The Two Big Advantages of Birding Tours with Local Experts
As more people have discovered birding, there has been a concurrent jump in travel focused on seeing and photographing birds. Going further afield to watch, to find new birds is nearly inevitable. Even if we just start watching birds in the garden, it's all too easy to wonder what else might be out there and it only takes a quick look in a field guide to see that far more bird species exist than we had ever realized, many of them absolutely incredible!
Such as the Keel-billed Toucan - one of many spectacular birds easily seen in Costa Rica.
Travel for birding and bird photography happens in steps, usually to local refuges and reserves first, then followed by trips to other counties, states and provinces. Eventually, birds from much farther afield beckon until that final step is made to travel to another country, another entirely new place and ecosystem where hundreds of new birds can be seen.
Emerald Tanager- another one of Costa Rica's amazing birds.
Although that first trip can certainly be done on your own, taking a tour makes seeing new and different birds in an unfamiliar place so much easier. Birding tours to Costa Rica and elsewhere can be arranged by an international company or one based in country, these are two of the major advantages that come with taking a birding tour with local experts:
Up to date information on where to go and site logistics
Instead of having to investigate where to go and and making all of the arrangements, local experts take care of these absolutely vital aspects of a tour. Up to date on important logistic and birding information, on-site expert guides ensure that visiting birders have the best possible experience. They know where the best places for birding are and where the most suitable places for groups and photography can be found.
Intimate, local knowledge
Most importantly, local experts know sites very well because they bird in those places on a regular basis. If they are local birding guides who are also passionate about birding (like those of us at Lifer Tours), then they also know those places better than anyone and thus know which birds are present and where the uncommon, more challenging species might be found. It's basically like going with someone who not only has plenty of experience in showing people birds, but who is also taking you to their local birding patches.
Want to see a Sungrebe?
No matter where you go birding, you will see more when birding with a local expert, especially in Costa Rica and other tropical places where the birding can be as complicated as it is rich and exciting. Learn more about the personalized, high quality birding offered with Lifer Tours at our tour page or by contacting us at birdingcostarica@gmail.com.
We are looking forward to talking to you about the fantastic birding in Costa Rica!