Sierra Madre Highland Birds and El Tuito

Puerto Vallarta and its surrounding areas are one of the most naturally beautiful destinations anywhere in Central America. We know the area is well known and loved for the gorgeous, remote beaches that line the coast of the Banderas Bay. But if you step away from the bay and towards the inland, you will be equally as amazed and impressed by the beauty. With our Sierra Madre Highland Birds and El Tuito tour, we take you out to some of the higher elevations outside of Puerto Vallarta, to experience a bird watching tour unlike any other!

This Vallarta bird watching tour takes you out to the gorgeous Sierra Madre Mountain Range, where you will find hundreds of endemic North-living species that can be found at their Southern limit, as well all kinds of Southern Mexican and Central American species that live up here as their Northern limit. It is a truly unique habitat because of this feature, and allows visitors to see a very wide diversity of species.

The journey starts at sea level and then gradually makes its way up the mountain range, eventually reaching 1000 meters of elevation (over 3,000 feet!). Along the way, we journey through tropical forests and sub-perennials, and eventually to the pine and oak forests at the peak elevation that we reach. The most common bird species we encounter on the Sierra Madre Highland Birds and El Tuito tour is the Rosy Thrush-Tanager, a colorful and typically elusive species that are guests are thrilled to see on this tour. Other species that we commonly encounter on this journey include the Pale-billed Woodpecker, the Grey-Crowned Woodpecker, the Painted Redstart, the Black-Vented Oriole, the Tufted Flycatcher, the Orange-fronted Parakeet, the Citreoline Trogon, the Grey-Collared Pygmy owl, the Greater Pewee, the Green Gay, the Tropical Kingbird, the Magpie Jay, and many more!