Cotinga Tours Costa Rica
Birding and Nature Expeditions

Testimonials

"Just a brief note to say how much Margaret and I enjoyed our tour with you, and to say a very heartfelt thank-you for your efforts to make our trip enjoyable and rewarding. We had already heard about your guiding and bird-finding skills - but were still astonished at the way you found, identified and showed off the birds! We really appreciated the warmth and humour which you brought to the tour - it made a very big contribution to our overall enjoyment. We were very impressed by the efficient running of the tour, and would also like to thank the rest of the staff at Cotinga Tours - especially for the speed and efficiency with which they sorted out our problems with the missed flight at the start of our pre-tour extension. Thanks also to Carlos, who was excellent in all respects - and even made many valuable contributions to the birding side of the tour as well! I haven't quite finished sorting out my bird-list, but I seemed to have seen about 418 species, of which about 168 were new to me." - Jeremy and Margaret, Speyside Tour (Winter 06)

"It was good writing the trip report as it made me re-live the holiday which must be one of the best if not THE best I have lead. I really enjoyed it so thank you again for making it so good." - Roy Atkins (trip leader: Speyside Wildlife, Great Britain) Life Birds Tour (Feb 2004)

"Now that I've had a chance to let the trip sink in, I just wanted to write and thank you for a wonderful experience. This was my first trip outside of the U.S. or Canada (you may remember that the others jokingly referred to me as the "tropical virgin"), and both of you helped make it a trip of a lifetime. On my personal list, I saw 373 birds, and 294 of them were lifers. Many of those lifers left indelible memories, such as my first sightings of the Resplendent Quetzal, the Little Tinamou and Long-tailed Manakin, to name just a few. Both of you were incredibly patient in helping me and others find these birds, and often get views that were stunning. I was also impressed and thankful for your unflagging good humor and helpfulness, even when thrown together with 10 strangers for two weeks! Not only were you great guides, but for me you were wonderful representatives of your country. As I said, this was my first trip to Costa Rica, and you left nothing but good impressions.

Thanks again for everything. If I ever get a chance to come to Costa Rica again, I hope you can be my guides again!" - Jeff Grabmeier, Life Birds Tour (March 2004)

"Our trip was fabulous! Everything about it was better than expected, but most of all, Paco, Heather, and Alberto were extraordinary." - Marilyn Nasatir, Birds of Paradise Tour (January 2004)

"Thanks so much for the wonderful trip. I think everyone enjoyed themselves...I know I sure did! You run a first class operation and I encourage you to keep up the good work. Everything was marvelous--logistics, locations, knowledge, etc., etc. A special thank you goes out to Alberto. He is a fantastic person and a great driver and we all enjoyed having him with us. I wouldn't want it any other way. By the way, the final bird total was 301 species! Out of those, I saw 267 plus heard-only 10 more (ones I knew ahead of time). 54 species were AOU birds and that included 42 lifers. My 1000th AOU bird was Cinnamon Woodpecker and my 1025th was Green Hermit. Thanks for helping me reach my goal...and then some! Now, all I need is 20 more to hit 1500 on my world list! Think you can hook me up next March??? Thanks again for everything! It was a great trip and you should be proud of the company you're running and the people you work with." - Joe Hammond (trip leader Ohio Wildlife Center and owner of Kestrel Tours) Caribbean Natural Treasures Tour (Sep. 2003)

"We made it home to Alexandria safe and sound and a bit wistful that our magical tour through Costa Rica with Paco and Heather had come to an end. From start to finish, it was, according to Daniel and Mark, the trip of the century. Paco, I can't imagine that there is a naturalist in Costa Rica who can come close to your knowledge and joy in sharing that knowledge. Heather, your enthusiasm, organizational skills and love of the environment played a tremendous role in making our visit such an enjoyable learning experience. Marc, your patience and willingness to work with George in the months beforehand, even with the discovery of an extra day to plan, made for a stress-free trip all around." - Paula Lader, Birds of Paradise Tour (July 2003)

"We just wanted to express to both of you our sincere thanks for the most wonderful experience with Cotinga Tours. This was beyond expectations. You have every reason to expect success in the future with the attention to detail this trip provided. All the accommodations were wonderful. The fact that we wanted to stay longer at each stop is testimony to that. And all the little touches, from Paco meeting us at the airport, to fresh cold fruits provided to hot/sweaty birders just off the trail, were thoughtful. Not to mention, Carlos smiling at the bus door to lend a hand. But of course, the birds and Paco's joyful enthusiasm, knowledge and skills are the real highlight. I can't wait to share the details with all my birding and non birding friends and tell them about the best guide in Costa Rica. We were honored to meet you Paco and share in your knowledge and love of your national living treasures." - Mary Ellen King: Life Birds Tour (Feb 2003)

"I wanted to say how delighted I was with the trip. It was absolutely spot on. I think the whole thing was excellent and I'm sure the guests must have enjoyed it as much as I did. I must say that from my point of view, as leader for Speyside Wildlife, I was very aware of how much organization and thought had gone into the trip and I felt we couldn't have been better looked after. To be honest you made my life very easy!!! A special word to Paco to say that he really is excellent, the best leader I have worked with, with not just an excellent knowledge of the birds but a great sense of humor and a lovely manner. I was particularly impressed with the way he remembered who had not seen particular birds and made sure that when one was seen again that person was called to the front to see it first next time. Well done and many many thanks." - Roy Atkins (trip leader: Speyside Wildlife, Great Britain) Life Birds Tour (Feb 2003)

"The group didn't just have a successful trip they had a fantastic trip. Please pass on our very grateful thanks to Paco, who was a superb leader and worked really well with both Roy and our guests." - Sally of Speyside Wildlife, Great Britain.

"Would like to take this time on behalf of my group to express the deep appreciation for a successful tour that leading by you. It is true the excellent tour we ever had, as you know some of them did go with me to other places." - C-T of C-T Ecotour Workshop, Taiwan.

"Thanks for five excellent days in Costa Rica. Our experiences on this trip went well beyond anything we expected. Congratulations to Cotinga Tours for being extremely organized and customer focused. Your immediate follow-up to our initial inquiry provided us with a more focused agenda aligned with our desire to see a diversity of wildlife in Costa Rica in the short time we had available. We will actively inform others we know both socially and professionally about your exceptional services.

Paco, it was a pleasure to meet you. Your knowledge of the wildlife, culture, and history of Costa Rica provided us with a wealth of information that we will be absorbing and reflecting on for quite a while." - James Fava: 5 day tour (July 2002)

"Paco is an amazing guide. He knows the flora and fauna in addition to the birds. He can locate birds and relocate them when they fly off. He can even talk to the birds (no tapes are needed). I remember vividly Paco exchanging calls with a Nightingale Wren, Slaty-Breasted Tinamou and even a Black Hawk Eagle. Occasionally I needed to look at Paco to see if it was him or the bird that was calling." - Leo Hollien: Birds of Paradise Tour (Jan 2002)

"The tour was extra special in that we took our time and really saw some nice birds and behavior. We saw 68 species of which exactly half, 34, were lifers for us. The Purple-crowned Fairy was our 900th world bird. We also enjoyed the excellent lunch Paco provided, and are very pleased with the experience. I even got a few pictures of the Blue-crowned Manakin and the Pale-billed Woodpecker.

We do a lot of our birding in field trips with Audubon and the ABA. Organizing a field trip from an ocean cruise is a very different undertaking, but we are starting to be pretty good at it. When you only have five or six hours, and are under the gun to return to the ship, doing any birding at all seems a miracle. Your tour was the best by far." - Roger Van Ghent: Day Tour Carara, Dec 28 2001

Dear Heather and Paco:

Even though it has been about a month since we finished the tour with you, wonderful memories linger. Without your help and guidance Paco, I would not have seen over 50% of the birds that were logged, and not been able to identify many of those seen of heard. Because of your keen sight and hearing, combined with your extensive knowledge of the natural history of your country, made that outing such a successful tour.

Sincerely,

Irwin Woldman
Los Angeles, CA

Dear Paco,

Thank you for your professional guiding help last week. I hope the flashlight helps you find many more black and white owls. (and the odd fer-de-lance)

Remington Products and I would like to make a donation to the O.T.S. to help further your research and protection of the rain forest. Would you please advise me how best to do this.

Thanks again for all the life birds,

Warm Regards,

Jefferey Wert,
Vice President
Remington Products

I wish to thank "La Selva Biological Station" and especially Paco, our guide for the visit to the tropical forest by the group from the United Nations Development Program) It was for me an unforgettable experience.

Thanks again,

Jacques Van Engel
Environmental Specialist

Dear Paco:

With much enthusiasm and thanks from the White House for your excellent work during Mack McLarty's visit to La Selva. We would like to recognize the help that you give to each of the visitors to La Selva.

Cordially,

Charles E. Schnell
Executive Director
O.E.T.

(translated from Spanish)

Dear Senor Madrigal,

On behalf of Turner Education Services, Inc.(TESI) and the Turner Adventure Learning production team, we would like to sincerely thank you for participating in our electronic field trip, Science in the Rain forest. We hope that you enjoyed being a part of the show as much as we enjoyed having on the live telecast. Your were a wonderful addition to the program, adding insight, sharing your experiences, and answering questions from students. We truly appreciate your time and effort.

Thank you again for making the show a success! It was a pleasure to work with you. We look forward to working with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Terri Hickman
Publicist

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