About Our Birding & Wildlife Tours

OUR TOURS ARE DIVERSE

We span the globe offering tours that range from being very focused on birds to those of a more general nature that also include lots of local cultural interests. All our guides are not only expert birders but also are appreciative of all nature. Many of our tours spend considerable time looking closely at mammals, plants or butterflies. It is not necessary for you to be an experienced birder; all you need is enthusiasm and our guides will be happy to help you along!

A TYPICAL DAY WITH EAGLE-EYE TOURS

Our land tours typically start early, after breakfast at our hotel, to be out when birding is best. Sometimes we are out before breakfast for a quick search for a target bird or mammal. We head out by foot, car or boat to a choice area, maybe forest or maybe a wetland, taking in the sights and sounds of the morning. We move along as a small group, making every effort to ensure that the everyone gets to see the beautiful tanager, or majestic grizzly bear through the spotting scope. We might stop for that important cup of locally grown coffee before heading further down the road to where we saw that great bird building a nest last year.

Lunches are most often in the field, usually at a very good birding spot, with a cold drink or a cup of coffee. We have a chance to share stories and reflect on the morning adventure. After lunch we carry on in an area, maybe returning to the hotel in mid-afternoon for a rest, then a shorter excursion to explore another area. Over our evening meal, we meet as a group to record and discuss what we saw and review the plans for the coming day. Some evenings we may head back out for a night tour to experience the nocturnal world of owls, potoos, frogs and much more.

FEATURED BIRDS & WILDLIFE

These are the great and often very unique species that we will be looking for. We cannot guarantee that we will see them, only that there is a good chance of seeing them. Beyond these exciting species, we are always on the look out for other surprises-you just never know what we may see!

TOUR GROUP SIZE

We believe that small groups are essential for a high quality and enjoyable experience. Unless otherwise noted, our land tour groups have a single leader with 4 to 8 people and two leaders with 9 to 12 people.

ACCOMMODATION & TRANSPORTATION

Typically, our land tours stay in modern, comfortable hotels, but this varies somewhat depending on the tour. On most tours, we stay in beautiful lodges in the forest with trails out the back door. These amazing settings are often a highlight of the tour. In other cases, in order to get to the best locations for birding or wildlife viewing, we may be far away from a modern hotel and the ‘best room in town’ may be more basic. In a few cases, we even stay in tents for the full wilderness experience! For each tour, we have identified the level of accommodation in the tour summary and on the detailed itinerary. If you have any questions about accommodation on a tour, please feel free to ask and we can give you more specifics.

When traveling between birding locations, typically we travel in comfortable vans or buses, often with local drivers who are familiar with the roads and destinations. Usually, there is only one vehicle, as the sizes of our groups are typically small, but occasionally there will be two vehicles that keep in contact with each other by radio. In some tours, we use airplane flights to cover large distances and in a few cases we travel by boat, often with fantastic scenery and wildlife watching along the way!

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

The tour price includes all lodging, ground transportation, in-country air transportation, guide services, park and special entrance fees, ferry costs, boat charter fees and baggage handling for those requiring assistance. Outside Canada and the USA, the tour price includes all meals. Tours in Canada and the USA include breakfasts and lunches, but do not usually include the cost of evening meals. This allows participants maximum flexibility to choose the foods and portion size from familiar menus. Tour fees do not include any alcoholic beverages, transportation to or from the tour departure or conclusion points, passport and visa fees, airport taxes, phone calls, laundry, or other items of a personal nature.

Sometimes there will be additional activities that are not included in the tour price. These will be clearly identified in the tour details.