The Belize Audubon Society (BAS), established in 1969, co-manages several protected areas including the world-famous Blue Hole Natural Monument, Half Moon Caye Natural Monument, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. They work tirelessly to protect, educate, manage, and research protected areas and are a fantastic resource for tourists interested in birdwatching. They will tell you when and where to go to see the various species of birds and will be happy to help you identify particularly tricky specimens.

I first met some of the team members from the BAS when I went to the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary located in Crooked Tree village, in the north of the country. The BAS provided me with a map highlighting the best locations in the area to spot birds. The staff was very friendly, as were the rest of the villagers. I had the most pleasant stay at the Bird’s Eye View Lodge, an ideal location, it turns out, since you are exactly where the boat tours start. I suggest going on the first available tour, which starts at 6 am, to catch the birds as they wake up and start to eat. I had a marvelous time and got to see many birds I had never seen before. Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary is not the only place to see exquisite birds, but it is a great place to start and you can check out Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in the Stann Creek district in south-central Belize as well as the ever-popular Ambergris Caye for more birdwatching!