West Mexi Photo Safari Introduction

Dates: 13-24 February 2019

The bulk of our time during this bird photography adventure will be spent in the well known birding states of Colima and Jalisco. These areas possess some of the finest birding to be found in tropical America and the photography opportunities do not lag far behind! The quality and number of birds to be found in this habitat rich area is just amazing. In addition to the great photo ops on the rest of the trip, the Volcanos in Jalisco are AMAZING! As the birding and photography are so spectacular, we are allowing three whole days to fully explore this one site! Home to a wide variety of endemics, the Volcanes de Colima (Volcan de Fuego spewing smoke and Volcan de Nieve’s snow capped peak) is an experience that needs to be savored slowly and after visiting a number of other memorable birding spots that is exactly what we’ll do.

Your photography adventure begins along Jalisco’s Pacific coast in tropical and thorn forests south of Puerto Vallarta. A profusion of flowering plants across Puerto Vallarta’s Botanical Garden attract an equally attractive host of birds. We hope to photograph Rufous-bellied Chachalaca, Golden-cheeked Woodpecker, Lilac-crowned Parrot, Orange-fronted Parakeet, Citreoline Trogon, hummingbirds as Mexican Hermit, Cinnamon Hummingbird and Plain-capped Starthroat, Sinaloa Wren, San Blas Jay, Blue Bunting, Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow, Yellow-winged Cacique and Streak-backed Oriole amongst others.

Russet-crowned Motmot – Photo by Rick Bowers ©

Rancho Primavera is a private 200 acre ranch 50 miles south of Puerto Vallarta. Its owner, Bonnie Jauregui, is an expat American and has reforested much of the former Mango plantation and cattle ranch with native trees. A fine mix of habitats that hosts a huge variety of birds including West Mexican Chachalaca, Least Grebe, White-tipped Dove, Plain-capped Starthroat, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Elegant Trogon, Russet-crowned Motmot, Green Kingfisher, Golden-cheeked Woodpecker, Orange-fronted Parakeet, Military Macaw, Nutting’s Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Social Flycatcher, Golden Vireo, San Blas Jay, Happy & Sinaloa Wrens, Rufous-backed Robin, Blue Mockingbird, Grayish Saltator, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Yellow Grosbeak, Yellow-winged Cacique and Black-vented Oriole to name a few of the more cooperative photo subjects.

San Blas Jay – Photo by Rick Bowers ©

Barra de Navidad, along Jalisco’s Pacific shore offers access to some wonderful thorn forest and lonely beach vistas before we segue onto Colima’s impressive volcanos. Our move inland takes us through agricultural fields, ponds and wetlands before climbing through progressively changing habitats on the volcanos. Habitats that include scattered oaks, dry oak/pine forest, humid oak/pine forest and finishing with pine/fir forest just below timberline. This diversity of habitats in such a small geographical area is the reason birding and photography opportunities here are so spectacular.

Mexican Woodnymph – An endemic species with a tiny range of less than 120 miles long along the Pacific coast – Photo by Rick Bowers ©

Many endemics, beautiful scenery and comfortable lodging provide an unbeatable combination. While these sites are our primary areas for Flammulated Flycatcher, Rosy Thrush-Tanager and Red-breasted Chat, the complete list of endemics we expect to see around the volcanoes is full of many other spectacular birds. Long-tailed Wood-Partridge, Singing Quail, West Mexican Chachalaca, Lilac-crowned Parrot, Thick-billed Parrot (found in the winter season only), Bumblebee Hummingbird, White-striped Woodcreeper, Lesser Roadrunner, Colima Pygmy-Owl, Golden-crowned Emerald, Citreoline Trogon, San Blas Jay, White-bellied Wren, Black-capped Gnatcatcher, Fan-tailed Warbler, Grey-collared Becard, Spotted Wren, Aztec Thrush (present here in wintertime flocks), Russet Nightingale-Thrush, Dwarf Vireo, Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo, Green-striped Brush-Finch, Collared Towhee, Black-backed (Abeille’s) Oriole. Blue and Orange-breasted Buntings, Black-vented Oriole and Yellow-winged Caçique are the primary members of this list. Similar habitat inland offers back-up support in case any species are missed while providing our most reliable areas in Colima & Jalisco for Banded Quail, Balsas Screech-Owl, Whiskered Screech-Owl, Mountain and Colima Pygmy-Owls, Stygian Owl, Spotted Owl, Eared Poorwill, Mexican Whip-poor-will and Buff-collared Nightjar.

Balsas Screech-Owl, another bird with a highly restricted range. Photo by Kim & Cindy Risen.

Our return home is from the international airport at Puerto Vallarta giving folks the largest selection of departing flights possible.