International Tour Operator Reports Guyana Birdwatching Trip a Success

Eagle Eye Tours, a Canadian tour operator based that specializes in worldwide birdwatching trips, recently completed its first group tour to Guyana.

The tour, which took place from January 10 to 20, was added to the company’s roster of destinations after co-owner and tour guide, Richard Knapton, came to Guyana as part of a birdwatching product familiarization trip sponsored by the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) / Guyana Trade and Investment Support (GTIS) project Birding Tourism Program.

The North American participants spent eleven days in Guyana, with birdwatching stops at Georgetown Botanical Gardens, Iwokrama Field Station, Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, Surama Village, Rock View Lodge, Wowetta Village, Karanambu Ranch, Kaieteur Falls and Shanklands Rainforest Resort.

Mr. Knapton, who has led tours to more than 20 countries in his 20 years spent as a guide, led the group along with several Guyanese birdwatching guides.

Reflecting on his recent trip, Knapton said that Guyana may not have the same number of species as other South American countries such as Ecuador and Peru, but “there are superlative groups of birds in Guyana, with standouts like the Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock and Harpy Eagle.”