Birds in Belize The verb is to bird, and this fall, you can become a birder as you follow the

birds from your backyard to the Central American country of Belize. The search for birds through the tropical jungles and the pine forests of Belize is a journey that offers everyone, from the experienced birder to the curious amateur, an escape from the beaten path. A Day in the Life of a Birder in Belize Birders rise early, usually around 5:00 am, walk long distances, and stand for hours waiting for birds to come into view, but birders will tell you that the journey is worth all of the effort. Lisa Boice, an international birder who recently returned from Belize, calls herself an accidental birder. Shed always been a traveler, but she only discovered birding when she fell in love with and married an avid birder. Now, she says birding has given a whole new meaning to her travel. Its like choosing something to seek after, Boice explains. You can go to any place. You can go to all the places that they recommend, but Ive found that when Im traveling and Im looking for something, it makes things different. Following the birds in Belize leads travelers across the small countrys stunning and varied environments. If you want to try birding in Belize, an eco-friendly lodge like the Crystal Paradise Resort offers an authentic cultural experience and an opportunity to connect with other birders. Guests stay in hand-thatched cabanas and begin and end their days gathered together for family-style meals. While staying at the Crystal Paradise, you can find join birding groups to join and hire local guides to lead you on birding tours. Be sure to get to know your guides. Ask questions about why they enjoy birding or about life in Belize. Ask them about places to see while you are in the country. On every birding outing, look around and take in the environment around you, and as you travel, your search for birds will lead you to more than you expected to find. Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary Crooked Tree, located in a low-lying network of savannas, marshes, and lagoons, offers birders in Belize exceptional views of long-legged wader birds, like herons and storks. The sanctuary is a destination for birders in search of the Jabiru Stork, a very rare and very endangered wader that spends the fall and winter months in Belize. At five-feet tall and with an eight-foot wingspan, the Jabiru is believed to be the largest bird in the Americas. Birders at Crooked Tree can find this enormous stork pacing the lagoons in its natural habitat. El Pilar Nature Reserve El Pilar is a Mayan nature reserve located on the Belize-Guatemala border. It offers a promising system of trails through the jungle. Travelers should be aware that frequent robberies make El Pilar one of the more dangerous pockets of the Belizean jungle. But in the safety of a group and with a trusted guide, birders can hope to see a variety of tropical birds, such as woodpeckers, flycatchers, toucans, and parrots. Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve At Mountain Pine Ridge, birders can escape the humidity of the jungle and visit the pine forests in the mountaintops of Belize. Visitors enjoy cooler temperatures, picturesque forest walks, and views of 1000-foot waterfalls. Here birders can hope to see the orange-breasted falcon, one of the most rare breeds of falcon in the world.
Comment [RM1]: Nice lead into the article and the world of birding.

Comment [RM2]: As a reader, Im not sure what Im supposed to get from these quotes. The idea is that birding enriches or gives purpose to travelling by giving you a mission, right? Is there a way to paraphrase more and have just one short quote to show that? Shorter quotes are more powerful, and these quotes arent the most articulate. Comment [RM3]: Why is it important that its eco-friendly? It seems either to be a selling point or to give me more information about what the place is like, but as a reader I wasnt sure what it was put there to tell me. I would recommend either taking it out or clarifying what the reader should get from that detail. Comment [RM4]: Does to lead you on Is this an either/or or an and? Would you need to hire a guide if you joined a group? Does to lead you on birding tours modify groups and guides, or just guides? Comment [RM5]: It seemed strange to define the sanctuary in terms of what its landscape is like. Does this edit work? Comment [RM6]: Is stork part of the name, or is it just Jabiru? If its not, consider taking it out or rewording. Having stork might not be necessary because youve already defined waders as herons or storks. Comment [RM7]: I couldnt find a source that said that this bird is endangered. We could still use the word rare, but so far endangered cant be substantiated. Comment [RM8]: Good. Including the negatives as well as the positives shows the reader were not ignoring the dangerous parts of travel. Comment [RM9]: Cooler than what? Could we give the reader either a temperature range or a place to compare it to (such as cooler temperatures than the region Crooked Tree is located in)?

But regardless of the birds you find, your search will lead to interesting stories the kinds of stories that make both travel and life worthwhile. As Lisa Boice says, It takes you to these areas you never thought you would go to. My experience traveling is not redundant. For more information on international birding or to begin planning your birding trip, check out birdingpal.org.

Comment [RM10]: I thought this was a leadin to a quote about great stories. Instead there was quote with two different ideas: birding takes you to new places and it makes your experience different every time you go. Is there a quote about getting great stories? Or could the lead-in change to something like, your search will lead you on adventures to previously unthought-of destinations, as well as provide new experiences in places youve already been.

Sources: accidentalbirder.wordpress.com birdinginbelize.com belizezoo.org http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/parkcrookedtree.html