0530hrs pickup and transfer eastward from Georgetown to the Mahaica River.  This is one of the best places to spot Guyana’s national bird, the hoatzin (Opisthocomus Hoatzin), also known as the Hoatzin, Stinkbird, or “Canje Pheasant”. This odd bird is an unusual species of tropical bird found in swamps, reverie forest and mangrove of the Amazon and the Orinoco delta in South America. It is a pheasant-sized bird about 65 cm (25 in) long, with a long neck and small head. It is brown in colour, with paler under parts and has an unfeathered blue face with maroon eyes, and its head is topped by a spiky, rufous crest. The chicks are unusual in that two of their wing digits possess claws. The hoatzin is herbivorous; it eats leaves and fruit, and has an unusual digestive system with an enlarged crop which functions as a rumen. It also produces a horrible smell to scare potential predators.

Our journey down the Mahaica River begins in the small commercial area near the main coastal road. The river bends away from the road and takes us through an area that has been largely cultivated for sugarcane and other agriculture but, fortunately for us, the area surrounding the river itself has been well preserved and provides an excellent riverfront ecosystem inhabited by flocks of egret, heron, ibis, various marsh tyrants, and of course the hoatzin.

• Company Name: Wilderness Explorers
• Duration: 5 hours inclusive of transfers
• Rate:
  • US$ 315.00 per person
  • US$ 165.00 per person, minimum of 2 persons
  • US$ 150.00 per person, minimum of 3 persons
  • US$ 120.00 per person, minimum of 4 persons
  • US$ 140.00 per person, minimum of 5 persons
  • US$ 120.00 per person, minimum of 6 – 10 persons
  • US$ 90.00 per person, minimum of 11 – 14 persons
• Rate Includes: Transport, guide and boat transfer, packed breakfast, water and juice VAT RATES are subject to change without notice.
• Contact : +592 227 7698 E: [email protected] W: wilderness-explores.com
• Address: 141 Fourth Street, Campbellville, Georgetown