Birding Tour Companies

Take only photographs, leave only footprints…

The following links are to birding tour companies that cover numerous destinations. Where companies are confined to small geographical locations – single countries, or just a few countries or even parts of countries, entries appear on the appropriate geographical page. So, if you already know where you want to go you may want to look at those pages first and scroll down to the tour guide section then scroll within that section to see all the local specialists and, in the case of companies I know well, international companies that also travel there.

Also take a look at Fatbirder’s ‘companion’ website: Wildlife And Nature Destinations (WAND); it lists loads of destinations and tour companies, as well as individual guides and ecolodges. You can search by destination etc. It’s one of the best places to trawl when organising a bird trip.

You can also see what Fatbirder’s own company Anytime Tours has to offer. We organise trips for individual Birders, couples and small groups and also have experience creating trips for birders with mobility problems (sometimes in conjunction with the access charity which I founded Birding For All).

There are hundreds of companies now specialising in green or eco-tourism… many are specialist birding holiday companies. They vary greatly in scope, price, pace and skill.

For those wishing to organise your own trip why not follow some of the advice given at the Eco-travel centre?As a traveler, you will have an impact on the environment and culture of the place you are visiting. It is our objective to provide you with the necessary information, tools, and guidelines to make this impact positive! Keep these Golden Rules in mind when you travel:

*Learn about your destination before you get there.

*Read guidebooks, travel article, histories, and/or novels by local authors paying particular attention to customs such as greetings, appropriate dress, eating behaviours, etc. Being aware and sensitive to these customs will increase local acceptance of you as a tourist and enrich your trip.

*Follow established guidelines. Ask your ecotour operator, guide and/or the local authorities what their guidelines are for limiting tourist impact on the environment and local culture.

*Staying on trails, taking your litter away with you, and maintaining set distances away from wildlife are a few ways to minimise your impact in sensitive areas – Take Only Photographs, Leave Only Footprints.

*Seek out and support locally-owned businesses. Support local businesses during your eco-travels to ensure maximum community and conservation benefit from your tourist dollars.

Responsible, and where possible carbon-neutral) tourism can have very positive impact on local economies and conservation…

Useful Reading
  • Ecotourism

    | By David A Fennell | Routledge | 2014 | Edition 4 | Paperback | 336 pages, 20 b/w photos, 68 b/w illustrations, 27 tables | ISBN: 9780415829656 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Ecotourism and Biodiversity Conservation

    | By Suresh C Rai | Nova Science Publishers | 2012 | Paperback | 142 pages, b/w photos, b/w maps, tables | ISBN: 9781613242421 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Ecotourism and Environmental Sustainability

    | (Principles and Practice) | By Jennifer Hill & Tim Gale | Ashgate | 2009 | hardback | 259 pages, Figures, tables | ISBN: 9780754672623 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Ecotourism and Sustainable Development

    | (Who owns paradise) | By Martha Honey | OUP | 2008 | Edition 2 | Paperback | 551 pages, Tables | ISBN: 9781597261265 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism

    | (New Perspectives and Studies) | By Jaime A Seba | Apple Academic Press | 2011 | Hardback | 300 pages, b/w photos, b/w illustrations, tables | ISBN: 9781926692937 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Footprints in Paradise

    | (Ecotourism, Local Knowledge, and Nature Therapies in Okinawa) | By Andrea E Murray | Berghahn Books | 2017 | hardback | 186 pages, 13 illustrations, 2 maps | ISBN: 9781785333866 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Indigenous Ecotourism

    | (Sustainable Development and Management) | By HD Zeppel | CABI Publishing | 2006 | Hardback | 308 pages, no illustrations | ISBN: 9781845931247 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Protected Area Management and Ecotourism

    | (Concepts, planning, evaluation and management) | By M B Shrivastava & Menka Bihari | VDM Verlag | 2010 | paperback | 254 pages, Figures | ISBN: 9783639311945 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • The Green Holiday Guide: Great Britain and Ireland

    | By European Centre for Ecological and Agricultural Tourism (ECEAT) | Green Books | 2002 | Paperback | 224 pages, Colour photos | ISBN: 9781903998083 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • The Green Holiday Guide: Spain and Portugal

    | By European Centre for Ecological and Agricultural Tourism (ECEAT) | Green Books | 2002 | Paperback | 176 pages, Colour photos | ISBN: 9781903998151 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Wildlife Tourism

    | (A Handbook for Tour Guides, Eco-lodges, Students and Start-up Businesses) | By Ronda J Green | Ronda Green | 2014 | Paperback | 151 pages, b/w photos, b/w illustrations | ISBN: 9780992420918 Buy this book from NHBS.com
  • Wildlife Tourism, Environmental Learning and Ethical Encounters

    | (Ecological and Conservation Aspects) | By Ismar Borges De Lima & Ronda J Green | Springer-Verlag | 2017 | Hardback | 439 pages, 60 colour & 24 b/w illustrations | ISBN: 9783319555737 Buy this book from NHBS.com
Useful Information
  • Guided Birdwatching

    Website
    Index of birding guides - Guided Birdwatching is the link between the traveling birder and birding guides worldwide. Our aim is to index birding guides, birding companies, field trips and bird tours
  • Wildlife And Nature Destinations

    Website
    To use WAND, search for services, users, trip reports, reviews and more, you do not have to sign up. In fact, you don’t have to do anything. Just enjoy browsing around in WAND.
Guides & Tour Operators
  • Adventure Birding Company

    Tour Operator
    The Adventure Birding Company offers bird watching and nature tours year-round in Southeastern Arizona and to select destinations worldwide. Our goal is to make each outing an exciting or remarkable experience in its own way - the very definition of "adventure!"
  • Amerik Adventure

    Tour Operator
    Small Group Cultural Travel & Ecotourism in Costa Rica, Canada & across the Americas
  • Anser Birding

    Tour Operator
    Anser Birding provides a range of Holidays, and activities throughout the UK & Europe.
  • Anytime Tours

    Tour Operator
    Fatbirder's own birding tour stable with taylor made trips for couples and small groups to any destination…
  • Aves Birding Tours

    Tour Operator
    With 98 endemic and 62 near endemic bird species, it is no wonder that Southern Africa should be at the top of any international birder's list. More than 800 spectacular bird species to be seen whilst enjoying the rich botanical heritage, extensive wildlife and vast scenic beauty. The First World infrastructure, fine food and wine and great hospitality, makes it a must-visit destination.
  • Bird Treks

    Tour Operator
    Our goal at Bird Treks is to provide you with a quality, enjoyable, and professionally organized birding experience to beautiful and exciting destinations. All at a reasonable and affordable price. Our tours are designed to satisfy the needs of all types of birders, from the brand new bird watcher to the seasoned veteran.
  • Birdfinders

    Tour Operator
    Vaughan first started birdwatching when he first noticed Common Wood-pigeons eating his grandfather’s brussel sprouts during the hard winter of 1962–3! He celebrated 50 years of birdwatching in December and has seen over 5,000 species in the world.
  • Birding Breaks

    Tour Operator
    Birding Breaks are the leading birdwatching tour company of the Netherlands. We offer a wide and growing selection of tour destinations world wide. We also offer trips in the Netherlands that focus on the Dutch avifauna specialties like geese, waders, migratory songbirds and raptors.
  • Birding Ecotours

    Tour Operator
    Quality is of paramount importance to us – we prefer to use superior accommodation (where available at the top birding sites) and vehicles. Despite our focus on small groups and the fact that we err on the side of superior quality, our prices are competitive.
  • Birdquest

    Tour Operator
    The world’s most comprehensive repertoire of birding tours, including everything from easy-going bird and wildlife adventures that can be enjoyed by everyone to pioneering and sometimes demanding journeys to the world’s last birding frontiers. We have shown our clients and friends more species of birds than any other birding tour company: currently around 10,200 species using the IOC world list!
  • Birdwatching Breaks

    Tour Operator
    Our holidays are friendly and exciting and run by professional guides with a passion for birding and natural history. Our guides have a professional background from bodies like the RSPB or other conservation organisations. On overseas tours we use local ornithologists who are highly experienced in the country they operate and work in. Our groups are based on a ratio of eight clients to one leader. All tours have inspection trips before we offer them to our clients
  • Bluetail Birding

    Tour Operator
    Bluetail Birding is a dedicated bird tour operator offering both scheduled departure (small group) and custom travel worldwide. We specialise in bird tours across South Asia, to destinations throughout India, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka where we have been operating since 2009 as India Nature Tourism, which now acts as our ground agent in this regio
  • Cheesemans

    Tour Operator
    For more than 35 years, Cheesemans’ Ecology Safaris has designed and led nature tours to the world’s most ecologically diverse regions, emphasizing wildlife watching and photography with one simple goal in mind – to create life-changing safari experiences!
  • David Bishop Bird Tours

    Tour Operator
    David launched David Bishop Bird Tours in early 2014 after a long and successful 28 year career with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (Vent), during which time he was Vent’s Director for the Asia Pacific . He initiated and designed their Asia Pacific tour program and established Vent at the forefront of bird tours in this region. David Bishop’s accumulated 38 years of field work and exploration gives him an unrivalled knowledge of the birds and wildlife of New Guinea, Indonesia, Bhutan and much of SE Asia and the SW Pacific.
  • Eagle Eye Tours

    Tour Operator
    We span the globe offering small group birding tours with experienced leaders that will cater to birders of all abilities. We would love to have you along!
  • Ecotours Wildlife Holidays

    Tour Operator
    Ecotours Wildlife Holidays is the leading specialist in Hungary and Eastern Europe, organizing professionally guided bird photography, wildlife and birding tours for you.
  • Exotic Birding

    Tour Operator
    We organize private birding tours and bird photo tours with custom itineraries. You choose the dates when you wish to travel, we make the arrangements, you enjoy the tour.
  • Fieldguides

    Tour Operator
    Since 1985, thousands of fun, professionally guided birding tours to destinations worldwide. Providing the best tour experience and service is the continuing goal of our friendly, top-notch guides and staff.
  • Fish Eagle Safaris

    Tour Operator
    Fish Eagle Safaris has been in business since 1990 and we have been offering wildlife oriented eco-tourism trips since our inception. It is in fact all we do. Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, and Namibia, you name it we’ve been there!
  • Geodyssey

    Tour Operator
    Holidays devoted to bird watching and holidays including bird watching with a dash of other things as well.
  • GreenTours

    Tour Operator
    Wildlife, Flower and Birding Tours available throughout Europe, Africa, Americas, Asia, Australia and The Middle East
  • Holbrook Travel

    Tour Operator
    Holbrook provides a wide variety of birding tours for everyone from beginning birders to experienced ornithologists. Whether your passion is to seek a private customized birding experience, join one of our renowned birding expeditions offered year round, or build your own privately organized group expedition, we're experts at combining birding with a multitude of cultural, environmental, or adventure-based activities.
  • Honeyguide Wildlife Holidays

    Tour Operator
    Welcome to Honeyguide Wildlife Holidays, now in our 29th season. If you are looking for a quality natural history holiday, this is a great place to start.
  • King Bird Tours

    Tour Operator
    KingBird Tours has been reorganized to provide private birding tours that cater to individuals and small groups whose main interest is to see as many of the birds as possible in the area covered. The itineraries are planned for birding to occupy most of the daylight hours of the tour, with some occasional owling as well. All habitats and the best accessible birding areas will be covered to ensure a balanced representation. Tours are planned for the time of the year that is the most productive for each place visited.
  • Kolibri Expeditions

    Tour Operator
    Kolibri Expeditions provides birding trips to all corners of South America. We are based in Lima, Peru. General Director is Gunnar Engblom, a well known tour leader and bird guide.
  • Lanius Bird Tours

    Tour Operator
    We offer a range of friendly, affordable and expertly guided birdwatching holidays both overseas and here in the UK. Based in Nottinghamshire our tours depart where possible from local airports in the Midlands. They are aimed at like-minded people with a general interest in wildlife, with all levels from beginners to experts catered for.
  • Lost World Adventures

    Tour Operator
    A lifetime can be spent in Latin America spotting wildlife. Premier wildlife destinations are the Galapagos Islands, the Pantanal wetlands and the Amazon basin. Birdlife throughout all of Latin America is prolific. Colombia is home to more species of birds than any other country on Earth, with over 1,800 species.
  • Manu Expeditions Birding & Wildlife Tours

    Tour Operator
    Manu Expeditions Birding & Wildlife Tours are a bespoke professional company based in Peru and running professionally guided birding and wildlife trips to Peru and throughout South America including Colombia, Guyana, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador & Chile and the Falkland Islands.
  • Merlin Birding & Nature Tours

    Tour Operator
    Merlin Birding and Nature Tours will be offering birding trips to the following outstanding birding locations in the next 3 years (please stay tuned for updates on these exciting tours on this website and through regular email updates): Alaska, Belize, East Africa, India, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico).
  • MotMot Travel

    Tour Operator
    MotMot Travel offers tailor-made and small group holidays to the Caribbean islands and surrounding area
  • Natura Tours

    Tour Operator
    We, at Natura Tours, are proud to offer you, our friends, a variety of unique, upscale nature and birding tours in a variety of locations. From the mountain cloud forest of Costa Rica to the rich Everglades of South Florida, we invite you to explore exciting wilderness destinations around the globe.
  • Naturalist Endeavors Tours

    Tour Operator
    Programs For Schools, Libraries, and Other Organizations: At Naturalist Endeavors we go well beyond the norm in providing extraordinarily high quality educational experiences to people of all ages. At Naturalist Endeavors our programs are focused on science and history education.
  • Naturalist Journeys

    Tour Operator
    We are a top nature and birding tour company that offers exciting Guided Group Tours for small groups, Independent Birding Ventures, and Relaxing Eco-lodge Stays. We feature worldwide destinations, from Alaska to Africa, that include wildlife cruises and safaris.
  • Nature Travel Birding

    Tour Operator
    Nature Travel Birding specialises in private and small group birding trips in Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, Madagascar, India, Thailand, Ecuador, Peru, Spain and the rest of Europe.
  • Naturetrek

    Tour Operator
    Group and tailor-made wildlife holidays. The widest selection of expert-led wildlife holidays and expedition cruises to some of the most spectacular regions on earth.
  • New Horizons

    Tour Operator
    I regularly lead birdwatching outings, courses and holidays. So, widen your birdwatching with New Horizons.
  • Paradise Birding

    Tour Operator
    Thanks to all of our loyal friends out there, 2019 marks our 22nd year of nature tours in North America—and beyond. We continue to offer a handful of carefully crafted itineraries timed for optimal birding at some of the best destinations in the world. Let us take you to Florida's Dry Tortugas, Borneo's Danum Valley, or Peru's Abra Patricia, or come see us at our home base in Oregon's Woodpecker Wonderland!
  • Peregrine Bird Tours

    Tour Operator
    Exciting birdwatching tours; to destinations within Australia and overseas.
  • ProBirder

    Tour Operator
    If you are planning a trip to Eastern Europe, you have come to the right place. If you are looking for a quality birding or wildlife watching experience, ProBirder is here to help with carefully planned customised itineraries.
  • Rainbow Tours

    Tour Operator
    Pioneers of responsible travel, Rainbow Tours specialises in tailor-made holidays to Africa, Madagascar and Latin America
  • Reef & Rainforest

    Tour Operator
    For three decades Reef & Rainforest has facilitated superlative wildlife travel to some of the planet’s most rewarding natural history destinations. Whether on a tailor-made holiday, wildlife cruise or small group tour, you will experience the best wildlife holidays imaginable in the care of our dedicated team of specialist travel consultants.
  • Rockjumper

    Tour Operator
    Over the past twenty years, we have worked tirelessly to develop and run tours that provide our guests with incredible birding experiences. In the process, we find an impressive number of species. To prove this, we started keeping a yearlist in 2018, and far surpassed any goal we had in mind by recording an astonishing 8064 species on our tours.
  • Sarus Bird Tours

    Tour Operator
    Our itineraries range from specialised trips seeking out endemics and hard-to-find specialities, to more easily-paced trips. They range from a few days to several weeks in duration.
  • Speyside Wildlife

    Tour Operator
    Our holidays are just that - holidays. We’ll try to squeeze in as many exciting activities as we can, but still give you completely relaxed enjoyment, so that you can ‘switch off’ for the week. We pride ourselves on our high level of personal attention, but we won’t race around in pursuit of big lists. Our guides’ enthusiasm is infectious and whether you are a beginner or more experienced, young or old, we are happy to take time so you can enjoy the wildlife on a Speyside Wildlife experience to the full.
  • Swallow Birding

    Tour Operator
    Established in 2006 SWALLOW BIRDING is a joint venture between Annette Adams and Steve Grimwade who over the last 13 years have shared their love of wildlife with many people on tours and day trips.
  • Talon Tours

    Facebook Page
    TALON TOURS is a tour company specializing in birding and natural history. We offer private and custom tours to all our destinations in addition to advertised tours.
  • Tanager Tours

    Tour Operator
    Tanager Tours is a leading tour operator for birding trips to Peru and other South American destinations. The company’s name alludes to the magnificent colours and diversity of South American tanagers and symbolizes the richness and variety of our tours.
  • Travelling Naturalist

    Tour Operator
    For over 30 years our expert naturalists have led small group tours to some of the world’s most spectacular wildlife and birdwatching destinations. Our programme features over 100 nature holidays to choose from, including a range of specialised photography, flora, butterfly and dragonfly tours.
  • Tribes

    Tour Operator
    We work with our clients to arrange tailor made holidays which are authentic, fun, memorable, and also sustainable. From African safaris to Galapagos cruises and explorations of India, we cover the wildlife, nature Holidays and culture of the destinations we offer.
  • Tropical Birding Tours

    Tour Operator
    A lot of people can find you birds, and we certainly do that. What makes us different is a level of enthusiasm from leaders who love to have lots of fun while sharing their knowledge and fieldcraft, a logistics team that loves organizing tours as much as listening to “reggaeton”, and a group of passionate owners that are still addicted to sharing the joys of birding travel with clients.
  • Ventures Birding Tours

    Tour Operator
    ...welcome to the incredible world of birds and nature. Whether you are a new birder, experienced, or just have a casual interest, we hope you find something that appeals to you.
  • Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT)

    Tour Operator
    Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT) is one of the most highly regarded birding and nature tour companies in the world. Founded by industry pioneer Victor Emanuel in 1976, VENT sets the standard for excellence in ecotourism.
  • Wild Frontiers

    Tour Operator
    Wild Frontiers was established in 1991 by John and Debbie Addison, as a Specialist Tour Operator offering safaris into East, West and Southern Africa.
  • Wild Latitudes

    Tour Operator
    Enjoy the world’s birds and wildlife with the ease, security, and fun of group travel
  • WildWings

    Tour Operator
    Welcome to WildWings, a fully bonded and licensed specialist travel company with over 20 years experience of sending thousands of people to all parts of the Earth, from the edge of space to the depths of the ocean’s, and everywhere in-between.
  • Wildlife Worldwide

    Tour Operator
    With over 25 years experience, we create outstanding wildlife holidays worldwide. Our team of wildlife experts explore destinations around the world to ensure we give you the finest wildlife encounters.
  • Wildside

    Tour Operator
  • Wings

    Tour Operator
    Our tours are planned as ones that we ourselves would like to go on, so they are very strongly oriented toward birds. All WINGS leaders have varied interests in natural history and other related fields, but the timing and itinerary of our tours is dictated almost entirely by ornithological considerations. A few tours combine serious birdwatching with other activities appropriate to the area, or even with simple relaxation, and these are clearly indicated.
  • Zoothera Birding

    Tour Operator
    Here you can find a wide variety of exciting birding tours from around the world. Birding is our passion and we enjoy sharing our experience with other like-minded travellers, from beginners to expert alike.
Places to Stay
  • Eco-Resorts

    Resort Operator
    Eco-Resorts supports the earth-one journey at a time. Regionally, we promote small, unique East African camps and lodges, which are involved in assisting their local communities and protecting their local environments. Locally, our Kenyan offices are completely self-sufficient
Other Links
  • *Disability - Disabled Birders Association

    Website
    Past trips and trip reports on accessible birding
  • Birdtripper

    Website
    Plan your next birding vacations
  • Earthwatch

    Website
    Earthwatch Institute is a nonprofit organization matching members of the public with scientists all over the world. Explore below for projects which can use your help. To view listings of projects organized by the following criteria, click on any of the headings.
  • Guided Birdwatching

    Website
    Index of birding guides - Guided Birdwatching is the link between the traveling birder and birding guides worldwide. Our aim is to index birding guides, birding companies, field trips and bird tours
Blogs
  • Lawson's Safaris

    BLOG
Photographers & Artists
  • Wild Images

    Photographic Tour Operator
    Wild Images creates wildlife, landscape and remote area cultural and people photography tours, photography holidays, photo safaris and expeditions that offer some extraordinary opportunities to take home wonderful images and memories that truly last a lifetime.

Fatbirder - linking birders worldwide... Wildlife Travellers see our sister site: WAND

Skip to content