Date: 3/5/25 10:22 am From: Nick Bolgiano <nickbolgiano...> Subject: Nature Colombia and Colombian bird tours
A large part of why Colombian bird tours are typically well organized is because of an organization called Nature Colombia. It was started and owned by two women and what they do for tours seems very Colombian.
Nature Colombia does all the behind-the-scenes coordination with where our tour group stayed overnight, where we ate, the hiring of drivers and vehicles, and arranging for local guides at two particular sites. There is also a Colombian bird guide on the tour the whole time, who helps find birds and handles all local transactions. Our recent Colombian guide, Manuela, is actually an employee of Nature Colombia. I think that the previous two Colombian guides contracted with Nature Colombia with input from the tour company, Hillstar Nature. Nature Colombia provides this service for many bird tours in Colombia and I think is a big reason for the success of Colombian bird tours.
Our principal guide, Josh Covill, splits where he lives between Montana in the warm season and Costa Rica otherwise; he guides in both places. Josh said that Colombia and Ecuador are about 30 years behind Costa Rica in terms of ecotourism. I think overall that ecotourism has been a benefit for Colombia. Many Colombians are excellent birders and guiding is one way that many earn a living.
Attached are pictures of our Colombian tour guide, Manuela, and of a local guide, Alvaro. The Colombian guides are usually a lot of fun to have along and are very good at finding birds. There is a lot happening on these tours other than just birds.
