Our story
Our founder, Gonzalo J. Horna, has been birding central Panama and the nearby lowlands and highlands since 1997. Over the years he managed a birding lodge, Sierra Llorona Panama Lodge, guided groups and independent birders from all over the world, and created our Birding by Boat tour, to reach the freshwater birds of the Chagres River and Gatún Lake that are hard to see on foot.
Clients have been writing to thank us since 2002: one group saw more than 300 species in six days of birding, three years in a row. You can read some of their words on our reviews page.
Today Gonzalo J. Horna and his son, Gonzalo A. Horna, run Guided Bird Tours together as part of Beautiful Tours, S.A., a travel agency and tour operator licensed by the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP License No. 687-AV). That means you book with a registered company, pay online with WeTravel, and we can also arrange your hotels, transfers and the rest of your trip in Panama.
How we bird
We are patient, easy-going guides who enjoy every kind of bird: forest, grassland and water birds, in the lowlands, foothills and highlands, and wildlife in general. We will stay with a mixed flock or follow an army-ant swarm until everyone in the group has seen the birds.
We keep a day list of every bird seen and heard and share it with you (we log our sightings on eBird). We don't need to see every bird we hear, and we keep playback to a minimum: we would rather hear a bird than stress it for half an hour, unless it is a target bird and the group agrees.
Our day usually runs from 6:00 am till noon, when birds are most active. On a full day we stop for lunch and bird again in the afternoon, and a couple of hours of owling is a great way to end it. You set the pace.
Tell us what you need. Your level, target birds, fitness, diet, accommodation: we answer all your questions before you book, by WhatsApp (+507 6486-3535) or at info@guidedbirdtours.com.
