerary will surely attract many birders with ample previous South America experience. However, Guyana provides such good birding that it is also great as a first South America destination. For this reason it shall be possible to make a different second week. Instead of the Roraima trip one may do a river trip searhing for wildlife such as jaguars and tapirs (very good hitrate) down from Dadanawa with the jungle explorers of the DeFreitas family ending up at the Karanambu ranch where Dianne McTurk has provided a Giant Otter rehab center for over 40 years.
Another alternative for anyone wanting to see most of the Roraima birds without trekking we can offer a simultaneous road trip with comfortable lodge accomodation exploring the famous Escalera road.
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Contributor's Note
Gunnar Engblom is guide and managing director of Kolibri Expeditions
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Crimson Topaz. Photo: Gunnar Engblom
Crimson Fruitcrow. Photo: Gunnar Engblom
Kaeiteur Falls. Photo: Elissa Landre
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