Maurepas-Swamp. Photo-Dominic Arenas
Louisiana: Birding the Cajun Way
October 29 to November 2, 2025
This trip is now full. Please join the wait list below. We will contact you if a space opens and will collect your payment at that time.
This trip is now full. Please join the wait list below. We will contact you if a space opens and will collect your payment at that time.
Guide: Adam Betuel (Birds Georgia), Heather Levy (Birds Georgia), and Red Hill Guide
Group Size: 9 people max
Fees:
Birds Georgia Member: $2,950*
Non-member: $3,000* (Includes a one-year Birds Georgia membership)
Single supplement for a non-shared hotel room: $315/person
*Based on double occupancy and 9 participants. See more details below if traveling solo
*We will do our best to avoid this scenario, but depending on group construction, solo travelers may be forced to pay a single supplement. All efforts will be made to avoid this expense though it cannot be guaranteed. Impacted travelers, should they decide to cancel, will be reimbursed following the cancellation policy below.
Pre-trip Meeting: TBD via Zoom
Questions? Please email Adam Betuel
Louisiana is a place unlike anywhere else in the states and possibly, the world. It has its own culture, language, food, and a rich history. It conjures images of sweaty swamps, colorful floats, rich food, and sleepy rural roads. What may not immediately come to mind is a unique avifauna. A community of birds that mix Atlantic and Central Flyway migrants. A place where western and eastern breeding birds blend. Expansive swampy and bottomland habitats not far from Gulf views and agricultural lands. Even more serendipitous is the uniting of the state’s bird life with their renowned cuisine. Louisiana is the primary rice-growing region in our country and while that rice speaks to gumbo and jambalaya, it also should make one think of Yellow Rails and other wetland and grassland-loving birds that utilize this rice-growing region in the winter months.
On this five-day trip, Birds Georgia will be leading you around the Central and Southwestern regions of Louisiana, exploring a diversity of habitats, but with a focus on the ever-elusive Yellow Rail and target birds that call this place their winter home. This region is not the most bird-rich destination in the breeding season, but it is a massively important migratory region and even more robust with bird life in the winter months. This trip is scheduled to incorporate the famous Yellow Rails & Rice Festival and build upon this core event with trips taking us to diverse places, bird-rich locations, and in search of hard-to-find species. We will encounter many of the familiar birds found across Georgia but also expect to find western species rare further east, geese much more common in the central flyway, overwintering flycatchers, and denizens of the thick marsh. It will be an exciting time experiencing the intersection of bird watching and bird habitat with the needs of humans, expansive coastal habitats, and as much Creole food as we can consume!
Please Note: Credit card processing fees are now included in the registration price.
This trip is now full. Please join the wait list below. We will contact you if a space opens and will collect your payment at that time.
Group Size: 9 people max
Fees:
Birds Georgia Member: $2,950*
Non-member: $3,000* (Includes a one-year Birds Georgia membership)
Single supplement for a non-shared hotel room: $315/person
*Based on double occupancy and 9 participants. See more details below if traveling solo
*We will do our best to avoid this scenario, but depending on group construction, solo travelers may be forced to pay a single supplement. All efforts will be made to avoid this expense though it cannot be guaranteed. Impacted travelers, should they decide to cancel, will be reimbursed following the cancellation policy below.
Pre-trip Meeting: TBD via Zoom
Questions? Please email Adam Betuel
Louisiana is a place unlike anywhere else in the states and possibly, the world. It has its own culture, language, food, and a rich history. It conjures images of sweaty swamps, colorful floats, rich food, and sleepy rural roads. What may not immediately come to mind is a unique avifauna. A community of birds that mix Atlantic and Central Flyway migrants. A place where western and eastern breeding birds blend. Expansive swampy and bottomland habitats not far from Gulf views and agricultural lands. Even more serendipitous is the uniting of the state’s bird life with their renowned cuisine. Louisiana is the primary rice-growing region in our country and while that rice speaks to gumbo and jambalaya, it also should make one think of Yellow Rails and other wetland and grassland-loving birds that utilize this rice-growing region in the winter months.
On this five-day trip, Birds Georgia will be leading you around the Central and Southwestern regions of Louisiana, exploring a diversity of habitats, but with a focus on the ever-elusive Yellow Rail and target birds that call this place their winter home. This region is not the most bird-rich destination in the breeding season, but it is a massively important migratory region and even more robust with bird life in the winter months. This trip is scheduled to incorporate the famous Yellow Rails & Rice Festival and build upon this core event with trips taking us to diverse places, bird-rich locations, and in search of hard-to-find species. We will encounter many of the familiar birds found across Georgia but also expect to find western species rare further east, geese much more common in the central flyway, overwintering flycatchers, and denizens of the thick marsh. It will be an exciting time experiencing the intersection of bird watching and bird habitat with the needs of humans, expansive coastal habitats, and as much Creole food as we can consume!
Please Note: Credit card processing fees are now included in the registration price.
This trip is now full. Please join the wait list below. We will contact you if a space opens and will collect your payment at that time.
Trip Overview
Click on each day for more information
Day 1: October 29 - Arrive in Lafayette
Today we will arrive at the Lafayette airport in the heart of Cajun Country. Adam & Heather will send information on preferred flights and arrival time. We will likely shoot for a midday arrival, allowing for some birding after arrival and transfer to the hotel.
Day 2 to 4: October 30 to November 1 - Exploring Central & Southwestern LA
As of now, we would like to keep these dates as flexible as possible. As of 3/15/25, it is not confirmed if the Yellow Rails & Rice Festival will be happening in 2025. The hope is that the festival will occur and we will spend 10/30 at the festival looking for Yellow Rails. Should the festival not occur, we will be joining local researchers for their rail surveys. This secondary choice should give us a good chance at finding the rails. Should the festival occur, we will be riding on combines as they harvest the rice, looking for flushing rails.
Despite the flexibility we are maintaining for the festival and our opportunity for rails, the three days are planned to go as follows:
Despite the flexibility we are maintaining for the festival and our opportunity for rails, the three days are planned to go as follows:
- Day spent looking for Yellow Rails, most likely in the general vicinity of Jennings, LA. We will also be targeting Sora, Virginia Rail, King Rail, shorebirds, wading birds, and raptors. Crested Caracara could be found today. LeConte’s Sparrow is possible in this region
- Clockwise loop south and west of Jennings. This day will be spent visiting the Gulf Coast, freshwater bodies of water and marshes, and the region's oak islands. These areas could have lingering migrants, western flycatcher species that overwinter in this region, coastal shorebirds alongside terns, gulls, and pelicans, and the always challenging Nelson's and Saltmarsh Sparrows. This area is very dynamic and ever-changing, especially due to hurricanes over recent years. Access to sites will be determined closer to the trip start and time spent in this region could be less than planned. However, no worries as we will pivot to other extremely exciting bird watching destinations.
- Pine Woodlands and/or focal bird chasing. This day, should we be doing well on our focal target birds, will be spent exploring pine forests and areas North and West of Jennings. Red-cockaded and Bachman’s Sparrows are possible as is the always challenging Henslow’s Sparrow. More common birds like Brown-headed Nuthatch and Pileated Woodpecker should cooperate. If we are still missing Yellow Rail at this time, that will take precedence. There could also be opportunities to look for Sprague’s Pipit, White-faced Ibis, or Neotropical Cormorant if we haven’t secured good looks.
dAY 5: nOVEMBER 2 - mORNING bIRDING AND dEPARTURE
On our final day, we will make our way back to Lafayette, fitting in whatever birding we can. Again, Sprague’s Pipit and Yellow Rail will be top priority. A wastewater treatment facility is on the way back to the airport and could give us good looks at both Whistling-Duck species, a slew of more common waterfowl species, and even a possible Cave Swallow. Finally, we will get you to the airport for an afternoon departure. Please consult with Adam and Heather before making flight arrangements. Safe travels!
Number of bird species expected: 100 to 130
Focal species: Yellow Rail, Sora, King Rail, Virginia Rail, Sprague’s Pipit, Inca Dove, Neotropical Cormorant, White-faced Ibis, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Crested Caracara, Vermilion Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Cave Swallow, Sedge Wren, Nelson’s Sparrow (uncommon), Saltmarsh Sparrow (uncommon), Le Conte’s Sparrow (uncommon), Henslow’s Sparrow (uncommon), Bachman’s Sparrow (hard in the late fall but possible), Great-tailed Grackle, ducks, wading birds, migrant warblers.
Focal species: Yellow Rail, Sora, King Rail, Virginia Rail, Sprague’s Pipit, Inca Dove, Neotropical Cormorant, White-faced Ibis, Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Crested Caracara, Vermilion Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Cave Swallow, Sedge Wren, Nelson’s Sparrow (uncommon), Saltmarsh Sparrow (uncommon), Le Conte’s Sparrow (uncommon), Henslow’s Sparrow (uncommon), Bachman’s Sparrow (hard in the late fall but possible), Great-tailed Grackle, ducks, wading birds, migrant warblers.
Additional Details:
Services Included:
Price does not include
Payments:
Participants may pay in full by choosing the Birds Georgia Member or Non-Member price. For those who wish to pay in two installments, we will accept a $500 down payment at the time of registration ($550 for non-members). Payment in full will be due by July 15, 2025.
*The final payment would include your single supplement payment if applicable
Cancellation Policy:
If notice of cancellation by the participant is received by July 15, 2025, a refund of all payments made will be given (less a $50 administrative and all credit card fees). If notice of cancellation is received on or after July 16, 2025, all deposits and payments are non-refundable unless the space(s) can be filled, in which case a full refund will be given (less a $50 administrative fee and all credit card fees). In the event of tour cancellation due to weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other unforeseen emergency situation, a refund will be given less any non-refundable payments made to local companies. Please contact Adam Betuel if you have any questions regarding the non-refundable payment schedule.
Travel Insurance:
We recommend purchasing travel insurance in case you must make an unforeseen trip cancellation past our refund period. Check with your own insurance carrier or consider a travel insurance specialist.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Vehicle:
We will be using a 15 passenger Sprinter van, driven by a guide from Red Hill. We will employ a seating rotation. Everyone will need to be able to physically access the back of the van. If you get sick riding in the back of larger vehicles, please come prepared with appropriate medication. No one will be permitted to stay in the same seat throughout the trip.
Pace and effort:
The pace and effort of this trip is moderate. Most mornings will have us departing the hotel early, though sunrise that time of year is around 7:30 am. We will be using only one hotel on this trip, the Hampton Inn in Jennings, LA. That will allow for a bit more comfort and less checking in/out. However, we will have to drive a bit more. Most drives will not exceed an hour and a half at a time, though on our day to the gulf, we will do about 4-5 hours of driving. Owling is not likely and will be optional should it occur.
Walking/Driving: Most birdwatching will be from roadsides, although there will likely be several shorter walks on dirt trails. Some of the tricky sparrows will likely force us to go off-trail potentially into sandy habitats. On these walks, we likely will need to step over logs or other hindrances. Searching for rails could require us to walk through muddy spaces, though you could opt to stay on the drier levees (potentially at the cost of better views). Rubber boots are needed. Walks will typically be short but there will be lots of time standing, which can be quite tiring.
Weather:
Rough average temps for this region during this time of year are highs in the 70’s and lows in the 50’s. Of course, it could hit the 80’s or even dip into the 40’s. Some time will be spent along lake fronts and the Gulf, which can be windier and thus colder. Rain is definitely a possibility. It will be important to prepare for these temperatures and conditions and bring layers to deal with fluctuations.
Dietary restrictions:
All efforts will be made to accommodate any dietary restrictions. However, at many points during this trip, dining options will be very limited. Each morning we will be eating breakfast at the hotel. Please contact Adam Betuel to discuss your needs before registering if you think there could be an issue.
Bugs/Challenges
Mosquitos could be present during the trip and we could encounter ticks and chiggers. Fire ants are in the region as well so watch your step! If the festival occurs or if we find another way to be on a combine, the rides could be dirty, dusty, loud, and bumpy. Protective gear should be provided by the festival. If not, Birds Georgie will find a way to get a face mask, goggles, and earplugs.
Photography:
The photographic opportunities are excellent. That being said, this is primarily a birdwatching tour, so while there will be ample opportunities for photography along the way, we will not be making special considerations for photographers.
Terms and Conditions:
Please review the Birds Georgia Travel Program Terms and Conditions prior to registration.
Questions? Please email Adam Betuel
- Expert birding tour leaders from Birds Georgia & Red Hill Birding
- Accommodations at all destinations (double room). A non-shared room is available for an additional fee
- All transportation during the trip, including pick-up and drop off at the airport.
- All meals, including basic non-alcoholic beverages, from dinner on day 1 to lunch on day 5 (including tips). Breakfast will be a buffet at the Hampton Inn, Jennings.
- All entrance fees to parks & reserves
- eBirding by BG staff, as well as the creation of an eBird trip report
- Taxes
Price does not include
- Airfare and any accompanying baggage fees
- Tip for the Red Hill guide/driver as well as any tips you may want to leave for housekeeping or airport staff
- Alcoholic or specialty beverages
- Appetizers and desserts unless noted by your guide
- Snacks, beverages, room service, or sightseeing not specified in the itinerary
- Souvenirs
- Laundry
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- Medical costs
- Personal communications (hotel phone calls, cell phones, etc)
- Any other incidentals that participants may wish to purchase
Payments:
Participants may pay in full by choosing the Birds Georgia Member or Non-Member price. For those who wish to pay in two installments, we will accept a $500 down payment at the time of registration ($550 for non-members). Payment in full will be due by July 15, 2025.
*The final payment would include your single supplement payment if applicable
Cancellation Policy:
If notice of cancellation by the participant is received by July 15, 2025, a refund of all payments made will be given (less a $50 administrative and all credit card fees). If notice of cancellation is received on or after July 16, 2025, all deposits and payments are non-refundable unless the space(s) can be filled, in which case a full refund will be given (less a $50 administrative fee and all credit card fees). In the event of tour cancellation due to weather, strike, war, quarantine, or other unforeseen emergency situation, a refund will be given less any non-refundable payments made to local companies. Please contact Adam Betuel if you have any questions regarding the non-refundable payment schedule.
Travel Insurance:
We recommend purchasing travel insurance in case you must make an unforeseen trip cancellation past our refund period. Check with your own insurance carrier or consider a travel insurance specialist.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Vehicle:
We will be using a 15 passenger Sprinter van, driven by a guide from Red Hill. We will employ a seating rotation. Everyone will need to be able to physically access the back of the van. If you get sick riding in the back of larger vehicles, please come prepared with appropriate medication. No one will be permitted to stay in the same seat throughout the trip.
Pace and effort:
The pace and effort of this trip is moderate. Most mornings will have us departing the hotel early, though sunrise that time of year is around 7:30 am. We will be using only one hotel on this trip, the Hampton Inn in Jennings, LA. That will allow for a bit more comfort and less checking in/out. However, we will have to drive a bit more. Most drives will not exceed an hour and a half at a time, though on our day to the gulf, we will do about 4-5 hours of driving. Owling is not likely and will be optional should it occur.
Walking/Driving: Most birdwatching will be from roadsides, although there will likely be several shorter walks on dirt trails. Some of the tricky sparrows will likely force us to go off-trail potentially into sandy habitats. On these walks, we likely will need to step over logs or other hindrances. Searching for rails could require us to walk through muddy spaces, though you could opt to stay on the drier levees (potentially at the cost of better views). Rubber boots are needed. Walks will typically be short but there will be lots of time standing, which can be quite tiring.
Weather:
Rough average temps for this region during this time of year are highs in the 70’s and lows in the 50’s. Of course, it could hit the 80’s or even dip into the 40’s. Some time will be spent along lake fronts and the Gulf, which can be windier and thus colder. Rain is definitely a possibility. It will be important to prepare for these temperatures and conditions and bring layers to deal with fluctuations.
Dietary restrictions:
All efforts will be made to accommodate any dietary restrictions. However, at many points during this trip, dining options will be very limited. Each morning we will be eating breakfast at the hotel. Please contact Adam Betuel to discuss your needs before registering if you think there could be an issue.
Bugs/Challenges
Mosquitos could be present during the trip and we could encounter ticks and chiggers. Fire ants are in the region as well so watch your step! If the festival occurs or if we find another way to be on a combine, the rides could be dirty, dusty, loud, and bumpy. Protective gear should be provided by the festival. If not, Birds Georgie will find a way to get a face mask, goggles, and earplugs.
Photography:
The photographic opportunities are excellent. That being said, this is primarily a birdwatching tour, so while there will be ample opportunities for photography along the way, we will not be making special considerations for photographers.
Terms and Conditions:
Please review the Birds Georgia Travel Program Terms and Conditions prior to registration.
Questions? Please email Adam Betuel
