As a birder, I am constantly thinking of places to go birding. In the past, I would have to do this thinking on my own. But now, I have ChatGPT to help me. So I just asked:
What are the 10 best places in the world for a birder to visit?
Here is what ChatGPT replied:
Here are ten of the best destinations worldwide for birders, offering a mix of endemic species, high bird diversity, and stunning habitats:
1. Manu National Park, Peru
One of the most biodiverse places on Earth, Manu is home to over 1,000 bird species, including macaws, harpy eagles, and Andean cocks-of-the-rock.
2. Sabah & Sarawak, Borneo (Malaysia)
The rainforests of Borneo offer spectacular birding with endemics like the Bornean bristlehead, pittas, trogons, and hornbills. Danum Valley and Kinabatangan River are top spots.
3. Papua New Guinea
A paradise for birders seeking birds-of-paradise. Locations like Varirata National Park and Tari Valley offer unforgettable displays of rare and vibrant species.
4. Ecuador (including the Chocó & Amazon regions)
With a compact size and immense diversity, Ecuador has over 1,600 species. The Mindo Cloud Forest and Yasuni National Park are must-visit locations.
5. Kruger National Park, South Africa
A superb mix of safari and birding, Kruger is home to over 500 species, including martial eagles, lilac-breasted rollers, and southern ground-hornbills.
6. The Pantanal, Brazil
This vast wetland is the best place to see jabirus, hyacinth macaws, and great potoos up close, along with abundant wildlife like jaguars.
7. Sulawesi & Halmahera, Indonesia
Home to some of the world’s most unusual birds, including standardwing bird-of-paradise, knobbed hornbill, and Maleo, Sulawesi and Halmahera offer fantastic endemic-rich birding.
8. Costa Rica
With excellent infrastructure and over 900 species, Costa Rica’s cloud forests and lowland rainforests provide incredible birding, including resplendent quetzals and motmots.
9. Australia (Northern Queensland & Tasmania)
Diverse habitats offer endemics like cassowaries, bowerbirds, and parrots, with Tasmania adding the chance to see forty-spotted pardalotes and endemic honeyeaters.
10. The Scottish Highlands, UK
For temperate birding, the Scottish Highlands offer golden eagles, capercaillies, and puffins, with dramatic landscapes to match.
Right – so how useful is this advice?
I have been to three of the ten places mentioned there – Sulawesi/Halmahera, Borneo, and Kruger Park. I have no problem accepting that they are worthy candidates for the top 10 list. Costa Rica and Ecuador are on my must-see list – so I can not really argue with those two locations either.
The Australia recommendation is probably sensible as well – though to regard North Queensland and Tasmania as one location is a bit bizarre as the distance between these two is about 2700 km (and probably more in feet or miles).
The Pantanal, Manu National Park: I cannot really judge these two. I certainly would not mind going there at all so I have to give ChatGPT the benefit of doubt. Well, with regard to the Pantanal, I guess ChatGPT is right.
But Scotland? Including Scotland as the only location in Europe while not including a single location in Africa – not Uganda, not Kenya, not South Africa? That seems a rather bizarre choice.
So, to be sure to make the right choices in the future, I asked DeepSeek the same question: What are the 10 best places in the world for a birder to visit?
Here is the answer from DeepSeek:
For birders, the world is full of incredible destinations that offer diverse habitats and unique species. Here are 10 of the best places to visit for an unforgettable birding experience:
- Costa Rica
- Known for its incredible biodiversity, Costa Rica is home to over 900 bird species, including resplendent quetzals, scarlet macaws, and toucans. Key spots include Corcovado National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest, and La Selva Biological Station.
- The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
- Famous for its endemic species, the Galápagos offer close encounters with birds like blue-footed boobies, waved albatrosses, and Darwin’s finches. The islands are a living laboratory of evolution.
- Kenya
- With over 1,100 bird species, Kenya is a birding paradise. The Great Rift Valley lakes, such as Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha, attract flamingos, pelicans, and other waterbirds, while savannas host ostriches, secretary birds, and raptors.
- Peru
- Peru boasts one of the highest bird diversities in the world, with over 1,800 species. The Manu Biosphere Reserve and Tambopata National Reserve in the Amazon are hotspots for macaws, toucans, and harpy eagles, while the Andes host species like the Andean cock-of-the-rock.
- Australia
- Australia’s unique birdlife includes kookaburras, emus, cassowaries, and colorful parrots. Key birding destinations include Kakadu National Park, the Daintree Rainforest, and Tasmania for endemic species like the forty-spotted pardalote.
- South Africa
- South Africa offers a mix of habitats, from coastal regions to savannas and mountains. Kruger National Park is famous for its raptors and hornbills, while the Cape region hosts endemic species like the Cape sugarbird and the African penguin.
- India
- India is a birding hotspot with over 1,300 species. Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a haven for waterbirds, while the Western Ghats and Himalayan regions host endemics like the Malabar trogon and Himalayan monal.
- Papua New Guinea
- This remote destination is a treasure trove of exotic birds, including birds-of-paradise, cassowaries, and bowerbirds. The rainforests and highlands are particularly rich in unique species.
- Colombia
- As the country with the most bird species in the world (over 1,900), Colombia is a must-visit for birders. The Andes, Amazon, and Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are key regions for spotting hummingbirds, antpittas, and the iconic Andean condor.
- United Kingdom (for seabirds)
- The UK is a fantastic destination for seabird enthusiasts. The Farne Islands, Shetland Islands, and Bempton Cliffs are famous for puffins, gannets, and kittiwakes, especially during the breeding season.
Each of these destinations offers unique birding opportunities, from rare endemics to spectacular migrations. Be sure to plan your trip during the best birding seasons and consider hiring local guides for the best experience!
Quite a different answer, as you can see. DeepSeeks seems to be a bit more bullshitty than ChatGPT, but also the recommended destinations are different. Both Chatbots agree on Costa Rica, Peru, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and (strangely) the UK. But DeepSeek is a lot more into Africa (Kenya, South Africa) and also adds India (which means I have also been to three of the ten recommended locations: Australia, South Africa, and India). The specific recommendation for the Galapagos Islands is a bit weird – I am sure it is a fantastic place, but more in a general sense, not as a choice among the top 10 birding destinations.
What do you think?
The answers from the bots clearly come from elaborate internet searches – even the language reflects that. I recognise the Manu blurb for example. And the Galapagos do not have a lot of bird species. São Tomé – which I have written about on this blog – has more species, add Gabon and you’re doing the Upper Guinea forest some justice. Obviously, a location is not a country or even a continent. The Pantanal is the best place to see birds in Brazil, the wetlands and the cerrado are full of birds. There may be more species in the Amazon but that is such an enormous region. For a visiting birder the birds need to be “there” without extensive travel. My list would be: [1] Portugal and [2] Bulgaria for Europe, [3] Kruger in South Africa, [4] Masai Mara in Kenya, [5] Northern Queensland in Australia, [6] Canopy Lodge and Tower in Panama, [7] Pantanal in Brazil, [8] Ecuador, [9] Southern Texas in spring and [10] Keoladeo Ghana National Park in India. I think these locations will give any birder a lot of species to tick off.