• Borneo: Special Birds, Unusual Mammals

    Borneo, the world’s third-largest island, is also one of its most  biodiverse wildlife havens. With over 50 island avian endemics found across pristine dipterocarp forests, montane cloudforests, riverine habitats, and mangrove swamps we’ll enjoy an amazing time on this small-group birding tour. We’ll see a stunning array of birds from mouthwatering families like pittas, trogons, kingfishers, hornbills, and broadbills, as well as a wide range of mammalian treasures. Our Borneo birding tour will take us to the important birdwatching sites of the Malaysian province of Sabah, which covers the northernmost part of this vast and amazing island, including time spent birding in five of its IBAs (Important Bird Areas identified by BirdLife International): the Crocker Range, Mount Kinabalu, Kabili-Sepilok, the Kinabatangan river floodplain, and the Danum Valley (where we will stay at the magnificent Borneo Rainforest Lodge).  Rhiniceros Hornbill by Liew Weng Keong

    Some of our targets include the famous “Whitehead’s trio” of Whitehead’s Trogon, Whitehead’s Broadbill, and Whitehead’s Spiderhunter, along with the monotypic Bornean Bristlehead, a big target for family listers and one of Borneo’s most sought endemics. We’ll also look for other mega-endemic birds such as Bornean Ground Cuckoo, Fruithunter, and Bornean Green Magpie, and for three glittering endemic pittas, the sublime trio of Blue- headed Pitta, Black-crowned Pitta, and Bornean Banded Pitta. And, finally, we’ll also keep an eye out for the near-mythical Giant Pitta.

    On our radar will be all eight hornbill species that occur here, including the spectacular Helmeted Hornbill, which is now Critically Endangered, along with stunning Rhinoceros Hornbill. There will also be plenty of other endemic and Sundaic birds available during this tour, such as Storm’s Stork, (Bornean/Black-faced) Banded Kingfisher, and Bornean Forktail.

    In addition to the incredible birds, we’ll also be focused on finding some spectacular mammals, such as the “old man of the forest,” the Bornean Orangutan, along with the unique-looking Proboscis Monkey, plus other delights including Malay Civet, Red Giant Flying Squirrel, Northern Grey Gibbon, and Asian Elephant. The reptiles will be represented by the Saltwater Crocodile, the largest member of the crocodilia order. For questions and registration contact Eric Schroeder at travelprogram@goldengatebirdalliance.org 

    Cost: MYR 38,588 per person sharing, based on 6 – 8 participants (Approximately 8,950 USD)
    Single Supplement: MYR 7,930

    Complete description and itinerary can be viewed here. Please do not contact the vendor first. 

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  • TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

    Trinidad and Tobago are situated just seven miles north of Venezuela, giving them a rich biodiversity comprised of a blend of both Amazonian and West Indies wildlife. Despite their small size, the islands boast a bird list of more than 500 species.

    Our tour starts on Tobago, which has a distinctly Caribbean flavor, featuring lush, forested heights sloping gently into beautiful tropical beaches, surrounded by diverse coral reefs. Here we’ll seek species not found on Trinidad, which include the localized White-tailed Sabrewing. Despite its name, the endemic Trinidad Motmot is much more abundant on Tobago, as is Rufous-tailed Jacamar. We’ll take a glass-bottom boat trip to Little Tobago Island to see some of the spectacular seabirds that nest on the island, such as beautiful Red-billed Tropicbirds. We then bird our way across Tobago, exploring its wetlands and forests for specials such as Blue-backed Manakin and Venezuelan Flycatcher.

    After four nights on Tobago we transfer to Trinidad, famous for its vibrant mix of cultures, excellent tropical weather, and great hospitality. During our time on Trinidad, we stay at the Asa Wright Nature Centre, a world-leading conservation-focused ecolodge. Asa Wright is well known among birdwatchers—its extensive grounds wind through pristine rainforest which boast Bearded Bellbird and the most accessible Oilbird roost in the world. Relaxed birdwatching from the veranda allows close viewing of charismatic and colorful species, such as Blue Dacnis and Tufted Coquette. 

    We’ll explore Trinidad’s wetlands, savannah, forests, and coastline, using Asa Wright as our comfortable base, while we seek specials such as Black Hawk-Eagle, Masked Cardinal, Lilac-tailed Parrotlet, and Red-bellied Macaw. During a scenic boat cruise, we’ll witness the breath-taking spectacle of thousands of Scarlet Ibis as they return to roost. After five nights at Asa Wright, we will end the tour with two nights in the northeast, where we target Trinidad’s one true endemic, the Trinidad Piping Guan, a once common species now red-listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as Critically Endangered.

    This is a relatively easy tour, in which we hope to become accustomed to many neotropical bird families at leisure, with great photographic opportunities for many colorful species. We’ll have time to enjoy the wonderful birds of the islands, while taking advantage of the relaxing Caribbean culture.

    Contact: Please refer to the itinerary below. For questions or to sign up, contact Eric Schroeder at travelprogram@goldengateaudbon.org. …

  • Birds and Culture in Southern Portugal

    Greater Bustard by Pedro MarquesGreater Bustard by Pedro Marques

    Located in the southwest of Europe and sharing a border with Spain, Portugal boasts over 93 reserves to show off its 360 different bird species. It offers a fantastic diversity of habitats and birds in a small area. So during 12 days of birding, we’ll visit several species-rich areas without traveling long distances.

    We’ll start within half an hour’s drive from Lisbon city centre at the Tagus and Sado Estuary Nature Reserves where you’ll see Greater Flamingo, White Stork, Eurasian Spoonbill, Little Bustard, and an excellent selection of ducks, waders, gulls and terns.

    Next we’ll visit the rolling plains of Castro Verde and the Guadiana Valley Natural Park. We’ll spend four nights in this area, staying in the historic city of Mértola. We’ll conclude the trip in the Algarve region where we’ll bird in a wide range of habitats: dunes, salt marshes, lagoons, and pine woods.

    Combined with birding activities, we’ll visit some of the most interesting historical and cultural sites of Portugal in Evora, Mertola, Sagres and Lisbon. We’ll wander along winding streets, historic plazas and squares en route to an array of castles, cathedrals, museums, Roman ruins and promenades. We’ll sample Portugal’s many culinary delights and great wines, including one wine tasting event.

    We first ran this trip in spring 2023 and it was a huge success. Wonderful hotels, excellent meals and great birds. If you’d like to see the eBird trip report, click here.

    Check out the itinerary below. For questions or to sign up, contact Eric Schroeder at TRAVELPROGRAM@GOLDENGATEAUDBON.ORG.

    He will put you in touch with João Jara. Please do not contact the trip vendor first.

    To preview the places you’ll visit on the trip and the birds you’ll see, watch this great video here.

    To convert the local currency to USD, click here.

    In addition to the specific itinerary below, click here to view logistical information.

    (Landing page photo: Greater Bustard with photo credit to João Jara)

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