Magical Guyana: Rainforest & Savanna

Guianan Cock-of-the-rock © David Ascanio

Our first Guyana tour in several years explores the unspoiled rainforests, expansive savannas, and rugged hills of the famed Rupununi region.

Overlooked, unfamiliar, and largely removed from the world’s public and political eye, the small tropical nation of Guyana is a biological treasure-trove home to some of the most prized birds and vaunted wildlife in South America. On this new tour—our first to Guyana in several years—we will travel to the Rupununi region of southwestern Guyana, one of the last great wildernesses on Earth, known for its stunning biodiversity, rich Indigenous culture, and remarkably varied landscapes.

Our itinerary promises exposure to a vast region of rainforests and savannas, home to a fantastic variety of birds and wildlife. We have included visits to some of the last strongholds of the Sun Parakeet and spectacular Red Siskin. A marvelous array of other standout birds beckons, including the ground-dwelling Gray-winged Trumpeter, bizarre Capuchinbird, and the gorgeous Guianan Cock-of-the-rock.

Our adventure begins in Georgetown, where a day on the coast presents a pleasing introduction to Guyana, with our sights set on observing a range of special birds, including Rufous Crab-Hawk, Festive Amazon, and Blood-colored Woodpecker. A private flight into the interior takes us to Rock View Lodge, in the heart of the North Rupununi Savanna. Here among rolling grasslands and tropical rainforest, we will seek such prized species as Maguari Stork, Painted and Golden-winged parakeets, Red-and-green Macaw, Guianan Red-Cotinga, Guianan Trogon, the noisy Red-throated Caracara, and Orange-backed Troupial. A day at Atta Rainforest Lodge in the heart of the protected Iwokrama Forest Preserve may yield an impressive mix of birds highlighted by Black Curassow, Red-necked Woodpecker, and Guianan Warbling-Antbird.

Among the scrubby vegetation, scattered wetlands, and grasslands that characterize the Rupununi Savanna, we will have opportunities to observe a marvelous selection of wildlife from Jabiru to Giant Anteater. Among the many alluring birds possible here are Aplomado Falcon, Double-striped Thick-knee, Blue-and-yellow and Red-shouldered macaws, Toco Toucan, and Blue-backed Manakin.

Joining VENT tour leader David Ascanio in guiding this trip is Leon Moore, Guyana’s top birder, who combines superb birding knowledge with great people skills. We will also meet the people who made the South Rupununi Conservation Society a reality. The SRCS is a local NGO that has been instrumental in safeguarding the last healthy population of Red Siskins and other iconic species in the wild.

Those interested in maximizing their time in Guyana are encouraged to join our optional one-day extension to the incomparable Kaieteur Falls, the world’s largest single-drop waterfall by volume.

This tour includes a variety of conditions with services ranging from very good to limited; accommodations vary from comfortable hotels with air conditioning to well-ventilated lodges with fans; transportation includes small buses and/or vans (with a/c) to 4x4 vehicles; rides vary from a couple of hours to 6–7 hours but broken with birding stops along the road; physical demands are light to moderate, involving fairly short walks up to a mile and a half, mostly on even terrain; no high elevations or unusually strenuous activities scheduled; most birding occurs early in the morning, with breakfast before light; afternoon breaks followed by shorter outings. Expect at least a couple of night excursions.

Sun Parakeet © David Ascanio