Local Treasures & Coastal Birds Of Banderas Bay

Friendly, knowledgeable staff made the day both fun and extremely interesting.

I received a confirmation several days before my tour but the night before something told me I should double check. Low and behold it was cancelled due to not enough participants but I was only informed because I was the one to reach out. Not impressed! So unprofessional. This left me without any ability to find another suitable birding tour and wasted a day of my trip. I had also paid in full so am now waiting for a refund.

Our tour guide Michael, had an amazing amount of knowledge and passion about the area and all of the wildlife-not just the birds. He was charismatic, and polite. It was a fabulous tour!

Our guide was very knowledgeable about the various species of birds and very patient in answering questions. Use of the scope was also very helpful as well. We also appreciated at the end of the tour going over all of the birds that we saw and the checklist (which we were able to keep) will be very helpful in recalling what we saw. Would have appreciated a bit more "shore bird" watching and perhaps in an alternate location other than the one we visited. Overall, a very pleasant experience.

We saw so many different birds. It was a great day with Michael. He is a bird whisperer. He didn’t just take us to the birds, the birds came to him!

This was a treat! We saw a host of bird species we had never seen before in a couple of different environments. Also visited the mangrove swamps, where the crocodiles romp! Saw many crocodiles and numerous bird species. Our guide was tremendous and very helpful!

Condo was in a very shaded area which was never too hot. Kiddies pool and nice bigger pool. Beach access was across the road. Very well kept. Called Marbella condos. Friendly staff and guests were quiet and friendly. Bus stop very handy, very close to Soriana grocery and Mexican restaurants. No complaints. Would highly recommend it.

Out guide Michael was super friendly and knowledgeable. He brought a scope, helped identify birds by ear and sight, and was a wonderful host throughout the day.

Excellent excursion with lots of interesting birds to see thanks to our fantastic guide Michael. Nice breakfast too. Good company

Micheal was great. He pointed out all the details of the birds and was able to help identify each one. His passion for birding was amazing. Very user-friendly.

We saw 70+ birds in their natural habitat. Michael spotted most before us and had a master command of the area birds which he shared with us in detail. The locations along the river were very productive. We highy recommend this tour. Michael was excellent.

Michael was very knowledgeable and made a point for everyone to try and see the bird they wanted to see most! Would definitely go again!

Michael was a very good guide. He was very accommodating and professional. Very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.My highlight is spotting the Macaws albeit from afar.

Cynthia was a wonderful guide - very knowledgeable and excited about the birds! She also gave other useful travel recommendations. We saw 60 species during the tour.

The birding tour was amazing! Our guide Cynthia is very passionate and professional. She's really good at identifying birds by sound. It's a great experience to have a tour with a local biologist to have a better understanding of the ecology of the areas.

Cynthia was a spectacular birding tour guide. She was completely knowledgeable of all the birds and knew exactly where to find the beauties. The van was cool and comfortable. Coffee stop was charming. The end of tour counting ritual at the coastal restaurant was perfect. Get out in nature!!

Had a great day birding with Cynthia. We saw 70 species in 1 day and probably half a dozen or so lifers. She made the day really fun and pretty easy going. At the end of it she brought us to some local place for food which was much better than the food we were eating in the hotel.

This was a glorious and supremely successful (85 species) 3/4-day birding expedition to three habitats, guided by the highly knowledgeable and personable Cynthia. There were 8 people along, all told, but as Cynthia said, 'more people, more birds' -- there was no downside to having multiple scanning eyes on the case. We started in a cornfield in flower, which a Canadian would expect to be fairly birdless, but this is Mexico, the centre of maize evolution, so many interesting species were working interesting niches in and around the field. As a bonus, a nearby tree was full of citreoline trogons. The good sightings just went on for there, and we ended up even spotting a species new to this highly experience tour company's list, the green-tailed towhee. Forest and estuary habitats completed a fine day's survey to the satisfaction of all. Cynthia had a scope along, which is always a plus in such excursions for those of us who don't have equipment beyond binoculars.

Our guide, Michael, was so good and very professional. We saw many, many tropical birds. He brought a scope so we could see them close up! We saw over 60 different birds going to different areas. Michael was able to answer all our questions about the birds and their habitat. The whole trip was wonderful even the crocdiles.

Michael and ecotours performed well! Even though this week’s hurricane/tropical storm closed the roads to the intended location, the backup plan worked well! About 40 species seen with 25 tropical ones new to us. Trogons, fly catchers, pigmy owls, cockatiels, falcons, herons, comerants, ibis, hawks, plover, parrots, vultures, sand pipers, woodpecker, wood creepers, jays, thrush, wood warblers, tannigers, and many others including laughing falcon, citreoline trogon, dusty capped flycatchers, ivory billed wood creaper, golden-cheek woodpecker, black-capped vireo, and rosy-thrush tanager, and black throated magpie jay. Not to forget a crocodile and two species of iguanas. Ended with a nice late lunch. They provided snacks and drinks for breakfast and lunch.

Our guide was extremely knowledgable. I had never done a trip like this and did not know what to expect. We stopped in remote farmland about 45 minutes from PV. At first there seemed to be little to see, but with his guidance and a little patience, more and more birds showed themselves. In particular, based on bird activity, he knew there was a falcon hiding in the underbrush. Sure enough, after 15 minutes or so, a falcon appeared. He also found an owl I would never have seen, in addition to being able to quickly identify many species. At 3 sites we saw over 70 species. This was a very different vacation experience and well worth it.

The day we took the Birding Eco-Tour was the best day of our vacation in PV! Cynthia, our friendly guide, was most knowledgeable and knew the best locations to see the most birds. Her van was equipped with binoculars and a scope to provide many opportunities to see the birds up close. Also provided was plenty of fruit, snacks, and cold beverages. Cynthia offered valuable instruction on how to observe birds based on behavior, markings and color. We went to several inland locations and finished on a lovely beach to see waterfowl. While there, we were graced with sightings of humpback whales breaching and playing right offshore! Cynthia is a brilliant naturalist and is passionate about her career. In all, we saw over 80 species of birds and other wildlife. I recommend this trip for anyone who wants to be in the wild for a day and make new friends with like minded folks.

Cynthia is a excellent guide! She is knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating to mixed ability group. The tour was interesting for a variety of habitats and birds. We saw about 80 species! We were provided with plenty of food and drinks as well as time to ask questions and rest as needed. We ended with a nice round up over chips and guacamole looking out at the bay where we also saw whales! This is our 3rd tour with EcoTours!

Michael did an awesome job of finding and identifying all the birds we were able to find on our tour

Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Our first time birding and was an excellent experience. Other birders with prior expertise were equally impressed.

This is an excellent Puerto Vallarta area birdwatching tour. It goes out to the local farm lands and river. Good birding with great viewing and photo opportunities. Our guide was Michael and he is wonderful, attentive and excellent as a bird guide.

This was the second time taking a tour with Eco Tours and the first bird watching excursion. Both of are tours have been with Cythnia. We had a lovely time bird watching and Cynthia was exceptionally knowledgeable and able to really spot birds in the area. We had the delight in seeing multiple Painted Buntings in Desembocada. I believe we saw about 65 birds species throughout the day. It was lovely, relaxing and quite fun. We had a small group of 4 and were able to gather a lot of information from Cythnia as we are new to birdwatching and she shared not only about the birds but the habitats and the importance of conservation. Wonderul tour and we will be back!

Our guide Cynthia was excellent. We saw painted buntings!!! Also memorable were military macaws, stilts, crested caracara and appreciating the farming community of desembocada.

Michael, my guide for two bird watching tours, was AMAZING! He knew exactly where to find the birds. He would stop seemingly in the middle of nowhere and point out birds which were outside of my visual and hearing range. He helped me observe over 60 different species, many of them lifers. For each, he'd either point to the birds' locations or help with identifying the birds' calls. Always sharp-eyed, Michael saw a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl fly down from a tree into the brush. He stopped the van and pointed it out so we could photograph it. I was the last of the group to see if because I kept missing his reference points, but he patiently explained again and again until I "got" it. At the end we'd stop at a local restaurant for refreshments (or lunch) and to mark the species we had found from a pre-printed list he provided. A GREAT experience. When I go back to the Puerto Vallarta, this is the tour agency I'll use again (and again).

This was my first time on an organized bird watching tour and I couldn’t have been happier with what we got to see! We marked over 55 species on our lists, which far exceeded my expectations. Our guide, Cynthia, was superb - her knowledge of the birds, and how to spot them made all the difference. She set up a stationary scope, so even if my personal binoculars couldn’t catch a good look, I could see the birds clearly wherever they were sitting. We stopped in a number of different places, which expanded what birds we could find. We even got a look at a bunch of very large crocodiles, thankfully in an estuary behind a big fence! There was a fair amount of walking through sand on this trip, and I particularly appreciated Cynthia finding a chair for my husband who needed to rest his back. We ended at a restaurant on the beach where we enjoyed some terrific guacamole. I would definitely sign up for one of their tours when we return to Puerto Vallarta!

We arrived in Puerto Vallarta not knowing what to expect on the birding front as it is not a destination anyone in Europe talks about. We have been very pleased with what we found We had four tours with Ecotours, two with Cynthia and two with Michael and both were excellent bird guides. They were both very knowledgeable, friendly and good communicators. They were able to explain all aspects of the habitats, together with the field marks and the life styles of the birds. Our four trips covered Ameca River, San Sebastian, Botanical Gardens and Macaw Reserve. Each trip was worthwhile in their own right but also complemented the others. As a result, we feel we have a good understanding of the range of birds in the area, thanks to their excellent instruction and their patience with two English birdwatchers out of their comfort zone. This has been borne out by our walks around the area where we have been able to consolidate our knowledge base. PV is a great birding area and Ecotours provided the perfect introduction. We are already thinking about a return trip. Many thanks Cynthia and Michael and the efficient staff in the office. We have thoroughly enjoyed our trips.

My wife and I took a birding trip with Michael. We really didn't have time to prepare ahead of time in terms of getting to know the local fauna, so we went in pretty naive. Michael was excellent - he obviously knew all of the birds by voice and sight and was really good about making sure we got good looks at everything. We saw about 70 species and came away with a good working knowledge of most of the common native birds in lowland interior habitats and a few rare ones as well (especially the rosy thrush tanager, which was a highlight). Michael was very low key and patient while also being dedicated to maximizing how many birds we were able to see. We had an excellent time with him and highly recommend both him and the Desembocada and Ameca River Paradise excursion - particularly if this is your first crack at the local avifauna and you want to focus on land birds.

We had a very lovely day with our guide, Misael. He was the biologist who lead us on this tour and he was so knowledgeable about the flora and fauna that he kept the four teenagers in our group interested. We saw over 40 different types of birds, as well as crocodiles, iguanas and turtles. Misael was very patient with us as novice birders and really made the day a success. Thanks!

Absolutely enchanting! Our Guide, Miguel/Michael Acosta spoke fluent English. A seriously well-qualified Eco-Scientist and delighted in his sharing of the PV environment, birds, people and animals. Just two of us with this brilliant young man! Even the insects and trees were of great interest to us, and he knew how to keep us fascinated. He used top equipment to scope and then photograph on our cells for us. We recorded the lively sounds of the many, many birds. It was during mating/nesting season and we watched a Cacique laboriously building his long hanging nest. We saw the tiny Pigmy Owls nesting in the hollow branch, the Laughing Falcon in the tall snag. We were totally unrushed, comfortable, refreshed. Michael even taught me how to use Prickly Pear Cactus in my home cooking! We even got to see a 9-ft.crocodile...Exceptional!

Fantastic experience. Cynthia was an excellent guide who really knew where to take us to find a large variety of birds. At the end of the day we had identified 63 birds of which 32 were new to our personal bird list.

Seeing a pair of motmots up close, a lifer like the ferruginous pygmy-owl and citreoline trogons, whistling ducks posing on a palm tree snag, and making new birding friends.

Our guide Michael was absolutely fantastic. We explored several different areas and saw over 50 birds. His knowledge of the local bird population is very deep and he was so good at recognizing the various calls and sounds. He took us to a lovely restaurant off the beaten path and we tried some dishes that were new to us. A wonderful day in Jalisco!

Fantastic experience! Miguel put us on so many birds (53 different species). Many I added to my life list (Russet-Crowned Mot Mot, Lineated Woodpecker, Squirrel Cuckoo). Miguel was very adept at spotting and knowing the calls of all the species. I've ben on several guided tours and miguel was the picture of professionalism as a guide. Lucky to have had him. Will continue to use Ecotours De Mexico!

Michael is a wonderful guide who took us on this leisurely paced bird watching trip. He provided concise and clear directions which made it really easy for us to spot the birds. We finished the day with some snacks and a drink at a little causal restaurant facing the Holi Day beach which was most pleasant. The only down side is most tours at Puerto Vallarta don’t seem to provide transportation pick up/drop off service and this is most inconvenient. We stayed at the Conrad and it cost us USD100 just to get to the meeting point and even with the hotel car, the driver wes not able to locate the agency easily. If you wish to do a bird watching trip, it will be advisable to book it with a tour agency that is close to your hotel; getting a taxi was almost impossible from where we were and cars seemed not to be easily available on Uber as well.

We saw 53 species of bird, and over 35 species that I had never seen before including the Vermilion Flycatcher, Crested Caracara, and Masked Tityra. We were never rushed and Cynthia has a gift for spotting birds; the Mexican Parrolet and Lilac Crowned Parrots and Pygmy Owl could not hide from her! I heard a Laughing Falcon for the first time too and hope to see one the next time I can make this trip. Cynthia is a genuine, enjoyable person to spend the day with. Because of her biology background, I learned a lot about the local habitats that provide the homes for these incredible birds during our casual conversations. She is also a skilled driver both on rural and busy roads; the van ride was very comfortable. The morning temperatures were very pleasant. We ended the trip with guacamole and chips in the shade along the shore as we recounted all we had seen that day. By far my best day during my weeklong vacation to PV.

We really enjoyed the birdwatching experience. Cynthia was very knowledgeable and easy going and very good at explaining to people of all different levels of experience about the birds we saw. We were a small group of just 4 people and the binoculars provided were of very good quality.

Had a great time on the La Desembocada and Ameca River Birdwatching tour. Our guide Michael was very friendly and knowledgeable. We saw many great species of birds, it was a fantastic time. We went inland to a couple of beautiful spots, identified many birds , then finished up at the beach with shore birds. Really glad we went.

Wow Cynthia is a great guide-so passionate about making sure we saw some very exciting birds. We had so much fun at sunrise over a cornfield and then stopping at a place she doesn’t typically stop because of all the bird activity. That’s where we saw a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl! 64 birds in 7 hours. We were a bilingual group and she handled it flawlessly. Will request Cynthia again on our next trip.

Michael took us to a private residence to bird their extensive property including a small lake. The drive, about an hour, gave us enchanting scenery for the trip. Michael is very perceptive to movement and especially vocalizations. And his scope is always on the ready. He followed up with a birding list via e-bird that evening, we added another 6 birds to the list, which brought our total for the day to 35. We are from San Diego with many bird species that even cross the border from Mexico (such as the summer tanager) yet we added another 4 NEW BIRDS to our list. This was surprising as we often bird in Costa Rica and Baja. After birding we stopped at a lovely restaurant where they make sour cream and white cheese locally in the tiny town. These were toppings on guacamole and chips and I ordered the most delicious star fruit spritzer. The guacamole was mixed with something that gave it a completely different texture, nothing like anything in the states. It was the perfect ending to a spectacular day of birding. Michael is the best. He was kind to take us directly to the hotel at the end of the day and most importantly right on time for a Covid test. EcoTours are top notch as my husband will attest to with his Marietas dive with Eric. Each year when we return they can count on us as customers for life!

Michael is a wonderful guide with a great eye for sighting birds and a great ear to recognize their calls. Fascinating drive into the countryside through typical Mexican village to walk on roads along fields and into tropical forest. As the day became warmer, he drove us back to the bay along a back road to mangroves and a restaurant with delicious shrimp quesadillas—very inexpensive. Saltwater crocodiles were close on the other side of a high wire fence. Shorebirds were nearby but we did not walk over to them. I’m sure the shrimp is from the shrimp farms near San Blas—a great destination for birding.

If you are a birder, photographer and/or lover of nature, be sure to join Michael on one of his informative and entertaining adventures. Michael’s knowledge and relaxed, professional manner is why I would highly recommend this tour. We visited a bird sanctuary, Rancho Primavera, where many species of small birds were perched on feeders. While following trails and stopping at a nearby pond, we spotted 48 birds overall. The tour was well paced and the small group size was greatly appreciated.

We went to El Tuito and Rancho Primavera with bird guide Michael. It was fantastic, we saw 50 species, including wild Military Macaws, as well as 2 Russet-crowned Motmots! We were well taken care of with juice and snack and local food. The guide was so kind, calm and very knowledgeable! I loved the trip and worth every penny!

I really enjoyed the bird watching tour. We saw 4 different habitats - field, forest, mangrove & shore - each with different birds. We had a small group of 3 and saw 60 species of birds. Cynthia was a fantastic guide who pointed out many birds that we never would have seen on our own and was very knowledgeable about the local species. She had a nice sense of humor and made my friend who is not typically a bird watcher feel included all the time. We even saw a few species that were only common during the migration season. It was really fantastic.

Extremely impressed with our guide, who knew where to go around the region to see the greatest diversity of birds (we counted 86 total species as well as several that only exist in the area). A fantastic deal all things considered and appropriate for the fanatical birder or those who simply appreciate nature. If needed they supply binoculars, and if you havent been birding in a tropical region before this is an excellent opportunity with a very knowledgable, patient and accommodating staff.