Specialist Birding Tours Around the World

Nature Travel Birding is an international birding tour operator specialising in small-group, private and customised birding tours across the globe.

We travel to some of the world’s most exciting birding destinations and our focus is simple: good birding, experienced guides, small groups and great experiences.

We don’t believe birding tours should simply be about ticking off as many species as possible. Finding a difficult endemic, watching a bird behave naturally, getting the perfect photograph or sharing a special sighting with a small group of fellow birders can be just as important as the number on the checklist.

Whether you are an experienced birder travelling for a particular species, a photographer looking for that perfect shot, or simply someone who enjoys being outdoors and discovering new birds, we aim to make every trip personal, productive and enjoyable.

A Birding company built around birders

Nature Travel Birding was founded by Nick Buys, whose love of birds and passion for sharing his knowledge with others became the foundation of the company.

Nick has travelled extensively and led birding and wildlife tours in many parts of the world, with 51 destinations visited to date and an astounding bird list of more than 5,000 species, along with just over 500 mammals.

Over the years, Nature Travel Birding has grown into a team of experienced guides and travel specialists, each bringing their own knowledge, interests and expertise to the trips we operate.

Our guides are not simply there to get clients from one destination to another. They are birders themselves. They understand the excitement of finding a difficult species, the importance of getting everyone onto a bird, and the patience sometimes required when waiting for that one elusive target to appear.

Many of our guides are also keen photographers, which is particularly valuable for clients who want to combine birding with photography.

We travel because we love birds. We guide because we love sharing them with other people.

Small-Group Birding Tours

We deliberately keep our birding groups small, with a maximum of six clients per trip. For us, this is about much more than travelling in a smaller vehicle.

Small groups allow our guides to spend more time with individual clients, make the most of sightings and adapt the day when something unexpected turns up. Everyone gets a chance to see the bird, use the scope and ask questions without feeling rushed.

It also makes a difference when photographing birds. There is more flexibility around positioning, viewpoints and time spent with particularly good sightings.

Our scheduled tours are therefore designed for people who want the advantages of a specialist small-group birding tour rather than travelling as part of a large coach group.

Target Birds, Endemics & Difficult Species

There is something particularly satisfying about finding a bird that you’ve spent months — or even years — wanting to see.

Many of our trips have a strong focus on endemic and range-restricted species. These may include difficult forest birds, mountain specialists, desert species, island endemics, pheasants, antpittas, pittas, laughingthrushes or other species that require specific habitats, timing and local knowledge.

Our guides know that every birder has different priorities.

For one client, the highlight might be seeing a rare endemic. For another, it might be their first eagle, owl or kingfisher. And sometimes the bird that wasn’t even on the original list ends up being the favourite sighting of the trip.

Tell us what you want to see. We’ll help you work out how to find it.

Birding Trip Reports & Field Stories

We don’t just talk about birding — our team is out in the field throughout the year. Our birding trip reports provide a look at recent tours, the birds encountered, destinations visited and some of the experiences that happen along the way.

They are also a useful resource when planning your own birding trip. You can see what has been recorded on previous tours, learn more about particular destinations and get an idea of what a Nature Travel Birding trip is like in the field.

Part of the Nature Travel Group

Nature Travel Birding is part of the Nature Travel Group, a collection of specialist travel companies focused on wildlife, conservation, adventure and nature-based experiences.

The group allows us to combine expertise across different areas of nature travel while keeping each company focused on its own speciality.

Our Sister Companies

Nature Travel Namibia
Private and small-group safaris throughout Namibia.

Nature Travel Africa
Private and small-group wildlife safaris across Africa.

Nature Travel Expeditions
Specialist bucket-list expeditions to fascinating destinations around the world.

Nature Travel Conservation
Conservation-focused travel experiences supporting the protection of wildlife and wild places.

Namibia Vet Safaris
Behind-the-scenes experiences focused on wildlife conservation and veterinary work in Namibia.

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