Mexico: Oaxaca

Isthmus Endemics

March 26 - April 6, 2025

Leaders: Scott Barnes, Joshua Covill, & local guide(s)

Detailed Itinerary

A wonderfully diverse state, Oaxaca (pronounced “wuh-HA-kah”) in southern Mexico, stretches from the enormous pine forests of the high mountains in the north, down to tropical rainforest on the Pacific coast in the south. It’s home to dozens of range-restricted species as well as endemics, some of which are only found around the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

On this trip we search for the rare endemics that put Oaxaca on the map for international birding, while also taking time to enjoy the rich and delicious culture of southern Mexico. Known for its world-class food and mezcal, Oaxaca is a major destination for food and drink enthusiasts, and we will not miss out on the chance to experience the unique cuisine.

Daily Overview

  • Day 1: Arrival to Oaxaca, Mexico

    Arrival to Oaxaca international Airport (OAX).

    Please plan your flight arrival time to be before 4pm in order to attend our kickoff dinner with introductions and tour orientation. Night in Oaxaca city.

  • Day 2: Iconic birds of Teotitlan del Valle

    We will enjoy a nice early morning breakfast before heading east through the Oaxaca Valley to a fabulous area called Teotitlan del Valle. This area of natural semi-arid thorn scrub habitat is rich in birdlife, with some of our target species being Boucard’s Wren, Dusky hummingbird, Gray-breasted Woodpecker, Bridled Sparrow, and Black-vented Oriole. After a nice lunch, during the heat of the day, we will check out a demonstration of traditional rug weaving in Eric’s home village of Teotitlan del Valle. After some light afternoon birding, we will head back to our hotel in Oaxaca. Night in Oaxaca City .

  • Day 3: Red Warblers & Dwarf Jays of the Sierra Norte

    After breakfast, we will drive up to the Sierra Norte mountain range, reaching an elevation of 9000 ft, where we will be birding in the beautiful Pine-oak forest. The cool early temperatures around 50 degrees will warm up quickly through the morning as we search for Red Warbler, Dwarf Jay, Gray-barred Wren, Collared Towhee, and Chestnut-sided Shrike Vireo, among others. In the quiet hours of the day, we will check out a nice restaurant for lunch and continue with some afternoon birding before heading back to our hotel in Oaxaca. Night in Oaxaca City.

  • Day 4: Oaxaca Valley endemics

    Our targets for this day are the more elusive endemics of the area, bringing us to the Oak-scrub habitat in the foothills outside of the city. We will be looking for the striking Ocellated Thrasher, the localized endemic Oaxaca sparrow, stunning but shy Slaty Vireo and Blue Mockingbird, and chances for any remaining endemic species we still need in the Oaxaca valley. After a great lunch, we will do a little more leisurely birding before heading back to Oaxaca for a nice dinner in downtown Oaxaca. Night in Oaxaca City.

  • Day 5: Ruins of Monte Alban and East

    Today we combine some archaeology, birding and traveling. After our usual breakfast we will explore the archaeological site of Monte alban. Before the site opens for the day, we will do some casual birding along the entrance road, picking up more scrub habitat species. Once the site opens, we will explore the ruins and admire the most important pre-Columbian site in the state. This is also a good area for some interesting birds such as Rock and Canyon wrens, as well as orioles and hummingbirds. After this, we will drive to a restaurant for lunch where we will have the opportunity to see a few more birds before we hit the road. The 5 hour drive to the city of Tehuantepec will be the longest travel day of the tour. This drive goes through some great scenic landscapes, and we might stop for a few birds along the way depending on our timing. Night in Tehuantepec.

  • Day 6: Rose-bellied Bunting, the Jewel of Tehuantepec

    Our drive to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec is worth it when we spend our morning birding in gorgeous thorn scrub habitat seeking out some of the most extraordinary birds of Mexico! A few of our target species include the range-restricted Cinnamon-tailed Sparrow, Orange-breasted Bunting, Stripe-headed Sparrow, Turquoise-crowned Hummingbird, and chances for Lesser Ground-Cuckoo. Our main target is the stunning and endangered Rose-bellied Bunting, arguably the most beautiful bird of Oaxaca. After lunch, we will enjoy a bit of seaside driving as we head to our next destination, the city of Huatulco. Night in Huatulco.

  • Day 7 & 8: The Deciduous Rainforest of Huatulco National Park

    Located along the Pacific Coast, the area of Huatulco National Park is host to some extraordinary species of flora and fauna, including a few range-restricted Mexican endemic species. After our early breakfast, we will explore the tropical deciduous rainforest of the national park, where our target species include Red-breasted Chat, Citreoline Trogon, Russet-crowned Motmot, Golden-cheeked Woodpecker, Happy Wren, Turquoise-crowned Hummingbird, and Yellow-winged Cacique. Birding will be along a quiet dirt road and shaded trails through the forest. The temperatures at sea level in this habitat can reach the mid 90’s thus, at mid-day when the heat is strong and bird activity is low, we will take a relaxing break and resume birding in the evening before dinner. Nights in Huatulco.

  • Day 9: Tropical Pelagic birding by boat

    Today will be an exciting day at sea! After our breakfast, we will meet our boat captain at the pier and embark on our half-day pelagic birding trip.The continental shelf in coastal Oaxaca is only about 5 or 6 miles offshore so after a quick boat ride, we will be in the middle of the action! It’s rather easy to get some extraordinary pelagic birding, with species of interest including Black and Least Storm Petrels, Wedge-tailed Shearwater, Galapagos Shearwater, Pink-footed Shearwater and chances for multiple Boobie species, Jaegers and many other oceanic and coastal species After our pelagic trip, we will enjoy lunch at a nearby beach and take an afternoon siesta. In the evening, we will have an early dinner in order to go in search of some nocturnal species, including Mottled Owl, Pacific Screech-Owl, and chances for Buff-collared Nightjar and Common Pauraque. Night in Huatulco.

  • Day 10: Blue-capped Hummingbird in the Sierra Madre del Sur

    Another early breakfast and we leave the coast behind and head up into the southern mountain range, called the Sierra Madre del Sur. We will explore this area of coffee plantations and tropical semi-deciduous forest that hosts some extraordinary endemics, including the very range-restricted and endemic Blue-capped Hummingbird, Red-headed Tanager, “Wagler’s” subspecies of Northern Emerald-Toucanet, Gray-crowned Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Emerald, and chances for Mexican Hermit. For lunch, we will enjoy a nice meal at a coffee plantation and continue our drive to the trendy mountain town of San José del Pacífico. Night in San Jose del Pacifico.

    Photo by Eric A. Martinez

  • Day 11: Beautiful Pine-Oak forest of San Jose del Pacifico

    We will spend the morning birding in the Pine-Oak forests of the Sierra Madre del Sur. This montane forest hosts some special species of birds such as Brown-baked Solitaire, Bumblebee hummingbird, Garnet-throated Hummingbird, Chestnut-sided Shrike-Vireo, Hooded Yellowthroat, and if we’re lucky, we may find the very rare and elusive White-throated Jay! We’ll enjoy birding along trails and small dirt roads that weave around the mountainous terrain, as well as a stop at a hummingbird garden. The elevation of San José del Pacifico is around 8,000 feet, so we will move slowly in order to keep everyone comfortable at this altitude. After lunch, we will start our 3-hour drive back to Oaxaca city. Night in Oaxaca city.

  • Day 12: International Departures

    Points onward. After breakfast, shuttle transport to Oaxaca International Airport (OAX) for international departures.

Detailed Itinerary

The tour price (fee) includes services from upon arrival on Day 1 to drop-off at Airport on Day 12, including:

·      All meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 12.

·      All accommodations from Day 1 through until Day 12.

·      All transport from arrival on Day 1 through to Day 12, including airport drop-off & pick-up.

·      All guiding services, access permits and entrance fees to birding areas.

·      Tips for drivers and staff at hotels and restaurants.

Excluded from your tour fee are:

·      Any flights. We can advise you on best times for your flights, but we do not book international flights. On some tours that feature internal flights as part of the tour’s itinerary and represent travel within that country, we may include the flights as part of the tour price and make those arrangements.

·      Alcoholic beverages, laundry services, charges for phone calls, and any other items of a personal nature.

·      Visa fees, airport taxes, airline baggage fees, etc.

Documents

All travelers must have a current passport, valid for six months beyond the end date of this tour, with at least 1 blank page for stamps. 

Cancellation Policy

Purchasing travel insurance is strongly recommended, including coverage for medical evacuation services and trip curtailment, in advance of this tour. It is important to protect against financial losses in the event that registrant becomes unable to participate in the tour. Note that such coverage is often non-refundable so please check with the Hillstar Nature team before purchasing it, to confirm the tour is to proceed as planned.

If a guest/participant cancels registration:

●      120 days or more prior to the start of the tour, a refund is issued minus a $500/person processing fee.

●      Between 119 and 90 days prior to the start of the tour, half of the tour fee will be returned to the registrant.

●      89 days or less prior to departure, no refund of payments or deposits are issued.

The team at Hillstar Nature reserves the right to refuse service to any registrant/participant who acts disruptive or in a manner inconsistent with the goals of the tour. All guests are expected to comply with the rules and agenda set forth by the guide(s) of the tour, and to behave in a way that is considerate and conducive to a quality group experience. Please contact us if you have any questions about if a tour is a good fit for your goals and/or level of fitness.

PRICE & BOOKING INFO

Tour Price/person*: ~$5445
Deposit: $1000
Single supplement: $995
Final Payment Due: 26 November 2024

*Based on double occupancy at lodgings, with a group size of 8 to 9 registrants. Maximum groups size is 9 registrants, plus guide(s) and driver(s). If less than 8 registrants, trip may be cancelled or re-negotiated. Note that if you want a roommate we can try to find you one, but we cannot guarantee anyone a roommate, and if none is available, you will be charged the single supplement.

Pace, Rigor, Climate & Pests

  • Moderate pace. Good photo opps. Early mornings and a couple drives of up to 3.5 hours.

  • Mostly very comfortable accommodations, some with good grounds for birding. 

  • Time spent at high elevation. No rigorous hiking, but some walking on inclines at high altitude.

  • Few if any biting insects expected in the mountains, but chance of them in lowlands. Best bring repellant.

Each morning we rise early, pre-dawn to be in position to take advantage of the best time of day, when birds are most active near daybreak and soon thereafter. Breakfast & lunches are either in the field (picnics) or restaurants or at lodging. Dinners are at/near our accommodations.

All birding is done along trails, roadsides, or around grounds of lodgings, and walking is at a slow pace due to elevation, and so as not to startle wildlife and see as much as possible.  

Elevation is a consideration on this tour. Please consult your physician regarding travel to areas of high elevation. Elevations range from sea level during up to about 10000 feet in altitude. Especially when up high, but really throughout the tour, we will take our time, and keep a slow and relaxed pace while we seek and enjoy birds and other wildlife.

Packing

Please limit yourself to one mid-size suitcase/duffel and another smaller bag for daily use on outings. Group travel dictates we consider our fellow traveler’s comfort, and this includes not over-packing. Laundry services are available at most hotels we visit but having lightweight clothes than can be hand-cleaned in rooms can be an advantage.

Lightweight clothing that is easy to layer is best for this variable climate that can be warm sometimes and chilly at others. Possibly we will encounter some mist or rain. Lightweight raingear is recommended. Some folks bring umbrellas but if these are utilized they can obstruct viewing in certain situations. Neutral colors are best for our time in the field to limit our visibility to the birds and wildlife we seek. Good trail shoes, hiking shoes or hiking boots are recommended for field outings, while a pair of slip-ons, flip flops, or comfortable walking shoes for around the hotels are good to have as well. We definitely recommend a thermal layer and a fleece/sweatshirt that can be layered under a raincoat to keep warm and dry.

Sunscreen, hat and sunglasses are good for if we encounter bright, clear conditions, especially at elevation. A daypack (small backpack or the like) for your belongings for daily field outings is useful, and some folks find that having a walking stick for balance is nice or having a foldable stool/chair is nice for times when we sit and wait in an area for a bird(s) to show.

View Hillstar Nature’s Terms & Conditions of Booking