From 4:15am pre-dawn walks to dusk owl searches, follow a Colombian bird guide through a full expedition day and discover what it really takes to find the country's most spectacular species.
My alarm goes off at 4:15 am. By 4:45, I am on the trail with a head torch and a thermos of coffee, listening to the forest wake up around me. This is the hour that makes the job.
Being a bird guide in Colombia is not a nine-to-five. It is an immersive, full-time engagement with some of the most extraordinary natural landscapes on the planet. A typical expedition day begins in darkness, with a pre-dawn walk to catch the first birds singing before the light arrives. Antbirds call from the undergrowth. Tanagers begin to move through the canopy. If we are lucky, a rail steps into the open for a few seconds before retreating.
By mid-morning, activity slows as birds shelter from the heat, and I use the time to brief the group on what we have seen, answer questions, and plan the afternoon route. After a rest during the midday heat, we go out again in the late afternoon, catching the second wave of activity before dusk. Nightjars and owls often round off the evening.
The days are long and physically demanding. But when a participant sees their first Multicolored Tanager, or watches a Torrent Duck ride the rapids of an Andean river, the look on their face makes every early morning worthwhile. That is why I do this job, and why I could not imagine doing anything else.