Costa rica: a birding the tropics starter kit

January 10-20, 2026

Costa Rica is one of the most popular tropical countries for ecotourism, and for good reason. With incredible birding and abundant wildlife, along with fantastic ecolodges and delicious food, it's the sort of place where a birder can return to time and again and continue to see new things and have new experiences.

Arizona: Southern Arizona Winter Wonderland

January 15-21, 2026

Wintering sparrows and raptors, desert denizens, warm weather, and much more await you in this classic winter birding destination.

Minnesota: SAX-ZIM BOG AND NORTHEAST MINNESOTA IN WINTER 

FEBRUARY 5-9, 2026

Owls, finches, grouse, woodpeckers, and other boreal birds in a snowy winter wonderland.

Southern California: Sea, Mountains & Desert

February 16-24, 2026

Warm weather, lots of sunshine, and tons of great birds. This is a trip that takes in the best of Southern California, from the Pacific Coast to the Imperial Valley. The many California specialties, including Island Scrub-Jay and California Condor, the numerous coastal species, and lots of spring migrant birds provide highlights.

texas: Birding the borderlands

february 26 - march 6, 2026

Birding the storied hotspots of the Lower Rio Grande Valley, from Whooping Cranes at Aransas to the borderlands along the Rio Grande.

We have also timed our trip to give us a chance to seek out any North American rarities visiting from Mexico.

Mexico: The Yucatan Peninsula

Dates to be announced for April 2026!

The Yucatán Peninsula is a well-known area for tourism in the states. Miles of beachfront, easy flights, Mayan ruins and Cozumel Island are all big attractions.

For the nature-lover and birder, the Yucatán is equally famous. The region’s forests, scrub, and beaches are home to over 15 endemic species, from the conspicuous Yucatan Jay to the retiring Yucatan Nightjar. This tour will survey the incredible avifauna of the mainland and Cozumel Island, and includes a visit to Chichen Itza, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

Tanzania: The Best of East Africa

Tour 1: April 1-14, 2026 (1 space remaining)

TOur 2: April 15-28, 2026

Celebrate 10 years of Red Hill Birding in incredible country of Tanzania! With two set departures, we will seek out incredible birds, mammals, and scenery while on safari in some of the most iconic locations in Africa, including the Ngorongoro Crater and the mighty Serengeti.

TEXAS: Spring migration on the upper coast + HILL COUNTRY extension

APRIL 16-21, 2026 EXTENSION: APRIL 21-24, 2026

Incredible migration and bird diversity in legendary hotspots along with piney woods and coastal wetland specialties.

A couple of days in the beautiful Edward’s Plateau, especially looking for Black-capped Vireo and Golden-cheeked Warbler, but also many other birds. Can be booked together with or separate from the Upper Texas Coast trip.

ALASKA: THE FINAL FRONTIER + ST. PAUL ISLAND PRE-TRIP

MAIN TOUR: JUNE 14-27, 2026

ST PAUL ISLAND PRE-TRIP: JUNE 10-14, 2026

Welcome to the last frontier of North American birding! The Great Land (Aleut translation of Alyeska) is like nowhere else in the United States both in terms of immensity and abundant wildlife. We will enjoy spectacular scenery and mammals, all while seeking out some of North America’s most-wanted birds.

Our pre-trip to St. Paul, the largest of the Priblof Islands, will have us visiting some of the largest seabird and fur seal colonies in the world while searching for migrants and vagrant birds from Asia.

MONTANA: WHERE THE PLAINS MEET THE MOUNTAINS + CASSIA CROSSBILL EXTENSION

JUNE 9-16, 2026 Cassia Crossbill Extension: June 16-18, 2026

Spectacular birding with many highly-sought birds in a stunning setting. A visit to Yellowstone National Park allows for a good chance to encounter iconic mammals.

A two-day extension sets out to look for the most recently described bird in North America, along with Flammulated Owl and other local breeding species. Can be joined as a stand-alone trip as well.

United Kingdom: Best of British birding

June 10-22, 2026

Join us in the United Kingdom as we explore the best of birding out of London and the surrounding countryside and coasts. The birding is excellent and if you haven’t experienced the wonders of birding from a “hide”, you are in for a treat. This tour serves as a great introduction to European birding at an easy pace.

Malaysia: The best of borneo

July 21 - August 5, 2026

Red Hill Birding is finally off to Borneo! Join us as we enjoy broadbills, babblers, hornbills, and more, all from excellent ecolodges. We will also seek out the enigmatic wildlife that calls the island home, including the “old man of the forest” the Bornean Orangutan.

Oregon in summer: Breeding birds & early migrants

JULY 30 - August 9, 2026

Pacific Northwest avian specialties and the start of shorebird and passerine migration combine for an excellent survey of the region’s avifauna. All of this while surrounded by Oregon’s scenic landscape of lush mountains and rugged coastlines.

MINNESOTA: HAWK RIDGE RAPTORS AND MIGRATION SPECTACULAR

SEPTEMBER 24-28, 2026

Late September is peak time for witnessing the migration of birds like hawks, eagles, falcons, blackbirds, blue jays, robins, and many others at Duluth’s famed Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. We will stay in one hotel to enjoy migration at Hawk Ridge and the surrounding area during a beautiful and birdy time of year.

New jersey: cape may migration madness

October 1-5, 2026

Cape May is one of the world’s great bird migration hotspots with millions of birds following the eastern shoreline of the United States.

September and October are rocking months in Cape May, when the combination of warblers, sparrows, hawks, falcons, shorebirds, ducks, and seabirds makes for incredible birding and diverse experiences.

BRAZIL: THE PANTANAL AND CERRADO + AMAZON PRE-TRIP AND IGUAÇU FALLS POST-TRIP

MAIN TOUR: September 29- October 9, 2026

AMAZON PRE-TRIP: SEptember 24-29, 2026

IGUAÇU POST-TRIP: OCTOBER 9-13, 2026

Incredible birding and mammals (including Jaguar!) at the end of the dry season in one of the world's great wetlands, plus endemic birds of the Cerrado.

Our Amazon pre-trip includes four nights at a wonderful lodge along the Rio São Benedito. We will have guided river trips, access to a great trail system, and a world-class canopy tower. We should see hundreds of species, including some only recently described to science.

The extension includes four nights to enjoy the falls and the area's birds, with a full day on both the Brazil and Argentina sides of the great falls.

BHUTAN: BIRDING UNDER BUDDHA’S GAZE + THAILAND EXTENSION

NOVEMBER 2-17, 2026
EXTENSION: NOVEMBER 17-21, 2026

Birding in the Himalayas during the most beautiful time of year, with a healthy dose of Bhutanese culture. Unlike most Bhutan birding tours, we stay in hotels the whole trip.

For the extension, we will spend a few days in and around the wonderful Kaeng Krachan National Park, where we should see many lowland rainforest birds that we won’t see in Bhutan. We’ll also bird in the critically important coastal wetland habitat nearby, where we will look for Spoon-billed Sandpiper among 20+ species of shorebirds.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: ENDEMIC JEWELS OF HISPANIOLA

DECEMBER 1-8, 2026

We are heading back to the West Indies! The Dominican Republic is a must-stop on the Caribbean birding circuit, with the possibility of encountering 30 endemic species. We will be visiting all the crucial habitats to see the endemics on the island, some of which are now scarce and endangered. This trip can be combined with our tour of Jamaica.

JAMAICA: ISLAND ENDEMICS & CARIBBEAN SPECIALTIES

DECEMBER 9-15, 2026

Red Hill Birding - Island style! With 28 endemic bird species and many more endemic subspecies, Jamaica is an important destination in the Caribbean for endemics and all-around great Caribbean birding. We are only staying at two locations on this easy tour of the northeastern portion of the island. This trip can be combined with our tour of the Dominican Republic.