BIRDING SITES - Guyana Birding News Vol 2

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Shanklands Rainforest Resort

It doesn't take long to realize that while Shanklands offers guided birdwatching tours, the actual birdwatching has no beginning or end. In the morning, screeching Macaws and hammering Lineated Woodpeckers announce the start of day. In the afternoon, while lounging in a Berbice chair and waiting for the heat to subside, you can watch bird life unfold around you: Black-necked and Green Aracari perch in fruit trees while Blue-gray Tanagers zip in and out of view; a pair of Orange-winged Parrots flap heavily over the river as two Ruby-topaz Hummingbirds hover just beyond reach; a Roadside Hawk watches sullenly, or perhaps mockingly, from its enviable perch on the highest branch around. And so it goes at Shanklands - even during the peak heat of the day, birds are everywhere.

Shanklands is located on 145 acres of mostly virgin rainforest on the banks of the Essequibo River (South America's third largest river) not far from the frontier town of Bartica. It's a small family-run affair that began when Joanne Jardim inherited the land from her father in the 1980s. After her children left home for school, Joanne found herself with a lot of extra free time and energy. Her husband, Max, suggested they think about building a vacation cottage on her father's land. Joanne hired local Amerindians to help her clear a swath of land, being careful not to cut down any of the towering hardwood trees which are vital to the natural ecosystem. During the early days of development, Joanne spent night after night in a solitary hammock in the jungle, and the idea that started as one vacation cottage morphed into an eco-resort that now has four self-contained cottages, ranging from luxurious to rustic, and an open-dormitory style building for large groups.

Max and Joanne opened Shanklands for business in 1990, catering to a wide range of nature lovers including botanists, biologists, backpackers, and birdwatchers. The Jardims have since turned over the day-to-day operations of Shanklands to Bernard Lee Yong, the General Manager.

Under Bernard's stewardship, Shanklands has become much more focused on conservation issues and sustainable tourism. Recognizing the importance of cataloging the diverse flora and fauna of the extensive property, Bernard has been working closely with the Smithsonian Institution, the Calgary Zoo, the University of Guyana's Centre for the Study of Biological Diversity, and Davis Finch, co-founder of WINGS.

A small sample of what has been recorded to date includes 11 of South America's 12 families of butterflies, seven of Guyana's eight species of primates, 56 species of trees, and 210 species of birds, not to mention a plethora of other insects, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and plant life.

The great thing about Shanklands is that this melting pot of tropical flora and fauna is incredibly accessible, which makes birdwatching especially convenient. The best birding is had while walking around the manicured lawns of the main grounds. In just a few hours it's not uncommon to spot upwards of 50 different species of birds, including Tropical Kingbirds, Swallow-winged Puffbirds, Common Tody-Flycatchers, Scarlet Tanagers, Cayenne Jays, White-winged Potoo, Red-billed Toucans, Blue Dacnis, Red-bellied Macaws, Green Honeykeepers, Golden-winged Parakeets, Black-spotted Barbettes, Silver-beaked Tanagers, and Moriche Orioles.

While the open lawns along the riverbank offer some of the best birdwatching at Shanklands, a nature walk through the pristine rainforest shouldn't be missed. Once under the canopy the resident guide, Leonard Felix, becomes the teller of Amerindian legends as well as your eyes and ears to the plants and animals of the forest. Besides spotting walking trees and spider monkeys, there's a good chance of seeing dozens more birds, including the Plumbeous Kite, Red-billed Toucan, Black-tailed Trogon, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, White-plumed Antbird, Violaceous Trogon, and Yellow-tufted Woodpecker.

Shanklands certainly has more than enough avifauna to keep even the most avid birder occupied for a couple of days, but the resort has also branched out by offering adventure and nature tours throughout Guyana that give visitors a better chance of spotting more of Guyana's 800-plus species of birds.

For more information on Shanklands, see the How to Book page.