How much should local birding guides know? (1 Viewer)

[jc122463]

I'm not sure if this is the best section to post this but, I have a question.... I've been a birder for over twenty years, traveled around the world quite a bit, and worked as an international birding guide for a number of years. I'm currently back at university and have spent the last six months working in Uttarakhand, India trying to help a local organization establish a training school for local bird guides.

So, my question is: How much should local bird guides know?

Obviously, knowing the local species and good sites to see them is important. However, it seems that a lot of the time local guides don't have the general knowledge to know what species will be important to international birders. Also, birders tend to have a wide range of interests in all things natural and this isn't necessarily reflected in the ability of many local guides to answer a range of general nature questions. It's important to note that there are some amazing local guides in the world but for areas trying to attract birders, there are also major issues to overcome.

Would you use local guides more if there was some way to be sure of there general knowledge?

On a slightly different note, I've written a guide training manual/introduction to natural history that I'm hoping to publish in order to help other organizations start guide training programs. It's very general information, but I would appreciate birders' input on the validity of information incorporated (I'd also like it to be a resource for people interested in gaining a better understanding of the natural world). I've attached a full Table of Contents to give an idea of what's included. While I can publish this through the university, I'm not sure it would become available to those in developing countries that may have the most need. Any info on publishing would also be appreciated (maybe just online so communities could easily access it for free?)

This post is obviously long enough already, but I'd love to hear the input of the general birding population!

Cheers,
Benji

 

[Mysticete]

I would expect them to be up to date on rarity information, both in unusual birds that are not regularly around a particular area, as well as the what, where, and when to find the local specialties. I would also hope they are reasonably good at ID by both ear and eye.

 

[MJB]

It's important to note that there are some amazing local guides in the world but for areas trying to attract birders, there are also major issues to overcome.

On a slightly different note, I've written a guide training manual/introduction to natural history that I'm hoping to publish in order to help other organizations start guide training programs. It's very general information, but I would appreciate birders' input on the validity of information incorporated (I'd also like it to be a resource for people interested in gaining a better understanding of the natural world). I've attached a full Table of Contents to give an idea of what's included. While I can publish this through the university, I'm not sure it would become available to those in developing countries that may have the most need. Any info on publishing would also be appreciated (maybe just online so communities could easily access it for free?) Cheers, Benji

Benji,
One practical thing birders and others interested in natural history can do to benefit local areas they have visited and assist guides is to leave your field guides and other books with them. Particularly useful are things like the Beletsky guides. If you've spent a fair bit on your trip, your books will be well-thumbed and it's not much to ask that you contribute something positive to that local area at the expense of buying a replacement copy when you get back.

Others often take old binoculars to a country to leave them for others to use.

Regarding your guide, it might be worth contacting RSPB International - if you send me a PM, I'll dig out some contacts - because they organise donated items, and might just be interested in either distrbuting your guide or offering helpful suggestions. If you have the complete guide in electronic form, then publishing it via a local company in India should not be a problem - it's amazing how hi-tech they are in so many remote locations, in villages that look otherwise out of the Middle Ages (except for the traffic!).
MJB

 

[jc122463]

Thanks for your responses! I agree that at a minimum local guides should know about the birds, but should they ideally know about other aspects of natural history as well?
@MJB Thanks for the advice on the training manual. I made a number of preliminary copies for the group in India while I was there but would like to disperse it more widely as well. I'll have a look into RSPB International once it's closer to completion.

Cheers,
Benji

PS - Leaving bird books is indeed a great option after tours and one I often suggest to clients. I've also had clients bring old binoculars and even scopes to leave behind in both Kenya and Cameroon!

 

[skylark25]

jc122463,

I just would like to tell you well done for the great work you are doing:t:! Currently, I don't have alot of time to write and give you my opinion but overall I agree with all that was said. but I would just like to let you know that I am grateful and appreciate that there are persons out there like you that are working hard to help promote the world's biodiversity (in particular birds) to the general public.

All the best from Malta:t:
skylark25

 

[Chris D]

I (for one) like real 'novice' guides. In fact it's fun to employ someone for the 1st time. Let them see that people will pay money to see live birds. That being said - if you're 'hardcore' and spending much jack on your trip ------ find the best. But when I think of all the fun times my wife and I have had with amature guides ----- well, it can be quite special and perhaps produce a spark.

 

[jurek]

Hi Benji,

Your table of contents came up spectaculary white.

Biggest help of guides are: knowing stake-outs and knowledge of sounds. Here finding stake-outs and learning bird sounds is crucial.

I observe guides closely when I take them, and good ones share information network on what was seen recently where, and what hotspot dried up.

Yes, guides should focs on species of interest to visiting birders, which are usually not the same as of interest to local birders. But I know of no other way than ask foreigners what they want to see.

The same goes with cultural sights - foreigners are uninterested in the biggest tree in the area, but often very much in some locally common cultural artifact. Guides must ask or learn by trial and error, what visitors are interested in.

Other species - visitors are often interested in mammals, herps, butterflies and dragonflies. A name, perhaps few facts.

Most guests want also photo opportunities. Place where -even common- birds and other animals can be photographed well: close, in full sun, with good backdrop. Bird feeders with some food put (often some banans or rice do marvels), roosting places of owls. Rubbish heaps which attract birds are just as good. In India, I remember, latrine pits have real gems of birds turning up.

In Botswana I was surprised how thoughtful were guides about photography. They manoevrued so, that at sunset we always were in some photo-friendly vista with the setting sun. They also took care that animal was always in photo-perfect situation - none made a mistake of parking the car so that guests faced the sun, or the bush was in front of the tourists.

...aah obvious! I want guide foremost to know how to point birds at me. Laser pointers are ideal. Otherwise, the guide must know how to point bird in the nothingness efficently: use directions in the clock, say relative height, say distance, be aware what your tourist sees and where his view is blocked by branches. Don't tell non-informative things - on a green tree by the sloping branch.

 

[jc122463]

Great comments! I agree that novice guides are a lot of fun to work with - there's nothing quite like introducing someone to birds! However, it does kind of defeat the purpose of guide training.... One of the best parts about the initial training program I led in India was seeing the guides really enjoy looking at birds!
I also think it's really important that local guides know what birders want on a more global scale. There's a great example on the northwest slope of Ecuador. The town of Los Bancos is probably the best place to see House Sparrows and I've had some local guides try to focus on seeing them rather than all the amazing tanagers, etc. in the area. The feeders in the area are also great for photos!

Keep the comments coming! Does anyone but me want to learn about mammals, plants, geology, etc?

Cheers,
Benji

 

[Ecuadorrebel]

I don't use guides but I encounter them with other groups and I also do a little guiding myself. The biggest complaint I hear about local guides is their inability to speak English. They butcher the names of the birds to such a degree that they are not understandable. They may be able to spot a bird but unable to communicate exactly what it is. There are some great guides here with excellent English skills but more often this is a problem.

As for other flora and fauna, I have many people ask about trees, plants and butterflies but with such a great diversity it is difficult to know it all. However, knowing certain plants which are common habitats for birds (such as the polylepis in the paramo) can be of great help to the client.

A guide should always be improving on his craft. I have been out birding and run across a guide who is out on his own looking for leks, locating new species and learning about a particular area. This is necessary to excel. I have overheard guides id birds incorrectly because they were unfamiliar with the location.

The other complaint I hear about some guides is that they are interested in quantity rather than quality. It is almost like you are on a forced march, trying to take in as many species as possible within a certain time frame. A guide should get to know his customer. Having a good knowledge of the clients skills, purpose and desired accomplishments can make a big difference in how you guide. In April I will be taking someone around NW Ecuador with a "hit list" of certain birds. We will encounter other avifauna but we will be concentrating on a particular number of species. I have had other customers who are novice birders and they are more interested in taking their time and discovering. Photographers are a breed all to themselves (I know because I am one) and require a different pace. A guide should get to know who he is working with and what their desires are. You can not put together a "Cookie Cutter" tour.

Hope that helps.

 

[peachfront]

The guide needs to know the birds, where and when they are found, what they sound like it and if it's allowed to call them with tapes etc, they should have the ability to do this. I've been in a couple situations with a novice guide, and it can be very awkward.

Extremely important -- the guide MUST be taught how to give directions to quickly find the bird. Get everyone on the bird, then worry about discussing the fine points of this and that. This isn't a bird person, so I hope I can tell the story without embarrassing anyone. We had a horrible whale guide on a large famous whale boat, who didn't even bother to say which side of the boat the whale might be coming up on. Good thing a whale is large, and still we would sometimes be looking the wrong way. She spent too much time telling the story of the whale. Get EVERYONE looking at the whale and where it's about to come up, and THEN tell the story. Same with the birds. I don't care how dramatic the story if I can't see what you're looking at.

A good guide practices giving directions and getting people's binoculars on the birds! Then, no matter what else goes wrong, even if we can't figure out what it is, we can all see it, we can all make our notes or photos, and we still have a shot to puzzle it out later.

I do not need a "cruise boat" tour where the guide tries to tell me about every tree, the tallest bridge, the famous pirates, the name of every hooved mammal, or any of the rest of it. When the birding is slow, you can make up something about butterflies or dragonflies. However, it is actually OK not to be talking all the time. The constant yapping by non-bird guides is one of the reasons that "regular" tours have such a poor reputation among certain travelers.

Also, kind of what Ecuadorrebel said -- It is extremely helpful if you know the English accepted common name of the bird. Latin names tend to be long and singsongy and they all sound alike in the field. If you only know the Latin name, it could be very helpful if you could scribble it down for me, or at least scribble down the Genus. It may seem a little sad, but I'm still finding tropical birds that I'm not even sure where they fall on the family tree. White-tipped Plantcutter? Lovely bird but at first I had no idea where to even begin to look in the book for that type of thing. Fortunately, my guide was able to scribble down the Latin name for me...I would have never retained it just from hearing it.

I haven't been on any "forced march" tours, but I've heard of them. I think there's competition among guides to get a big list, but a good guide tries to adapt to the speed of the tour, for sure. Easier to do when it's just one or a couple of people than if there's a larger crowd. The folks who need more "time out" should sometimes just take an afternoon off to themselves to hit the bar. I'm afraid that's what my hubby does when he's overloaded. ;-) There's usually a way for some to get more bird time, and some to get more beer time.

Just a few ideas, nothing original, but a bird guide should focus on birds. I mean, sure, if there's a rampaging tiger or something in the vicinity, fine, but mostly...birds should be the focus of the tour. Some photography is OK but don't hold up the whole show unless it's a tour for photographers.

 

[chowchilla]

Keep the comments coming! Does anyone but me want to learn about mammals, plants, geology, etc?

Cheers,
Benji

I do bird guide work here in Cairns but don't charge.

I'm always pleased when people want to see stuff other than the local birds. I've become quite proficient at IDing the local frogs (by appearance and call); the local mammals and quite a few of the plants. I know the local snakes but amongst the reptiles I still struggle with the skinks as there are so many species, but I don't think I've done too badly considering I've only been here a few years and work myself into the ground in a full-time job as well.

 

[metcow333]

id guess that one of the most important things to acknowledge is that there's going to be generally 2 main types of tours/tour customers, those that want to go on the walks, get as many species, wont need the guides to know the names of the birds cos they will know them already, just show them the locations, and will possibly be less interested in the other wildlife and common bird species, versus those tourgroups taht will want a more relaxed approach, more time for photos, a wider variety of wildlife and picturesque locations, and will quite often need more information about teh birds they are seeing.

stereotyping of course, but seems to hold as a general picture to an extent

 

[jc122463]

Very interesting responses! It seems that a clarification should maybe be made between what a bird guide should know and what a good guide should know. I would think that any bird guide worth the title should know the birds by sight and sound, know the birds that clients are most likely interested in an area, be able to accurately get clients on the birds, etc. However, it seems to me like a good bird guide should also be able to answer the (often seemingly random) questions that clients may have concerning a huge range of subjects. While I've never focused on the geology/astronomy/botany when guiding, I think it's important for a good guide to be able to answer questions as they arise (there's also something pretty amazing about using the scope to see 5 of Jupiter's moons over dinner after a long day of birding).

It also seems important to recognize that birders aren't a homogeneous/monotypic group and that a guide should be able to ID the type of birder that they're working for - do they want to see as many species as possible, concentrate on regional specialties, spend time on photography, etc. I know this is something I've struggled with personally; tour companies seem to want the largest trip lists as it provides good advertising but, as a guide, the trip-list seems to depend a lot on the interests of the clients (it's also hard on a set-departure tour when the clients have a range of preferred styles).

For anyone out there who works as a guide (paid or otherwise) does it seem that a lot of the work is actually done away from clients? I've thought in the past, particularly on longer tours, that a lot of the difficulties in guiding (aside from knowing all the birds, etc.) are actually related to making a tour seem to run smoothly - arranging food, coordinating with drivers, making sure accommodation is correct, etc. Has anyone else had this experience? Most of the tours I've led have been three-week trips to various parts of Africa and it seems there's always a lot of time spent on logistics while clients are asleep. Is this just me?

Cheers,
Benji

 

[jurek]

For anyone out there who works as a guide (paid or otherwise) does it seem that a lot of the work is actually done away from clients?

Yes, and that's why I don't guide tours Also, you rarely enjoy birds and place, because you are busy.

Also important for a guide is to think and maintain time schedule. I had recently a guide who popped all the places where we possibly could go - but had time only for half of this. Unfortunately few people have time for 3 or 4 week holiday anymore, they try to cram the same into 2 weeks or 10 days.

Also part of time schedule is arranging the tour so, that mornings and evenings are spent birding - leave travelling for midday.

 

[Ecuadorrebel]

Most of the people I have been working with lately want to bird on a budget. Many are serious birders but they don't have the money (or can't justify spending the money) on some of these tour packages. It is therefor up to me to find inexpensive yet comfortable accommodations, provide transportation and act as a guide. This allows them to enjoy their trip at about half the cost. I can find them a private room for $15 - $25 a night versus a dorm room for $100. However, this means that I have to do a lot of ground work before the client arrives, setting up itineraries, securing reservations and making deposits.

All of what I do is made to order. I ask what the customer wants and then I put an itinerary together to meet their needs. On the birding end I need to know if they have a "hit list". If so, then it is my responsibility to get them to the areas where they can find those particular species and make sure that I have whatever information and material is necessary to improve our chances of seeing them.

There is also the need to know when certain birds can be observed. Being in an area where we have both boreal and austral migrants I need to know which birds are in and which are out. This information needs to be provided to the customer so that they know the proper time of year to arrange their trip to coincide with the species that they wish to see.

So to answer your question, yes there is a lot of work that happens outside of guiding. The time for preparation in advance can exceed the amount of time you are actually birding. Does it detract from my enjoyment of birding? No. When I am not helping others I have time to visit these areas and bird on my own. When they are here I enjoy helping others enjoy their experience. In either case I am out birding.