Overall Impressions:
We all enjoyed Guyana very much, in many ways, it may be our favorite country visited in South America so far (out of 6 countries visited by 1 or more of our party). In general, we welcomed the ease of using English everywhere we went, meaning we could have long conversations with everyone from our tour operator, pilot, researchers, even the maid or the cook. Guyana has a low human population density over much of the country, which meant no dodging of suicidal truck drivers (as in Brazil), or enduring nerve-wracking bumper-car rides on crowded urban freeways (as in parts of Argentina or Chile), or searching for that last plot of Polylepis woodland before it goes under the ax for firewood (as in parts of Peru). The up-country portions of Guyana (and even the capital, Georgetown) run at a pleasing slow pace. The major accessible rainforest reserve (Iwokrama) experiences such a low level of hunting that curassows, trumpeters, and macaws are actually common, while the tracks of tapirs, ocelots, and jaguars litter the roads. If you’re searching for a quality jungle experience with a high diversity of birds, easy access from the U.S., lots of charismatic megafauna, a canopy walkway, and rivers alive with caiman and giant otters, we recommend Guyana, you won’t regret it.
Itinerary:
We contacted Wilderness Explorers in Georgetown (see their website) to help us with logistics, such as ground and air transportation and lodge stays. In general they did a good job in making arrangements and contacting upcountry lodges. There were a few snags along the way, but these were minor. You should emphasize to them that you are serious birders so they can arrange for more birding in the early mornings and more travel in the afternoons.
15 Feb. Arrival in a.m. in Georgetown (direct flight from JFK), afternoon birding on the Abary (also spelled Abari or Abarri) River trail, about 1 hour east of Georgetown.
16 Feb. Fly by small plane to Annai and transfer by 4x4 truck to Iwokrama Field Station (which you can also fly into directly).
17 Feb. Iwokrama Field Station trails and boat/trail to Turtle Mountain.
18 Feb. Transfer to Atta Lodge, also within Iwokrama Forest Reserve, birding along the main road in Mori (also spelled Muri) Scrub- a varillal (white sand) ‘forest’. Evening on the canopy walkway.
19 Feb. Morning on the trails and evening on the canopy walkway in the Atta Lodge area. (AG moved on 1 day ahead of us at this point, he could not stay with us the entire trip and did not visit Arrowpoint).
20 Feb. Morning birding around Atta, including cock-of-the-rock lek, and transfer to Surama. Birding on nearby trails and Burro Burro River.
21 Feb. Morning birding on trails in the Surama area. Transfer via truck and boat to Karanambu Ranch. Evening boating on the Rupununi.
22 Feb. All day birding on trails and roads of Karanambu Ranch.
23 Feb. Transfer by boat and truck to Rockview Lodge near Annai. Evening on savanna/forest trails near Rockview.
24 Feb. Morning birding by truck in the semi-deciduous forests & savanna between Annai and Ginep landing (called Mauri Scrub after the Mauri River). Afternoon fly to Georgetown.
25 Feb. Early morning birding in the Georgetown Botanical Gardens. Transfer by car and boat via Demerara and Kamuni Rivers to Arrowpoint Nature Resort on Pokerero Creek SW of Georgetown.
26 Feb. All day birding on trail system and via canoe around Arrowpoint.
27 Feb. Transfer by boat and car to international airport for departure.
Guides:
With an overnight stay at most of the lodges listed above, a local guide is provided. These guides were always pleasant and at least knowledgeable on local hangouts for some highly sought-after birds. Their birding skills varied from very good to moderate. Even though we were pretty much capable of identifying everything we saw on our own, it was nice to have someone along who knew where to find that capuchinbird lek, or likely spots for other specialties, and to smooth out the logistics. A special thanks to Alan Knue (AK) for studying up on antbird and tyrannid calls before the trip. His ears are amazing and we would have missed many species without his skills. It was also fun to show a few of the guides a life bird, for which they were all receptive and interested. Most upcountry guides were local Amerindians and they tended to be good with understory and large birds, but many of the high canopy species were new to them since they only recently obtained a set of binoculars! There is a good guide training program underway in Guyana, and they are producing some very good birding guides in the process. Wilderness Explorers provided guides in Georgetown as well, and again, their local knowledge of, for example, blood-colored woodpecker and rufous crab-hawk hangouts proved useful.
Lodges:
Most lodges were adequate but not luxurious. Running water and at least temporary electricity were available at each one. The Iwokrama Field Station has very nice cabins and a large main building for meals and gathering areas where one can mix with local researchers and staff. It sits right on the shores of the beautiful Essequibo River backed by mature rainforest. Atta Lodge was the most basic of our accommodations, with open-air ‘picnic-shelter’ type sleeping areas with only two beds available, which meant one of us (thank you AG) had to spend a night on a hammock. The food here was exceptional, however, and the staff very kind. They always kept watch for crimson fruitcrows in the trees near the lodge opening, which, alas, showed on 2 days before we got there and again 2 days after we left. The lodge is set amidst some of the best rainforest in the area and the semi-tame black curassows are great to watch. Surama has adequate cabins, which they are upgrading and constructing anew, and a main dining/gathering building with a nice view over the savanna edge. The savanna patches here are the northernmost in Guyana, with riverine forest nearby. Rockview Lodge is very comfortable and run well by Collin, the local proprietor, although we wished his staff hadn’t killed the rattlesnake that showed up in the lunch hall one morning. The lodge is also in open savanna with semi-deciduous forest patches nearby. Karanambu Ranch has rustic but pleasant cabins and dining with Diane McTurk should not be missed. She is a delight and has many stories about life in the Rupununi district and always has a pet otter, raccoon, or some other creature (her “horribles”) to make life interesting! The lodge is located in the heart of the Rupununi savanna with stringers of riverine forest throughout. Thanks Diane! Arrowpoint Resort is very relaxing, has nicely appointed cabins and a lovely lodge building on the creek with free use of kayaks or canoes. The trail system is quite extensive and well maintained, running through nearby coastal forest (which is not as tall as the interior forest at Iwokrama) and borders extensive open swamplands and Mauritia palm savannas.
Birdlife:
For those of us who had yet to bird in the heart of the Amazon, Guyana provided not only range-restricted Guianan specialties, but many Amazonian mainstays as well. This is a good place to see some of the northern Amazonian birds and a few tepui specialties also. As with those who have preceded us, we were delighted by the abundance of fruit-eaters, especially the many cotinga and parrot species. Antbirds form a large part of any understory or overstory flock, so be forewarned – study them well! There had been an unusual amount of rain in the country for the month of February 2009, which may have subdued the number of ant swarms. We only really encountered one small swarm, thus finding white-plumed and rufous-throated antbirds, and white chinned woodcreeper at only one location (Atta). We did find many other flocks, including a few fruiteater flocks in Iwokrama, which held parakeets, guans, cotingas, jays, toucans, barbets, and tyrannids. In Iwokrama, canopy and understory insectivore flocks were typically separated, while at Arrowpoint, in shorter coastal forest, canopy flocks were usually intermingled and moving together with understory flocks. Overall, even though the dawn chorus was never overwhelming, the forests were beautiful and we rarely lacked for birds. We felt it was just as ‘birdy’ a place as any other in the neotropics.
Other life:
Iwokrama is noted for its population of large mammals, and we either saw or detected evidence of many of them. We found 7 species of monkeys on our trip, getting good looks at all of them. We saw no tapirs, peccaries, sloths, or large cats, but saw tracks of tapir, jaguar, puma, ocelot, and what was probably a margay. Red-rumped agoutis were commonly seen in most forests, and we also encountered a tayra, a red brocket deer, and Guianan squirrels. If we’d worked at it, I have no doubt we could have seen jaguars and tapirs well, but we were concentrating on the birds. At Karanambu we saw a giant anteater on the savanna and watched a group of 11 giant otters frolic and eventually move into their den for the night, in a pond with Victoria amazonica water-lilies opening their buds for the evening--all quite magical. We also encountered more snakes on this trip than on any other (yeah!), finding no less than 6 species, including a rattlesnake, green tree snake, vine snake, eyelash viper, water snake, and a very nice coral snake. We also saw a large black caiman for which the Rupununi is famous. Frog sounds at night compete with the night insects for attention and both can be quite bizarre.
Below is an annotated list of the bird species we came across. We encountered just over 400 species on our 12-day tour so not a bad total. Some families were amazingly common, such as guans, cotingas, toucans, parrots, and antbirds, while other groups were surprisingly scarce, including rails and gallinules (we only heard one crake!), ovenbirds, and wood-warblers. Birds we hadn’t expected to find but did, included orange-breasted falcon, white-bellied piculet, Amazonian black-tyrant, purple-breasted cotinga, and white-naped xenopsaris. Our biggest misses were several Guianan/northeast South American endemics, including blue-cheeked amazon (heard only), streak-throated hermit, Guianan piculet, boat-billed tody-tyrant, crimson-hooded manakin, and rose-breasted chat. We had also hoped we might see Agami heron, crested or harpy eagles, azure gallinule, any parrotlet, crimson fruitcrow, or white bellbird just because we wanted to, but we never encountered them.
We remember the birds that we found better than the misses, however, and will always marvel at seeing our first male pompadour cotinga, watching (and listening to) a capuchinbird display over our heads, frantically (in a good way) picking through overstory flocks for a new life bird, spotting an orange light in the forest to discover it was a Guianan cock-of-the-rock, crouching in the understory to get a look at a white-plumed antbird, or watching the savanna sun set in a blaze of orange while sipping on one of Diane’s rum punches as the nighthawks hit the skies.
We liked Guyana!
(questions or comments, write to the author at: drherter@hotmail.com.)
Annotated List of Birds Detected:
Tinamous
Gray Tinamou – One seen on the Prince Charles nature trail near Atta on the walk in to the cock-of-the-rock lek.
Great Tinamou – Heard at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint.
Little Tinamou – Heard at many forest sites, one flushed on the Surama trails.
Undulated Tinamou – Heard only, several times at Karanambu and Arrowpoint.
Variegated Tinamou – Heard only, and only at Iwokrama.
Cormorants
Neotropic Cormorant – Several flocks seen in flight, even over the forest, and additional singles perched along most rivers and at the larger ponds.
Anhingas
Anhinga – Again, frequent on various rivers and ponds throughout the trip.
Frigatebirds
Magnificent Frigatebird – Several individuals seen soaring over coastal lowlands between Georgetown and the Abary River.
Ibises
Green Ibis – A few individuals flushed from flooded areas along the Rupununi River.
Buff-necked Ibis – Several were roosting (nesting?) in trees at Rockview Lodge. A few others seen on the Rupununi savannas.
Herons
Rufescent Tiger-Heron – Immature birds were seen at a few ponds along the main road in Iwokrama, one nice adult seen on the banks of the Rupununi.
Cocoi Heron – A common heron, both in large wetlands on the savannas and in smaller wooded ponds in the jungles.
Great Egret – A few here and there, seemed restricted to more open situations than the previous species.
Little Blue Heron – A few seen near the coast and along the Rupununi River.
Tricolored Heron – Individuals seen at the Botanical Gardens in Georgetown and along the way to the Abary River trail, coastal only?.
Cattle Egret – In flocks, sometimes common along the coast and on the Rupununi savannas.
Striated Heron – Common, along all rivers and in a few wetlands and ponds.
Capped Heron – Less common than the previous species, usually around small, densely wooded ponds.
Black-crowned Night-Heron – A few at Karanambu and Arrowpoint, flying to wetlands at dusk from their roost sites. Common at the Georgetown Botanical Gardens as well.
Storks
Jabiru – A few spectacular individuals seen in flooded grass at Karanambu and near Annai.
Wood Stork – One seen in flight near Ginep landing on the way to Karanambu.
Ducks
White-faced Whistling-Duck – One flock seen on wetlands at Karanambu.
Muscovy Duck – The only common waterfowl. Seen several times along major rivers and at wetlands on the Rupununi savannas and in several other areas. Nice to see this duck so frequently, again a sign of low hunting pressure.
Vultures
Black Vulture – Almost daily everywhere, common in open habitats, less so over forest.
Turkey Vulture – Relatively common over most habitats.
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture – Restricted to open savanna and wetlands where it was uncommon but present if looked for.
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture – Common over forest and forest edge habitats.
King Vulture – A few were seen in flight on several occasions over Iwokrama and again near Annai.
Hawks & Eagles
Osprey – A few individuals seen at most sites we visited, always near lakes or rivers.
Swallow-tailed Kite – Several pairs and small parties of this elegant bird coursed over the forest at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint.
Pearl Kite – One adult seen at the Botanical Gardens by AG.
Snail Kite – Common in Georgetown and along the coast, a few at Karanambu also.
Double-toothed Kite – One seen perched in forests at Arrowpoint.
Plumbeous Kite – Common at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint, often seen perched on dead snags and we liked watching them catch large insects in mid-air at dusk.
Black-collared Hawk – A few individuals of this beautiful hawk were seen, in open habitats along the coast, at Surama, and at Arrowpoint.
Gray-bellied Goshawk – One seen by guide Milner and DH at Surama, big!
Crane Hawk – A single seen from the boat by DH and AG along the Essequibo River near Iwokrama Field Station, sticking its long legs in a tree hole. Also seen by AG on the Rupununi River.
White Hawk – One pair seen soaring over forest along the main road near Atta lodge.
Gray Hawk – Singles seen near the Abary River and near Surama.
Rufous Crab-Hawk – Heard several times on the Abary River trail, one flew over DH at dusk, showing its rufous secondaries, then popped over the trees.
Common Black-Hawk – Several individuals seen along the coast, at Karanambu, and near Arrowpoint, usually near waterbodies of some sort.
Great Black-Hawk – Several studied well in Iwokrama.
Savanna Hawk – A few seen in open habitats along the coast, and in savanna habitat from Surama to Karanambu, also south of Annai.
Roadside Hawk – A few perched and in flight near the coast, Annai, and Arrowpoint. Not as commonly seen as they are in Mexico or central America.
Short-tailed Hawk – Two soaring individuals identified while we were at the Turtle Mountain overlook in Iwokrama.
White-tailed Hawk – Commonly seen in open habitats near Georgetown and at Karanambu and Annai.
Zone-tailed Hawk – Check out vulture-like creatures in the sky and once in a while one magically turns into this hawk, seen at Abary River, Surama, and near Annai.
Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle – One seen well soaring low with a full crop on the river trip into Karanambu near Ginep Landing.
Black Hawk-Eagle – Two seen in Iwokrama from the road, a spectacular predator!
Falcons & Caracaras
Laughing Falcon – Seen and heard near Georgetown, at Abary river, Iwokrama, Surama. Certainly an odd raptor.
American Kestrel – Individuals seen along the coast and at Karanambu, not common.
Aplomado Falcon – Two seen in savanna, once at Karanambu and again south of Annai.
Bat Falcon – Again, not as common as in other parts of the neotropics, but seen at Abary River, Iwokrama, and near Annai.
Orange-breasted Falcon – One spectacular adult studied well on a perch and again as it flew to the cliffs below the Turtle Mountain lookout, probably nesting.
Peregrine Falcon – One seen in flight near Ogle Airport, Georgetown, and one caught a cattle egret while we were at the Georgetown Botanical Gardens.
Lined Forest-Falcon – One was heard in the early morning at Surama.
Collared Forest-Falcon – Individuals heard in early a.m. at Karanambu and Arrowpoint.
Black Caracara – A few were identified from the main road and Essequibo River in Iwokrama, and along the Kamuni River while travelling to Arrowpoint.
Red-throated Caracara – Heard and seen several times in Iwokrama, common there.
Northern Crested Caracara – Common wherever we encountered open habitats.
Yellow-headed Caracara – Ditto above, in similar numbers.
Curassows & Guans
Little Chachalaca – Frequently heard in the a.m., at most locations, only seen once, an individual that flew across the road and let us study it while in the Mori scrub along the main road in Iwokrama. We’d have had to make a specific search for this species had it not been for this individual!
Marail Guan – Seen well many times in Iwokrama. Tarsus length really is a useful characteristic, we are now believers.
Spix's Guan – Equally as common as the preceding species at Iwokrama, sometimes even mixing with Marails.
Blue-throated Piping-Guan – Seen in only one location, along the Burro Burro River near Surama.
Crestless Curassow – AK and DH saw two of these spectacular guans, both at Karanambu, a fine adult walked along the road in front of our jeep!
Black Curassow – Amazingly common and confiding in Iwokrama, nice to see.
New-World Quails
Crested Bobwhite – We all eventually got good looks at individuals in coveys along the road near Annai.
Marbled Wood-Quail – Heard only once, at Arrowpoint.
Trumpeters
Gray-winged Trumpeter – We had several delightful encounters with small to large flocks of these birds, near Atta lodge and at Surama. Very cool.
Rails & Gallinules
Rufous-sided Crake – Heard at Arrowpoint, glad we’ve seen it elsewhere! Where did all the other rallids go?
Limpkins
Limpkin – Seen several times in wetlands on the coast, Karanambu, and Arrowpoint. Decidedly plain-backed (unspeckled) here.
Sunbitterns
Sunbittern – DH and AK finally got life views of this unique bird, at Iwokrama and Karanambu, even seeing it fly. Lovely, and about time!
Jacanas
Wattled Jacana – Commonly seen wherever standing water and plants were found.
Plovers
Pied Lapwing – Common on large rivers, seen on the lawns of the Iwokrama field station, and along the Rupununi River at Karanambu.
Southern Lapwing – Not abundant but frequently seen in open, wet areas throughout.
Sandpipers
Solitary Sandpiper – One individual seen in wetlands at the Ogle airstrip, Georgetown.
Spotted Sandpiper – Frequent , mostly along rivers, at all locations.
Terns
Large-billed Tern – Not common but seen on the Essequibo and Rupununi rivers.
Black Skimmer – One group seen on the Rupununi River, subspecies cinerascens with dark underwings and mostly dark tail noted.
Pigeons & Doves
Scaled Pigeon – Fine views were had at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint, a handsome pigeon.
Pale-vented Pigeon – Common on savannas at Surama, Karanambu, Annai, and Arrowpoint.
Plumbeous Pigeon – Heard and seen frequently in Iwokrama.
Ruddy Pigeon – We probably ignored this dove on several occasions, assuming them to be plumbeous, but individuals were seen at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint.
Eared Dove – A few seen at Karanambu and Annai, surprisingly uncommon.
Scaled Dove - Again, one or two seen at Karanambu, also uncommon.
Common Ground-Dove – Commonly seen in savanna habitat wherever it occurs.
Plain-breasted Ground-Dove – Only seen in the Annai area where it was relatively common, but still outnumbered by the above species.
Ruddy Ground-Dove – Most common in Iwokrama and on the coast, but seen at Annai and Arrowpoint as well.
Blue Ground-Dove – A few individuals streaked across our views at Karanambu.
White-tipped Dove – Flushed a number of times throughout, but seen well on the Arrowpoint grounds where they stroll about unharassed.
Gray-fronted Dove – As with ruddy pigeon, we probably brushed-off sightings of this dove as white-tipped, but likely flushed several while at Iwokrama.
Cuckoos
Squirrel Cuckoo – Seen daily at Iwokrama, but not as common as we expected.
Little Cuckoo – One identified at Iwokrama.
Rufous-winged Ground-Cuckoo – Heard after guide Milner imitated its call at Surama.
Greater Ani – Seen at Abary River and Arrowpoint, in extensive wetlands.
Smooth-billed Ani – Common in all open habitats at all locations.
Parrots
Painted Parakeet – Pleasantly common in riverine forests at Iwokrama, Surama, and Karanambu.
Sun Parakeet – Our guide at Rockview claimed to have heard a flock of this rare parakeet in semi-deciduous forest south of Annai, to be looked for in this area. He did not inform us he had just heard them until after the flock had passed so we cannot confirm his detection. It would be a convenient location to see this rarity if true.
Brown-throated Parakeet – Flocks seen a few times in more open habitats at the Abary River, at Surama, and near Annai.
Red-bellied Macaw – A few individuals were seen at Surama and Arrowpoint.
Red-shouldered Macaw – Our first birds were in downtown Georgetown! Otherwise seen at Annai and Arrowpoint. Loud calls for such a small macaw.
Red-and-green Macaw – A common bird at Iwokrama, with a few seen at Annai also.
Scarlet Macaw – Not as common as the preceding species, several seen at Iwokrama.
Blue-and-yellow Macaw – We only encountered what were probably feral birds at the Georgetown Botanical Gardens. We were surprised we did not find them in Iwokrama. Hopefully a seasonal issue and not a pet trade issue.
Golden-winged Parakeet – Flocks seen well on two days in Iwokrama.
Black-headed Parrot – A few individuals seen in Iwokrama, not common but pretty!
Caica Parrot – We heard a few flocks fly over at Iwokrama and Surama, no good looks, except at wheeling, fast-flying flocks, but with distinctive call notes.
Blue-headed Parrot – The common smaller parrot, seen several times at Iwokrama.
Dusky Parrot – A nice pair seen at Arrowpoint, otherwise heard once at Iwokrama.
Blue-cheeked Parrot – Heard only, once at Iwokrama near the south gate. Ugh.
Festive Parrot – A few pairs seen well at the Georgetown Botanical Gardens. Perhaps at least partly based on escaped cage birds, although Georgetown has always been within its historic range. Locals like them because they are easier to teach to “talk”.
Yellow-crowned Parrot – Seen in more open habitat at Surama and Karanambu.
Orange-winged Parrot – The common parrot, seen in almost all locations we visited.
Mealy Parrot – Common at Iwokrama, also seen at Arrowpoint. A forest species.
Red-fan Parrot – Seen several times at Iwokrama, pleasantly common and easy to see.
Owls
Tropical Screech-Owl – Heard in early a.m. at Karanambu, Annai, and Arrowpoint.
Spectacled Owl – Probably the same individual heard on two mornings before light at the Iwokrama Field Station. Once right on the grounds but we didn’t get up to see it.
Great Horned Owl – One seen at dusk by AK at the Annai airstrip.
Amazonian Pygmy-Owl – Called in while trying to attract a flock of birds closer to us along the Iwokrama Field Station entrance road. Also heard at Arrowpoint.
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl – Called-in in a similar fashion at Karanambu.
Mottled Owl – Heard at night from the Iwokrama Field Station.
Potoos
Great Potoo – Our guide at Surama (Milner) knew of a few perch sites, and we found a bird present at one of them. Spectacular creatures.
White-winged Potoo – Heard well as it responded to our tape at the canopy walkway. A dark ‘figure’ was seen flying into the tree from which it later called.
Nightjars
Least Nighthawk – Relatively common around Surama and also seen at Karanambu and Annai.
Lesser Nighthawk – Also seen at Surama, but less common than least.
Band-tailed Nighthawk – A few were seen along the Rupununi River near Karanambu.
Nacunda Nighthawk – A number of this spectacularly large nighthawk were seen at the Karanambu airstrips (both old and new) and Annai airstrip.
Common Pauraque – Seen a few times and heard at Surama, Karanambu, Annai, and Arrowpoint.
Rufous Nightjar – Seen by AG at Karanambu.
White-tailed Nightjar – A pair seen well on the old airstrip at Karanambu Ranch. Beware local guides labeling the female of this species as a rufous nightjar.
Ladder-tailed Nightjar – Heard only once at the Iwokrama Field Station.
Swifts
White-collared Swift – A few of this species were seen in a low-flying flock at Surama. Certainly not as common as in other parts of the neotropics.
Chapman's Swift – It took us a while to convince ourselves that we were seeing this species over Iwokrama. Not as common as band-tailed, but larger, different flight, and quite even-colored below. Seen well several times here. Also noted by Ridgely et al. during their avifaunal survey of Iwokrama in the 1990’s.
Short-tailed Swift – Seen in Georgetown and again over Surama.
Band-rumped Swift – Common over the Iwokrama forests.
Gray-rumped Swift – A few seen south of Annai over semi-deciduous forest/savanna edge.
Fork-tailed Palm-Swift – Common at Surama and again on the palm savannas near Arrowpoint.
Trogons
White-tailed Trogon – Seen on several days in Iwokrama, once at Arrowpoint.
Violaceous Trogon – Present in low numbers, at Iwokrama, Karanambu, and Arrowpoint.
Black-throated Trogon – Seen once at Iwokrama and again at Arrowpoint, usually associated with bird flocks.
Black-tailed Trogon – A few seen foraging in fruiting trees at Atta Lodge.
Hummingbirds
Pale-tailed Barbthroat – AG saw one in riverine forest near Surama
Long-tailed Hermit – One seen well in Iwokrama on the trail to Turtle Mountain. A few whizzed past us at Surama as well.
Reddish Hermit – Several seen well near Atta Lodge.
White-necked Jacobin – One displaying at river’s edge on our way out of Arrowpoint.
Green-throated Mango – Two seen well on the Abary River trail. A nice find.
Black-throated Mango – Seen well at the Botanical Gardens and at Arrowpoint.
Ruby-topaz Hummingbird – Only one female seen, at savanna edge in the Mauri Scrub south of Annai.
Tufted Coquette – Again, only one female seen, from the canopy walkway at Atta.
Blue-chinned Sapphire – We finally identified at least one male at Arrowpoint, but we may have seen this species briefly at Iwokrama as well, just never got to study it there.
Blue-tailed Emerald – Seen on the Abary River trail, in Iwokrama, and at Arrowpoint.
Fork-tailed Woodnymph – Seen a few times at Arrowpoint.
Rufous-throated Sapphire – A few seen well in Iwokrama.
White-chinned Sapphire – Seen several times at Iwokrama.
White-tailed Goldenthroat - Nice to meet up with this genus, several were seen on the savannas of the Rupununi, at Karanambu, and Annai.
Green-tailed Goldenthroat – One visited a flowering tree at the Iwokrama Field Station, others seen well at Arrowpoint.
White-chested Emerald – First seen in the gardens at the Cara Lodge, then again on the Abary River trail, then near Surama, and again at Arrowpoint. Not common but well-distributed in Guyana.
Glittering-throated Emerald – A common hummer, mostly in more open habitats at Surama, Annai, Karanambu, and Arrowpoint.
Plain-bellied Emerald – One studied well by AK and DH at the Botanical Gardens.
Crimson Topaz – Lovely male displaying to a juvenile male and a female at a stream crossing on the main road in Iwokrama. Great bird!
Black-eared Fairy – First seen at the canopy walkway, and again at scattered locations in the forests of Surama and at Arrowpoint.
Long-billed Starthroat – Seen in open savanna by AG at Surama.
Kingfishers
Ringed Kingfisher – Many seen along most rivers and larger ponds throughout the country.
Belted Kingfisher – One on a roadside wire east of Georgetown on the way to the Abary River.
Amazon Kingfisher – Mostly restricted to larger rivers, such as the Essequibo and Rupununi.
Green Kingfisher – Only seen a few times, on the Essequibo and Rupununi rivers.
Green-and-rufous Kingfisher – We saw one briefly on the Burro Burro River, but another was seen well on an oxbow at Karanambu, great looks finally.
American Pygmy Kingfisher – One flashed by and called at the same oxbow lake mentioned above at Karanambu.
Puffbirds
Guianan Puffbird – A few individuals were seen well from the canopy walkway and other locations near Atta Lodge, catching large insects in the canopy, cool.
Pied Puffbird – This cute little puffbird was seen a few times around Iwokrama, perched on bare branches in the subcanopy near openings.
Spotted Puffbird – Seen well in dense forest with little undergrowth at Surama and again at Karanambu. A beautiful puffbird!
Black Nunbird – Seen several times around Iwokrama, always perched surprisingly low.
Swallow-wing – Common on bare limbs throughout, often by rivers.
Motmots
Blue-crowned Motmot – Seen twice, once on the Prince Charles trail near the cock-of-the-rock lek, and again along the Burro Burro River, but heard a few more times at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint, giving their pre-dawn songs, which we often thought were owls calling, until we remembered this bird.
Jacamars
Green-tailed Jacamar – More common once we learned its call notes, but seen well near Atta Lodge, shimmering in the sun by a small creek.
Paradise Jacamar – Not common! Only seen once at Surama. Where were they all?
Great Jacamar- A pair was seen along the trail up Turtle Mountain. Heard at Atta.
Barbets
Black-spotted Barbet – A few seen at various locations around Iwokrama, usually associating with other fruit-eaters.
Toucans
Guianan Toucanet – We saw this bird several times around Iwokrama and again at Surama. We were afraid it would be difficult to see this species, but it wasn’t!
Green Aracari – A new aracari for us, seen several times in Iwokrama.
Black-necked Aracari – More common than greens, and seen well in Iwokrama and Arrowpoint.
Channel-billed Toucan – Common at Iwokrama, Surama, and seen also at Arrowpoint. The “croaking” toucan.
White-bellied Toucan – Quite common at Iwokrama and Surama. The “yelping” toucan.
Woodpeckers
White-bellied Piculet – We were surprised we saw this bird, not only on the Abary River trail but again at the Georgetown Botanical Gardens. Nice.
Yellow-tufted Woodpecker – The darker race of this bird was seen well near Atta lodge and again at Arrowpoint.
Blood-colored Woodpecker – Boy were we lucky. A ‘red’ bird flashed by AK in the Botanical Gardens and a female was tracked down and seen well by DH also. We were fortunate, as many people miss this bird.
Golden-collared Woodpecker – Seen a few times, always in canopy flocks at Iwokrama and also at Surama. Another bird that could have been easily missed as it is not very vocal.
Yellow-throated Woodpecker – A few were seen in flocks around Iwokrama, always a stunner.
Golden-green Woodpecker – Another beautiful woodpecker, seen well in a flock near Atta Lodge.
Chestnut Woodpecker – One spotted in riverine woodlands at Karanambu, but watched closely for a brief while.
Waved Woodpecker – Seen several times around Iwokrama, both with and separate from flocks.
Cream-colored Woodpecker- Heard once independently by AG and AK at Surama.
Ringed Woodpecker – Two pairs seen well near the Essequibo River in Iwokrama, their ringing calls well heard.
Lineated Woodpecker – Seen here and there throughout, not uncommon. We even observed a dispute over a nest hole at Arrowpoint with crimson-crested woodpeckers, which, being bigger, won the day.
Red-necked Woodpecker – A few individuals and pairs seen at Iwokrama and Surama. A spectacular woodpecker.
Crimson-crested Woodpecker – Mostly seen nearer the coast at the botanical gardens and Arrowpoint, but one or two probably flashed by us at Iwokrama as well.
Ovenbirds
Pale-legged Hornero – A pair were carrying food in a savanna-edge wetland in the Mauri Scrub south of Annai, our only sighting.
Yellow-chinned Spinetail – Heard and seen at the Abary River, and again in the Mauri Scrub, Georgetown Botanical Gardens, and at Arrowpoint, in open-country wetland edges.
Point-tailed Palmcreeper –We had a pair of these beautiful ovenbirds calling over our heads on the grounds at Arrowpoint, on the way to our room! Heard daily here, but only at the lodge, where they were probably about to nest.
Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner – One heard at Iwokrama, another heard calling and tracked down on the trails at Arrowpoint.
Slender-billed Xenops – One was seen well over the creek at the first bridge just outside of the Atta Lodge main gate..
Plain Xenops – A frequent member of canopy or understory flocks around Iwokrama and at Arrowpoint.
Woodcreepers
Wedge-billed Woodcreeper – Common in flocks at Iwokrama, and also at Arrowpoint. The calls of this form seem quite different from Central American birds.
Amazonian Barred Woodcreeper – Seen twice at Iwokrama, possibly always with ant-swarm flocks.
Straight-billed Woodcreeper – Seen only along the Abary River trail on the coast.
Striped Woodcreeper – One identified foraging low in riverine forest at Karanambu.
Chestnut-rumped Woodcreeper – Occasional in understory flocks at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint.
Buff-throated Woodcreeper – The distinctive voice of this woodcreeper was heard more often than we saw the bird, but it was relatively common throughout.
Lineated Woodcreeper – Seen a few times at Surama, Karanambu, and Annai, typically in more edge locations than other woodcreepers.
Strong-billed Woodcreeper- Heard singing in the dawn chorus at Iwokrama Field Station.
Antbirds
Fasciated Antshrike – A canopy species seen among flocks at Arrowpoint and Surama.
Black-throated Antshrike – Heard daily from the lodge at Atta, difficult to see, and we regret that we didn’t try harder to see it, a big impressive antshrike.
Great Antshrike – Heard near the Burro Burro River at Surama.
Black-crested Antshrike – Seen on the coast at the Abary River and in savanna edge forests at Surama, Karanambu, and Annai.
Barred Antshrike – Heard and seen once at the Mauri Scrub south of Annai.
Mouse-colored Antshrike – A common flock member in Iwokrama and Arrowpoint.
Guianan Slaty-Antshrike – It took some searching, but we eventually got good looks at this species at Surama and Karanambu.
Amazonian Antshrike – Heard at the Abary River, and seen a few times in Iwokrama.
Dusky-throated Antshrike – Less common than the following species but often a flock leader at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint.
Cinereous Antshrike – The common leader of bird flocks at Iwokrama, Surama, and Arrowpoint.
Pygmy Antwren – One or two were often seen in canopy flocks at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint, the canopy walkway is a good place to get views of this bird.
Guianan Streaked Antwren – Heard at the Abary River, seen well along the main road near Atta Lodge in Iwokrama, and seen along the Burro Burro River.
Rufous-bellied Antwren – We saw this pretty little antwren in Iwokrama and Arrowpoint, heard more often than seen, but learn its call, it’s very cool.
Brown-bellied Antwren – Seen daily in understory flocks at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint.
White-flanked Antwren – Found in dense woodlands at Iwokrama and Karanambu.
Long-winged Antwren – Identified twice, in flocks at Iwokrama and at Arrowpoint.
Gray Antwren – Another common flock member at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint.
Spot-tailed Antwren – Eventually identified in a canopy flock from the canopy walkway at Atta, both seen and heard singing, in the same flock as Todd’s.
Todd's Antwren – More common than the preceding species, seen a few times in Iwokrama.
Dot-winged Antwren – Seen once in edge habitat on the access road to Iwokrama Field Station.
White-fringed Antwren – Fairly common in the Mori Scrub at Iwokrama, and in edge habitats Karanambu, and Annai.
Ash-winged Antwren – Seen only at Arrowpoint, where we eventually got good looks at this smart little canopy dweller. Once learned, the song is unmistakable.
Gray Antbird – Heard at Iwokrama and seen in a flock at Arrowpoint.
Dusky Antbird – Heard and eventually seen in edge habitats at Iwokrama.
White-browed Antbird – Only seen once, at Surama, but a nice-looking antbird.
Guianan Warbling Antbird – Heard more often than seen, but not uncommon at Iwokrama, Surama, and Arrowpoint.
Black-chinned Antbird – Fairly common along rivers at Surama and Karanambu.
Silvered Antbird – Frustratingly hard to see, but we caught glimpses of this species along rivers at Iwokrama and Surama. As with many antbirds, best detected by voice.
Black-headed Antbird – Not encountered until we got to Arrowpoint, where it was decidedly uncommon. We found it right behind the lodge buildings. This species and the Double-banded Pygmy-tyrant seem to be restricted to east of the Essequibo River.
White-bellied Antbird – Heard and tracked down by AK in dense copses at Karanambu.
Ferruginous-backed Antbird – Heard at the Abary River, and seen well at both Iwokrama and Arrowpoint. If you can only remember a few antbird calls, learn this one and white plumed, both stunning birds. We could not get over how much this species reminded us (both visually and behaviorally) of the quail-thrushes of Australia. Convergent evolution once again.
Scale-backed Antbird – Another pretty antbird, called in on the Prince Charles nature trail on the way back from the cock-of-the-rock lek.
White-plumed Antbird – Our favorite antbird, wow. Seen only once on the Atta Lodge trails, but if we’d had more ant swarms, we may have seen it more often.
Rufous-throated Antbird – Also seen only at Atta, but again, few ant swarms.
Antthrushes
Rufous-capped Antthrush – Heard once at Surama, not overly common?
Black-faced Antthrush – Heard at Iwokrama, not that common, at least by voice.
Antpittas
Spotted Antpitta – It takes time but you can track down this beautiful antpitta by its voice. Seen well at Surama but also heard near Iwokrama Field Station.
Thrush-like Antpitta – We tried to lure some calling birds out of impossibly dense wetland vegetation in a small depression in the forest near Atta Lodge, with no success. The only place we heard it.
Tyrant Flycatchers
White-lored Tyrannulet - Only one seen, along the main road in Iwokrama.
Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet – A few found in woodland copses at Karanambu.
Mouse-colored Tyrannulet – Seen at Karanambu and near Annai.
Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet – Not uncommon, seen in Iwokrama, Surama, Karanambu, and near Annai.
Forest Elaenia – One identified in a flock at Karanambu.
Yellow-bellied Elaenia – Occasionally seen, often near human habitation or edges throughout.
Plain-crested Elaenia – Heard at Surama and seen well south of Annai, on savanna.
Rufous-crowned Elaenia – Seen only in the Mori Scrub region of Iwokrama.
Lesser Elaenia – Seen at Surama, Karanambu, and near Annai, on savanna.
Pale-tipped Tyrannulet – Seen at the Abary River and again at Karanambu and Annai. We learned its loud voice which helped identify it on many occasions.
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher – Seen in canopy flocks and alone, calling frequently only at Arrowpoint.
McConnell's Flycatcher – This drab flycatcher was found in an understory flock in the Mauri Scrub area of Iwokrama.
Sepia-capped Flycatcher – Seen once by DH, in a canopy flock at Arrowpoint.
Bearded Tachuri – We got good looks at an individual at Karanambu. This is where the local guides come in handy, it may not be easy to find without prior knowledge of recent territory locations.
Olive-green Tyrannulet – Identified a few times at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint.
Sooty-headed Tyrannulet – Seen once at Surama.
Guianan Tyrannulet – It took some time to piece this one out, but seen and heard a few times in Iwokrama.
Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant – One individual seen in a heavily forested copse at Surama. Tiny!
Double-banded Pygmy-Tyrant – Heard and seen well only at Arrowpoint. Again, this species seems to be restricted to forests east of the Essequibo River.
Helmeted Pygmy-Tyrant – Learn its voice because you can spend a lot of time looking for this noisy flycatcher and thinking its something else, otherwise! Common in Iwokrama, Surama, and Arrowpoint.
Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant – Seen near Annai and again at Arrowpoint, unassuming little bird.
Spotted Tody-Flycatcher – Only seen on the coast, once at the Abary River, and again at the Georgetown Botanical Gardens.
Common Tody-Flycatcher – Seen inland at savanna/wetland edges at Karanambu and near Annai.
Rufous-tailed Flatbill – Great looks at this bird in Iwokrama and at Arrowpoint, a snazzy flycatcher.
Yellow-margined Flycatcher – Seen and heard occasionally in canopy flocks in Iwokrama, Surama, and Arrowpoint.
Gray-crowned Flycatcher – A few were seen in canopy flocks here and there in Iwokrama and Surama.
Yellow-breasted Flycatcher – Heard at Karanambu and near Annai.
White-crested Spadebill – Seen briefly near Turtle Mountain, but studied well later at Surama.
Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher – One lone individual seen in undergrowth near Atta Lodge.
Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher – Only one seen, in a flock at Arrowpoint.
Amazonian Black-Tyrant – We almost accidentally found this species while trying to tape in a silvered antbird along the Essequibo River. Its small, squat appearance was duly noted and distinctive.
Pied Water-Tyrant – Seen at the Abary River, Georgetown Botanical Gardens, and again farther south at Karanambu and near Annai.
White-headed Marsh-Tyrant – One of our favorite tyrannids, seen several times at Karanambu, Annai, and Arrowpoint.
Long-tailed Tyrant – Only seen once, a single bird along the main road in Iwokrama.
Cinnamon Attila – Seen well in Iwokrama, heard at Surama.
Bright-rumped Attila – Heard only, in Iwokrama and again at Arrowpoint.
Vermilion Flycatcher – Seen at Karanambu, Annai, and Arrowpoint.
Yellow-throated Flycatcher – A few were found in groups in the canopy at forest edge at Surama. Not nearly as common as we were expecting.
Boat-billed Flycatcher – Commonly heard and seen in several locations throughout.
Lesser Kiskadee – Common along the Rupununi River, and at the Georgetown Botanical Gardens, easy to overlook.
Great Kiskadee – Common throughout, if you miss this bird, you should forget about being a birder, ‘cause you’re not!
Dusky-capped Flycatcher – Seen only once, at the Abary River.
Swainson's Flycatcher – Heard at Karanambu.
Short-crested Flycatcher – Identified once at Karanambu.
Brown-crested Flycatcher – Only found at Arrowpoint, where seen daily.
Rusty-margined Flycatcher – Common at many locations, usually near water. We didn’t take time to search out Social Flycatcher, but we think they may occur as well.
Streaked Flycatcher – A few were seen, at Surama and Arrowpoint.
Piratic Flycatcher – One pair was seen harassing rusty-margined flycatchers at Arrowpoint, and an individual seen on the Burro Burro River near Surama.
White-throated Kingbird – Seen once, at the Georgetown Botanical Gardens, but we may have ignored others by assuming they were tropicals (bad birders).
Tropical Kingbird – Seen almost daily, ditto the comment on Great Kiskadee.
Gray Kingbird – Seen at the coast, along the Abary River and in Georgetown.
Fork-tailed Flycatcher – Common in most open habitats, fun to watch.
Tityras & Becards
Thrush-like Mourner – Heard a few times at Iwokrama, but seen well at Turtle Mountain and at Arrowpoint where the bird stayed in the canopy! (They would never do that in Central America.)
Screaming Piha – Amazingly to almost annoyingly common in almost all well-forested areas where its calls cannot be missed. Less common in the shorter-statured and selectively logged forests at Arrowpoint.
Cinereous Mourner – One heard and seen on the Prince Charles nature trail in Iwokrama.
White-naped Xenopsaris – We had read that this bird had been found on the Rupununi savannas, but we didn’t expect to actually see one, which AK spotted south of Annai on the way to Ginep landing.
White-winged Becard – A pair found in a flock at Surama.
Cinereous Becard – Seen at Surama, in the Georgetown Botanical Gardens, and again at Arrowpoint, more of an edge species.
Black-tailed Tityra – Seen daily high in the canopy in Iwokrama.
Cotingas
Guianan Red Cotinga – A small family group seen in Mori scrub in Iwokrama, and heard the following day along the main road in Iwokrama as well.
Purple-breasted Cotinga – One immature male seen with pompadour cotingas at forest edge near Surama. He had patches of dark blue and purple in various places, making it easy to identify him.
Spangled Cotinga – Amazingly common in Iwokrama, where we saw it daily.
Pompadour Cotinga – Two groups seen, one of mostly immature and female-plumaged birds at Surama, and a family group with a beautiful adult male our first day in Iwokrama.
Purple-throated Fruitcrow – A few flocks found, mostly mixed with other fruit-eating birds, all at Iwokrama.
Capuchinbird – Heard in Iwokrama and at Surama, we finally got a good look at one calling right over our heads in riverine forest at Karanambu, so cool.
Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock – We visited the lek on the Prince Charles nature trail near the south entrance of Iwokrama, where we observed two females on nests and an adult and immature male nearby, they did not disappoint.
Manakins
Black Manakin – We sought and found this manakin in the Mori Scrub in Iwokrama, the only place we saw it.
White-bearded Manakin – A few were lekking in the forests of Arrowpoint.
White-throated Manakin – We found two juvenile males in a canopy flock at the canopy walkway. Totally flummoxed at first, with their white bellies and black masks, we were glad to see them illustrated in Restall’s book and discussed in Ridgely’s paper, or we would have had an ‘unidentified’ bird to wrestle with.
Blue-backed Manakin – Common and vocal in woodlands around Karanambu. Also seen well near Annai in semi-deciduous forest.
White-crowned Manakin – Good looks were had on several days in Iwokrama forests.
Golden-headed Manakin – Another relatively common manakin in Iwokrama.
Tiny Tyrant-Manakin – As in the other member of its genus, if you search out a calling bird you will likely see it, singing in the understory. Seen well at Atta.
Vireos
Red-eyed Vireo – Heard more often than seen but found a few times at Iwokrama, Karanambu, and Arrowpoint.
Lemon-chested Greenlet – We soon got to know the song if this skulker, but seeing one was another matter. We eventually got good looks at them, but it wasn’t easy. Common in mixed flocks, often at edges, at most locations.
Ashy-headed Greenlet – We didn’t find this bird until we returned to the coast, where we saw its dark eye and heard its song in the Georgetown Botanical Gardens and at Arrowpoint.
Buff-cheeked Greenlet – Relatively numerous in deep forest canopy flocks at Iwokrama and a few found at Arrowpoint as well.
Tawny-crowned Greenlet – One seen in a flock on the main road near Atta Lodge, and again at Arrowpoint. The race here has dark eyes.
Slaty-capped Shrike-Vireo – Heard only from the canopy walkway near Atta Lodge.
Rufous-browed Peppershrike – Found in semi-deciduous forests at Karanambu and near Annai.
Jays
Cayenne Jay – A very pretty Cyanocorax but it likes to hide behind leafy boughs. Seen a few times in forest in Iwokrama and at Arrowpoint.
Swallows
Gray-breasted Martin – Probably the commonest swallow we encountered, found almost daily throughout our trip.
Brown-chested Martin – A few were seen at Karanambu, not common.
White-winged Swallow – Common along rivers and sometimes in open areas throughout.
White-banded Swallow – Seen once on the Burro Burro River.
Black-collared Swallow – We found a small flock of this elegant swallow on the Essequibo River near Iwokrama Field Station.
Southern Rough-winged Swallow – Occasional on the larger rivers we traveled on.
Barn Swallow – Seen over open habitats at Surama, Karanambu, and Annai.
Wrens
Bicolored Wren – Our guide (Manuel) at Karanambu knew of a local homestead on the savanna where they were nesting, otherwise we would have missed this wren.
Coraya Wren – Hard to see! We tried calling in several birds at Iwokrama and Arrowpoint with only brief glimpses of a flashing brown lump. Then, sans iPod, we stumbled on a scolding bird in wetland arums at Arrowpoint that didn’t seem to mind us watching him!
Buff-breasted Wren – Easier to see than the preceding species, seen and heard in riverine scrub at Iwokrama, Surama, and Karanambu.
Southern House-Wren – Heard and seen at most locations, often around lodge buildings, common.
Gnatcatchers
Long-billed Gnatwren – Occasional in Iwokrama, Surama, and at Arrowpoint, where it required several attempts on our part to remember its song. Usually high in the canopy.
Tropical Gnatcatcher – Seen on the coast at the Abary River and several times at Karanambu and Annai.
Guianan Gnatcatcher – One bird glimpsed by AG from the canopy walkway at Atta.
Donacobii
Donacobius – Seen in wetlands south of Annai, at the Georgetown Botanical Gardens, and commonly at Arrowpoint.
Thrushes
Pale-breasted Thrush – The only common thrush, seen in edge habitats and around the lodges at most locations we visited.
Cocoa Thrush – A few were seen and heard in riverine forests at Surama.
Mockingbirds
Tropical Mockingbird – Commonly seen on the coast and in Georgetown, around human habitation in most areas we visited. Very buffy in color and plain here, with almost no white in the wing.
Pipits
Yellowish Pipit – Seen and heard only once, in flight-song on the open savanna at Karanambu.
Wood-Warblers
Yellow Warbler –A few were found in riparian scrub at the Abary River, Georgetown Botanical Gardens, and at Arrowpoint.
Blackpoll Warbler – A few individuals were seen in association with canopy flocks at various places in Iwokrama and at Surama.
Masked Yellowthroat – One seen and heard in shrubby marsh habitat at Arrowpoint.
River Warbler – One heard on the last day along the Kamuni River on our way to the airport.
Tanagers
Yellow-backed Tanager – Seen twice, a few in a mixed flock in the Mori Scrub in Iwokrama and again along the main road near Atta Lodge.
Hooded Tanager – Only seen once, by AK, in the Mauri Scrub near Annai.
Flame-crested Tanager – Seen in mixed species flocks in Iwokrama and again at Arrowpoint.
Fulvous-crested Tanager – Similar in abundance to the preceding species, but seen only in Iwokrama.
White-shouldered Tanager – Seen in edge habitat near Surama.
White-lined Tanager – Small groups were seen in edge habitats in the Surama area and again at Arrowpoint.
Red-shouldered Tanager – We found family groups of this tanager only in the Mauri scrub area of Iwokrama.
Lowland Hepatic Tanager – Seen once, perched in semi-deciduous forest edge south of Annai.
Silver-beaked Tanager – A common tanager often associated with human habitation, common throughout the country.
Blue-gray Tanager – Ditto above, common.
Palm Tanager – Ditto ditto above, common.
Turquoise Tanager – Seen several times, usually at lodges within forested habitat, found at the Botanical Gardens, Iwokrama Field Station, Atta Lodge, and at Arrowpoint.
Paradise Tanager – A few birds in a canopy flock at the canopy walkway on one afternoon, this form lacks any red so not as jazzy as farther south.
Spotted Tanager – A few seen in canopy flocks at the canopy walkway and at Arrowpoint.
Bay-headed Tanager – Fairly regular in canopy flocks throughout Iwokrama.
Burnished-buff Tanager – Seen in Georgetown and again at Karanambu and at Rockview Lodge where it was nesting.
Black-faced Dacnis – A couple seen in canopy flocks from the canopy walkway
Blue Dacnis – Common in canopy flocks in Iwokrama, Surama, and at Arrowpoint.
Green Honeycreeper – Seen several times in canopy flocks throughout Iwokrama.
Purple Honeycreeper – Seen at the canopy walkway and again at Arrowpoint, in canopy flocks.
Red-legged Honeycreeper – Ditto above, seemed slightly more common than purple.
Bananaquit – Fairly common in edge habitat at the Abary River, Karanambu, Annai, and Arrowpoint, sometimes joined flocks.
Grosbeaks & Saltators
Red-and-black Grosbeak – Heard only on the trail to Turtle Mountain, damn.
Slate-colored Grosbeak – Also heard on the trail to Turtle Mountain and at a few other locations around Iwokrama reserve, such as from the canopy walkway.
Yellow-green Grosbeak – Another grosbeak seen on the Turtle Mountain trail, and also at Arrowpoint, in association with canopy flocks.
Blue-black Grosbeak – One seen and heard singing in the village near Iwokrama Field Station.
Grayish Saltator – Only seen once, in semi-deciduous forest edge habitats in the Mauri Scrub.
Buff-throated Saltator – Found once or twice in Iwokrama and at Surama, not overly common.
Buntings & Sparrows
Blue-black Grassquit – Occasionally seen in open, tall grass areas, on the coast at the Abary River and Botanical Gardens, and again at Karanambu and south of Annai.
Gray Seedeater – Another savanna bird, seen at Karanambu and south of Annai.
Plumbeous Seedeater – A few were seen south of Annai on grassy hillsides.
Wing-barred Seedeater – Found near the coast at the Georgetown Botanical Gardens and at Arrowpoint.
Lesson's Seedeater – Seen once, in a mixed seedeater flock at the Botanical Gardens.
Yellow-bellied Seedeater – Seen once with other seedeaters south of Annai.
Ruddy-breasted Seedeater – Seen on savanna at Karanambu and near Annai.
Chestnut-bellied Seed-Finch – Found near Surama in woodland copses on the savanna.
Grassland Yellow-Finch – Only seen on the open savannas of Karanambu.
Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch – Found a few times in savanna patches at Surama and Karanambu.
Red-capped Cardinal – Seen in Georgetown and again at Karanambu and near Annai. Birds at Karanambu were using what was probably historic habitat; brush along the river, otherwise found in association with people.
Pectoral Sparrow – One heard in semi-deciduous forests near Annai.
Grassland Sparrow – Commonly found at Surama and Karanambu in open grassy areas.
Blackbirds & Orioles
Yellow-hooded Blackbird – Seen only once, in wetlands in the Mauri Scrub south of Annai.
Red-breasted Blackbird – A relatively common bird on the Rupununi savannas, also seen at Ogle Airport in Georgetown and present at Arrowpoint.
Eastern Meadowlark – A few were seen and heard on open savanna at Karanambu, quite a different song and call notes from North American forms.
Carib Grackle – Only found at the coast, at Ogle Airport and the Botanical Gardens.
Shiny Cowbird – Seen on the coast and again on Rupununi savannas, fairly common.
Giant Cowbird – Seen in feeding flocks on lawns and pastures in and near Iwokrama and Surama.
Moriche Oriole – Found mostly in ornamental trees at lodges, such as at Iwokrama Field Station and Karanambu Ranch, and in Mauritia palms at Arrowpoint.
Yellow Oriole – The common oriole, seen throughout the country in edge and open habitats.
Orange-backed Troupial – One spotted at the top of a tree in semi-deciduous forests south of Annai. Also occurs closer to Rockview lodge as well.
Yellow-rumped Cacique – Common throughout the country, seen almost daily.
Red-rumped Cacique – A few were often mixed in with the above species in some flocks in Iwokrama and at Arrowpoint.
Crested Oropendola – Seen in Iwokrama, Surama, Karanambu, and Arrowpoint.
Green Oropendola – Only seen in deeper forest areas, such as at Atta Lodge.
Euphonias
Purple-throated Euphonia – A few seen on the coast near the Abary River.
Finsch's Euphonia – A few seen/heard here and there in edge habitats at Iwokrama, Surama, and Karanambu, eventually seen well, even the distinctive white in the wings.
Violaceous Euphonia – Common in edge habitats at the Botanical Gardens, Surama, and Arrowpoint.
White-vented Euphonia – One identified by AK in a canopy flock at Arrowpoint.
Golden-sided Euphonia – Seen on two days, both sightings consisting of pairs in canopy flocks at the Atta Lodge Canopy Walkway, an attractive and very distinctive euphonia.