We are proud to have a high percentage of happy returning customers.

CANADA: Long Point and Point Pelee May 2023
“I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and it went beyond my expectations. Dave was an excellent guide, very well versed in the birds we could expect to see and he’d obviously done his research on the two areas we visited. He was keen to gain local knowledge from fellow birders and this helped us find other sites and birds. As someone fairly new to birding Dave made sure that I had ‘eyes on’ birds and was ready to answer questions. We had some memorable sightings such as the American Woodcock, the Sora and Bluebirds, amongst many others! The group size was perfect – I appreciated the ease of communication and travel. The accommodation was good and very adequate for our requirements. The days were long but Dave allowed us time to take time out if we needed it. Dave always consulted us with regard to timings and refreshments ensuring things ran smoothly. Overall an excellent trip and I’d definitely consider booking with Wise Birding again.” Yvonne Hamblin, Devon

CANADA: Long Point and Point Pelee May 2023
“The Pelee and Long Point trip was outstanding. Dave was a great leader who went well out of his way to ensure we had a good time. There was nothing to fault. The tour delivered as it said on the tin.” Andy Rook, Devon

USA, MINNESOTA: Canada Lynx & Owls November 2021
“This was my third wildlife trip with Wise Birding and yet again all my expectations were exceeded during the Minnesota 2021 expedition. As a wild cat enthusiast our exceptional Canada Lynx sighting proved to be the highlight of the trip for me / us. However also as a relatively ‘novice birder’ the support we received from Chris, Andy and the other trip participants with regard to species identification etc. was also a strength of the tour. All elements of the trip were extremely well managed throughout, it ran like clockwork. The quality of the warm accommodation was also greatly appreciated when we returned from a cold but enjoyable day in the field. I/We will be back in the future hopefully to enjoy some more rare cat / mammal sightings and also enjoy more wonderful bird encounters, of course.” John Weir, Scottish Borders

Canada Lynx and Great Grey Owl, Minnesota Nov 2021 by Chris Townend

UK, DEVON: Beavers, Buntings, Nightjars & Cream Teas! June 2021
“We had a great trip to Devon with Chris, we had beaver sightings every night and saw lots of feeding and grooming behaviours. Coupled with lots of special birds, dragonflies and butterflies there was always something interesting to see. The cream teas weren’t bad too! Chris is fantastic all round guide and we would recommend this trip to anyone with an interest in wildlife.” Sheelagh Halsey, Cheshire

UK, DEVON: Beavers, Buntings and Cream Tea! July 2020
“Just wanted to say a big thank you to Chris  for making our mini trip to Devon such a brilliant experience. Venturing out for the first time since ‘Lockdown’, we didn’t know what to expect, but from the first evening spent on the river looking for beavers it was just great. We saw beavers on each evening and Chris ensured that we were in the right place at the right time to get the best experience. With his all round naturalist skills he also showed us the bird, butterfly and dragonfly specialities of the area. All in all this was a superb trip which I highly recommend.” Sheila and Roger Wasley, Gloucestershire

USA, MINNESOTA: Canada Lynx & Owls Feb/March 2020
“This was a very successful and enjoyable trip, brought about by the combined efforts of a local expert and our two top leaders.
Canada Lynx was encountered on the track the first time we ventured into our search area. This was followed by breathtaking views at viewing screens, almost everyday. The waits were not too long and multiple layers plus Sorel boots made light of temperatures typically in the substantial negative. Chris was constantly sensitive to the needs of all the group, including the slowest one, me.
Having two leaders with the skill levels and boundless energy of Chris and Andy was always going to be a bonus. Amazingly, travelling in two vehicles, in radio contact, proved beneficial rather than otherwise, especially when we converged from opposite directions with a lynx on the track in between. Their experience was never more evident than on the occasion when they turned what might have been a brief close view of a wolf by the main road into an extended experience. When the wolf had seemingly headed off into the forest they backed up more than half a mile and 15 minutes later the wolf reappeared, in the sunshine, in steady pursuit across pristine snow, of some White-tailed Deer, giving extended close views. For me this added a bonus factor of 20% to the whole trip, which itself delivered in full!”
Doug Yelland, Hampshire

SPAIN: Iberian Lynx & Eagles 18-22 Jan 2020
“This was my second trip with Wise Birding and I already know I will be travelling with them again in the future. Despite quite unseasonal weather conditions in Southern Spain Chris went the extra mile to ensure that all participants had a meaningful experience. The itinerary was well planned and all aspects of the trip were highly satisfactory. Due to the small group size, non-expert ‘Birders’ like myself get the attention that would be impossible in a larger group. The whole ethos of Chris’s trips is to maximise the wildlife viewing opportunities of his clients, he works very hard to ensure this happens. I also like sitting down each evening with the group to check the sightings recorded during that day. During the 5 days spent in the Sierra de Andujar region we enjoyed 4 Iberian Lynx sightings involving possibly up to 5 different cats. As someone with a deep interest in wild cats (of all shapes and sizes) I can highly recommend this trip to all wildlife enthusiasts, the birding list was pretty impressive too! John Weir, Borders

CHILE: Pumas, Penguins & Plovers 13 -27 Oct 2019
“Just thought I’d send a quick email to say what a fabulous wildlife holiday we had. Oh boy did the Pumas, Penguins and Plovers perform!! The Puma watching far exceeded anything I imagined, we saw 12 different animals!! An amazing number but it wasn’t the number for me but the quality of the behaviour we were able to observe. We watched them for more than three hours in total !! On one occasion we watched a mother slowly  waking up, stretching, licking her paws then go to greet her four cubs who were nearby. They licked each other’s faces in greeting, before she wandered off and left the six month old cubs slowly following her and playing together as they followed. Wonderful to witness! I absolutely loved it and it was without doubt the best cat watching I have ever done and quite probably, ever will do!
The birds were fabulous too. Where to start?! Condors – so many great views. The penguins, especially the King Penguins, were brilliant to watch and I also absolutely loved the pelagic! The Albatrosses were breathtaking. Some beautiful Plovers too – Magellanic especially. Oh and the Inca Terns!! Such elegant birds and so close we could practically touch them!
Then there were the other mammals:- Peale’s Dolphins leaping clear of the water; Sei Whale; Commerson’s Dolphins; Grey Foxes; Red Fox; Beaver and Skunk. Thank you so much Wise Birding!” Heather Smith, Cheshire

MONGOLIA: Snow Leopard & Pallas’s Cat Quest! 29 Aug – 11 Sep 2019
“I really enjoyed the trip and I think it was one of the friendliest of my group trips! A very friendly atmosphere between the locals, the guides and the participants and lots of fun. We were very lucky with the wonderful sightings of the Snow Leopard and the Pallas’s Cats, the good weather and all with such wonderful scenery – Just GREAT !!” Renée Guays, France

TURKEY: Snowcocks, Accentors & Brown Fish Owls 6 – 16 May 2019
“This was an excellent holiday and The birds were fantastic!
Ryan was a first-class leader, combining great birding skills with a good personality and enthusiasm, boundless energy, and the ability to make sure that everyone got to see the birds they wanted to. I would very happily travel with Ryan again. He did a great job communicating with our driver despite the language difference. Many thanks for a first-class tour. I’ll certainly put Wise Birding on my (fairly short) list of tour operators I’d happily use again.” Nick Rutter, London

WESTERN SAHARA: Mostly Mammals 21st – 28th March 2019
“Having just returned from Western Sahara (Mostly Mammals) I very much wanted to thank Wise Birding for providing me with an excellent wildlife viewing experience.  All targeted mammals were observed including two wonderful Sand Cat sightings. This trip certainly delivered ‘what it said on the tin’. It cannot be easy to arrange successful trips in such an isolated country; this tour ran like clockwork and all aspects of the trip were extremely well managed. Chris is a great guide and a very knowledgeable ornithologist. This was my first trip with Wise Birding and it won’t be the last. Oh! I forgot to mention we also recorded 70 different bird species/ssp without really trying.” John Weir, Selkirk

FINLAND: Wolverines, Bears & Saimaa Ringed Seal 28th May – 1st June 2018
“My trip with Wise Birding to Finland was a fantastic ‘high octane’ experience – all the available time spent looking for target species. We enjoyed night drive and nights in the hides where was had excellent views of Wolverines and a very large bear. We were lucky enough to get a good sighting of an Ural Owl and other birds. The extension trip to see the Saimaa seal was well worth it – and educational. All round this was a really great trip.” Sally Dean, Worcester

NORTHERN SPAIN: Wildcats, Wolves & Wallcreepers 31st August – 4th September 2015
“I don’t normally do organised trips abroad but something about Wise Birdings Tours and their Wildcat, Wolf & Wallcreeper trip sucked me in and I am so glad it did. I am still buzzing from this outstanding holiday – Highly recommended. A big thanks to Chris Townend (Wise Birding Holidays) for delivering a trully memorable visit to Northern Spain. He delivered a 10/10 holiday; and wow I will never forget those incredible Wildcat encounters!” John Nadin, Fife

ESTONIA: Lynx Quest & other mammals 4th-9th March 2015
“Had a great time on Wise Birding Holidays first Eurasian Lynx Quest Tour! Chris always had a smile on his face and both him and local guide Tarvo were always excited when with the tour members to search and see wildlife! I cannot recommend the company enough and plan to travel again with them next year.”
Cheryl Antonucci, Virginia, USA

MADEIRA: Pterodroma Heaven! 16th – 20th June 2014
“We have recently returned from the Madeira trip, our aim was to see as many of the key species as we could. Well after leaving the Marina our first tern was a Roseate Tern preening on rocks, then after we had negotiated some choppy water in our R.I.B expertly manoeuvred by Catarina the action started. We saw Zino’s Fea’s and Bulwer’s Petrel and the exquisite White-Faced Petrel. Corys Shearwaters were everywhere, add to this the excitement when we headed towards a feeding frenzy where we saw Whales and Dolphins jumping out of the water so close we could touch them, it was exhilarating. After such a day it was great to get back to a comfortable bed knowing that after a superb breakfast and a relaxing morning, the action would start again at 14.45hrs the next day. On the last day Catarina and Hugo took us around the Island to see the Madeira birds, one of which was a “Spectacled Warbler” singing amongst the “Pride of Madeira” plants, this was followed by an excellent lunch – the “Scabbard Fish with banana” is highly recommended!! Thanks Chris for a great trip.” Mike and Julie Lockyear, Crediton, Devon

FINLAND: Northern Owls and Taiga Specials 17th – 22nd May 2014
“I had a wonderful trip to Finland with Wise Birding and if it is Owls you want there is no finer Country! Other species were Red Flanked Blue Tail and Siberian Jay. A highlight was a surprised looking Tengmalm’s Owl,who seemed to be saying-“ Who do you think you are looking at? The holiday was very well organised, good value and with comfortable hotels. The Finnish Nature Guides were excellent and helpful“ Doug Cullen, Otterton, Devon

SOUTHERN MOROCCO – Birders’ Specialities Tour:
22nd March – 2nd April 2014
“I spent my birding Swan Song with Chris and two friends in Southern Morocco which I thought was a wonderful last(?) trip. Not only was I captivated by the sand desert with its amazing dunes and colours and space and the birds we saw (23 new species for me) but by the charm and patience that Chris showed me. I was not the greatest birder among us (though I was definitely the best at French!) but Chris never once showed any impatience. The distances covered were great but always through amazing scenery and plenty of stops for tea. Chris has very long legs so keeping up with him was a challenge at times but the end result was always worth it. He had arranged for us to stay in very good hotels and my favourite was the hotel in Merzouga in the sand desert. Chris’s organisation was excellent, his charm and knowledge outstanding and I cannot praise him too highly and can recommend a birding trip with him unreservedly.” Judith Pentreath, Totland, Isle of Wight.

GHANA: Picathartes to Plover  18th November to 3rd December 2013
“Ghana – Picathartes to Plover” was a brilliant trip. Some great birds – the two in the tour title were fantastic, of course, but so were Black, Rosy and Blue-moustached Bee-eaters and a near clean up of Ghana’s hornbills. Add to that a friendly country, superb forest, good company, expert guiding, some surprisingly tasty food and incredible value for money, it all adds up to a tour I’d highly recommend.” John Archer, London

“We just had to write to say a special thank you for a great trip to Ghana.  At times a tiring trip including some hard birding with some difficult “ground grovelers” and “tree-top hideaways”, but the efforts you made to get us onto these difficult birds was truly tremendous, well beyond what could normally be expected of a group leader, and as such much appreciated.  Many good memories of the trip – viewing from the Kakum Walkway of Black-casqued and Brown-cheeked Hornbills in the early morning forest mist as the sun rose behind them – magical. The “twitch” for Egyptian Plover, Picathartes, and much, much more – wonderful. Once again, many thanks for such a well organised and executed trip.” Nigel & Kath Oram, Nottinghamshire

ITALY – Bears, Woodpeckers & Rock Partridge  18-23 May 2013
“We are just back from a trip to Italy led by Chris Townend to see wild Bears and some difficult to see bird species in the WP.  This was the second trip led by Chris that we have been on. Both were very good but Italy was exceptional. A gifted naturalist, Chris invests much time in research and preparation and ensures that everything that can possibly be arranged is sorted out well in advance. He has a wealth of inter-personal skills and is especially successful in establishing a good rapport with local people. We will be travelling with him again.”
Pat and John Bartley, Nottinghamshire

“It was the fulfillment of a long held ambition to see European Brown Bears in the wild & in their natural environment. Better than seeing Bears coming to bait outside a hide. The scenery was magnificent, & we had great views of other interesting birds (Golden Eagles, Red backed Shrikes, Red-footed Falcons, Golden Orioles etc. and mammals too (Boar & Chamois). I’ve never been to such a great butterfly site where we saw over 18 species in around half an hour, brilliant!” Roger & Lynne Favell, Lincolnshire

SOUTHERN MOROCCO – Birders’ Specialities Tour:  9th – 19th March 2013 “The Morocco tour was so well organised that in addition to being most enjoyable and relaxing we managed to see all our target species.I cannot recommend Wise Birding highly enough” Neil Stocks, London

“It was such a great trip that I hardly know where to begin. I could write a long paean to your organisation and all those comfortable hotels and great meals. You are a star to have found so many great birding sites and shown us so many amazing birds. Can a trip get any better? I doubt it!” Andrew Proudfoot, Surrey

“Having just returned from ten days in Morocco with Wise Birding I have to thank you for such a great trip. The birds were only outdone by the excellent organisational skills of both Chris and our two drivers. The three of them worked hard to ensure that we all got the best from each venue, and had the maximum opportunities to see as much of Morocco as possible. Although our priority was avian species (I added 28 new species to my list) we also enjoyed the mammals, beetles, butterflies and scenery. On some days we needed to cover quite long distances but these were done with bird watching and tea/coffee stops which made it relaxed and enjoyable, giving us the chance to experience Moroccan culture first hand. An excellent trip – thanks for all your hard work Chris.” Sue Healey, Kent

SPAIN: Iberian Lynx & Eagles Tour:  25th Feb – 1st March 2013
“Just wanted to say a big thank you for a truly fabulous trip to see Iberian Lynx and Eagles. We had been contemplating a visit to Andalucia for a few years and after reading your trip reports and speaking to you we felt sure your itinerary was the right one for us. Your instincts and experience are clearly extraordinary because we saw our first Lynx 10 minutes after we arrived and saw four different Lynx in the first 24 hours! We had 6 sightings of Lynx over 4 days. The supporting cast was brilliant too with night spots of Genet and Badger and in the skies, Spanish Imperial Eagle, and lots of Black and Griffon Vultures. The Villa provided very good accommodation and excellent food and the owners were very knowledgeable about Iberian Lynx and the flora and fauna in the incredibly scenic surrounding countryside. A thoroughly good time was had by all with some very serious Lynx watching and some hilarious good fun and anecdotes to boot.” Susie Pearson, Suffolk

“Unlike most people, we’ve already had our little blast of sun this year. And a bucketful of Iberian Lynx, courtesy of an altogether excellent short trip to Southern Spain with Chris Townend’s Wise Birding Holidays. Chris has done this trip many times before, and it shows – excellent attention to detail, a real “feel” for the environment, and always a well-judged “Plan B” for when conditions change. He’s also highly personable, with a wicked sense of humour. It’s an empty, stunning habitat – scattered cork forest on granite hillsides, only a few minutes away from really good accommodation. And there’s a quality supporting cast, with regular Spanish Imperial Eagle and Black Vulture fly-overs and a semi-permanent spiral of Griffons. Deer – Red & Fallow – are permanently on view and Mouflon & Wild Boar show up quite regularly. Common Genet and Badger turned up after dark one night. But I was forgetting. The Lynx. It would be unfair on other trips to say how many we saw (lots), or how close (very), or for how long (again, very). We’re still basking in the after-glow of a brilliant trip.” Mike Thompson, Suffolk

SPAIN: Iberian Lynx & Eagles Tour: 24th – 28th November 2012
“Delightful; well planned, well delivered and fun. Both highly focused and yet relaxed. It was a pleasure to be in the company of a professional natural historian and experienced field biologist.” Kevin Bryan, Hampshire