Dates and Cost
October 8-16, 2023 $3200 per person ($350 Single Supplement)Images
About This Trip
This is the ultimate exploration of the fantastic array of habitats found in Sonora! It combines the rugged Sierra Madre Mountains with our very popular Alamos trip, giving one the possibility to see upwards of 300 species of birds! Since Sonora is our home, we know the area like no one else and have been leading birding trips to the far flung regions of the state for many many years! This trip will take us into all of the major habitats found in the large and incredibly diverse state of Sonora. We begin in the Sonoran Desert habitat and the riparian area in the Rio Bambuto valley near Magdalena. From Hermosillo, we climb to an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet on the western slope of the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains up to the rough and tumble lumber town of "Yecora", where we will spend a couple of nights. Leaving the mountains, we continue south into the extensive and dense stands of tropical deciduous forest (TDF) in the southern portion of the state, spending four nights in the beautiful Colonial town of Alamos. From Alamos we'll be following the coastline of the Sea of Cortez back north towards San Carlos, visiting its mangroves, mudflats and Sinaloa thorn forest habitat on the last two days of our tour. Along the way, we could run into more than two dozen Mexican endemic birds, many of them restricted to Northwest Mexico, along with a host of notable other tropical species. Birds like Elegant Quail, Mexican Parrotlet, Happy and Sinaloa Wren, Rufous-bellied Chachalaca, Russet-crowned Motmot, Black-throated Magpie Jay, Purplish-backed Jay, Russet Nightingale Thrush, Rufous-capped Brush-finch, Red-headed Tanager, Gray-crowned Woodpecker, Black-headed Siskin, Rusty Sparrow, Gray-collared Becard, Lesser Roadrunner, Mountain Trogon, Spotted Wren, Russet-crowned Motmot Squirrel Cuckoo, Black-vented Oriole and Colima Pygmy Owl, to name a few. The emphasis of this trip will be fantastic bird life that abounds in Sonora, but it is also a wonderful chance to get acquainted with the culture and diversity beyond the birds. From the incredible plants to the wonderful and rich human history, you will be impressed by the variety and beauty that lies only a short distance from the U.S. border.Accommodations
Our accommodations on this trip are all distinctly different. In Hermosillo, we stay at the nice Holiday Inn, and in Yecora our lodging is at the basic but comfortable Motel King. In Alamos we stay at our beautiful hotel, El Pedregal Nature Lodge, which is becoming the best place to stay in Sonora for natural history enthusiasts. At the coast, we stay at the comfortable Sea of Cortez Beach Club. Our meals throughout are delicious, with a variety of hearty Sonoran food in the mountains, homemade gourmet at El Pedregal and seafood at the water’s edge. Whether you are a tropical birding beginner or an experienced birder looking for a few key Mexican species, this trip is sure to please. This trip starts and ends in Tucson.To book your trip or for more information, please contact us by email or call 888-383-0062.
