Birding in Panama
Bios: Premier Local Guides
Guido Berguido
With over 25 years of experience, Guido is one of Panama's best-known birding guides.
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Over thirty years ago, Guido developed a research station where numerous ornithological researchers have stayed while studying the birds of Panama. He has had a constant flow of professional ornithologists and birders at his small reserve ever since.
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Guido quickly learned that bird guiding was his true passion, and he has found numerous ways to expand his private reserves, guide visiting birders, support conservation, and just enjoy traveling in Panama.
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Guido has been a professional bird guide in Panama for over 25 years. He has guided nearly two hundred birding tours throughout Panama. His tours always include the rainforest of the Panama Canal, the world-famous Pipeline Road, the Chiriqui area, and the national parks of Panama including the birder’s favorites of Soberanía National Park (close to his home and research station), La Amistad International Park, and the Baru Volcano National Park. He is a reliable expert in finding Darien specialties as well, including the Harpy Eagle. He is constantly exploring new areas for birding in Panama, and his tours include other productive birding sites such as the Madden Forest, Cerro Azul, Lago Bayano, and the San Francisco Reserve.
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With his intimate knowledge of Panama birding, he is a favorite of international touring groups and is often the go-to leader for Big Year participants.
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In the last decade, Guido has been exploring the eastern edge of Panama, and this effort has led to the creation of one of Panama´s largest private nature reserves. This area is filled with new discoveries of plants and animal species previously unknown to science! A few of these species are name after Guido.
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Guido holds a degree in Environmental Biology from the University of Panama and a Master's in Tourism Management. He continues his studies at times in both business and in law.
More details about this Trip:
Jacobo Ortega
Jacobo Ortega discovered birding in his mid-twenties. He has been birding for more than 30 years now and has been a professional bird guide for almost twenty years. Jacobo grew up in the town of Barrigón, Panama, near the General Omar Torrijos Herrera National Park. As he grew up, he was always interested in natural areas and wildlife. After he completed his studies in Industrial Mechanics at the Technological University of Panama, he discovered his true passion for birds.
Jacobo’s experience over the last three decades encompasses both the scientific study of birds and bird guiding. He has participated in research projects with the Smithsonian Institute and other scientific organizations. He has conducted nest surveys, bird species censuses, bird banding, and other studies. Jacobo has also been part of raptor migration monitoring, as well.
Besides these scientific efforts, he has been sharing the beauty of Panama’s birds with visiting birders. He has worked for several international birding tour companies and for the leading tour operators in Panama.
Luis Paz
Luis Paz has been a professional bird guide in Panama for over two decades. He has studied birds in Panama, Europe, the Caribbean, and Venezuela.
Luis was born in Panama City. He developed a passion for nature and bird study at a very young age, enjoying the natural areas in and around the city during his childhood. His family spent summer vacations in the countryside, giving Luis more opportunities to explore nature and birds.
His early passion for birding led him to study biology. After finishing high school, Luis went to study in Romania where he eventually completed a Master of Science in Biology at the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. He spent his time off of school exploring Europe and European birds.
Besides his native tongue (Spanish), Luis speaks fluent Romanian and English.
When he returned to Panama, he found a number of opportunities on bird research projects, but his true passion was bird guiding. Luis has guided numerous international birding tour companies. His 20 plus years of experience as a bird guide includes mostly Panama, but also the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.