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Overview
Emerald Tower is ideal for those who wish to see rainforest birds, but do not want to make a very distant interior journey. It is only 1 hour from the capitol city, Georgetown, in Guyana and is easily accessed by car.
Birds
Notable Species
To do
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Little Chachalaca, Black-necked Aracari, Red-billed Toucan, Ferruginous-backed Antbird, Pompadour Cotinga, Cayenne Jay, Plumbeous Euphonia, Little Tinamou, Agami Heron, Green Ibis, Grey-lined Hawk, Marbled Woodquail, Rufous-sided Crake, Grey-fronted Dove, Red-bellied Macaw; Red-shouldered Macaw, Black-bellied Cuckoo, Grey Potoo, (Eastern) Long-tailed Hermit, White-necked Jacobin, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Amazonian Motmot, Paradise Jacamar, Swallow-wing, Channel-billed Toucan, Chestnut Woodpecker; Ringed Woodpecker, Guianan Woodcreeper, Mouse-coloured Antshrike, Black-headed Antbird, Blue-backed Manakin, White-bearded Manakin, Painted Tody-flycatcher, White-lored Tyrranulet, Helmeted Pygmy Tyrant, Greyish Mourner, Yellow-throated Flycatcher, Lemon-chested Greenlet, Black-capped Donacobius, Coraya Wren, Neotropical River Warbler, Pectorial Sparrow, Fulvous-crested Tanager, White-vented Euphonia
Other Wildlife
To do
Site Information
History and Use
To do
Areas of Interest
To do
Access and Facilities
Reservations must be made before-hand through Hotel Tower, Georgetown. Cost for entrance (2006 rates) is $1000 GY, US$6 (children US$3). Weekends cost a little more.
Contact Details
- 74 & 75 Main Street, Georgetown, Guyana.
- Phone: 592 227 2011-14. Fax: 592 225 6021
- Email: [email protected]
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Jacamar
Reviews
Jacamar's review Emerald Tower is a great place for birding; I recommend going in the early morning (before 6 o'clock). There are many birds out then, but by the time the sun comes out in earnest they are much harder to find.
The downside of Emerald Tower is that is not maintained as much as it should be. All the boats have holes, meaning that you're probably going to miss out on quite a few birds. If a tree falls across the trail it can stay there for many months without being moved. These things need not detract from the birding experience because there is still much to see there.
I have birded there twice. Here are some of the birds I have seen on those two visits: Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Sungrebe, Gray-fronted Dove, Red-bellied Macaw, Red-shouldered Macaw, Yellow-crowned Parrot, Orange-winged Parrot, White-necked Jacobin, Green-backed Trogon, Amazonian Motmot, Ringed Kingfisher, American Pygmy Kingfisher, Spotted Puffbird, Paradise Jacamar, Black-spotted Barbet, Black-necked Aracari, Channel-billed Toucan, Red-billed Toucan, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Chestnut Woodpecker, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Northern Slaty Antshrike , Painted Tody-Flycatcher, Rufous-tailed Flatbill, Cinnamon Attila, Grayish Mourner, Sulphury Flycatcher, Cayenne Jay, Bananaquit, Violaceous Euphonia, Blue Dacnis, Purple Honeycreeper, Yellow-green Grosbeak, and Moriche Oriole.
I think the Painted Tody-Flycatcher (a Guyana specialty) should be fairly easy to find here. I saw it on both occasions. It seems to prefer to stick to the treetops. Check especially in the trees on the lawn immediately in front of the main building.
If you visit in the early morning, you can witness the large numbers of macaws and parrots leaving their roosts near the creek.
Spending the night in the cabins is quite an experience. When I stayed the night once, the generator-powered battery wasn't working, so we had to use lanterns. It is quite comfortable if you don't mind large bats flying through the room and landing on your mosquito net.
Despite the poor maintenance, I really recommend this place for its great birding and easy access.
Pros
- Good birding
- easy access.
Cons
- Few trails
- no emphasis on birding.
