Exclusive Wildlife & Birding Expeditions

My wife and I shared two wonderful and productive birding trips with Melvin Cruz. We chose Melvin because I read trip reports of other people who had taken multiple trips with him, which attests to their positive experience. One of my main interests is owls having studied them for over 45 years. We saw 9 species of owls on our first trip of which 7 were new to us – we did not specifically look for owls that we had already seen elsewhere. On our second trip we saw several species of owls but were unsuccessful searching for 2 owls that we had not seen. This latter result occurred only because we were beset with rain precipitated by a Caribbean hurricane. So, one cannot fault the results because weather is an unpredictable variable when birding. Melvin Cruz is a superb bird guide. He has excellent hearing, knows bird songs and calls, has excellent local knowledge for specific species, and is adept at spotting shy and reclusive species. Despite not seeing new owls on our second trip, we saw other species that are typically difficult to see (e.g., ocellated crake) or have restricted ranges in Costa Rica (e.g., lance-tailed manikins) that we had hoped to see but did not really expect. Costa Rica is famous for its birds, coffee, and tourist infrastructure. But it is so much more because Ticos are friendly and inviting, the food is good, and forests are beautiful. Thus, for those traveling to Costa Rica, they are rewarded in many ways. Melvin Cruz is a congenial, soft-spoken companion who speaks fluent English, which makes a 2-week birding trip fly. But he is also thoughtful, helpful, and a very safe driver. Therefore, we recommend him as a bird guide without reservation.