MERLIN BIRDING & NATURE TOURS, LLC
Extraordinary Birding Adventures
(406) 461-5714
Upcoming Tours
Merlin Birding and Nature Tours will be offering birding trips to the following outstanding birding locations in the next 3 years (please stay tuned for updates on these exciting tours on this website and through regular email updates): Alaska, Belize, East Africa, India, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico).
Veracruz, Mexico: River of Raptors
October 10-21, 2021
Witness the largest raptor migration on Earth! Observers count 4-6 million raptors each fall, with 30 species counted from two observation points in central Veracruz, Mexico, including up to 2 million Broad-winged Hawks! As these majestic birds migrate south they are funneled into a narrow bottleneck between the Sierra Madre Orientale Mountains and the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to enjoying the spectacular (and unforgettable!) raptor and waterbird migration, we shall explore Veracruz's remarkable diversity of habitats, from coastal wetlands to mountain pine forests and tropical lowlands. Up to 280 bird species can be seen on this 12-day birding extravaganza!
Ecuador: Amazon Basin
January 24-30 2022
Witness the largest raptor migration on Earth! Observers count 4-6 million raptors each fall, with 30 species counted from two observation points in central Veracruz, Mexico, including up to 2 million Broad-winged Hawks! As these majestic birds migrate south they are funneled into a narrow bottleneck between the Sierra Madre Orientale Mountains and the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to enjoying the spectacular (and unforgettable!) raptor and waterbird migration, we shall explore Veracruz's remarkable diversity of habitats, from coastal wetlands to mountain pine forests and tropical lowlands. Up to 280 bird species can be seen on this 12-day birding extravaganza!
Birding the Choco-Andes Region of NW Ecuador (with Amazon Extension)
January 16-25, 2022 (Extension Jan. 24-30)
Visit and bird the stunning diviersity of Ecuador, where almost half the species of hummingbirds found in the world live. Total species of birds in Ecuador total over 1,700. We'll concentrate our days in two areas. But don't be fooled, each area offers great bird trips to diverse habitat where birding can be frenetic. There are too many endemics to list. This is truly a birder's paradise!
Costa Rica
March 25 - April 6, 2022
Travel to a country that is a must on any birder's bucket list. We'll visit varied habitats, from lowland tropical rainforests to high elevation cloud forests. Target birds include the spectacular Resplendent Quetzal and the Three-wattled Bellbird among many others. The trip includes visits to four national parks, among them a boat trip to the vital wetlands of Palo Verde National Park, home to the Jabiru Stork.
Eastern Panama's Darien (and Pipeline Rd.)
April 16-25 2022
This 9-night, all-inclusive birding package explores the Darién region of eastern Panama. The Darien, as this eastern-most region of Panama is called, is perhaps the most diverse and species-rich region of Central America. Long coveted by avid birders as an impenetrable haven for rare species, this region is now readily accessible by a highway extending through the spine of Panama into the heart of this bird-rich land.
(Full details of this tour will be posted by mid-December 2020.)