Featured Guide

Veracruz River of Raptors Tour

Combine this tour with the Eagle Pre-Tour Extension

Every day of the trip offered varied avian rewards but the immensity of the migration on the peak days was the highlight of the trip and an experience beyond description.”

Frank Maher, USA. 2014 Edition

Watch the largest raptor migration on Earth!

The world’s largest raptor count of between four and seven million migrating raptors have been recorded per season in recent years at Veracruz, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Most were Swainson’s Hawks, Broad-winged Hawks, and Turkey Vultures, but many other species are also tallied in smaller numbers. We saw over a million in four days on an earlier tour. We will sample this migration, as well as the great variety of Neotropical raptors found nearby. We will also visit a remnant patch of rainforest on this tour.

The perfect Raptor Vacation

Tour is conducted at a relaxed pace with lots of time to look at raptors (and other birds), plenty of time to relax at hotels, walk along beaches and nature trails looking for birds, or enjoy your drink while you watch the migration from the very hotel’s rooftop! Meet fellow hawkwatchers from all over the world at count sites and learn about the River of Raptors first hand.

Not just Raptors! General birding too

While Central Veracruz is best known for raptor migration, general birding in the region is nothing short of spectacular. Temperate and tropical species intermingle at coastal beaches, lagoons, wetlands, grasslands and lowland forests.

Numerous migratory birds can be seen here in staggering numbers, including American White Pelican, Wood Stork, White-faced Ibis, White-winged Dove, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird and Dickcissel. The impressive diversity of resident species means there is always something at which to look — Magnificent Frigatebird, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Northern Jacana, White-fronted Parrot, Squirrel Cuckoo, Blue-crowned Motmot, Canivet’s Emerald (endemic), Violaceous Trogon, Green Kingfisher, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Fork-tailed Flycatcher (austral migrant), Masked Tityra, Mangrove Swallow, Rufous-naped Wren (endemic), Red-throated Ant-Tanager and Montezuma Oropendola are but a small subset of birds commonly seen in Central Veracruz.

Get up to speed before you leave home!

Featuring 32 color plates and 213 color photographs, the hot-off-the-press Raptors of Mexico and Central America is the the first illustrated guide to the region’s 69 species of raptors, including vagrants. Sign up for this tour and get a free copy delivered directly to your home so you can get up to speed with the bewildering variability of plumage, flight silhouettes, and behavior of Mexican raptors even before you check your bags! Kindle and Hardcover Editions available. (Offer valid for continental US customers only.)

Eagle Pre-Tour Extension

1-4 October

Make the most of your trip! Add the Eagle Pre-Tour Extension and join us on this quest for some of the most spectacular Neotropical eagles. This Pre-Tour Extension has been especially designed to see all three hawk-eagles occurring in the region, namely the Black-and-white, Black, and Ornate Hawk-Eagles, with a chance to see Montane Solitary Eagle.

Make A Difference!

Raptours®, L.L.C. makes financial contributions to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and Veracruz River of Raptors Project for every respective member that signs up for this tour.

Join us on this tour and make a lasting contribution to raptor conservation!

Day-by-Day Itinerary | Main Tour

Day 1

4 October

Afternoon arrival in Veracruz International Airport (IATA Code: VER). Shuttle participants to our hotel in Cardel. Check-in. 6:30–7:30 PM: Dinner together at the hotel. Personal introductions at dinner. Night in Cardel.

Day 2

5 October

7:45 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. 8:30–9:30 AM: Welcome Briefing. This briefing includes a short outline of the tour, what to expect each day, and a discussion of participants’ expectations and goals for the tour, a brief introduction to the Veracruz River of Raptors (VRR) count project, how it is done and the need to respect the space & time of the counters while we are sharing the roof. 10:00 AM: Meet at the hotel roof top to watch the migration. Target species from the roof will primarily be flocks of Broad-winged and Swainson’s Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Mississippi Kites and other migrant raptors, including Peregrine Falcon, American Kestrel, Zone-tailed Hawk, Osprey, Hook-billed Kite. 6:00 PM: Dinner at the hotel. After dinner, attend a 1-hour presentation on history of the VRR count, explanation of migration dynamics in Veracruz, and a brief ID session covering the common species seen at the count sites. Night in Cardel.

Day 3

6 October

6:00 AM: Breakfast at our hotel. 7:30–11:00 AM: Morning birding at Playa Juan Ángel. This is a beach with dunes, a river mouth and some patches of lowland forest. Our primary target species here is Aplomado Falcon. If we are lucky, more than one of these elegant falcons will be seen hunting or harassing other falcons in the area. Also, Gray Hawk, Roadside Hawk, Common Black-Hawk, Merlin and Crested Caracara are commonly seen here. This site is also good for general birding (reliable for Fork-tailed Flycatcher). Easy walking on flat ground. Then, we will head back to our hotel for lunch and rest. We will see how the migration is going over the hotel roof (duration: 2–4 hours). Depending on the flight, we can stay or move to the Chichicaxtle count site, which typically has more raptor migration activity later in the day. There are often local raptors that fly close to the count site for great looks, such as Short-tailed, Zone-tailed Hawks and Laughing Falcons. Hunting falcons are also fairly common in this rural area. 6:30 PM: Dinner at the hotel. Night in Cardel.

Day 4

7 October

6:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. 7:30–11:00 AM: Morning birding at La Mancha. This is a coastal lagoon with lowland forest and beach habitats. The target here is the elusive Collared Forest-Falcon (heard in 2014!). We could also see Laughing Falcon, Gray, Roadside, Zone-tailed, and Common Black-Hawks, Peregrines, Osprey, accipiters and more. Easy walking on dirt road and beach. Bring bug spray and cover up exposed ankles and legs. We will keep our eyes open for kettles and streams of migrants to decide when to head back to Cardel. Back to the hotel to rest and watch from the roof (2–3 hours). Afternoon at Chichicaxtle if the flight is good or another local spot for some variety (Palmar—pasture; Playa Chalchihuecan—dune, scrub, beach). 6:30 PM: Dinner at the hotel. Night in Cardel.

Day 5

8 October

6:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. 7:30–10:30 AM: Morning birding at Río Escondido. This is a dirt road along a canal that travels through the canyon rim above the river. The primary target here is Bat Falcon, which is commonly seen perched on high-tension towers or hunting over the area. Also, Laughing Falcon, Short-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara can be seen here. Easy walking on flat dirt road. If the previous day’s raptor migration was good, groups of Broad-winged and Swainson’s Hawks may have roosted nearby so we can be lucky and witness a liftoff flight. General birding is also quite good here. We will likely stop by Chichicaxtle to hopefully see some raptor migration (1–3 hours). Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon will be spent at hotel or back at Chichicaxtle, depending on the flight. 6:30 PM: Dinner at the hotel. Night in Cardel.

Day 6

9 October

6:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. 7:30–10:00 AM: Morning birding at La Mancha or Juan Ángel. Revisit one of these sites to become a little more acquainted with it and see species that were missed on the previous visit. Location will be decided based on participant consensus and desired birds to be seen. Return to Cardel for lunch and rest. Assess the raptor flight in Cardel and move to Chichi or stay on the roof for the afternoon. 6:30 PM: Dinner at the hotel. Night in Cardel.

Day 7

10 October

Eat breakfast at the hotel and be on the road by 7:00 AM. 8:00 AM–12:00 PM: Birding at Las Barrancas, an area of grasslands, pastures and flooded fields just west of Alvarado. Target species here are Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Aplomado Falcon, and other open-country raptor species. We will be birding primarily from the vehicle, with frequent stops to get out and scan for birds. Drive around the countryside around Alvarado looking for local species in the afternoon. Drive back to Cardel. 6:30 PM: Dinner at the hotel. Night in Cardel.

Day 8

11 October

6:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. Drive to the Alvarado Lagoon. Morning boat ride on Alvarado Lagoon. Target species here are Black-collared Hawk and Common Black Hawk (many close looks). We will try to go slowly so that we can enjoy the amazing mangroves which line the lagoon. Lunch in Alvarado. Drive back to Cardel. Relax, pack, have dinner (maybe go out for our last night), trip summary. Night in Cardel.

Day 9

12 October

Catch morning flights home.

Day-by-Day Itinerary | Eagle Pre-Tour Extension

Day 1

1 October

Afternoon arrival in Veracruz International Airport (IATA Code: VER). Shuttle participants to our hotel in Veracruz. Check-in. 6:30–7:30 PM: Dinner together at the hotel. Personal introductions at dinner. Night in Veracruz.

Day 2

2 October

6:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. 7:00 AM: Check-out. 7:15–10:30 AM: Drive to Tuxtepec. Then drive the road to Oaxaca looking for raptors. We should see all three Black-and-white, Black, and Ornate Hawk-Eagles, with a chance for Montane Solitary Eagle. In addition, we should see Gray and White Hawks, Double-toothed Kite, Bat Falcon, Great Black Hawk, and others. Picnic lunch. Dinner at the hotel. Night in Tuxtepec.

Day 3

3 October

6:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. Then all day at elevation on the road from Tuxtepec to Oaxaca looking for raptors, focusing on the species we haven’t seen yet. We will travel a little higher to try for the local subspecies of Red-tailed Hawk. Picnic lunch. Dinner at the hotel. Night in Tuxtepec.

Day 4

4 October

6:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. Bird in the morning, then drive to Cardel. Check-in at our hotel. Lunch at the hotel’s restaurant. Free afternoon—raptor migration can be watched from the hotel rooftop. 6:30 PM: Dinner at the hotel. Meet new arrivals and start the Veracruz River of Raptors Tour!

Target Species

​Common Name

1. Osprey
2. Black Vulture
3. Turkey Vulture
4. Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
5. Mississippi Kite
6. White-tailed Kite
7. Hook-billed Kite
8. Double-toothed Kite
9. Snail Kite
10. Northern Harrier
11. Sharp-shinned Hawk
12. Cooper’s Hawk
13. Harris’s Hawk
14. White Hawk
15. Black-collared Hawk
16. Common Black Hawk
17. Great Black Hawk
18. Crane Hawk
19. Montane Solitary Eagle*
20. Roadside Hawk
21. Gray Hawk
22. Broad-winged Hawk
23. Short-tailed Hawk
24. Swainson’s Hawk
25. Zone-tailed Hawk
26. Red-tailed Hawk
27. Black Hawk-Eagle
28. Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle*
29. Ornate Hawk-Eagle*
30. Northern Crested Caracara
31. Laughing Falcon
32. Collared Forest Falcon
33. American Kestrel
34. Merlin
35. Bat Falcon
36. Aplomado Falcon
37. Peregrine Falcon

*Tour Extension only

Latin Name

1. Pandion haliaetus
2. Coragyps atratus
3. Cathartes aura
4. Cathartes burrovianus
5. Ictinia mississippiensis
6. Elanus leucurus
7. Chondrohierax uncinatus
8. Harpagus bidentatus
9. Rostrhamus sociabilis
10. Circus hudsonius
11. Accipiter striatus
12. Accipiter cooperii
13. Parabuteo unicinctus
14. Pseudastur albicollis
15. Busarellus nigricollis
16. Buteogallus anthracinus
17. Buteogallus urubitinga
18. Geranospiza caerulescens
19. Harpyhaliaetus solitarius*
20. Rupornis magnirostris
21. Buteo plagiatus
22. Buteo platypterus
23. Buteo brachyurus
24. Buteo swainsoni
25. Buteo albonotatus
26. Buteo jamaicensis
27. Spizaetus tyrannus
28. Spizaetus melanoleucus*
29. Spizaetus ornatus*
30. Caracara cheriway
31. Herpetotheres cachinnans
32. Micrastur semitorquatus
33. Falco sparverius
34. Falco columbarius
35. Falco rufigularis
36. Falco femoralis
37. Falco peregrinus

*Tour Extension only

Suggested Field Guides

Clark, W.S. and N.J. Schmitt. 2017. Raptors of Mexico and Central America. Princeton U. Press, Princeton.

Howell, S.N.G. and Webb, S. 1995. A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford U. Press, Oxford.

Tour Map

Tour Leader

Zach Smith has been to Veracruz many times. He was an official counter at the Veracruz River of Raptors Project for three years, and has led or co-led this tour since 2014.

Zach understands the dynamic migratory raptor flight in Veracruz. He also knows all the right places to look for resident raptors. Zach is an accomplished birder and knows all the other birds occurring in the area as well. Zach is bilingual (English and Spanish), very personable, and is always eager to help others find, see, and identify the birds we encounter in the field.

Zach will bring a state-of-the-art Zeiss Conquest Gavia 85 (30–60×) Spotting Scope and a pair of Zeiss Victory SF 10×42 binoculars.

Tour Showcase

Terms

Raptours, L.L.C. reserves the right to alter this itinerary as necessary, or to cancel the tour prior to departure, with full refund to participants.

Raptours, L.L.C. or its agents may decline to accept or retain any person as a member of this tour at any time.

No smoking will be permitted while with the group, either when indoors or in the field.

Travel medical insurance is strongly recommended.

All passengers will be required to sign a hard copy of the Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk form upon meeting with the tour leader in Veracruz.

No participants will be allowed in the group without a signed copy of the Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk form.

Release of Liability and Assumption of Risk Form
(including Terms)