Puerto Vallarta Included in 'Where to go Birding in the New World' Paul Marshman - The Travelling Boomer | |
go to original October 29, 2015 |
For many years I’ve been bitten by the birding bug. And like the three crazy birders in the movie The Big Year, I’ve travelled the world looking for the best places to find new, beautiful and unusual birds — and if possible, photograph them.
I rarely go somewhere just to go birding, but it’s played a part in most of my travel plans for more than a decade. So if you’re wondering where to go birding in the western part of the world, I can give you some good suggestions — places across the Americas where I’ve found great birds, often without really trying, and come home with the photos to prove it. These places go all the way from Canada to the Antarctic, with lots of stops in between.
So whether you want to stay north or go south, there should be a destination that works for you. The kind of birds that interest you most — tropical birds, water birds, raptors, etc. — should figure in your planning. And of course, comfort: some of these destinations allow you to follow your morning bird walk with a beer on the beach. Why not?
Here are some of my favourite places to go birding on this side of the pond:
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Puerto Vallarta is one of my favourite winter escapes, and part of the reason is that it’s a great place to go birding. Just walking the beach, you can spot a half-dozen types of seabirds, including rarities like brown and blue-footed boobies. And the Pitillal River, which runs through the hotel district, is home to hundreds of species, from white ibises and roseate spoonbills (below) to yellow-winged caciques and summer tanagers.
But just outside town are some real birding hot spots, including La Cruz de Huanacaxtle to the north, where you’ll find San Blas jays, lineated woodpeckers and a host of other species. And ride up into the Sierra Madres, toward the old silver town of San Sebastian, and you’ll find higher-elevation birds like trogons, silky flycatchers and beautiful red-headed tanagers.
Read about the other 7 birding hot spots at The Travelling Boomer.
Learn about San Pancho Bird Observatory
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From activities like hiking, swimming, bike riding and yoga, to restaurants offering healthy menus, Vallarta-Nayarit is the ideal place to continue - or start - your healthy lifestyle routine.