Colombia Birdwatch is a Colombian tour provider that offers both custom and fixed-date tours throughout the most avian-rich country on the planet. We specialize in friendly, exciting, and small-sized tours to ensure the most enjoyable experience for all birders. We stand out from the rest because, as locals, we can provide a better value for your money and our familiarity with Colombia, its customs, culture and gastronomy is unsurpassed. We offer more than just a bird tour, we offer an immersion into Colombian lifestyle, highlighting the culinary specialties and way of life of each region we visit. Along our travels we will also encounter many areas of significant cultural interest, providing opportunities to learn even more about Colombia. It is our privileged local access that will make your experience exclusive and unforgettable.
    We cater to a very wide range of birdwatchers, and are able to provide other activities for non-birders throughout the length of our tours (for partners, friends and family members). Birding skill level is not an issue on our trips because the friendliness and willingness to help of our leaders and guides, combined with a small group size, allows us to look after every member of the group. Our tours emphasize quality birding, but at the same time are set in an amicable atmosphere, where friends are made and extraordinary moments are shared. We strive to provide a superior service for our clients while getting to know each other as we travel throughout Colombia, the world’s hottest birding destination.
    Colombia Birdwatch tours feature extremely comfortable, most times “deluxe”, relaxing, enjoyable, and memorable accommodations throughout the trip. However, a few nights we can choose to stay at more rustic, extremely clean and friendly lodges in order to support local communities and nature preserves to further promote conservation (any such nights are clearly indicated in trip itinerary). And remember, you can always book a custom tour to ensure your desired pace and level of comfort.
     At Colombia Birdwatch, we realize that conservation and stewardship of Colombia’s biodiversity depends largely on the participation of local communities, so community involvement is emphasized during our birding tours. We work closely with several non-profit organizations in Colombia whose mission is to promote conservation, environmental education, and responsibe ecotourism that benefits the local communities we visit.
    All Colombia Birdwatch tours are accompanied by one or more professional leaders (Christopher Calonje and/or Ernest Leupin) to ensure a successful trip. We know Colombia and take pride in showing off Colombia and its birds to those who visit our country. We are friendly, competent and approachable individuals with the experience and knowledge to ensure all tours run smoothly. We also employ local, resident ornithologists that have an intimate knowledge of the birds and habitats where they live. Following are short biographies of our Tour Leaders and local ornithologists who guide our trips.

	Christopher Calonje was born and raised in Colombia and received a degree in Natural Resources Planning from Humboldt State University. He has worked as an environmental consultant in the Pacific Northwest and specializes in wetland science, environmental restoration, botany and environmental education. Chris lives part of the year in Cali, Colombia, and part of the year in Oregon. He has been birding in Colombia since 2008, and founded Colombia Birdwatch to promote responsible social and environmental eco-tourism in his native Colombia.
	Sergio Ocampo was born and raised in Manizales, Colombia, and obtained a degree in zoology from the University of Caldas. He has been leading trips throughout Colombia since 1997, and is director of the Gabriel Arango Ecological Foundation in the Rio Blanco Reserve. Sergio knows Rio Blanco better than anyones else in the world. He is a founding member of the Colombian Association of Ornithiology and the National Network of Colombian Birdwatchers, President of the Board of Directors of the Colombian Network of Private Nature Reserves and an Associate Member of the Antioquean Ornithological Association.
	Carlos Mario Wagner is a zoologist from Colombian National University, and the tour leader for Mapalina Birding Trails, a conservation non-profit organization that trains local youth and teaches the skills necessary to guide birding groups. He has spent the past five years working on bird conservation projects throughout southwest Colombia, but concentrates his efforts in the Farallones National Park and the IBA San Antonio Forest where he grew up.
	Daniel Uribe has had a life-time commitment to nature conservation and the protection of birds. He has been chasing birds since he was 9 years old, and has traveled and birded extensively in colombia for decades. Co-founder of the Fundación Caldense de Ornitología and the environmental NGO FundaciónHerencia Verde, Daniel has worked for the establishment of public and private nature reserves in Colombia. He managed Acaime Nature Reserve and has been involved in collaborative programs with WWF, TNC and BirdLife International.
	Richard Johnston is a biologist from the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia. He has worked for Calidris, a non-profit organization specializing in waterbird research, as an associate researcher since 2000. He has extensive experience in waterbird ecology, specializing in population estimates and habitat use. He is extremely knowledgeable on the birds of the Cauca Valley and Colombia's Pacific and Caribbean Coasts.
	Oswaldo Cortes is gaining his Master's in Biology at Universidad Nacional. He has been biridng in Colombia for more than ten years and has a vast knowledge of birds and bird sounds of Eastern Andes species. Oswaldo's broad research interests include ecology, conservation planning and landscape-scale conservation strategies for hummingbirds. Species he does research on include Niceforo's wren, Colombia mountain grackle and chestnut-bellied hummingbird. Oswaldo loves meeting and traveling with people of all cultures and from all corners of the world.
	Jose Luna was born and raised in the Western Andes of Colombia, and has been birding in the Bosque de San Antonio since 2007. He is studying environmental agriculture and is an organic farmer himself. He is part of the Mapalina group, and has shined amongst his colleagues for his proficiency in english and his ability to find birds. He also enjoys imitating bird songs and calls. He enjoys biridng and studying birds on his free time and has worked as a field biologist in numerous thesis projects and expeditions.
	Gabriel Utria is a biologist from the Universidad de Santa Marta, and grew up in the San Lorenzo reserach station in the Sierra Nevada. His mother ran the lodge, so he grew up birding trecking in the area. Gabriel has participated in the design and implementation of bird conservation strategies in Colombia's Caribbean region, emphasizing his efforts on dry tropical forest ecosistems. He is also involved in a project to identify critical habitat for migratory species that visit the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
	Johnnier Arango is the environmental liasion for Serraniagua, a community-based organization that promotes conservation in El Cairo (his native town). He is passionate about the planning and creation of natural reserves to ensure the survival of endangered species in the Serrania de los Paraguas. He is a rural tourism coordinator and environmental educator and has been instrumental in the creation of environmental stewardship programs in his area. Johnnier has ben guiding birders for 4 years, where he has studied the endemic and endangered Gold-ringed Tanager.
	Ernest Leupin and Kathy Auerbach were both born in Cali, Colombia. Ernest studied in Canada, where he received his degree in conservation biology in 1996.  Ernest has been birding for almost 20 years, including destinations such as Colombia, British Columbia, Costa Rica, and Switzerland. Kathy studied interior design and has recently discovered the wonders of birding.  Kathy is a logistical expert and ensures that everything goes smoothly on tours. She is always in a great mood and tries to make sure her guests have a great time.