CAYAYA BIRDING
Vogelkundliche Reisen in Guatemala seit 2003

"Superb tours, CAYAYA BIRDING offers some of the best birdwatching tours in Central America. They tailor their tours to their customers needs. They are some of the most renowned bird experts in the region, so they can lead high level tours, but they also are great for taking more casual birders and photographers. Highest recommendation." John Larrea, United States

"Claudia and Knut are amazing scientists, naturalists and birders. They gave us a very engaging two-hour tour to our large family group at Finca El Pilar outside of Antigua. They engaged with all members of our group, from the grandmother to the eight-year-old. Everyone especially enjoyed the hummingbirds, and the whole group got to see many other birds in the spotting scope, including a pair of beautiful Black-vented Orioles. In the past, Knut and Claudia have taken me on serious birding outings, and they are the best in the country for that as well. I could not recommend them more highly for both serious birding and for more casual nature tours." Kevin Omland, Baltimore, MD

"As most experienced guides, Knut Eisermann was able to identify all birds by call as well as song and sight. However, he was exceptionally good at getting his clients on the bird of interest. He was also incredibly committed to finding target birds and to meet his clients' objectives. Birding aside, Knut (and Claudia) were terrific company. Finally the logistics and communications about the trip were exceptionally clear, timely and relevant." Magnus Persmark, United States

"Guatemala with CAYAYA BIRDING - far from the longest bird-list I've ever had, nor perhaps equalling the great wild-life spectacles of East Africa, but this was one of the very best birding trips I've ever been on. The leader is key on any sort of wild-life trip and I make no apology for the emphasis that I place on this area. We picked up all the "marquee" species and had many extra surprise bonus birds. All this is because Knut Eisermann has to be one of the world's very top bird leaders. His ability as a bird-finder must be unrivaled and he has the unique ability to get scope views of rainforest rarities. This alone makes a huge difference. He also has an unrivaled knowledge of the country's avifauna and has an extensive array of contacts, including local guides, to smooth the finding of rarities. Our list of owls, photographed as well as seen, was amazing. A bird leader also needs lots of "softer" skills and once more Knut excels - multi-lingual, resourceful, and with an excellent sense of humour. It really was like going birding with an old friend. There was always flexibility and a Plan B if necessary. To literally wet your appetite, the food and accommodation were absolutely superb. If you are thinking of a bird trip to Guatemala, and you should, then I'm afraid that there is no alternative to CAYAYA BIRDING." Mike Thompson, UK

"The trip was absolutely the best. I have been on many guided trips to a number of countries, but none were more well organized and thought out than yours." Dennis Shirley, Utah, USA.

"CAYAYA BIRDING are the Guatemala experts. For expert guiding, logistics planning and knowing where the birds are, you can't beat the team of Knut Eisermann and Claudia Avendaño! Thanks for a great trip, guys!!" Mark Conrad, Arizona, USA.

"A much anticipated return to this wonderful country after a several year break. A huge thanks to Knut Eisermann and Claudia Avendaño, for yet another absolutely fantastic trip. The whole thing meticulously planned and operated. Exceptionally knowledgeable, focused, patient and kind, the CAYAYA BIRDING team are the natural choice for birdwatching in Guatemala. Already planning our next visit!" Harry Barnard, UK and Costa Rica

"My wife and I spent a wonderful day with Claudia Avendaño birding at the end of a weekend stay in Antigua. We have gone birding with world class guides in Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica and Panama, and I can say without hesitation that Claudia is in that class. Given that she and Knut Eisermann are the longest running bird guiding outfit in Guatemala, it is to be expected that she knows and can find the birds of Guatemala better than anyone else. That she is a professional ornithologist, and active in conservation only makes recommending CAYAYA BIRDING that much easier. Most importantly, she was able to take account of our age (early 70s), infirmities (altitude impact) and conditioning to give us the measured activity that allowed us to enjoy our day and see what we came to see. She is as quick to line birds up in her scope as anyone I've birded with, and knows the birds of Guatemala and where to find them from her more than 25 years of study, field research and leading trips all in Guatemala. Claudia is a delightful, charming and interesting woman who clearly enjoys doing what she does so well." Joel Rosenthal, Miami, Florida, USA

"We spent 14 unforgettable days with Knut Eisermann birding in various locations within 3 hours drive of Guatemala City. Apart from being the most impressive birder we have been with - identifying and making sure that we had good looks at every bird we recorded - Knut and his partner Claudia Avendaño had every last detail of our trip totally organized - right down to coffee at 5:00 in the morning for our many early starts. Hikes up volcanoes and through a variety of habitats were most impressive.
Every lodging they had booked us into were beyond our expectations and top quality. Claudia's follow up phone calls to make sure we had met up with our drivers to get to and from airport were most appreciated.
Equally impressive as Knut's birding knowledge and locations to bird, was his concern about all things to do with Guatemala and birding. He is a true ambassador for all things Guatemala and a shining example of what a bird guide should be. We will be going back to Guatemala with Claudia and Knut of CAYAYA BIRDING." Rose, Bernie and John Diebolt, Canada

"The whole arrangement was excellent with a good mix of habitats, ensuring that we ended up with a very nice trip list (386 species, of which 13 were heard only). Knut Eisermann was a splendid guide, very keen to find our targets and with excellent knowledge of all the birds occurring in Guatemala. A slightly unexpected bonus was his special interest in owls, which meant that owling was an almost nightly exercise. Our final trip list included nine species of owls and they were all seen!" Tomas Hedmark, Sweden

"Four of us went to Guatemala in the hope of photographing the regional endemics. Thanks to Knut's expertise, we saw and photographed almost all on our wish list. I would recommend CAYAYA BIRDING company for anyone birding or pursuing serious photography in Guatemala. Knut Eisermann not only knows the birds and how to find them, but is an accomplished photographer himself, so he knows just what a photographer needs when in the field. We can't wait to come back."
Richard Greenspun, Florida, USA

"Five days in the company of Knut Eisermann birding the hills and valleys of the countryside surrounding Antigua, Guatemala was an absolute delight. Knut is as much an ornithologist, with a special interest in owls, as he is a birder and this made the trip extra special. I am a serial guide user in the Americas and Knut is up there with the best of them." Kevin Buckley, New Jersey, USA

"We had an extremely good trip. Everything was organized with an incredible attention to detail; we saw a huge amount without feeling rushed; and the food and accommodation were far better than we had expected. Knut Eisermann is an excellent guide with an incredible knowledge of the birds, wildlife and culture of his adopted home. He is also very pleasant company in the field. Very highly recommended." Graham Tebb, Vienna, Austria.

"I was able to organize a 10 day trip with Claudia Avendaño for an 11 person group I was leading for Atlanta Audubon. We had a spectacular time! We were able to visit the western highlands as well as the lowland forests at Tikal National Park. In addition to finding life birds and seeing amazing places, this trip had a special focus on shade grown coffee and the Wood Thrush. CAYAYA BIRDING did a great job helping us create a customized itinerary that balanced birding, culture, conservation, and educational opportunities. Claudia was skillful at noticing the needs and desires of each particular group member and adjusting accordingly. She was well prepared and researched and understood what our group desired. The lodging, transportation, and local guides all met or exceeded expectations. I cannot recommend CAYAYA BIRDING and Claudia Avendaño enough and absolutely plan on birding with them again in the future. We were able to see 275 species in 10 days and everyone left happy and healthy." Adam Betuel, Atlanta Audubon Society

"Knut Eisermann provided my son and I with a wonderful week of birdwatching in Guatemala. He is warm, friendly and fun! His birding skills are second to none. We had a wonderful time and I can't say enough good things about our time with him." Michael Robinson, Washington, USA

"CAYAYA BIRDING is outstanding: they not only offer world-class guides, but remarkably comfortable accommodation. They have taken care to ensure good relations with the communities they visit, which means you will not only see a long list of endemics and rarities, but also learn a lot about Guatemala's cultural diversity." Matthew Koch, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

"Die Reise besticht durch eine perfekte Organisation und eine fachlich hoch kompetente Reiseleitung, die den Reisenden darüber hinaus ein familiäres Flair als wesentlichen Wohlfühlfaktor zu geben vermag. Neben der eigentlichen fachlichen Zielstellung kommen auch historische und ethologische Informationen nicht zu kurz. Eine Birding-Tour, die jedem "Birdwatcher" wärmstens empfohlen werden kann." Klaus und Karin Eulenberger, Leipzig.

"Our guide, Knut Eisermann was excellent! I was impressed by his bird knowledge, phenomenal eyes and ears, and on how well he took care of us. He was charming at all times, attuned to all of our needs both birdwise and otherwise, and extremely patient and considerate. He is lightning-fast on getting a bird in the scope! He is also a very safe driver. We had a delightful time. Claudia Avendaño was very prompt on her responses to all of our queries. Her pre-trip information was comprehensive and very clear. I would highly recommend that anyone interested in birding Guatemala contact them first." Lorna L. Engleman, MD, and Dodge Engleman, MD, San Antonio, TX. Co-authors of: A bird-finding guide to Panama.

"Diese vogelkundliche Reise hat meine Erwartungen in jeder Hinsicht übertroffen. Am Ende der Reise standen beachtliche 356 Arten auf der Gesamtliste. Diese Bilanz ist vor allem Knut Eisermann zu verdanken, der nicht nur hervorragende Kenntnisse über die Vogelwelt Guatemalas besitzt, sondern auch ein exzellenter Beobachter ist. Beeindruckend war dabei insbesondere seine Sicherheit, mit der er auch seltene Vogelarten im dichten Regenwald aufspürte. Seine liebenswürdige und umsichtige Betreuung gehört neben den außergewöhnlichen Eindrücken über das Land - einschließlich der zahlreichen faszinierenden Naturerlebnisse - zu den unvergesslichen Erfahrungen dieser Reise. Guatemala war für mich ein Erlebnis der besonderen Art. Für Ornithologen und natürlich auch für Naturfreunde mit anderen Interessengebieten ist dieses Land ein beachtenswerter Geheimtipp!" Peter Tischler, Halle (Saale).

"A fantastic tour! Very well-organized, with friendly, enthusiastic, and expert guides that knew where to find the birds we wanted to see. They made sure we were well taken care of, and they worked hard to ensure that everyone in our group saw the birds we were targeting. All lodging was highly satisfactory and we never missed a meal. Extremely pleasant and highly recommended!" Paul Sunby, Austin, TX, USA.

"My experience in Guatemala could not have been better. Knut Eisermann is a very accomplished guide who knows the birds beyond field guide information." Mark Lockwood, Alpine, TX, USA. Senior author of The TOS Handbook of Texas Birds.

"Die Reise war sehr gut geplant und dank der prima Vorbereitung klappte alles hervorragend. Das betrifft die Auswahl der Quartiere und Gaststätten und natürlich ganz besonders auch der unterschiedlichen Lebensräume. Beeindruckend war, mit welcher Sicherheit die gesuchten Vogelarten auch wirklich gefunden werden konnten. Auch der kulturelle Rahmen war gut abgesteckt, so wurden uns Einblicke in die Geschichte und Kultur des Landes ermöglicht. Ich kann und werde solcherart ornithologische Erkundungsreisen jederzeit weiterempfehlen." Klaus Fabian, Dresden.