Nature Treks & Passages-Birding in Copper Canyon Mexico

Birding in Mexico

Tucson Audubon Society Copper Canyon Birding Trip

October 15 – 23, 2005

9-Day Birding Tour of the Sierra Tarahumara, Mexico
with Larry Liese and Juan Caicedo

Join us for a fascinating look into the natural history of the magnificent Copper Canyon, with an emphasis on birding. The huge system of six river canyons that comprise the Copper Canyon offers some of the most awesome scenery in North America. During this trip we’ll see flora and fauna in a variety of settings including coastal river plain, Madrean conifer forest, pinon-oak woodland, tropical deciduous thorn forest, and tropical riparian forest.

After arriving in Los Mochis from Tucson, we spend one day birding on the Rio Fuerte in the charming Spanish Colonial town of El Fuerte. We then take one of the most scenic train rides in the world to Creel as we ascend from sea level to over 8,000 feet in elevation through over 62 tunnels and over 11 bridges. Birding is easy from the outdoor platforms between the train cars. From Creel we drive down from the rim to the remote town of Batopilas on the Batopilas River at 1640 feet in elevation, stopping to bird on the way. In the sub-tropical climate by the river we may find Rose-Throated Becards, Squirrel Cuckoos, Buff-Breasted Flycatchers, White-Fronted Parrots, and Elegant Trogons. We will then retrace our steps to Creel, El Fuerte, and back to the airport in Los Mochis.

For more information, contact Rochelle Gerratt at 696-2002 or rochelle@naturetreks.net.

For a trip list of birds seen on our previous
Copper Canyon trips, Click Here

A summary of our itinerary:

Day One: We fly to Los Mochis from Tucson in the afternoon. We’re met by taxis that drive us to our comfortable lodge in the charming Spanish Colonial town of El Fuerte, a trip of 1 and 1/2 hours. Dinner at our lodge, specializing in local seafood.
Day Two: Breakfast at our lodge. We spend the morning on a float trip, birding and watching the wildlife on the Rio Fuerte, the largest river in the state of Sinaloa and the water course into which most rivers of the Copper Canyon region flow. Frequently seen birds here include Bare-Throated Tiger-Heron, Russet-Crowned Motmot, Great Black Hawk, White-Fronted Parrot, and Rufous-Bellied Chachalaca. We’ll take a brief walk to a petroglyph site off the river. Later this day we’ll do more birding or tour the new museum that is housed in the restored Spanish fort. Dinner at a local restaurant.
Day Three: Breakfast at our lodging. After a short taxi ride to the train station, we board the famous Copper Canyon train that takes us from near sea level to 8,000 feet elevation. It’s easy to bird from the outdoor platforms between the cars. Spectacular views! The train travels through 62 tunnels and over 11 bridges during our journey. Lunch on the train. We arrive in Creel by late afternoon and and stay at a rustic yet comfortable lodge in the town of Cusarare in the forest near Creel. Dinner at our lodge.
Day Four: After breakfast at our lodge, we drive by van down the canyon to Cusarare where we walk to a waterfall, stopping to bird for Eared Quetzals on the way. We then drive by van down the canyon to the remote town of Batopilas at 1640 feet elevation. We’ll stop periodically to take note of the changes of the bioregions we pass through from alpine to tropical. On the way down and in the town of Batopilas it is very likely that we will see some Tarahumara men and women dressed in their traditional garments. Picnic lunch. We stay at a charming inn near the Batopilas River. Dinner on the porch of a very fine local cook.
Day Five: After breakfast we spend the morning birding along the Batopilas River as we walk down the road to a beautiful mission church in Satevo built in the 1700s by the Franciscans. In the tropical climate by the river we may find Tufted Flycatcher, Brown-Backed Solitaire, Scrub Euphonia, Ivory-Billed Woodcreeper, and Slate-Throated Redstart. Picnic lunch by the church. Our van will return us to our inn in Batopilas. There will be time in the afternoon for walking around this town famous for its rich 19th-century silver strikes and Colonial architecture. Dinner at a local restaurant.
Day Six: After breakfast we’ll walk to bird along the river. In the afternoon we’ll tour the ruins of Hacienda San Miguel, the compound of the large mining company that operated here between 1880 and 1920. Dinner at a local restaurant.
Day Seven: After breakfast, we retrace our route back up to Cusarare near Creel, stopping occasionally to bird. Picnic lunch. Dinner at our lodge.
Day Eight: After breakfast we drive into Creel and have time to shop for Tahumara crafts and other souvenirs. Later that morning we board the train back to El Fuerte. More birding from the train. Lunch on the train. A waiting taxi takes us to our hotel where we arrive in the early evening for dinner.
Day Nine: After breakfast we take taxis back to the airport in Los Mochis and fly to Tucson arriving at 2 PM.

All itineraries subject to change, based on weather or other factors.

Your guides:

Larry Liese is well known among Tucson birders as a field guide for Tucson Audubon Society as well as the author of the “Dastardly Duos” column in the TAS Flycatcher. In the past few years he has taken 30 birding trips to Mexico and led over 60 trips in Southeastern Arizona. He has a special talent for helping beginning birders feel comfortable in the field.

Juan Caicedo Juan, a graduate of Prescott College, has a B.A. in Natural History and Ecology. He recently completed his senior thesis working with landowners at Villa Verde (“Natural History, Cultural Perceptions, and the Implication for the Management of Villa Verde”). Proyecto Corredor Colibrí is an extension of the relationships and work begun with Juan's senior project. Juan has traveled extensively throughout Latin America and leads PCC's restoration, monitoring, and landowner outreach work.
Visti Juan's Web Site: http://www.p-cc.org

Copper Canyon bibliography:

Joe Cummings, Northern Mexico Handbook, Moon Publications, 1998

John Fayhee, Mexico’s Copper Canyon Country, Cordellera Press, 1989

R. Fisher, ed., History of Copper Canyon and the Tarahumara Indians, Sunracer Publications, 2000

R. Fisher, Mexico’s Copper Canyon, Sunracer Publications, 2001

Bernard Fontana, Tarahumara: Where Night is the Day of the Moon, University of Arizona Press, 1979

Bernard Fontana, The Material World of the Tarahumara, Northland Press, 1979

Carl Franz, The People’s Guide to Mexico, John Muir Publications, 2002

J. G. Kennedy, Tarahumara of the Sierra Madre: Beer, Ecology, and Social Organization, AHM Publishing corp, 1978

C. Lumholtz, Unknown Mexico, Scribners Sons, 1902

C. Pennington, The Tarahumar of Mexico, University of Utah Press, 1963

E. Spicer, Cycles of Conquest, University of Arizona Press, 1962

Birding Field Guides

A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America by Howell & Webb, Oxford, 1995 (highly recommended)

A Field Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Adjacent Areas: Belize, Guatelmala, and El Salvador by Ernest Edwards (self published, 1998) (good)
Mexican Birds by Peterson, Houghton-Mifflin, 1973 (not as good)

Trip cost and policies:

The price of this 9-day, 8-night trip is $2299 based on double occupancy. Single supplement is $250. This includes all ground transportation from Los Mochis, round-trip train ride, two Tucson Audubon guides and local guides, all meals, entrance fees, and comfortable hotels. Also included is trip medical insurance covering emergency medical services and emergency medical evacuation. Airfare and alcoholic beverages are not included. The most direct way to fly to Los Mochis is from Tucson. Roundtrip airfare from Tucson to Los Mochis costs approximately $300 on the Mexican air carrier AeroCalifornia. You can purchase tickets directly from them at 800-237-6225.

For participants who live within Arizona, $150 of the total trip price per person will be donated to the local Arizona Audubon chapter they belong to. Membership in an Arizona Audubon Society is required, either your local one or with Tucson Audubon Society.

For participants who live outside of Arizona, $150 of the total trip price per person will be donated to Tucson Audubon Society. Membership in Tucson Audubon Society is required. If you are not currently a member of Tucson Audubon Society, you can join as a Senior Member (62+) for $15 or a Regular member for $20. Couples may join as a single entity.

To register for this tour, contact Rochelle Gerratt at info@naturetreks.net or call (520) 696-2002 for a registration packet. A deposit of $400 per person is required to reserve a spot on the trip and can be mailed to Nature Treks and Passages, P. O. Box 64805, Tucson, AZ 85728. Full payment of the tour fee is due ninety days prior to the tour departure. If you have any questions, please contact us at (520) 696-2002 or info@naturetreks.net.

Trip cancellation policy and medical emergency insurance:

Refunds are made according to the following schedule. Cancellations in writing made more than 90 days before departure will forfeit $400. Cancellations made 70 to 90 days before departure will forfeit 50% of the trip price. There is no refund for trips cancelled less than 70 days before departure.

On the rare occasion when Nature Treks and Passages must cancel a trip, all payments received to date will be refunded. Nature Treks and Passages is not responsible for non-refundable airfare or trip insurance.

Travel documents:

A US passport valid beyond your anticipated date of return to the US or authenticated birth certificate and tourist card (available on the flight) are required. Those with foreign passports should contact the Embassy of Mexico for details.

Tucson Audubon Society Copper Canyon Birding Trip October 15 – 23, 2005 9-Day Birding Tour of the Sierra Tarahumara, Mexico with Larry Liese and Juan Caicedo