Daniel Somay, graduated as a Park Ranger, has always had an inclination for bird and fauna research, participating in the largest project of bird banding in the Iguazú National Park between 1981 and 1985.

In the following years he has been entirely dedicated to touristic activities, working as a specialized guide in Iguazú Falls, the rest of Misiones Province and Iberá Marshes (Corrientes Province). The Iguazú National Park, besides having the spectacular waterfalls, is the environment with the most biodiversity in Argentina, making this place ideal to watch birds

He has been making trips throughout the jungle for more than 15 years, being one of the most experienced guides in this region. Because of his knowledge, he has participated and advised on the making of many documentaries produced for Japan, France, England and the United States.

In 1995 he opened his own travel agency, “Rainforest Expeditions”, which specializes in attending small groups of people interested in nature and birdwatching, being the most experienced specialized agency that offers these kinds of tours.

Daniel has recorded the calls and songs of over 380 different bird species of the region, many of them unique and even indispensable for the identification of certain species of antshrikes or a number of flycatchers that look very alike.

The company owns 4x4 vehicles specially adapted for birdwatching.

Trip reports/Recommendations: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

Guy Kirwan is one of the founders of the Neotropical Bird Club and has served for almost eight years as the managing editor of its journal, Cotinga.

He has been visiting Brazil regularly since 1995, spending up to six months per year there since 1998, both guiding birdwatchers and conducting research. He is a regular contributor to the periodical literature on Neotropical birds, publishing papers on distribution, taxonomy and biology. During the last decade, he has gained extensive field experience of most taxa in eastern Brazil, including Amazonia. Although available to guide trips throughout the country, his speciality is in the birds of the Atlantic Forest and the related caatinga and cerrado biomes.

Guy has a working knowledge of Portuguese and leads both scheduled trips (see www.ornifolks.org) and privately organized groups, particularly in SE Brazil. Either develop your own itinerary or just send a ‘wants’ list. Regular itineraries are also available.

Trips are focused upon finding endemics and globally threatened species, and use comfortable, good-quality but not top-price accommodation. Small groups are preferred. Tour reports available. Rates are sensible and competitive according to group size. Professional guidance and assistance with bookings, sites etc for your self-guided trip can also be arranged.

Richard is a lifelong birder and Naturalist. English by birth he had travelled extensively through work in the Drilling Industries for many years prior to setting down roots in South East Brazil(in 1987). He is now a bona-fide brazilian resident, fluent in Portugues and knows this area better than many locals, having spent much of his spare time there exploring national parks, reserves and many still unprotected tracts of the regions natural habitat.

Richard aims to continue offering custom made tours to Birders wishing for that extra personal touch where they get directly involved in choosing the Itinerary of localities to be visited and also pick their travel dates. Choice and preferences of bird species/families to be targeted is also addressed right from the initial planning stages.

At present Richard spends the British summer months here in England and attends the Birdfair annualy. His long term plans are to retire to Brazil leading full time custom made Birding Tours.

Above the treeline, Teresopolis (grey-winged Cotinga country)

Lodge site at Marica Lagoon

Tijuca Nat. Park, Rio de Janeiro city

"Kini" (24) born and lived all his childhood in a small town in central Argentinean Pampas where at a young age he was fascinated with the wilderness that was just one step from his house. At 11 years old he started birdwatching. At present, he is coursing his last year of Biology in the Universidad Nacional de La Plata.

He is interested in all ornithological issues, but his main interests are biogeography and systematics. He has already published some notes about general ornithology and also several scientific papers besides ornithology. With other naturalists, he created the Grupo FALCO-LP which is developing several conservation projects and also a new public ornithological library. Due to his interest in bird sounds he has several hours of recordings of neotropical birds and also of some mammals and amphibians.

Kini started ornithological guiding at the age of 17. Because of this, and a great fanatism about birds and natural history, he has much experience across Argentina and sorrounding countries including Paraguay, Uruguay, south-central, south-eastern and southern Brazil, central and southern Bolivia and Chile. He speaks fluent English and enjoys every day of bird watching!

Andy is originally from Sussex in the UK but has had an interest in the birds of the Atlantic rain forest ever since his first birding visit to Brazil in 1995. Since then he has been returning every year until 2001 when he decided to make the move permanently and buy a property in south -east Brazil.

Andy now owns and manages Serra dos Tucanos Lodge in the Atlantic forest. Situated only one and a half hours drive from Rio de Janeiro the lodge caters specifically for birders and naturalists. Andy has specialised in the birds of this area and has spent considerable time guiding groups and individuals who stay at his lodge. His good knowledge of the local area and avi-fauna helps in finding some of the more difficult and sought after endemic species.

During the past few years he has recorded over 400 species (100+ endemics) in the local area and now offers a range of guided birding excursions and packages based from the lodge. The lodge offers very comfortable accommodation for up to 16 people and over 160 species of birds have been recorded in the grounds alone! To make your visit easier, airport or hotel transfers can be arranged from Rio de Janeiro.

Barry Walker MBE, owner of Manu Expeditions, was born near Manchester, England and started birding at the age of 13. After birding extensively in Europe and the Middle East, Barry switched his attention to the neo-tropics and has extensive birding experience in Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and particularly Peru Bolivia and Chile.

He has participated in many ornithological expeditions and contributed a variety of scientific and general publications concerning birds in Peru. Living in Cusco in the Andes for 20 years, Barry has visited every corner of the country as a trekking guide, natural history guide and specifically as a bird tour leader.

He is the author of "A Field Guide to the Birds of Machu Picchu".

He has been leading bird tours for private groups and well known bird tour companies for the last 15 years. Having seen 1640 plus species in Peru alone he is well known for his field craft when leading tours.

His company Manu Expeditions is the leading quality service provider for birders in Peru.