About us
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We are a birding tour company specializing in routes within the state of Chiapas, with the mission of providing a memorable experience to our clients, and to impact their lives in terms of caring for our planet.
Our birding code of ethics, our commitment to local communities, and our transparency towards our clients by only offering tours to locations we are well-acquainted with, are what differentiate us from other birding tour companies.
We are a team of guides (certified by the Federal Secretariat of Tourism) with a great passion for birds and the biodiversity of our state, Chiapas.
Eric was born in Acacoyagua and studied alternative tourism in San Cristóbal de las Casas at the UNICH. He started birding in 2008 and has, since then, been involved with birds in Chiapas as a guide, environmental educator or doing field monitoring of the Horned Guan and Resplendent Quetzal. He is a co-founder of Sabes Aves.
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Patricia, from Romerillo, Chamula, also studied alternative tourism at the UNICH. From 2014 she has been dedicating her career to the avian diversity of Chiapas, as an environmental educator and doing monitoring work on the Resplendent Quetzal. She also enjoys painting birds in a scientific style. She is a co-founder of Sabes Aves.
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Valente, born in San Cristóbal de las Casas, is an industrial ecologist from the TU Delft, the Netherlands. He started birding when he was around 7 years old. He is the most recent member of the team.
Benedict is from London, England, and is a current student of Natural Sciences at the UK’s Open University. Living in Latin America since 2011, he fell in love with birding in Costa Rica’s Talamanca cloud forests. As a trainee guide at Sabes Aves, Benedict provides a cultural link with fluency in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
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Chiapas
The landscape of Chiapas ranges from coast up to mountains that surpass 4,000 metres above sea level. Within that altitude difference the geography and ecosystems are varied, making the state one of Mexico's most diverse in terms of wildlife.
Regarding birds, Chiapas is made exctigin by being situated where northern Central-American bird species meets the southern range of Mexican endemics, while also lying on the route of countless migratory birds.
Ethics during our tours
We find ourselves in a time where we can observe the last individuals of many bird species and the last remains of nature. Now, more than ever, we have to be respectful with nature and our environment. That is why during our tours we follow this code of ethics:
-Walk in silence.
-Do not leave walking trails.
-Do not use playback as it has a negative impact on the behaviour and population of birds.
-Do not shine directly with flash-lights, lasers or camera flashes on animals.
-Keep distance from nests.
-Keep distance from resting birds.
-Do not publish information (checklists, photos, videos, e.g.) of the location of endangered species or nests. This may be done sometime later but without giving away the exact location.
Each of these measures can avoid fatalities among birds.
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Comfort and safety
It is not only important to take care of our natural environment and the integrity of birds but also to take care of ourselves and our enjoyment. Therefore, remember to:
Eat well during the tour
Hydrate yourself
Wear proper clothing and a hat to protect yourself from the sun, insects and/or rain.
Use biodegradable insect repellent and sunblock.
Your health is important to us, all guides are first aid trained.