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Cerissa TannerCerissa Tanner ★★★★★ Excellent. Thoroughly enjoy the experience. Excellent birder with an amazing ear.Victoria DanbyVictoria Danby ★★★★★ I spent a delightful two days with Kadynn, birding in various locations throughout SE Arizona. Kadynn has an amazing ear and could easily decipher 6 calls at once. He knew details about behavior, habitat, and species variation. He also shared information about the local vegetation, and conservation efforts. Kadynn accommodated my interests and we visited several hotspots, and hiked a few miles each day. We crossed paths with a few people he knew, and it was obvious that Kadynn was respected as an expert, and friend. I enjoyed his stories of chasing lifers across the country, and how his love for birding began at an early age. Despite the windy conditions, we added 43 new birds to my life list! I absolutely recommend Kadynn and Arizona Birding Guides!Jason ColeJason Cole ★★★★★ Mike knew the exact locations for the species I was looking for! His ear birding skills were top notch! Definitely recommend Arizona Birding Tours!geoff cowpergeoff cowper ★★★★★ David designed our trip with our needs and appetites and it was just what we wanted. Great breadth and depth of knowledge.HBSG CommercialHBSG Commercial ★★★★★ Levi was punctual, personable and extremely knowledgable. He communicated well to create a day that exceeded all of our goals for the trip.David GilmanDavid Gilman ★★★★★ Terry CerisolesTerry Cerisoles ★★★★★ We spent a wonderful day with our birding guide, Kadynn. He knew just where to take us and recognized all the birds by ear. I highly recommend Arizona Birding Guides and Kadynn. We will definitely return and will spend more than one day with Kadynn!Julia KretschmarJulia Kretschmar ★★★★★ We had an amazing day. We are novices to birding. It was amazing to see all the different species in the Tacoma landscape. Nate was so knowledgeable and professional. Thanks for the memories.Sue SimonsSue Simons ★★★★★ Wonderful day with an amazing guide who understood that were novice birdwatchers and gave us a great birdwatching experience at several locations. A listing of all birds seen and where was provided later the same day. Highly recommend the company (and ask for Alex)!Lisa C.Lisa C. ★★★★★ Alex Patia was our guide. We had requested to see lots of birds and did we ever! He is constantly listening for bird sounds, knows all of their calls which helps to attract them, and is a wealth of knowledge about each bird species. On top of all that he is fun, friendly, and courteous. If we ever want to go on another bird tour we will ask for him!Tyler HendersonTyler Henderson ★★★★★ Michael was incredibly knowledgeable and willing to answer any question. He’ll make sure to fill the time with seeing as many birds as possible. I definitely highly recommend these folks no matter your level of birding.Leah TurnerLeah Turner ★★★★★ My mom and I booked two full day tours with Arizona Birding-- one in Phoenix with Levi and one in Patagonia with David.Levi is incredibly kind, accommodating, and professional. His bird ID knowledge and photography skills are absolutely unmatched. He was extremely helpful at finding the birds we requested and gave us photography tips in real time so that all our photos turned out amazing. We had a fabulous time and would highly recommend him to anyone and everyone!David is friendly, flexible and fun, and his knowledge of all things nature is absolutely astounding! He was very patient with us and worked hard to create a customized itinerary with multiple options to get us to the species we wanted to see. He exceeded our expectations and we can't imagine how we could've had a better day with him. Highly recommend!DanDan ★★★★★ Michael was a fantastic guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable particularly when it came to bird calls and songs. Highly recommend!Steven KesslerSteven Kessler ★★★★★ What a remarkable experience! My wife and I spent the better part of two and a half days touring with Jake, including an evening of owling. In addition to being a remarkable guide and a wealth of knowledge -- birds, botany, mammals -- Jake is a great person, whose company and calm personality made our time with him simply extraordinary. His passion for birds and for what he does comes through every minute. He made sure we saw our target birds (60 lifers with him!) and found the best places for me to get "the shot" of the bird instead of just being satisfied with hearing its beautiful song. He was so visibly disappointed when we only heard the Western Screech-Owls and Whiskered Screech-Owls that my wife had to let him know that we were more than satisfied with the evening adventure. And, in addition to birds, he knows first aid, which came in handy when a rock unexpectedly interfered with our first hike on Mt. Lemmon. I hope we are able to join Jake for some trips during monsoon madness at the end of the summer. Thank you, Jake! Thank you, ABT.Leanne OgasawaraLeanne Ogasawara ★★★★★ We recently had a fantastic experience birding with Michael Sadat in Portal Arizona. Mike was outstanding and this was one of the best birding experiences we have had. Extremely accommodating, he wanted to ensure we really enjoyed our time so asked us a lot of questions about how we wanted the morning to go. He is a talented birder who birds by ear and he was very generous teaching us about the ecology, about bird song, and all about the birds, including some avian anatomy! We had a problem with our schedule due to an issue back home, and Felipe was SO NICE making sure we got to bird, changing the date and the guide at the very last minute. The original guide was also worried and offered advice. This is a fantastic company and I plan to bird with them whenever I am in the area. Thank you Felipe for everything!!!Trudy O'ConnellTrudy O'Connell ★★★★★ We spent two half days with Jake Thompson. Jake’s enthusiasm is contagious and his knowledge of birds is fantastic. He is excellent not only at finding the birds, but also is knowledgeable about their habits and quirks. His familiarity with plants and trees was unexpected but much appreciated. We would wholeheartedly recommend Jake to anyone who wants a friendly and skilled guide for exploring the rich birding areas of SE Arizona. As soon as we left, we wanted to go back! Thanks to Felipe for setting us up with such a wonderful guide!Sylvia GiesekeSylvia Gieseke ★★★★★ What a great experience we had with Arizona Birding Guides. We were coming from Iowa and birding on our own so wanted a couple days with a guide when I contacted them they were able to advise me as to areas to bird for the birds we were hoping to see. Levi and David were our guides. They not only could identify the songs but did an amazing job of locating them. Not only were they amazing guides but great company. We just had an amazing time birding and were able to get 12 lifers. More than we expected for the whole week. We will definitely be using their services again.Andrew LucyAndrew Lucy ★★★★★ We’re from MN and went birdwatching around Tucson AZ with Caleb as our guide. We were very excited to see many many birds that were native to the southwest and a great number were new to us. Great experienceMichelle ArguellesMichelle Arguelles ★★★★★ My husband and I had an excellent time birding with Kadynn over a couple half days and one night of owling. He was very professional, knowledgeable, and infectiously enthusiastic about the birds in Arizona! We got great lists of birds, including a fantastic night of owls. Booking was easy and quick, and it was very easy to communicate with the company while booking and subsequently when Kadynn picked locations for us to meet. This is my second time birding with Arizona Birding Guides and Kadynn, and I would book again and recommend them wholeheartedly.Christian MatsonChristian Matson ★★★★★ Had a wonderful experience with ABT in January. It exceeded our expectations. My wife and I were relatively new to birding but studied ecology in school. Kaydnn was super knowledgeable, smart and a great guy to spend the day with. He was able to answer all of our questions as academically as we were willing to discuss. We learned a ton about birds and the ecology of the area. And we had plenty of laughs talking with him about a variety of topics! I would highly recommend this company and Kaydnn. You’ll see and ID more birds than you thought was possible and have a great time!jean philipsjean philips ★★★★★ I booked a tour for my parents, who are 80 and 86. Kadynn did a great job finding routes that were manageable for them and was both knowledgeable and courteous. We all learned a ton and it was a joyful experience. Thanks!Holly KlemanHolly Kleman ★★★★★ We had a great day birding with Jake. He was excellent at identifying birds by sight and sound, and he taught us a lot about bird identification, local trees, and plants. We spent over eight hours with him and visited approximately six sites. He also prepared the eBird checklists to share with us. We are novice birders, and this was our first trip to Arizona, so he got us over forty new life birds! Felipe was also extremely quick in replying to my inquiries even with very short notice for our visit. Highly recommend their birding services!Bryan GieszlBryan Gieszl ★★★★★ I booked a custom birding tour with several specific and difficult targets in the Tucson area. Booking was easy. David was my guide and came up with a loop birding itinerary to find my targets. He was a great guide and a lot of fun to spend the day with. I'm an intense birder but David would have been just as good with a less intense trip as he knows far more than just birds. Despite being late for wintering birds, we doing Baird's Sparrow and Chestnut collared Longspur among five lifers for the day. I highly recommend Arizona birding toursLaurie DanforthLaurie Danforth ★★★★★ Look no further than Jake Thompson from Arizona Birding. Jake was a stellar guide who has a deep passion for all of nature. He not only knew his birds, but also the flora and where to go to find whatever we were searching out. He’s also just a congenial person, fun, and flexible. We had to change our destinations due to snow, our time due to a late night before, and Jake just rolled with it. He genuinely loves the natural world and his enthusiasm is contagious. We really enjoyed our 7 hours with Jake. He also knew a good lunch spot!Zoltan PZoltan P ★★★★★ We enjoyed our 2 half days of birding with John in the Oak Canyon and Flagstaff areas. Despite a wild mix of wintery weather, we managed to get good looks and some lifers. A laid back style and pace enabled us to linger on the birds that were most interesting to us. Great banter on birds, plants, wildlife and photography made it an educational experience for us as well.Michael MurphyMichael Murphy ★★★★★ Had a wonderful experience with AZ Birding Tours. My guide, Kadynn was an expert birder with in-depth knowledge of all the hotspots and bird species, resulting in 17 lifers! Everyone I had contact with was helpful and professional. I highly recommend!Mark PorizkyMark Porizky ★★★★★ Felipe was very helpful and supportive giving us guidance and ideas. Our, guide, David, was wonderful. His passion for birding was evident as we were always ready to call it a day before he was. My wife has birding, and naturalist, interests. He was constantly engaging her interest. I am a rank amateur, yet David was amazingly patient and funny. We couldn't have been more pleased.Scott SeierScott Seier ★★★★★ What a wonderful birding experience courtesy of Arizona Birding Tours! I had a full day tour with Levi as my guide. Levi was fully prepared for the day, putting together an itinerary that would meet my goal - seeing as many birds as possible. And, because of Levi’s preparation and excellent skills as a guide, we met this goal, with 29 lifers! Levi is a great guide, demonstrating great knowledge of birds as well as patience, making it easy for me to not only see birds but also learn along the way. I highly recommend Arizona Birding Tours to any and all!Kathleen HarnerKathleen Harner ★★★★★ My brother & I had 2 1/2 day tours in the Sierra Vista area with JakeWe are not experienced birders but we were quite keen & Jake was a good guideHe was good with birds but also good with botany & mammals too. Very personable & helpful.I hope to do this again with my husband next time, and I will definitely use Arizona birding tours againRick HartwigRick Hartwig ★★★★★ Had a great time with David with a night of Owling and a 1/2 day of birding. He was very patient with us, and he sought after our target birds. He was very informative about all things Arizona too. I would definitely recommend Arizona birding tours and of course our favorite is David.As you’re planning your trip, book a time with a bird guide, and then they will give you hints and tips of where you can go on your own afterwards.Bill EiseleBill Eisele ★★★★★ I had a wondeful experience with Arizona Birding Tours! Felipe was prompt in getting me scheduled and Caleb provided exceptional guiding services! Caleb was knowledgeable, professional and a real joy to spend a few days with. We had a really great time, and we saw some great birds! I've hired guides all around the world and this team is amongst the best of them. Thanks for a great time Felipe and Caleb!Maureen WinklerMaureen Winkler ★★★★★ My experience with ABT was superb! I am a bird lover, but a novice at bird photography. I had two half day tours, first with Jake and second with Kadynn. They were so knowledgeable, as well as patient. They helped with my rented 100-400mm lens and camera and I learned how to draw the birds out. I highly recommend ABT--too many lifers to list for me!L FitzpatrickL Fitzpatrick ★★★★★ Really happy with Arizona Birding Tours. Jake did a great job of introducing the different local habitats and species over the two days we were out. He picked locations convenient to where I was staying and to provide a good overview of what's around. He's excellent at birding by ear, and helped me to learn a few species by reinforcing what we were hearing and giving me a chance to guess before calling it out. I enjoyed my time, learned a ton, and was well set up for the rest of my time birding in the area. Thanks!Maria Elena MonteroMaria Elena Montero ★★★★★ I had a wonderful two days of birding with John Wilson. John is super knowledgeable about habitat and range, and our outings were well-organized and fun. With his expert ears and eyes, we were able to get more birds than we'd expected. I highly recommend Arizona Birding Tours without any reservations, and will definitely team up with them again on my next visit to Arizona.Joseph TrezzaJoseph Trezza ★★★★★ I highly recommend this tour company. Felipe, the owner, made coordination and setup very easy and paired me with an excellent guide, Kadynn, who was knowledgeable, enthusiastic and suited to the particular needs of my trip. That we dipped on a few species had nothing to do with Kadynn’s expertise or perseverance, and I was able to get those birds the next day because of the local knowledge he imparted on me. We’ve stayed in touch helping put each other on other birds, too. I think he’s a very impressive young birder and my time with him was invaluable. I'd like to bird with him again one day soon, and will definitely be asking Arizona Birding Tours for help with my next trip to the region.Deanna TremblayDeanna Tremblay ★★★★★ My experience with Arizona Birding Tours was excellent! I heard back within 24 hours of submitting my request and sorting out a schedule with Jake was easy peasy. Felipe also checked in to make sure scheduling was running smoothly. I booked two tours and went on the first this past weekend with Kadynn. It was a fantastic experience and I am looking forward to our next excursion in May. I highly recommend Arizona Birding Tours, especially for those hard to get birds!Cal WaltersCal Walters ★★★★★ Birded for 3+ days with AZ Birding Tours in SEAZ in mid-Feb. In all, 104 species including some hard to get birds. Our guide was Kadynn. My friend and I had a wide array of species which required a wide territory to be covered and Kadynn did a great job of organizing our path across the lower state. Kadynn has an amazing ear and can hear a whisper in a hurricane - which on one day we had (Can't control the weather), and yet we still got onto many of the targets we wanted.Lakshminarayanan SundaresanLakshminarayanan Sundaresan ★★★★★ Hired AZ Birding tour guides on non-consecutive days at Tuscon and Sierra Vista areas for 4 days. Tuscon guide David Griffin is a Biologist and Naturalist with immense knowledge of bio diversity and habitats for different species. It was a lot of fun and learning experience with David. Sierra Vista guide Jake Thomson had similar knowledge of habitats and was fun to bird with. We got a lot of birds in my target list. Very happy to have chosen AZ tours.Eliana DrierEliana Drier ★★★★★ I had a great experience birding with Eric from Arizona Birding Tours at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch. We saw 66 species of birds which by far exceeded my expectations. I am relatively new to birding and was happy to learn from Eric how to identify various birds by sound, behavior and through the habitats they lived in. I will definitely be applying all I learned in my future birding excursions!John KarpovichJohn Karpovich ★★★★★ Did 3 full days of birding in SE AZ with Jake Thompson in January ‘24 along with my cousin.Jake is amazingly knowledgeable about birds and their habitats and behaviors and not only helped us find and identify many lifers, but also took the time to teach us along the way.It was clear from the beginning that Jake really listened to what we were looking for - seeing different habitats, finding some local / regional birds and taking enough time to learn and photograph when opportunity presented itself.We covered a ton of ground - and a ton of species! - in 3 days, but it never felt rushed when we wanted to dig deeper or look for a better photo op.Jake also has a really nice, easy going personality that just made the outings fun. We had a blast and I’m looking forward to the next opportunity to go back during a different season and keep exploring AZ birds.Ben ZeranteBen Zerante ★★★★★ I had a wonderful day birding with Gary R. He provided me with support before and after the trip and developed a detailed plan to see as many of my targets as possible. Gary is extremely knowledgeable and I learned so much from him! It was an all around perfect birding day in Arizona.Nelson MostowNelson Mostow ★★★★★ I had a phenomenal half day birding trip with Jake Thompson of Arizona Birding Tours on January 13, 2024. Jake is amazing! He has great skills at both seeing and hearing birds which enabled us to see lots of different birds, including several life birds for me. He also recognizes different trees and plants and knows which microclimates are likely to hold which birds. His skill is uncanny! He is very warm and personable and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip. We met at 7 am birded the lower portion of Florida Canyon and then went up to Santa Rita Lodge to see some birds there. My half day birding with Jake was exceptional! I Highly recommend him!Chien WangChien Wang ★★★★★ We highly recommend Arizona Birding Tours! Felipe was super responsive, and our guide Kadynn was the best. My sister and I took our mother for her 80th birthday for a saguaro national park bucket list trip. Our mother is an amateur birder, so we were not sure a guide was necessary or if the outing would be too strenuous for her. But, it was the best decision we ever made, and the highlight of our trip! Kadynn led us at the perfect pace and trails (she was so excited we hiked for 4.5 hours) to see so many lifer birds for our mom! He taught us digibinning so we got great shots too! Road runner, phainopepla, gambel’s quail, rock wren, vermilion flycatcher, to name just a few of the over 80 species we saw. My sister and I started our birding fascination that day!David BlassDavid Blass ★★★★★ This was a fantastic experience! Kadynn is a great birding guide; he can hear the difference between hummingbird species, often knowing they were there before he saw them! He's very patient and made sure we saw the birds that he saw. We (3 in our group) would go birding with him any time.Chris OveringtonChris Overington ★★★★★ Gary not only an exceptionally talented birder, but also extremely knowledgeable both about local and international birds and birding, making for a highly satisfactory and enjoyable day. I can recommend him (and therefore Arizona Birding Tours) without hesitation - highest recommendation! 🙂Eric DyckEric Dyck ★★★★★ Jake was a great guide. Good communication, knowledgeable, worked hard to find the birds. Five stars.Dawn ReeceDawn Reece ★★★★★ Hiring our two guides, David and Levi, from Arizona Birding Tours was the best decision ever! Being from the eastern side of the US we weren’t as familiar with the birds found in AZ. Our first evening David took us out owling and we had the best time. He was incredibly knowledgeable and we love to learn so it was a perfect match! And we found owls too!! The next day we hired Levi for a full day tour. He found us so many birds that we would have never discovered on our own. We hiked 7 miles over 3 different locations and had the best time! As wonderful as that all was, both of our guides went above and beyond both before and after our tours. They answered all our questions, gave us lots of extra tips and hints, and sent numerous map pin drops of other locations to visit on our own. Because of all their help we were able to find 52 new species of birds during our visit! I can’t recommend ABT enough!!Aks vAks v ★★★★★ I did one day of birding and photography with Kadynn. It was the most memorable time spent at Tucson. We saw about 25+ species of birds. Birds were playing hide and seek, it was not easy to track them through lens when they were hopping around and having fun. Kadynn was extremely supportive, he helped me track and identify the birds quickly. I got many amazing shots. I do alot of solo trips just to avoid the noise and movements. This trip made me appreciate the like minded company. I got to hear epic stories on these birds. I am amazed with the variety and loved the mob party of these birds. I love birds and was very happy to hear the team works on the conservation too. So happy that I chose to do the tour with them. I am going to do one for the owls next.Kalpesh KrishnaKalpesh Krishna ★★★★★ We did a day tour with Louie D. in southeastern Arizona, covering Madera Canyon, Patagonia and Green Valley. We booked the tour kind of last minute, but Felipe was very prompt and accommodating and luckily there was guide availability!Overall, we had a wonderful time birding with Louie. The conditions were a bit tough with harsh winds. But Louie made sure we still managed to get 15 lifers! We managed to cover a number of hotspots over the course of the day, and the places were well thought out and tailored to our target list. Louie also gave us numerous suggestions on how best to spend our time on the first and last day when he was not guiding.Overall, I highly recommend Arizona Birding Tours and Louie as a guide!Charles EliotCharles Eliot ★★★★★ Upon a recommendation, we used Arizona Birding Tours for 2 days to help us complete our 600 birds for the year. We initially spoke with Jake Thompson who was professional and prompt with his communication. Kadynn Hatfield was our guide and he was amazing. He was also extremely knowledgeable and professional, yet friendly and down to earth. He went above and beyond to help us find our target birds. We will definitely call them again and we hope to have Kadynn as our guide; however, we imagine any of the guides with ABT would be wonderful.Stewart MayhewStewart Mayhew ★★★★★ What a great experience! Jake is a terrific guide, providing guidance and insights far beyond just finding and identifying birds. He clearly has deep knowledge of how species interact over time with geography, weather patterns, and food sources. Super friendly and very dedicated. Highly recommend. As a visitor from the US east coast and relatively new birder, I saw and photographed many new species in Madera Canyon, Las Cienegas, Patagonia, and other sites in Southern Arizona. Green Kingfisher, Baird's Sparrow, Ruddy Ground Dove, Sprague's Pipet, Hepatic Tanager, Violet-capped hummingbird, and many others.John AmorosoJohn Amoroso ★★★★★ Arizona Birding Tours guides are a class act! I had an amazing two days with Caleb recently who is somewhat of a birding savant - He can id passerine flight song at 100+ ft! And the rest of the ABT crew are all generous with their time and talents and add vibrancy and camaraderie to the Arizona birding community. I give them my highest recommendation.Thomas SkeltonThomas Skelton ★★★★★ Spent the day with Nolan in the greater Patagonia area. Had a wonderful day with lots of new Lifers! His ability to hear and find birds is incredible and would highly recommend.Sarah KilgoreSarah Kilgore ★★★★★ Had an incredible time birding with Jake! He helped me check off so many birds on my life list and was extremely knowledgeable and fun. Got to see a burrowing owl — which was awesome (pictured below). Highly recommend!Jennifer ZellmerJennifer Zellmer ★★★★★ It was a great birding experience!steven fullersteven fuller ★★★★★ Went on a private tour with Nolan on Oct 6-8, 2023. I had not been birding in the southwest except southern CA, and told my guide I would like to see as many southwest species as possible. I got photos of 106 species, half of which were new birds for me. I highly recommend Nolan. He has amazing ability to identify birds from a long distance as well as by calls. And of course, nothing beats local knowledge.Peter DarcyPeter Darcy ★★★★★ I booked a half day visit with Arizona birding tours. Several things impressed me. First a response within a few minutes of booking to connect with some information. Second providing a target list of birds to see, made me feel i was more in control of birds i wanted to see. I was partnered up with Jake who absolutely knows his stuff. Not only the songs, but calls and chips which are very hard to identify. Not only was Jake professional, knowledgeable and insightful, but he was personable and friendly. We hit all my target birds save a handful. Thank you Jake and Arizona bird tours. Will book again when in town. Excellent ValuePeterNancy BaudendistelNancy Baudendistel ★★★★★ I did a full day bird watching with Arizona Birding Tours, with David Griffin as our birding guide. It was such an amazing day! We went to 5 different locations and saw so many birds, 91 to be exact! David was excellent at identifying by sight and sound and could locate the birds so quickly. He also kept track of all the sitings on ebird for me, that was a treat. He used a pointer for me when I couldn’t locate the birds, super helpful. And he is such an expert on everything nature and has a great personality too. I highly recommend Arizona birding tours!BenBen ★★★★★ I used Arizona Birding Tours during my trip to Tucson in September 2023 and Kadynn was my guide. This was my first time birding and photographing the Tucson area so I wanted a guide to help get me in the right areas to photograph my target species. Not only did Kadynn get me in front of every target species I requested, he was able to get me in front of a ton of additional species that weren’t on my list. In 1.5 days with Kadynn I was able to get good photos of 47 new lifers! Kadynn’s knowledge and ability to ID by sound were very impressive…it was like hanging out with an encyclopedia for 1.5 days. If you’re looking for a birding guide, I strongly recommend Kadynn. I had such a good experience that I’ll definitely use Arizona Birding Tours next time I’m in Arizona.Karl BiesemierKarl Biesemier ★★★★★ We booked two full days of guided birding and an evening owling for our trip to SE AZ while staying at Casa de San Pedro. Jake Thompson was our fabulous guide. He was very familiar with all the area birding hotspots, could identify all the birds by call, even faint and short segments, and shared complete ebird checklists.Thane DinsdaleThane Dinsdale ★★★★★ This was my first major bird trip out of state. I did a 6 day private tour including 2 night sessions, because I knew there would be plenty of life birds in central and northern AZ also. I went with Caleb who is extremely knowledgeable about not only birds, but other fauna, habitats, plants, etc... He's awesome at birding by ear, great at getting people on the bird, and knows how to set people up for decent photos. There was also good communication ahead of time from Felipe and Caleb. I didn't give a big list of targets, just general guidelines that I wanted to see cool birds and cool habitats, and hopefully get some good photo ops. I wasn't trying to get a maximum list total but ended up getting 102 life birds on the 6 day tour, and I was really happy with the birds, habitats, and photo ops.We spent the first 3 days in SE AZ, covering a different area each day. We got pretty much all the southeastern specialties except rufous-capped warbler, which wasn't seen that day. Highlights included good looks at elegant trogon, spotted owl, tons of hummingbirds (Lucifer was my favorite), a pair of becards building a nest, plus some really cool looking birds like yellow-eyed junco and bronzed cowbird.After SE AZ, we had an extra day scheduled to cover any misses, but we had seen almost all the targets, so we took a side trip to the Sea of Cortez in Mexico where we got yellow-footed gull and some other nice sea birds. Then we spent one day around Phoenix area. I really enjoyed the Phoenix birds other than the heat. We got several nice birds like LeConte's thrasher, Ridgway's rail, and Common black hawk. We spent the last day in Northern AZ. We got to watch a family of 4 condors which was maybe the highlight of the trip. We ended in Kaibab NF, which was difficult birding but we saw a few nice birds there like Williamson's sapsucker.There were a few misses and a few missed photo targets but that will happen on any trip. I've attached a few photos but I'm only partway through the editing process.Glenn SummersGlenn Summers ★★★★★ Arizona Birding Tours lined me up with Jake T. for two bird photography sessions at various lakes and trails near Prescott, Az., September 10 and 11. Jake is extremely knowledgable and enthusiastic, born and bred in the area. I learned a lot, saw some beautiful areas, and took got some great shots of blue heron, cormorants, ducks, ibis, blue birds, warbler, acorn woodpeckers and others. I had a wonderful time, thanks to Jake. Highly recommended.Craig HuishCraig Huish ★★★★★ An end of August birding tour with Arizona Birding Tours was all I had hoped for. I had a list of birds I had hoped to photograph, and got almost all of them.The weather was fine except for heavy rain on a couple of nocturnal outings. My guide, Kadynn, was patient and persistent. We waited out the deluge and got our target bird. Kadynn was very flexible, and planned the day-long outings thoughtfully, with us spending cooler mornings in desert habitat to see the species there, then moving into the mountains in the afternoons for higher-level birds.Kadynn has a great ear for birds, and is up-to-date on locations of birds moving through at certain times of the year.I plan to use Arizona Birding Tours next spring with a new list of species for that time of the year.Joshua SymonsJoshua Symons ★★★★★ Was an amazing experience. Our guide Jake was fun, knowledgeable and tailored our birding day to our requests. Would absolutely recommend to any birder travelling through Arizona in search of any species.Gene Ellison (Gino)Gene Ellison (Gino) ★★★★★ Felipe - my thanks to you and everyone at Arizona Birding Guides for coordinating my 5 day birding adventure with your top guide Kadyn Hatfield.We reported 186 species (9 life birds) in 5 days.My compliments to Kadyn for his:1 professionalism as a guide2 early arrival each day3 an efficient, well thought out set of logistics4 outstanding birding ID skills5 fun personality6 drive to get me the target birds I wanted to see here in ArizonaIt is my intention to contact you again in the future to book additional trips. I would strongly recommend other birders contact you for bird guiding.You have built a wonderful birding business ! Congratulations ! Please be well and pass along my thanks to Kadyn.Gino EllisonEdward ZEdward Z ★★★★★ Ann MartinezAnn Martinez ★★★★★ I was in Arizona for a birding convention and did multiple private birding tours. I went on a tour with Nolan and a separate tour with Kadynn both are really young but have the most amazing talent at being able to identify all the birds by call and hearing and identifying the birds before we even saw them. They also both know a lot about other wildlife and plants. Kadynn knows alot about reptiles also.I also went on a tour with David and he was excellent also. David is older and has experienced more of the area in terms of how things have changed over time and how populations have changed.I would highly recommend any of these three guides.Isaac PhillipsIsaac Phillips ★★★★★ We have used Arizona Birding Tours for two years now and have had a great experience with all three of the tour guides we have used (David, Caleb, and Kadynn). Everyone is really knowledgeable about the area, extremely talented birders and guides, and go out of their way to help us find what we are looking for. When we are out in the birding areas even people from other birding groups are often coming over to try to get information from our knowledgeable guides. Felipe is super responsive and quickly gets everything organized.Greg CGreg C ★★★★★ My family and I birded with Nolan in the Sierra Vista area in July 2023. This was a great experience I'd recommend Nolan and Arizona Birding Tours to birders at any level! To start, Felipe was very helpful in finding the right member of their team for us, given our targets, location, and schedule.When the day arrived Nolan was prompt and we had a great time! We opted for both a day of (daytime) birding focused on photography, then a nighttime owling session. Both were worth it. He had a great sense from his local birding experience on just where to look for the species we wanted. He also was very knowledgeable in the area of birds and ornithology. Most importantly though, he was great with our teenage daughter, who was along for the tours and doing a 2023 "big year". She told us after how much she enjoying birding and chatting with him.He even provided valuable advice for us for the next day (when we didn't have time for guiding) on wrapping up with a few additional species, before our flight back east and home. Fantastic experience both from management and the tour guide!! Good birding!Lisa NastaLisa Nasta ★★★★★ Nolan Walker was my birding guide in Southeast Arizona for 3 half days and 1 evening. He planned an Itinerary based on my wants and needs. Right away I was confident with his knowledge and abilities. He was very sharp and had a great eye and ear. Nolan didn’t miss a bird whether it was flying by, singing or a low chip note. He would always make sure I heard the bird and described its vocalizations so I could recognize it on my own which I can appreciate. I can also appreciate how well he described the location of where a bird was when he spotted it so I could get on it quickly. Nolan answered all my questions and was very knowledgeable on identifying and locating birds in the area. He is also knowledgeable about snakes and other reptiles and amphibians. He was always focused on getting me on the target birds I needed. I had a really great experience and got lots of new birds for my life list. If you are thinking of hiring a guide do not hesitate to book with Arizona Birding tours. (I will be adding some of my favorite photos here.)Ellen MillerEllen Miller ★★★★★ I spent 2 days with Caleb Strand doing some target birding. I had excellent views of all the birds I needed. Caleb was prepared, focused, patient, and personable. Very good experience. I highly recommend.John HannanJohn Hannan ★★★★★ Nolan, my guide was fantastic! He provided me with a list of possible birds, which I was able to pick the ones I would like to see most. Based on that information, Nolan planned the day and places to provide the greatest success.He understood I was a bird photographer and not a true birder, and he worked hard to get the best shot and to explain the difference in species.Anyone wanting an friendly guide in the Tucson area with fantastic knowledge, should engage Nolan, you will not regret it.Suresh SubramanianSuresh Subramanian ★★★★★ Went on a half day birding tour with Arizona birding and Caleb Strand near the Phoenix area. Caleb was extremely knowledgeable and both i and my daughter enjoyed ourselves. My highlights included Burrowing owls, barn owls, several thrushes. Highly recommendedAngelo A.Angelo A. ★★★★★ Arizona Birding Tours and our guide, Caleb Strand, helped us plan a three day tour in late June for a list of target birds in S.E. Arizona. The tour was excellent in every way, including timing, variety, pace and quality of observations. Caleb found all of our target birds along with a few bonus birds we were not expecting. We also had the opportunity to observe many other birds we had seen before, but with better looks on this trip. At the end of the tour the total bird count exceeded 120 species. Caleb was a wonderful companion throughout the tour and we benefited significantly from his ornithological experience and expertise and from the information he passed on about the areas we were birding. My wife and highly recommend Caleb Strand and Arizona Birding Tours.Angelo and Inara AngelisMichael PazzaniMichael Pazzani ★★★★★ Great tour of Patagonia Lake area. Arizona Bird Tours was easy to work with— quick to reply, and find a guide who knew the specific areas. Nolan was great, on time and knew the specific area the bird we were looking (varied bunting) for might be found. We found it and more.Vernie Aikins (pedalpics)Vernie Aikins (pedalpics) ★★★★★ Wow, what an experience in San Pedro de la Cueva with Felipe Guerrero and Jake Thompson from Arizona Birding Tours! I don't think I have ever said, "that was so dope" so many times on a birding trip before. It was one of those reaffirming trips where you really realize why you spend all of your free time doing something. Adventuring into seldom-seen canyons, or exploring new towns you have never been to before, with fun knowledgeable people is just priceless. Sitting on top of a hill with macaws flying below makes the 3am rollcall, and 115-degree temps, that much more bearable. Discovering bird species where they were never thought to have ranged before is exhilarating! It's one of those trips where you are completely exhausted, overheated, and miss your wife, but you would drop anything to turn around and go right back and do it again.Francis BullettFrancis Bullett ★★★★★ I booked two half-days birding south of Tucson with Caleb. Awesome guide, encyclopedic knowledge of bird songs and calls. Caleb helped me find all my target birds and then some. Felipe was a great help with organizing the tour and putting the trip together. I would definitely recommend Arizona Birding Tours to anyone planning a birding vacation in Arizona.David DavisDavid Davis ★★★★★ Our group of 6 spent 3 wonderful days birding with David Griffin in mid-May in and around the Madera Canyon area. Prior to the trip, I first worked with Felipe to sketch out the details. He then assigned David to lead our group and he was also extremely prompt and helpful in setting up the itinerary.David is also very flexible, patient and understanding because in the days leading up to the trip we kept throwing him curveballs due to some health issues one of our group was having, but he was unfazed.David is an excellent birder, knowing where to find the birds, knowing their calls and being a keen spotter. He also has a delightful sense of humor and is very friendly. His knowledge of wildlife biology is most impressive as is his love of nature.Would highly recommend him.Jonah EckelsJonah Eckels ★★★★★ Awesome group who deliver fantastic birds along with an amazing experience. Special thanks to Kadynn for getting me my lifer Elegant Trogon plus many other special birds!Mike O'MalleyMike O'Malley ★★★★★ I had an outstanding experience with Arizona Birding Tours! I spent two days birding southeast Arizona hotspots with my guide, David Griffin.David is a great guy and is a terrific birder with a keen ear. We saw all the birds I had hoped to see and more!I also appreciated his knowledge of the natural world in general-the plants, trees and geography in the region.We got along great and I’d highly recommend David to anyone wanting to bird SE Arizona!Joe WingJoe Wing ★★★★★ I had the pleasure of working with Caleb to help me find some birds. I found our time together quite enjoyable!He is an excellent guide! He has all the knowledge and skills needed on where to find the birds, to get you to see them, all with excellent interpersonal skills. We found all of the birds I was seeking that were around at this time of year.Julie DaleJulie Dale ★★★★★ I recently had the pleasure of working with Kadynn. I wanted to locate 7-8 owl species. We went out during the day and also did some night birding. Kadynn was very personable, and he also really knew his stuff. Kadynn worked hard to locate the birds I was interested in and was successful in doing so. Moreover, Kadynn was an absolute pleasure to hang out with. He was friendly and easy to talk to throughout the entire trip. I also learned a bit about herping, which Kadynn is really into!Overall, I had a great experience with Kadynn as my guide and highly recommend him to anyone looking for a knowledgeable and personable guide. I will definitely be back for more birding adventures with Kadynn!Regina McNultyRegina McNulty ★★★★★ My group of 10 from Kane County Audubon had two great outings with Jake Thompson with Arizona Birding Tours. Jake took us owling in Miller Canyon and then we spent the entire day at a variety of places including Ramsay and Ash Canyons. Jake readily adjusted his pace to the varying levels of fitness in our group. He was great at not just finding the birds but id'ing plants, pointing out various insects and answering any questions our group had. He was personable, never in a hurry and he gave our group a great experience. I would not hesitate to use him again. Thanks Jake!Sam KruegerSam Krueger ★★★★★ We engage the services of Eric Hough for two days of guided birding around the Tucson area.We had a wonderful time with Eric. Eric’s knowledge of birds, plants, geography, and the history of the area was truly exceptional. While this is the first time I’ve hired a private birding guide, I have been on many walks with Audobon leaders, and I’ve also been on many botanic outings with experts in the field, and Eric’s knowledge of all of these subjects was outstanding. And we enjoyed not just seeing the birds, but learning about their behavior, biology, and so on. In addition, Eric is an easy-going guy, and very enjoyable to hang out with. We honestly don’t feel we could’ve had a better guide.Trista NealonTrista Nealon ★★★★★ I am so glad we used Arizona Birding Tours for our trip to SE Arizona earlier this month! Caleb is an absolute rock star birding guide! We saw an incredible number of new species! Caleb planned our itinerary with diverse locations and habitats which maximized the number of species we saw. We booked three full days and one night of owling, and it was so worth it! We also learned so much about bird behavior, habitat, vocalizations, and flora and fauna of the area. For example, I had no idea that scorpions glowed in the dark! Caleb knows all the birds, their calls, and where to find them. It was so cool to see gray hawks come when he called them. It was like they knew him! He is truly the Bird Whisperer! I am so thankful to Caleb and Arizona Birding Tours for making our trip such a memorable and incredible experience!AnnieAnnie ★★★★★ Two half days at Patagonia Lake Birding Trail, Montosa Canyon, and Santa Rita Lodge. Jake Thompson was our guide. He found almost all of my target birds! He is an expert on bird calls/vocalizations, habitat, and bird behavior. We had a great time and appreciate Jake's professionalism and willingness to help us get our birds. i would definitely choose jake and AZ Birding Tours for future adventures.Diane GoldfarbDiane Goldfarb ★★★★★ I had a day with Jake Thompson up Miller Canyon. It was one of the most enjoyable hikes that I have had in the many years I have been there. Jake was a marvelous guide in that he is incredibly informed on many areas of nature. Even more, his love of nature is contagious in that he is totally at home in it, the scenery, the smells, and of course the birds. He know so much about the bird habitats and how they have adapted to a certain area, and a yearning to be constantly learning more. I certainly look forward to seeing him in the future. Thank you Jake for a wonderful day. Debbie Goldfarb,Santa MonicaCasey BaldwinCasey Baldwin ★★★★★ Levi was an outstanding guide for our birding tour. He did a great job of educating us about the many species that we encountered. The whole birding trip was a blast! Definitely recommend booking a tour with Levi:)Barry MarshBarry Marsh ★★★★★ Wanting to get a few target lifers (and, of course, again see some of the other amazing AZ birds already on my life list) I booked a full day and two half-days with Jake Thompson. Jake did an excellent job - he got me on three of my targets and tried very hard for the rest. He shared his broad knowledge of habitats, flora, and fauna. After the last trip he gave me advice on where I could look for some of the target species we missed. A really wonderful experience!bobo linkbobo link ★★★★★ My wife and I just finished two full-day birding trip with guide Levi Plummer of Arizona birding tours. The experience is simply amazing. Levi is such a talented young guide who's able to pick up every single bird call and detect any movement around us. His scouting and trip itineraries were perfect, which enabled us to pick up nearly all of the 30+ target species. He's also very courteous and considerate of us. My wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip.John GoodJohn Good ★★★★★ I hired Nolan through ABT and all I can say is WOW! Nolan = WOW! There are so many superlatives that apply (amazing knowledge, eyes and ears 100 times better than AI, hardworking, helpful, courteous, etc., etc.), But WOW just sums it up nicely! Months before we even met, he was texting me about my goals so that we could come up with an appropriate plan. We birded together for two half days plus a full day, and Nolan even texted me about the locations of several ABA rarities when we weren’t birding together, so that I could go for them on my own. He kindly took into consideration my physical limitations with uphill hiking, so I was never worried about not being able to complete any of the short treks. I took thousands of pics (20 frames per second is both a blessing and a curse!) and after reviewing most of them upon returning home, there were some birds I just couldn’t identify. No worries – a quick text to Nolan got me the answers that I needed! If you are lucky enough to go birding with Nolan, I’m sure that it will be a remarkable and memorable experience, no matter what your individual goals are! I would definitely bird with him again!Lisa TLisa T ★★★★★ Nolan is a great guide, extremely knowledgeable and his ability to hear and spot birds was amazing. Had a wonderful birding experience. Highly recommend Arizona Birding Tours.Barbara TBarbara T ★★★★★ We had Kadynn for a full day and owling and we couldn't have been more pleased! It was rough in the beginning because of the high winds. We had a specific list of birds we wanted to see and we got some of them. Kadynn was professional, friendly, smart, enthousiastic and very knowledgeable.Claire CordonClaire Cordon ★★★★★ Great experience with birding tour by Caleb and Arizona Birding Tours. You will learn alot about birds, their habitats, calls and favorite haunts. Scheduling with Felipe was very smooth.Iris KilpatrickIris Kilpatrick ★★★★★ Nolan is kind, professional, has super powers for hearing and recognizing birds, sees everything. He’s like a Clark Kent that turns in Superman out in the field. Best guide I’ve ever had and that includes other countries too. He’s also quick witted, personable and very handsome. Loved him.Iris KilpatrickT.J. LehmanT.J. Lehman ★★★★★ Nolan was skilled, thoughtful, and just a fantastic person to spend the day with. My 15-year-old son and I were both very, very impressed with Nolan and pleased with our day. We highly recommend Nolan and Arizona Birding Tours.BodieBodie ★★★★★ David was a great guide - extremely knowledgeable, personable, and patient - made for a memorable bird outing. Thanks so much, David!John McDonnellJohn McDonnell ★★★★★ This company could not be more perfect. Booking and follow up was super friendly and efficient. Our guide, Kadynn, was by far the most skilled guide we have had in 10 years of hiring bird guides. He is genuine sound savant and is a lot of fun to bird with. We will only use ABT and Kadynn when birding in AZ from this point on.Jack McCJack McC ★★★★★ My wife and I were absolutely delighted with the guides ABT provided for us on two separate days, Louie and Jake. Their knowledge of birds, skill spotting them, and friendly personalities were all you could ever hope for in guides. On our first Western birding trip, we added 76 species to our life list, and learned so much about so many of them. Louie's spot of a super hard to locate Pygmy Owl, and Jake's spot of the Rufous-capped Warbler were highlights of our trip. Highest recommendation, and we are looking forward to our next trip with ABT!Cindy FischerCindy Fischer ★★★★★ Such a rewarding day of birding with Jake T. He was super knowledgeable about many nature topics. The best day birding in a very long time.js_loader
Northern Pygmy-Owl © Felipe Guerrero
MacGillivray's Warbler © Felipe Guerrero
Crissal Thrasher © Felipe Guerrero