Mexico: Colima and Jalisco

Saturday 17 March to Sunday 25 March 2012*
with Steve Howell as leader.

*in country dates only - allow about £1000 for flights if booked through Sunbird.

Cost: £1750 (2012)
Single room supplement: £190

Maximum group size: 7 with 1 leader; 12 with 2 leaders.

Bird List

Booking Form

Mexico is noted for its spectacular and varied avifauna and its remarkable diversity of habitats.  Nowhere is this variety better represented than in the tiny state of Colima and surrounding areas of Jalisco.  We’ll travel from pristine Pacific beaches to deliciously cool montane forests on the Volcanes del Colima, whose majestic twin peaks dominate the region.  Some 400 species occur in this small area, including more than 40 of Mexico’s 100 or so endemics – ranging from the flashy Red-breasted Chat to the enigmatic Balsas Screech-Owl.  The short distances involved translate into a delightfully unhurried itinerary, making this trip a splendid opportunity to become familiar with a fascinating region.

Note that our sister company WINGS run several tours to different parts of Mexico not listed on our website.  Many are led by Steve Howell, author of the definitive guide to the birds of Mexico.  You can find full details by visiting the WINGS website.

Day 1: The tour begins at 6pm in Barra de Navidad, close to the town of Manzanillo. There are a number of flight options for getting to Mexico. Night in Barra de Navidad.

Day 2:  We’ll spend a day exploring the coastal lowlands within easy reach of our hotel.  Habitats range from mangrove to thorn forest, and some of the birds we should see are Lilac-crowned Parrot, White-throated Magpie-Jay, San Blas Jay, Orange-breasted Bunting, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, Golden-cheeked Woodpecker, and with luck perhaps the elusive Red-breasted Chat and Rosy Thrush-Tanager.  Night in Barra de Navidad.

Day 3:  We'll spend the morning birding in semi-deciduous forest, home to Golden Crowned Emerald, Flammulated Flycatcher, and West Mexican Chachalaca.  After lunch we'll drive inland to Ciudad Guzmán, a town at about 5000 feet at the extreme southwest corner of the Mexican central plateau.  This will be our base for three nights, allowing us easy access to the forested slopes of the twin volcanoes that dominate the region.  Night in Ciudad Guzmán.

Days 4-5:  We’ll have two full days to explore the twin massifs of the Volcán de Fuego (Volcano of Fire) and the Volcán de Nieve (Volcano of Snow) and the surrounding plains.  The former peak, still steaming, rises to 12,500 feet, the latter to over 14,000 feet.  Fuego’s coastal-facing slopes intercept moisture-laden winds and support lush forests whose valleys echo with the rollicking choruses of Long-tailed Wood-Partridge and cascading melodies of Brown-backed Solitaire.  Numerous mixed-species feeding flocks often hold such gems as Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo, Gray-collared Becard, Red Warbler, and Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer.  In addition there are several skulkers, such as Russet Nightingale-Thrush, Golden-browed Warbler, and Collared Towhee, as well as more than 15 species of hummingbird and such rarities as Aztec Thrush and Great Swallow-tailed Swift.  On the interior-facing slopes of the Volcán de Nieve a drier, more open pine-oak forest hosts a rather different avifauna, including Spotted Wren, Olive Warbler, Buff-breasted Flycatcher, and Black-headed Siskin.  The surrounding plains are home to White-tailed Hawk and Crested Caracara, and a string of nearby lakes adds diversity in the form of migrant waterfowl and waders.  Nights in Ciudad Guzmán.

Day 6:  After a final morning birdwatching on the slopes of the volcanoes we’ll drive to Ciudad Colima, capital of the state of Colima.  The thorn forest near town is home to several interesting species, and we’ll stay out after dark in search of Balsas Screech-Owl and Buff-collared Nightjar.  Night in Ciudad Colima.

Day 7:  We’ll spend today on the hillsides above Ciudad Colima where birds we’ll be seeking include Lesser Roadrunner, Dwarf and Black-capped Vireos.  Night in Ciudad Colima.

Day 8:  After a morning around Ciudad Colima we’ll depart for Manzanillo, Mexico’s most important Pacific Coast port.  We’ll arrive at our hotel in mid-afternoon where the beach or pool may prove irresistible.  Night in Manzanillo.

Day 9:  The tour ends this morning in Manzanillo.

The ground arrangements for this tour are organized by our American associates WINGS.

E-mail or phone +44 (0)1767 262522 for availability.

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Return to 'Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean' introduction

We begin with four days on the coast in the company of a variety of birds including Orange-breasted Bunting...


and Orange-fronted Parakeet.

Before moving inland where amidst superb scenery we find Slate-throated Redstart...


and Mexican endemics such as Russet-Nightingale Thrush...


and with luck a Balsas Screech-Owl.


Back on the coast, and the chance for birding even while we are doing the checklist...


with one of the world's largest nesting congregations of Red-billed Tropicbirds nearby.