Birds of Belize and Central America

ABOVE: The Blue-crowned motmot, (Motmotus motmota), can be seen throughout Belize. Its habitat is in the rainforests below the canopy, or top, of the rainforest. The length of the Blue-crowned motmot is between 11 and 18 inches (28-45 cm). This length inclues the tail. The one feature that most distinguishes almost all motmots is their long tails. Close to the tip of the tail, the barbs are mssing for about one inch or more. This gives the appearance not unlike that of a tennis racket. The only explanation for the feathers being like this is that they are used for display.

With over 540 different, colorful species of birds in the country, Belize is a must for the professional or amateur bird-watcher. In the Orange Walk District alone, over 400 species of birds have been recorded. More so than anywhere else in the country, the Orange Walk District is the country's leader as a birder's paradise. With its unusually diverse habitats, the famous Maya Ruin area of Lamanai is a must for professional ornithologists or casual bird watchers. 366 bird species have been recorded at Lamanai, and this figure is expected to reach 409 shortly. The uncommon nocturnal Yucatan nightjars, as well as the long-tailed hermit hummingbird, have been spotted at the Lamanai Outpost Lodge. Cruising the New River by boat to the Lamanai ruins is also a birder's paradise. The waterway teems with bird life. Rare birds abound, like the roseate spoonbills, sun grebes and long-necked anhinga. Near the mouth of the lagoon is a large ceiba tree with a huge nest, home to a five-foot jabiru stork, the largest bird in the country which has a wingspan of approximately eight feet.

Chan Chich Lodge, also in the Orange Walk District, offers delights to birders. Colors abound: the blue-crowned motmot, the brightly colored flocks of ocellated turkeys or the emerald toucanet are only some of the birds visitors will see.

ABOVE: Belize Neotropic Cormorants, Roseate Spoonbill, Great Egrets, Wood Stork and Raptor. Photo by Eva W. Casey.

And Programme for Belize , with over 400 recorded species, also offers world class birding. Programme for Belize , a nonprofit organization with offices in both Belize and the United States , manages the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area in this northern district. It is a reserve which covers 280,000 acres. It is a tropical forest area that is home to all of the Belizean cats and numerous other animals, including king vultures, and over 80 species of bats.

A Field Guide to the Birds of Belize" by Jones and Gardner will help visitors familiarize themselves with many of the species to be seen. The Gallon Jug Conservation Society, the Belize Audubon Society, the Lamanai Field Research Center or any of the lodges in the area here also appreciate field notes from visitors who record rare, unexpected sightings.

Next page: Birds in Central Belize