ecotourism Archives - Distracted Birder

Birding Tours: Finding the Best Guide for Your Travels

distractedbirder — Sat, 29 Jul 2023 17:50:58 +0000

I always use the same birding tour company when planning a big trip. Why? Because they’re great. And also because I’m lazy. This technique can work for you too! But maybe not. Who am I to tell you how to live your life? Now get out there and bird, folks. But first, find a good bird guide! Decisions, Decisions Okay, look. There are loads of companies out there providing wildlife-oriented tours, especially of the feathered persuasion. Birding companies aren’t remotely rare. So I’m just going to tell you who I’ve used before (and recommend), and a tiny bit about why (when I feel like it). And, full disclosure, no tour company is paying me for my assessment so my opinion is my own. Believe it or not, my 5-person readership simply is not going to impress any travel corporation. Global Companies Based in North America, you could go with VENT or Wings. Quite frankly, these aren’t in my budget. Also, I might have heard that some of their tours lean a little heavily on the luxury and less on the actual wildlife sightings. I’m not judging if you use them anyway. It’s just not a price I could pay. Also based in North America, there’s Pitta Tours, and Hillstar Nature Tours. And loads of others. Many Audubon chapters do domestic or international trips. And there is Field Guides, similar in scale and offerings to VENT and Wings but more like international counterparts in terms of price tag. I’ve never used a domestic company, even one that provides international options. Because I’ve never paid for a domestic birding trip. And, I’ve no idea if this remains true, but (ten years ago) the North American companies seemed to always come with a higher price tag. My birding tours started with Ecuador, and I went with the cheapest option at the time. You’ll find many, many options for birding tours – regionally based (like South America) or global. When I was in Ecuador, I found a tour based out of one private reserve. It was just more affordable than other competitors at the time. The Bird Guide/Company I Use Pretty soon, I found Rockjumper Birding Tours, which does a reasonably priced catalog of trips (especially in Africa, as they’re based in South Africa). And I’ll recommend them, because I think they provide good value for the product. Especially in Africa. But if you’re getting one of their great, well-traveled guides, then it’s a great value anywhere. Now, to be clear – there’s a caveat in that sentence. I’ve been on Rockjumper tours before when the guide was new to the country. And it didn’t make the trip a mistake, per se, but it definitely highlighted how amazing and prepared the local guide was! And since I can do what I want, I’ll share info for those guides/companies, too. Some “Local” Birding Options Weird observation: Most countries require a local guide! What’s that mean? If you can find a locally based company, you’ll probably cut out some extra costs. Will the guide be as good or speak your language as well? Hard to decipher with the overwhelming options online. I’ve not found it to be easy information to assess or access, honestly. But these are two that were used on my Rockjumper tours and were great, including having excellent bird guides on our tour. Uganda You couldn’t go wrong with Livingstone Safaris. The owner is just amazing as a birder, can put together gorilla and chimpanzee treks for you too, and is an all-around friendly, approachable guy. This man went to every local establishment in the Buhoma area to find ice, because I twisted my knee on my gorilla trek. Then he did it again to ensure I could treat my injury properly. Then he provided a separate, less taxing birding option for me while I was injured. And on our last day, he made sure our lunch was local fare so we’d have a Ugandan dining experience to end our tour. Everyone on our tour loved this guide! Truly, I can’t recommend him enough. Brazil Birding Pantanal is fantastic. Especially if you’re focusing on the Pantanal and Cerrado, this company is more than capable of providing an exceptional experience. Giuliano was a great, experienced guide and (like most of the local guides) handled all the logistics. The lodges got progressively more comfortable, the birds were great, and few critters are more impressive than the jaguar. That cat has swagger. Hawaii If you’re going to Hawai’i (The Big Island, specifically), and you don’t want to dedicate yourself to weeks of birding among the islands… you can at least see honeycreepers with Jack Jeffrey. He knows all the history of the refuge where native honeycreepers can be found, is super communicative, and has surprisingly good rates for day tours. Our one-day trip to Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge is definitely the best one-day birding tour I’ve experienced. Other Options… and Related Warnings There are also wildlife trip options from luxury companies to the big group travel companies like gadventures and Intrepid. Now, anyone could possibly provide a quality African safari or Galapagos adventure without being a died in the wool wildlife tour company… so I’m not saying you can’t use those companies. But seriously, if you’re a birder? Don’t use those companies. You will not focus on birds. They’ll probably point out hummingbird gardens and hornbills and cranes. Ya know, the flashy stuff. But you won’t be actively seeking them out. You won’t know when to look for specific birds you’ll never have a chance to see again. If you do go with those companies and really want to see a lot of birds, speak up and make your interests known to any guides! You won’t see as much as a birding tour, but you might mitigate your losses a little bit. If you want culture with a very specific wildlife thing (i.e., gorilla trek), then tours with these companies are likely just fine. I used Intrepid before for a cultural trip and had a great time! I’ve also met fellow travelers who also had great wildlife tours with Intrepid, although – again- tours were not specifically aimed at birding. Bird’s the Word If you want to really focus on seeing all the wildlife, especially if birding is the purpose of your trip… Bite the bullet, pay extra, and get a bird guide who is going to do everything in their power to make sure you SEE. the. DANG. GHARIAL. That’s what great guides do. At least the ones at Rockjumper. (And that’s why I keep using them for my tours!) Note: As I was reminded many times in India, gharial are not birds. But if you pick the right tour, you can get wildlife along with birds. If you pick the right guide, they’ll be accommodating when you’re obsessed with crocodiles. Happy birding!

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A Paradise Paradox in Hawai’i

distractedbirder — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 01:12:22 +0000

People recommend Hawaii for its beaches and coffee and volcanoes. And those might all be great reasons to go to a place, but I’ll put a word in here for these islands’ amazing diversity. This may not be a reason many go to Hawai’i – the average tourist is unlikely to witness much of the State’s remaining native biodiversity. Instead, this is a gentle encouragement to appreciate the unique wonders that flourish on isolated tropical islands. — Disclaimer: I went to Hawai’i, mostly for work-related responsibilities. This was probably a once-in-a-career meeting destination for me, and it means my itinerary was focused on wildlife conservation efforts rather than personal travel. I am an expert on exactly nothing in Hawai’i. These are just stray thoughts, still a bit jumbled, that I’m putting into writing. The Way of the Dodo… and the Honeycreepers Hawai’i is a weird case study. And I don’t mean in the sense of human colonization or colonialism. I’ll leave that to people who know history and sociology better than I do. No, it’s weird because almost nothing below a certain altitude is native. You go to Hawaii and see all sorts of interesting, exotic birds. Exotic not because you’re in a tropical island paradise, but “exotic” in the sense of “these don’t belong here”. Birds from Asia. And birds from the continental United States. Birds from Africa. and birds from Brazil. Where are the native birds? Many are already extinct. Why? Habitat loss. Invasive predators. Avian influenza. The only remaining native forest birds are in high altitude native forests. Oh, right. Native forests… that’s totally sensible. So where are the remaining native forests? There’s not a lot. Some, sure. Just not a lot. Many inaccessible or requiring a guide or special permit. And, this probably goes without saying, they’re not near Waikiki Beach. And why high altitude? Because avian malaria isn’t there yet. The forest birds have little natural resistance to this exotic disease carried by introduced vectors. Thanks for everything, mosquitos. Beyond the Birds Hawai’i was not historically home to many mammals or reptiles or amphibians. To see the really astonishing diversity present on these islands, you have to look closer. Think small. Be really really observant in a way that I am absolutely not. Ok, let’s face it. No one goes to Hawai’i to see native microfauna. Fine. Not much ecotourism worldwide is driven by invertebrates. That’s probably not going to be changing anytime soon. But invertebrates are crazy diverse in Hawai’i. And they’re also disappearing, along with the native birds. Snails and butterflies and bees and flies. Did you know the Hawaii is an epicenter of fruit fly diversity? No, I didn’t either. Why would *anyone* know that? But it is. Or it used to be. If plants leave the ecosystem (i.e., I did mention habitat loss, didn’t I?), then so go the insects relying on those plant hosts. And snails? Oh, the snail diversity is nuts. Some with only single populations remaining… and those aren’t even federally listed under the Endangered Species Act. So Hawai’i easily has the most ESA-listed species in the United States, with easily over 500 species. No other state even comes close. And some species are *not* listed that only have one tiny remaining population. That’s nuts, isn’t it? Yes, it is nuts. That was a hypothetical question. Of course, you’re probably thinking: “yeah, but they’re snails.” Good point, very nuanced observation you just made there. I couldn’t begin to tell you what differentiates each snail species. But honestly everything is becoming split for reasons I don’t necessarily understand, so who am I to judge? I do know that the conservation and reintroduction efforts are insanely expensive, though. And I’m not saying these species aren’t worth it. Instead, I’m saying that it’s sad that we’re unable to change how we operate before it gets us to this point. It’s About the Habitat, Stupid Native forests on the big island should be dominated by Koa and the ‘Ōhi’a. Sadly, most large trees were cleared, and the islands lack significant numbers of these trees now. Old growth examples of these trees are not common. Adding to the problem, a native fungus can kill the ‘Ōhi’a, one of those primary canopy trees, in a matter of days. The fungus might be native, but it might be spread by non-native grazers. And those grazers also prevent these trees from growing back, so areas where ungulates aren’t controlled are generally areas that do not have a native forest canopy. And the net result is a smaller and smaller footprint of native old growth forests; less and less habitat for native invertebrates (like tree snails) and honeycreepers. A Rock and a Hard Place So why isn’t everything being managed for native wildlife? Multiple factors play into this. Most other uses are more profitable, certainly. And one big culprit of habitat destruction, pigs, were brought to the islands long ago and are felt to have a cultural significance. People love to hunt them, too. And along with pigs, there are goats and sheep and… not a single native ungulate. Although the hunting public is a small minority, they’re a very vocal group. And so there’s a significant acreage of public land on the islands that is managed for hunting non-native game animals. (Not only that, but much of the most reliable conservation funding in the U.S. comes from hunting taxes and license sales, so hunting access is a very real consideration for any state game agency.) Public lands are often managed for various uses, so it would be a rare thing for any large area to be managed strictly for biodiversity alone. In additional to game management areas, plenty of land is managed for agricultural interests. And private lands are often used for ranching, coffee production, and tourism. Basically, it’s complicated. Everything is complicated, and conservation is always going to face the challenge of competing, conflicting interests. It’s simply exacerbated on remote islands, where evolution has given us wacky and weird creatures which rely on very specific environmental conditions. And I guess it also created people who love those islands and insist that leveling everything for more condos couldn’t possibly be harmful in the least. Way to go, evolution. The Big Picture So what’s the point? Well, the world is crazy and beautiful; very specialized, and sometimes weird, things are out there. And in many many places, they’re struggling. Unfortunately, that couldn’t be more true in Hawai’i. For every generalist species conquering every new territory it encounters, there are dozens (or more) species acknowledged as extinct in the wild. Think of the house sparrow in comparison to Hawaiian honeycreepers. It is depressing. But there might be some who can see the possibility of success. The potential to shift from destruction to cooperation and sustainability. Maybe there is the possibility of optimism, if looked at from the right angle. But… While I’m on this Soapbox… So. Hawai’i is cool. It’s a worthwhile destination. You can swim with sea turtles, see monk seals and whales, and trek along volcanoes. It’s pretty sweet. And, also… Hawai’i now is really nothing at all like it was back when the earliest Polynesian settlers set foot on those islands. And, of course, the diversity has been far more substantially changed since Europeans entered its timeline. I’m not saying “don’t go to Hawai’i”. I’m not sure this is a problem caused by tourism, nor do I think it could be “fixed” by individual boycott. Can you be a better tourist? Probably. We can all be better about having less imprint, or creating less waste, or focusing our dollars in more impactful ways. But if you want to see change? Support policy change. There are BILLIONS of people in this world. We need movements that alter how entire populations act, purchase, travel, or consume. That comes from policy. From multiple countries, because the oceans don’t particularly respect geopolitical boundaries. Be a good consumer as much as you can; live your life as sustainably as you think is reasonable; support causes you care about when possible. But don’t forget that corporations and countries have much more impact and influence than individual choices. Global policies are the only solution for global problems.

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2021 Vaccinated Vacation Adventures

distractedbirder — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 20:33:41 +0000

It turns out that 2021 was, indeed, better than 2020 in many ways. Granted, the endless working from home and refrigerator access probably hasn’t helped the fit of my wardrobe. Bummer. But in terms of travel, the outlook has become markedly more positive. For those of us lucky to have it, access to the vaccine has definitely opened up more vacation options! The year started with the certainty of… well, uncertainty. But a willingness to be adaptable led to a couple opportunities I wouldn’t have predicted in January. — Sadly, I’ve written exactly zero blog posts in recent months, which means I’ve written nothing about the international trips I was lucky to experience in 2021. I definitely should write about them, and I sure hope to do that (and spend more time on this blog in general). But the highlights: The Galapagos In August, I joined a 7-night cruise with Quasar Expeditions on their Evolution yacht. I don’t mean to toot my own horn here, but this was an awesome decision. This company, their boat, and the destination are just flippin’ awesome. This was a live-aboard experience, which definitely is not as affordable as the land-based options in the Galapagos. But 2021 was a time for amazing deals for those willing to pounce on them, so I took the opportunity to fulfill one of my bucket list dreams. And pay less, while the discount was available. Birdy Note: This was a birding tour for me in that I focused on seeing new birds, but it was also a standard tour offered by a non-birding company. There are TONS of wildlife encounters on any Quasar offering, but the focus is not birding or maximizing species. This is not the way to see all/most of the endemic birds of these fascinating islands – unless you do the full 14-night option. (That didn’t really fit into my budget OR leave balance, though!) For birders, I’d suggest that you must either accept fewer birds or go with an actual birding company. Colombia Ok, this is vacation cheating. This was actually just a little extension of my Galapagos vacation, an extra two days to do a little bit of birding around the capital city. I think I ended up seeing a few dozen new birds (although one ebird list seems to have been overlooked, unfortunately). Colombia is one of the birdiest of bird destinations, so two days in the capital city isn’t remotely scratching the surface. I’ll be happy to get back here for better birding someday. But I did see a fantastic rail and two amazing hummingbird gardens, which was great fun. Hummingbirds are also a wonderful test of high-speed photography skills. I learned that I have none. Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks Amazing trails, fall colors, and multiple covid tests. Plus grizzly bears! This was my first time in Montana AND the country of Canada, which had only allowed Americans for about a month when we arrived. This international peace park is worth a spot on anyone’s destination list, but I am grateful that we specifically scheduled our family vacation for the shoulder season. Our adventure here taught us that we do, in fact, love Canada and will certainly be returning to Alberta someday soon. Barcelona Birthday Hey there, Spain! It’s been a minute (or two decades). I only visited Madrid and Toledo during my first (high school) trip to Spain, and I remember little of that pre-planned big bus tour. I’d wanted to visit this particular destination city for a couple years. When notified of some heavily discounted fares to Barcelona, which generally experiences tolerable temperatures in November, I decided it must be a sign. I needed to celebrate my birthday in Barcelona! This was four days packed with Gaudí, food tours, and walking too dang much. I did kinda exhaust myself. But… I visited Girona, explored the Gothic Quarter, and ate the best croquettes Barcelona has to offer. Yum. More to Come… I’m excited to get back to my photographs and writing here, and I hope to publish more in the coming weeks. Every trip deserves some attention, and I do love how writing about adventures allows more time for reflection and enjoying the memories. Honestly, I wish it didn’t take me so very long to curate photographs. I am tortoise-like in many ways, including my neck-breaking speed. But I’ll plod along. Glad to have you along on the (very slow) journey!

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