Sustainable Birding Travel and Tourism

Bird watchers love seeing exotic birds in beautiful habitats—and that means travel and adventure! Birders are passionate about protecting birds, especially endangered species and their habitats. Many birdwatchers follow the path of Neotropical migratory birds and travel to Latin America and the Caribbean for the chance to see familiar species in their over-wintering tropical habitats.

Birding travel, or avitourism, supports bird conservation because visitation to bird refuges and reserves usually means more funding for ongoing projects and for the acquisition of new land. In addition, travelers who book with sustainable hotels and tour operators contribute to bird conservation, because those businesses have made a commitment to environmentally-friendly practices that protect birds and other wildlife.

From the Manu Biosphere Reserve in Peru, to Ecuador’s dry forests, to the lush cloud forests of Monteverde in Costa Rica, some of the best birding destinations in the world are in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lodges deep in the jungle immerse visitors in the lush natural habitats of hundreds of bird species like macaws, quetzals, hummingbirds, and toucans. Travelers can even stay at some scientific research stations, where scientists study rare birds. Many hotels and tour operators also offer guided birding tours led by knowledgeable locals so you can maximize your time seeing and snapping photos of many beautiful and elusive bird species.

Your Sustainable Birdwatching Vacation

Popular destinations for bird watching include Peru, Costa Rica, Belize, and Ecuador. Browse through a list of all the sustainable birding accommodations and tour operators on SustainableTrip.org.