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Birdwatching Guide Dominican Republic

Birdwatching - Birding

Birdwatching Guide Dominican Republic

If you are looking for a Partner for bird watching in the Dominican Republic here is Misael Calcano.

Birding Dominican Republic list

Top Endemics Birds

Top Birds
Palmchat, Ridgway’s Hawk, West Indian Whistling Duck, Ashy-faced Owl, Least Poorwill, Hispaniolan Nightjar, Hispaniolan Amazon, Hispaniolan Parakeet, Hispaniolan Lizard Cuckoo, Hispaniolan Trogon, Broad-billed and Narrow-billed Tody, Hispaniolan Woodpecker, Antillean Piculet, Hispaniolan Palm Crow, White-necked Crow, Antillean Palm Swift, Hispaniolan Oriole, Golden Swallow, Hispaniolan Pewee, La Selle Thrush, Hispaniolan Emerald, Antillean Mango, Eastern and Western Chat-Tanager, Hispaniolan Spindalis, Hispaniolan Crossbill, Antillean Siskin

National Tour Guide Certificaded

Birding skills:

Although I spent my childhood in Sabana de la Mar, my father was a park ranger supervisor in Los Haitises National Park. The excitement I felt as a child visiting this majestic park compounded my interest in protecting the environment. 

When I was only 12 years old, I started to volunteer on the First Birding Trail in Los Haitises. Learning with bird watchers the identification of endemics, Telemetry and working in the fields of studies for the Bahoruco Chirri (Calyptophilus tertius), the white-tailed partridge (Geotrygon leucometopia) with Dr. Steven Latta, Director of Conservation and the Field Researcher Christopher Rimmer, contributor to the first bird books in the Dominican Republic. At 16 years old I joined observer groups with famous Kate Wallace and Jorge Brocca as my teachers. Through this experience I knew and could identify all the endemics in the Dominican Republic.

We started the first association of tourist guides in the Haitises National Park, being on the board for 6 years. Within our work to protect endemic species, we started with educational talks in schools with the focus on the Ash-faced Owl and the Ridgway hawks, these being the most threatened by the peasants. Focusing efforts to help students and community members appreciate critically endangered Endemic species.

Bachelor of Ornithology :

With a bit knowledge in excursions fields, the idea came up on a website for information from the Dominican Republic and bird watchers named Booking Adventures. Today providing the majority of ecological excursions in the country.

Despite my passion for wildlife, I didn’t study biology at university. Due to all the volunteer work I received a scholarship for my Bachelor of Ornithology and Environmental Technology at Mt. Hood Community college, Oregon, USA. Learning English and GIS Software. 

Back in the country I worked at the Cano Hondo Ecolodge as a Bird Guide at the same time accompanying visiting biologists in studies where I also began to know photography together with Eladio Fernández and Miguel A. Landestoy accompanying them on their expeditions in search of new species. Not just birds.

Working Experience:

My work as a field biologist began with Thomas Hayes, Peregrine Funds and The Punta Cana Group Ecological Foundation. Working with the Hack site on Daily Observations of the Ridgway Hawks, nest scalds for nest and nestling treatments, scientific reports, Telemetry Monitoring, Construction of the bird watching trail and the first laboratory studies to stop the parasitic fly in the Gavilan de la hispaniola. Together with Marta Curti, I worked in the study of the first ash-faced owl nest reported in a conifer.

In 2018, receive the Community Conservationist Prize Award from the municipal city hall and at the Regional level. Based in the Conservation of Nature in the island.

Already with more than 17 years Experience working  in the field of bird watching and at the same time being the first local guide in Sabana de la Mar certified by the Ministry of Tourism as a National Guide in the Dominican Republic. Today co-founder and director of the first federation of ecotourism associations -FEDOASECTUR and Providing my knowledge to visitors.

I am at your service as a Professional Certificated Tour Guide.

Booking Adventures

All tours developed by Misael Calcano

Partnerships History:  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources of the Dominican Republic, Ministry of Tourism, Fundación Propagas, AltoCerro Hotel, SOH Conservation, Villa Pajon Eco-lodge, Fundación Jose Delio Guzmán, Tody Tours, The National Aviary, Grupo Acción Ecológica, BIC, Grupo Jaragua, Fundación Moscoso Puello, Puntacana Fundación Ecológica, Fundación Progressio, Vortex Optics, The Marshall Reynolds Foundation, and Rufford.

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