Sisterhood Birding

There are moments in birding that feel larger than observation. Moments when the birds themselves become only part of the story — when the people beside you, the forests around you, and the long miles traveled together become equally important. My two most recent guiding adventures encompassed a back to back marathon: an all-female birding expedition in Panama centered around the harpy eagle, followed by another all-female journey in Costa Rica in search of the resplendent quetzal. Both trips...

Photo by: Lucas Leuzinger/Shutterstock There are few places on Earth where wildlife feels as immediate, as abundant, and as unforgettable as the Pantanal. Stretching across western Brazil (and into Bolivia and Paraguay), this vast tropical wetland is one of the best places in the world to see wildlife—not just search for it. If you’ve ever dreamed of watching a Jabiru stork lift into the morning mist, hearing the metallic call of a Sunbittern echo along a riverbank, or locking eyes with a...

Brazil is one of the most exciting places in the world for birdwatching. With more than 1,900 bird species recorded, the country holds one of the largest avifaunas on the planet. But what truly makes Brazil special for birders is its extraordinary number of endemic birds —species that occur nowhere else on Earth. For birders, endemics add a special sense of discovery. These birds evolved within Brazil’s unique landscapes and ecosystems, meaning that the only way to see them in the wild is to...