When November arrives at Chan Chich Lodge, the forest changes. The first cool front drifts down from the north, drying the air and stirring the canopy. After the rainy season, the light sharpens, trails firm, and the calls of returning migrants fill the dawn. For our team, this is when the birding season truly begins.
The November Migration
By early November, Wood Thrush and Yellow-throated Vireo calls echo along the Laguna Verde Trail, while Magnolia and Chestnut-sided Warblers feed among fresh blossoms. Summer Tanagers and Baltimore Orioles move through fruiting trees around the lodge, their flashes of colour marking the start of the migration wave that sweeps across northern Belize each year.
Where to Watch
Edge habitats near Gallon Jug Farm are especially active, with cacao and coffee shade groves attracting mixed flocks throughout the morning. The Maya Plaza Trail rewards ground watchers, while the Escarpment Overlook offers sweeping views across the canopy. From the Canopy Tower, look for Broad-winged and Swainson’s Hawks catching the first thermals as the sun warms the forest.
Residents and Visitors
Migrants blend seamlessly with resident species such as Black-headed Trogons, Keel-billed Toucans, and White-whiskered Puffbirds. Mixed flocks form as warblers and local tanagers feed side by side, perfect for both observation and photography. All sightings contribute to the Chan Chich Bird Checklist, a living record maintained by our guides and returning guests.
“They arrive quiet and lean,” shares our senior bird guide. “A few days of feeding and the forest sounds different, fuller again.”
Each season’s notes refine Belize’s migration data, helping us track how timing shifts with changing weather patterns and the first cool fronts of the dry season.
Birding Throughout the Year
While November brings the peak of migration, birding at Chan Chich is exceptional year-round. Each season offers its own rhythm, from nesting residents in the early dry months to the lush, green abundance of the rains. We recommend staying at least three nights to experience the forest at dawn, along its edges, and around the lagoons, where light and movement change with every hour.
Mornings are typically clear and cool, with brief afternoon showers as the day warms, ideal conditions for exploring the rainforest’s rich and ever-changing birdlife.
Why it Matters
Each migrating warbler links this canopy to backyards and parks thousands of miles north. Protecting this corridor keeps that connection and the migration alive. Every guest who visits helps sustain that protection.
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