About Us

WHY BIGBIRDERS?

We love birds and we love helping people to see those birds. If you’re like us you’ve worked hard to set aside the time and the money to take a birding vacation. You want that trip to be an exciting, memorable adventure full of great scenery, comfortable
lodging, quality food, pleasant people, knowledgeable leaders and of course LOTS OF BIRDS! And you want it for a reasonable price.

Our trips provide all of those ingredients thanks to a few simple policies: Work harder to find birds for our clients. Educate our clients on how to identify the bird in the future. And offer trips to ‘non-traditional’ birding hot-spots or new ways to experience tried-and-true birding locales.

Working harder to find birds can be as simple as ‘waiting a bird out’ until EVERYONE in the group has gotten a look at the bird. It also means using all methods available for knowing where to find birds: personal contacts with regional experts, up to the minute access to ‘rare-bird alerts’ and lots of pre-trip research. Depending on the motivation of our guests it can also mean literally ‘going the extra mile’ on the trail, up the mountain or over the tundra. If you’re up for the trek we’ll lead you there…and back! If you’re into a less strenuous experience we’ll gladly pursue those species that are within your ability. Our trips are high energy adventures, but we always try to remain aware of your specific abilities and desires! Please let us know of any physical challenges you may have so that we can prepare accordingly.

Another of our philosophies is to EDUCATE our clients. Not that we’re always the most knowledgeable birders on our trips, in fact we commonly have expert ornithologists as guests. But we think that showing someone a bird should involve more than just pointing, naming the species and moving on. We’ll tell you WHY we called the bird what we did,what field marks or I.D. handles we employed and what YOU should look for in the future when trying to find the bird again. Most of our clients want to actually EXPERIENCE the bird, not just check a box on a list.

Birding hot-spots are hot because they consistently produce large numbers of desirable bird species, and we’d be remiss to not offer trips to these locales, but when we do we try to offer new ways to experience them, like staying in the homes of birders or alternative trails that offer new scenery. Better yet, we seek out great birding spots that are over-looked by other companies because they’re less well known or harder to get to. It all adds up to novel, one-of-a-kind adventures that provide the opportunity for a cadre of species not seen on other trips (and a chance at a vagrant species that nobody else may get!).

TESTIMONIALS

“The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Scott is his contagious enthusiasm for wildlife and the environment. It is impossible to be outdoors with Scott and not get caught up in this excitement and love for the natural world. Along with this enthusiasm comes a very developed set of skills as an
outdoorsman and birder.”

“Scott’s birding skills are strong in both the visual and audio areas… Scott is focused and determined when on the hunt for a particular species of bird, especially if it has vocalized. If the bird is present, Scott will find it.”

“In difficult situations Scott displays a sense of self-confidence and leadership that puts a group at ease. This is enhanced by his physical presence which projects a strong and capable individual and gives one a feeling that everything is under control. As a leader, I have found Scott to be both decisive and flexible possessing the interpersonal skills needed to manage a diverse group of individuals.”

--Mike Fisher. Arizona 2006. Texas 2007

“Scott’s enthusiasm for the outdoors, and birding in particular, makes any trip he leads a rewarding experience.”

“Scott’s organizational expertise and leadership qualities, coupled with an engaging personality, would make any birding tour led by Scott a pleasurable experience.”

--Mac McCormick. California 2007

“A natural personality trait that Scott possesses is inclusiveness. He has the ability to engage and support everyone at all birding skill levels. He displays patience and an enthusiasm for the avocation that is infectious to all involved, experienced birders and those just beginning.”

--Kathryn Hood. California 2007

“I am an auditory birder of 14 years and was completely impressed with Scott’s interest and ability…” “Scott has excellent organizational skills and enjoys exploring list serves and birdy areas for the thrill of a lifer or rarity. He also shares his enthusiasm for our delightful but more common species.”

--Dawn Garcia, California 2005, 2006, 2007

"Scott was a very personable leader who worked very patiently, but hard to be sure that a diverse group got to see the birds we "needed". Plus, it was obvious that he was enjoying them also, and I especially appreciated that."

--Patty, Nome 2008

"Scott - Bucky and I both rate you an outstanding tour leader!  We could not have asked for a better trip of a lifetime, and we appreciate the effort you gave in assuring our success with so many species…

Thanks again for a great bird chase!"

--Berlin, Nome 2008

 "Scott - I had a great time, and really enjoyed you as a guide.   I felt you put out extra effort to help us find the birds we were looking for."

 --Jerry, Nome 2008

"I just wanted to drop you a line about your last Nome trip of the year.  Dave and Scott were superb guides.  They were prepared, knowledgeable, courteous and willing to answer any and all questions.  They worked well together and were fun to be around.  Mary and I thoroughly enjoyed our experience as it was an excellent value from our perspective. We look forward to doing another trip with your company in the future.  Give Scott and Dave our cudos."

--Lou and Mary, Nome 2008

"Hey Scott,  Had a fantastic time in Nome, thanks mostly to you! I thought you were an outstanding guide that went well beyond what was expected of you. Getting coffee, cream and people's breakfast plates was superb. Also I really appreciate you listening to everyone's target list and requests and trying your best to get them accomplished.

--Stephen, Nome 2008


Booking your trip with BigBirders

Please visit our Contact Us Page for all of the ways to reach us to ask questions and to make your reservation OR download our reservation form (or have us fax you one), fill it out and email or mail it to us along with your deposit. Upon receiving your information and deposits we’ll send you a confirmation of your spot on the trip. Deposits for most of our trips are $500 except for longer or international trips, please see individual itineraries for specifics. Because our accommodation providers charge us for cancellations within a certain time-period we must receive full payment
for your trips 90 days or more prior to the first day of the tour.

<<Please see our Registration Form to download and print for more information on BigBirders policies.