Jurgen Beckers (°1964)
Tour Owner, Guide for Colombia & Venezuela

After discovering the neotropics (Colombia, E-Ecuador and Venezuela) in 1997, I started a few years later with taking small groups into the Venezuelan and Colombian Andes.
Trogon Trips was found in 2000. Since then the territory has extended to the entire countries.
In 2003 I married a Colombian and we live in Belgium, where I still partly work as a Mechanical Engineer.

Like to know more about me? Here is my personal website: http://home.scarlet.be/fr018787/indexe.htm.

David Geale (°1981)
Guide for Venezuela & Colombia

David is a life-long Canadian birdwatcher, spent his time with birding in Peru since 2001.
In 2002 he became full-time guide and is now considered as one of the best bird guides of S-America.
In between guiding, David studies biology and does some research work, which let to the re-discovery of Long-whiskered Owlet, the smallest owl in the world.


Pablo Florez (°1977)
Guide for Colombia

Although quite young, Pablo is one of most experienced birders in Colombia.
As a co-founder of Pro-Aves, he has helped in the creation of many new reserves throughout Colombia.
He made lots of expeditions, which let to the rediscovery of Dusky Starfrontlet (Coeligena orina) and Yellow-eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis).
He probably knows more birding sites than anyone else in Colombia. Pablo and Jurgen are now working together to compose a book on the birding sites of Colombia.



Jose Gustavo Leon (°1968)
Local guide for Maracaibo region

Partly due to his special work and the need to travel to remote places as a telecommuncation engineer, Gustavo has found many new top birding spots in the Perija mountains and the Maracaibo basin, leading to the re-discovery of many top birds, such as Recurve-billed Bushbird.





Walberto "Waly" Naranjo (°1962)
Local guide for the Santa Marta region

He has collected extensively bird sounds of the Santa Marta region.
As a computer specialist he manages now "Dataves", the National Birding Database.
Waly is a very nice and gentle person with an incredible patience.
He is as well an experienced diver.


Juan David Ramirez (°1977)
Local guide for the Colombian Central Andes

Juan David has his own engineering company, but whenever he gets the opportunity to go birding he is gone.
As a typical hardcore birder, he knows all the corners of Antioquia (Central department in Colombia).
Whenever Juanda can join our group, his excellent eyes are adding many extra species to our birdlists.



Oswaldo Cortes Herrera
Local guide for the Colombian Eastern Andes

Oswaldo studied the endangered and endemic Chestnut-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia castaneiventris) for a few years.
He is a professional biologist, specialised in ornithology and herpetology of the Eastern Andes.
Recently he discovered range extensions for 2 other endemics: the Mountain Grackle and Niceforo's Wren.
Oswaldo also managed and led projects to conserve threatened bird species in the Eastern Andes.



Jan Kelchtermans (°1975)
Guide for Uganda

Jan is a Belgian birder being in the field with his bins since he was a kid. First in and around his back garden like it should has to be. Once new birds became out of his local home range, trips abroad brought a lot of new birding excitement with visits to most of the countries within Western Palearctic bounderies.
Later on, Jan started with world birding, resulting in a 4000 species bird list so far. In 2008 he already visited Uganda. With his recent experience to this African pearl, the forthcoming 2009 Uganda trip, must reveal the better birds for sure!