You almost always hear them before you see them,

but that doesn’t matter. You have expert assistance to make sure you spot them. Lots of them. Local guide Celso Sho is the established expert in the area when it comes to birds in general, but especially the Scarlet Macaw. As a lifelong resident of Red Bank, Belize he should know. He’s owned Scarlet Macaw Paradise, his company offering guided tours to find these spectacular birds, for over 10 years. He now offers birding tours locating dozens of different species year-round. “The macaws are almost always in pairs, they mate for life,” he tells us.  We’re lucky that in the third week of December, it’s only two of us for the bulk of our tour, and we set off around 7am, immediately spotting a small flock of 10 or 12 before we even leave the edges of this quiet village. 

It’s a spectacular sight.

Vibrant red, blue, and yellow plumage contrasts against the verdant green of the jungle and the azure sky magnificently.  And they’re loud, delightfully filling the morning sky with honks and squawks as local children walk to school and smile at the tourists happily clicking away with cameras and cell phones. “They will all fly away together when it is time, have your camera ready,” Celso says softly.  As if on cue, the entire flock takes flight, their perch springing to attention as their weight lifts from the tree in unison.

Red Bank itself is a small Maya community

of about 1,000 residents located just south of the Placencia turnoff on the southern highway, a short hour’s drive south of Hopkins. From December through March, the morning sky fills with one of the largest concentrations of Scarlet Macaws in Central America, as they squawk, hop, and fly between the branches of the trees to feed on fruits and preen. It’s a sight to behold, and worth the early start time to beat the heat and see these incredible birds in their natural habitat. As luck would have it, it’s a gorgeous and sunny day, making the short jaunts in our jeep between bird-spotting locations up the road and into the jungle beyond Red Bank blissfully cool.  Celso knows all the best spots, stopping intermittently to look into specific stands of trees that always seem to have the perfect breaks in the treeline to provide epic views. “This time of year there are almost always macaws flying between the trees surrounding the village before they move higher to the overlooks above the valley in a few weeks,” he explains.  And Celso doesn’t disappoint- he knows precisely which fruits ripen in which trees for the macaws at different times, so he can suggest different locations around the area as the viewing season progresses and make the most of his guests’ time. He’s clearly passionate about his work.  “Yes,” he says emphatically, “They are very special.”