Our Team
Christopher Calonje
Chris founded Colombia Birdwatch in 2009 to promote sustainable tourism in his native Colombia. A Humboldt State University graduate, he has led hundreds of tours in all regions of Colombia. Chris devotes his time to various non-profit conservation groups and local communities.
Jose Luna
Jose was born and raised in the western Andes of Colombia, and has been birding since he was 16. He is our lead regional guide, and has shined amongst his colleagues for his proficiency in English and his ability to find birds.
Vivian Carrascal
Vivian runs our welcoming committee and oversees our ground operations to ensure all trips run smoothly. She is also is in charge of our cultural, history and culinary outings in the city of Cali.
Giancarlo Ventolini
Giancarlo has been birding since 2012, and since that year has been preparing incessantly as a bilingual birding guide. His skills and personality has made him shine as one of the most brilliant guides to hit the Colombian birding scene.
Oswaldo Cortes
Oswaldo has been birding in Colombia for most of his adult life and thus has a vast knowledge of the avifauna of Colombia. He is Colombia’s #1 ebirder, and enjoys meeting and traveling with people from around the world.
Juan Carlos Obando
Juan is a certified birding guide and biologist specializing in environmental impact assessment and focuses his studies on interactions between birds and plants. He loves sports and says that birds and bicycles are the best way to make new friends.
Gilberto Collazos
Gilberto has been birding the Anchicaya Valley for longer than anybody else. Working in the area for more than a decade as an orthodontist, his love of birds and the people in the region led him to make a career change to bird guiding.
Alejandro Pinto
Alejandro has had experience with bird research since 2010 and has been a professional tour guide for five years. His field researches included topics like seed dispersal by birds and implication in natural restoration of habitats in Colombia.
Jose Castaño
Jose has been studying birds since 2001 when he became interested in the protection of the Yellwo-eared Parrot. Jose was a founding member of Proaves, and helped to establish many successful nature reserves Jose has been guiding professionally since 2008.
Angel Ortiz
Angel has been guiding since 2007 and is a recent graduate of Audubon’s bird guide training program. Since taking the course Angel has become one of the region’s “go to” birding guides and now oversees our operations in the Caribbean.
Edwin Campbell
Edwin is a Panamanian-Colombian biologist. He has almost two decades of experience working with birds, spending five years in a Harpy Eagle conservation project in Soberania National Park. He guides in Panama and Colombia.
Johnnier Arango
Johnnier has been birding for almost a decade and has been guiding birders to all region of Colombia since 2009. He complements his job as a guide with biologic research activities, photography, graphic design and social initiatives, all as a volunteer for a local NGO.
Diana Balcazar
Diana has been interested in birds from an early age but began birding seriously in 1998 when she started working with her neighbors to protect urban wetlands. Her knowledge of the English language and her great skills with people led her to work since 2009 full time as a birding guide.
Jaruen Rodriguez
Jaruen has been guiding since 2005 and is a recent graduate of Audubon’s bird guide training program. He is director of a local guide association and helps oversee our operations in the Caribbean region of Colombia.