Guyana
Guyana lies on the northeastern shoulder of South America, with a low, largely forested interior rising towards the Guiana Highlands. The coastal plain is flat and densely settled, with mangroves, mudflats and extensive wetlands, while inland the landscape becomes increasingly wild and dominated by rainforest, rivers and waterfalls. The south and west include the vast Guiana Shield, with ancient rock formations, savannas and isolated mountains. Kaieteur Falls is one of the country's most distinctive natural landmarks, dropping dramatically through pristine rainforest. Much of Guyana remains sparsely developed, and large areas of its interior are accessible only by river, small aircraft or long overland journeys. This combination of extensive intact rainforest, seasonal wetlands and Guiana Shield landscapes gives Guyana a distinctly wild character compared with the more developed coastal regions of neighbouring South America.
Overview
Guyana is a particularly attractive destination for Guiana Shield birds and intact rainforest, with the Guianan Cock-of-the-rock and Hoatzin among its signature species. The Iwokrama Forest is the country's best-known birding destination, combining rainforest, rivers and forested mountains and supporting species such as Harpy Eagle, Black Curassow and Red-fan Parrot. Kaieteur National Park adds specialised highland and forest birds around the spectacular waterfall, while the Rupununi savannas provide a very different community of grassland and wetland species. Guyana is less developed for mass tourism than neighbouring Brazil, but specialist birding lodges and experienced local guides make dedicated trips possible. Access to the interior is the main practical limitation: many of the best sites require small aircraft, boats or organised lodge-based travel. For birders interested in the distinctive avifauna of the Guiana Shield, this relative remoteness is part of the appeal.
Top 10 target species
| Species | Annual frequency | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Kiskadee Pitangus sulphuratus | 39.9% | 39.5% | 34.6% | 34.7% | 46.6% | 46.3% | 43.2% | 40.2% | 44.4% | 36.0% | 40.2% | 37.1% | 36.3% |
| Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus | 37.5% | 37.4% | 32.3% | 34.4% | 39.6% | 44.4% | 38.4% | 39.0% | 41.3% | 35.0% | 38.4% | 34.0% | 35.7% |
| Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus | 31.3% | 33.0% | 28.7% | 29.6% | 35.6% | 36.8% | 37.5% | 29.6% | 26.3% | 27.0% | 33.3% | 28.4% | 29.4% |
| Palm Tanager Thraupis palmarum | 28.8% | 30.8% | 26.8% | 29.0% | 33.5% | 34.5% | 30.6% | 23.4% | 24.5% | 27.4% | 32.5% | 26.5% | 26.7% |
| Gray-breasted Martin Progne chalybea | 25.4% | 23.3% | 19.6% | 22.3% | 29.0% | 37.1% | 31.4% | 24.0% | 25.1% | 23.5% | 28.7% | 20.4% | 20.8% |
| Rusty-margined Flycatcher Myiozetetes cayanensis | 23.5% | 25.8% | 20.5% | 20.9% | 26.3% | 24.1% | 28.2% | 20.1% | 23.0% | 19.8% | 26.0% | 23.5% | 23.2% |
| Silver-beaked Tanager Ramphocelus carbo | 23.0% | 23.9% | 21.9% | 24.8% | 21.7% | 27.9% | 27.3% | 20.4% | 16.1% | 25.2% | 23.7% | 21.5% | 21.5% |
| Great Egret Ardea alba | 22.8% | 23.0% | 22.7% | 21.6% | 27.7% | 28.1% | 19.2% | 20.7% | 27.1% | 20.2% | 23.0% | 20.1% | 20.2% |
| Ruddy Ground Dove Columbina talpacoti | 22.1% | 19.8% | 16.1% | 18.0% | 27.1% | 31.2% | 26.0% | 22.4% | 26.1% | 21.4% | 22.9% | 18.5% | 15.8% |
| Black Vulture Coragyps atratus | 21.8% | 28.9% | 23.3% | 23.8% | 20.8% | 19.3% | 14.0% | 20.0% | 17.9% | 22.5% | 24.6% | 24.2% | 22.3% |