Guatemala
Guatemala, larger than the state of Virginia and slightly larger than its neighbor, Honduras, is home to a diverse human population and a host of birds. More than half of the people are descended from Mayan ancestors. After almost half a century of often brutal civil strife, peace came in 1996. The people have worked hard at trying to build a more peaceful society. The country is second only to Nicaragua in size, and boasts a bird list of over 700. The central highlands, which are a continuation of the Chiapas massif, are home to a number of much sought after birds such as the Pink-headed Warbler, the Horned Guan, and the Azure-rumped Tanager. The Pacific lowlands have suffered great habitat destruction, though there are some remaining remnants of dry tropical forest in the lower reaches, and moist tropical forest in higher areas. The Caribbean lower slope is divided into a dry tropical forest area in northern Petan and a moist tropical forest beginning in central Petan.
Number of species recorded to date in Guatemala: 739
Number of endemics: 1