Full itinerary
Day 1. October 30.
Arrival in Oaxaca city and check in at the hotel where we will stay for the next few days. Depending on arrival times, we may do some afternoon birding in the vicinity of the hotel to get our first taste of the local species. Some in-town species can be Dusky and Berylline Hummingbirds, Rufous-backed Robin, Black-vented Oriole and Cassin’s Kingbird.
Day 2. October 31. Yagul Archeological site and Teotitlán del Valle.
On our first birding morning in Oaxaca we will visit Yagul, a nice archeological site founded by the ancient Zapotec culture just west of Oaxaca City. The site was built atop some rocky hills overlooking the agricultural valley leading to it but maintains around a decent patch of the original scrubby, desert-like habitat. This mix provides a nice bird diversity of which likely birds are Bridled Sparrows, Gray-breasted Woodpecker, Boucard’s Wren, Nutting’s Flycatcher, Curve-billed Thrasher, Streak-backed Oriole, and Rufous-capped Warbler. In the afternoon, we will travel back a bit towards Teotitlán del Valle to explore the mid-elevation pine/oak forests. Possible birds here include Mexican Violetear, Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem, Crescent-chested Warbler, Hermit Warbler, Red-faced Warbler, and Painted Redstart.
Day 3. November 1. La Cumbre-Ixtepeji and Dia de Muertos in Oaxaca City.
Today we go high into the mountains north of Oaxaca city in search of the birds inhabiting the lush pine/oak forest in the surroundings of the La Cumbre/Ixtepeji Ecotourism Park. This area is great for high elevation species like Red Warbler, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Dwarf Jay, Tufted Flycatcher, Gray Barred Wren and White-throated Swift, among others.
We go for lunch at a nice local restaurant with views of the forest and chances of more birds and then return to Oaxaca city for your first experience of the traditional Dia de Muertos. Depending on access conditions (it can be very crowded on that day) we will visit the local cemetery for a view of the colorfully adorned tombs and offerings. Then we go to the zocalo to fully submerge ourselves in the celebrations and culture of Oaxaca. Dinner in the zocalo and back to the hotel.