Lelis Navarrete:  Top Bird Guide and Key Partner

Lelis Navarrete has nearly twenty years of experience as a birding guide. Lelis has vast experience as tour
leader in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, Peru, and now Columbia and  Panama.  
  • Lelis is regarded as one of the finest birding guides in South America and is often consulted for his
    knowledge of the birds and their vocalizations.  Lelis is familiar and able to recognize the calls and
    sounds of some 2,400 South American species, and nearly 8,000 bird vocalizations.  You will find Lelis
    can find bird species by ear from 200 yards away and help you see the bird species you most desire
    whether you are in Ecuador or whether you are in Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia, or most any part of
    South America. By my estimates and experience, Lelis' skills will allow you the opportunity to see
    another 10 to 30 species more per day than other bird guides in South America.
  • His skills and time in the field often support a number of scientific contributions.  The most famous is
    working with Robert Ridgely in discovering of the Jocotoco Antpitta (a new bird to science), and also with
    Ridgely on first records of Crested Becard and Spot-throated Hummingbird.  He has contributed to the
    work of John Moore, including several CDs of Ecuadorian birds songs and calls and including the
    rediscovery of Striated Antbird.  In solo, he has reported new species for the Ecuador bird list: Andean
    Tyrant, White-backed Stilt, and Peruvian Antpitta.  When in the field in any country, Lelis can find new
    species where not found before, extending the known range of several other species in many parts of
    South America.  
  • When Ridgley returns to South America, he often hires Lelis as a guide in most parts of South America.  
  • Lelis has a degree in biology from the Universidad Catolica in Quito.  
  • Besides being a fantastic bird guide, Lelis supports a number of conservation efforts.  He has been, and
    continues to serve, on the Board of the Jocotoco Foundation (since its conception).   
  • Lelis has always received the highest rankings from client comments.  His tour participants use him as
    a benchmark for all birding guides worldwide. In addition to his strong background as a field naturalist
    birder, Lelis is unparalleled for his people skills, attentiveness, humor and organizational skills.
  • Lelis, along with Xavier Munoz and Mercedes Rivadeneira, is one of the owners of Neblina International.
Additional Excellent Ecuadorian Bird Guides

Alejandro Solano

Alejandro Solano is also Costa Rican and now resides in Ecuador.  He has a degree in biology from Universidad Latina
de Costa Rica and the most recent acquisition to our staff.  He has developed keen field skills and has learned to be a
trip leader.  Alejandro has worked as resident naturalist guide at Monteverde Cloud Forest and has provided
tremendous volunteer work in Costa Rica’s national parks.  He has also worked in the United States on the MAPS
project at the Institute of Bird Populations in California and at the Redwoods Science Lab, Trinity River Restoration
Program at Humboldt University.  Besides leading bird trips, his field experience includes surveying, mapping nests and
banding birds. In Ecuador, he has conducted bird inventories and surveys, field projects in coastal and southern
Ecuador, and conservation work on the endangered Black-breasted Puffleg. Alejandro has also birded Peru, Bolivia,
Argentina and southern Brazil.
Xavier Munoz and Mercedes Rivadeneira
(happy to be together in life and birding) and
owners of Neblina Forest Tours.
 
Birding in Ecuador:  
Key Guides
Navarrete, Munoz, Solano, Perez, Sanchez and More