South America is nicknamed the "Bird Continent," and for good reason: It is a birder's dream, offering unmatched diversity of nearly 3,500 species of birds across the continent's breathtaking landscapes--from the steamy Amazon rainforest and Andean cloud forests to Patagonian steppe, Atlantic forests, and dramatic coastlines. Our Field Guides birding tours reveal the continent's wonders as we visit eleven countries. Continue reading our overview of all South America tours or click an image below for a specific destination.
South America Birding Destinations
South America Overview & Highlights
In Brazil, select from more than a dozen itineraries covering the Amazon, the endemic-rich coastal areas and Atlantic Forest from the northeast to the far south, and the Pantanal, offering the chance to spot hundreds of species including endemics and specialties like Hyacinth Macaw, Swallow-tailed Cotinga, Araripe Manakin, Hooded Visorbearer, and so many more amid wetlands, lush forests, and cerrado.
In Ecuador and Colombia, experience amazing avian diversity in the Andes, in particular among the hummingbirds and tanagers, with dozens of species of each possible on most tours, as well as secretive antpittas (now much more 'seeable' thanks to innovative feeding stations in many locations), on itineraries covering fairly small areas.
In Peru, traverse the Manu Biosphere Reserve, where cloud forest and lowland rainforest yield dazzling hummingbirds, antpittas, and Andean Cock-of-the-rock, with the potential to see 500 species in a single journey; or include the magnificent Incan ruins of Machu Picchu in your birding itinerary; or bird the Peruvian Amazon in the northeastern or southeastern corners of the country; or travel to the far north in search of Marvelous Spatuletail, Long-whiskered Owlet, and Marañon endemics.
Our Argentina and Chile tours blend birding with particularly spectacular landscapes, from the Pampas and wine country to the wilds of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, where Magellanic Penguins, Andean Condors, and rare specialties await. We also have a Birds & Wine tour that visits both countries!
Our Guyana and Suriname trips feature fabulous rainforest wilderness and different subsets of the avian specialties of the Guianan Shield region, with highlights from Guianan Cock-of-the-rock and Crimson Fruitcrow to Blood-colored Woodpecker and Rufous Crab-Hawk.
Wonderfully scenic Bolivia is off the beaten path for most birders yet home to a large number of specialties and hard-to-see-elsewhere avian attractions. This is the land of the flightless Titicaca Grebe, the endemic Red-fronted Macaw, Bolivian Recurvebill, Masked Antpitta, and so many more.
Our Uruguay itinerary, another one in our Birds & Wine series, offers contrasting Pantanal-like and Southern Cone birding (think Greater Rheas and Rosy-billed Pochards, Coscoroba Swans and Southern Screamers), as well as an exploration of the great local wines.
A visit to Trinidad & Tobago offers a perfect introduction to South America's avifauna for the first-timer as you get to know some wonderful Neotropical bird families, from motmots and manakins to antbirds and woodcreepers, but in manageable variety rather than being overwhelmed.
And our birding cruises to the Galápagos Islands in small groups offer a unique chance to walk among Darwin's finches and seabirds (including fabulous Waved Albatrosses as well as boobies and frigatebirds) in a living laboratory of evolution.
Across the continent, our expert guides, comfortable lodges, and thoughtfully crafted itineraries ensure every outing is rewarding. Whether you're marveling at Amazonian canopy life, scanning Andean peaks for condors, savoring the spectacle of seabird and penguin colonies, or experiencing the excitement of an army ant swarm attended by frenzied birds, South America's birding tours with Field Guides promise unforgettable wildlife encounters and the adventure of a lifetime.
We offer many other tours to MEXICO, the CARIBBEAN, and CENTRAL AMERICA, too!
Photo credit: Our thanks to guide Willy Perez for the great image at the top of this page of Scarlet Macaws at a mineral lick near Sacha Lodge in Ecuador.