FAUNA PARAGUAY BIRDWATCHING WILDLIFE AND ECO-TOURS

Paraguay, "South America´s Forgotten Corner" is an off the beaten track destination for eco-travellers with a sense of adventure. Its compact size and pristine habitats means that visitors can build a large and varied bird list with a minimum of travelling. Visit the magical Atlantic Forest with its myriad of wonderfully-coloured birds (including the Guyra Pong our national bird!), the fascinating but little-known Cerrado, home to some of the most threatened animals on earth, the lush, remote and rarely-visited Paraguayan Pantanal, a wetland paradise, or head up to the mysterious, isolated Chaco, without doubt the best place in South America to see large mammals. Few travellers ever make it to Paraguay, but those that do are blessed with a natural experience to rival that of the most famous eco-tourist destinations on the planet.

FAUNA Paraguay provide professional birding and eco-tours - the only ones in the country with expert guides! We travel in comfortable, modern, air-conditioned 4x4 vehicles, necessary for reaching the remotest corners of this under-explored country. Whether you are a serious ticker with a "wish-list" or an interested amateur keen to see as much of Paraguay´s natural wonders as possible, we can design a tour that will meet your needs.

Prior to departure we send out an information pack to clients detailing their personally-designed tour and giving them some background on what to expect from Paraguay as a country. In addition to the animals we provide information on cultural and historical aspects of interest to provide the client with “the bigger picture”. Additionally day tours from Asunción and Encarnación can be arranged. whilst an option to visit attractions of touristic interest can be incorporated into any tour at a little extra cost. If you are interested in birds, mammals, herps, butterflies, nature photography or just want to see as much of this little-known country as you can, we can come up with a tour that will provide you with unforgettable memories.

Use the links above to check out our suggested standard 10 day and 20 day tours, see what previous clients experienced during their trip to Paraguay or contact us with a list of your "must sees" and we´ll design a personalised tour that will give us the best chance of finding those species that you´ve always wanted to see.

Meet the Guides:

·Paul Smith - Co-author of the Field Guide to the Birds of Paraguay, the mini field-guide series and founder of FAUNA Paraguay, Paul has lived in Paraguay since 2003. A qualified zoologist he has extensive field experience in Paraguay, but is still amazed on a daily basis by the beauty of the country´s “naturaleza”. He also works as a South American correspondent author for Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Footprint travel book companies giving him an excuse to travel and get intimate with the continent´s animals. After covering Paraguay for the Rough Guide to South America in 2002 he fell in love with the country and its wildlife and moved out here for good!! Paul is the Paraguayan representative of the Neotropical Bird Club. He is currently involved in extensive inventory work of all Paraguayan fauna in his role as an associated researcher for the University of Pilar and ECOSARA Scientific Research Station.

·Hugo del Castillo - Co-author of the Checklist of the Birds of Paraguay, the Atlas of the Birds of Paraguay and the mini field-guide series. Hugo is a Paraguayan ornithologist with a life-time of field experience. He works for Guyra Paraguay charged with the maintenance of the Biodiversity Database which gives him an unrivalled knowledge of animal distribution in Paraguay. Having travelled the length and breadth of the country in search of animals in the past 15 years, Hugo is the man to turn to when it comes to finding the most sought after species.

·Alberto Esquivel Mattos - Paraguayan ornithologist Alberto Esquivel is a PhD candidate and expert on the sights and sounds of the Atlantic Forest. In studying the vocalisations of Atlantic Forest birds Alberto has amassed an encylopaedic knowledge of bird calls that gives him a unique familiarity with the treasure trove of birds that inhabit this biodiverse habitat type. Alberto is an associated researcher with the University of Pilar and ECOSARA Scientific Research Station. Trilingual, Alberto can tell you all you need to know about Paraguayan wildlife in English, Spanish or Portuguese! Take your pick!