Canopy Tower Bilingual Bird Guides

	We have two very good birding guides in our staff. They are so good that several US birding companies, for example VENT, use them as the local guides in their tours to the Tower. Carlos "Hawk Eyes" Bethancourt and José "Mr. Tinamou" Soto are the young men who will show you the birds of Central Panama. Carlos and Raúl, in the early morning at the observation deck of the Tower, two birding buddies getting ready for a day of 100% birding! photo credit: Peter English Carlos Bethancourt was born in Panama City, Panama in 1978 and grew up in the little village of Huile, bordering the forest of the old Canal Zone. His fascination with the natural world comes from his childhood visits to his grandmother's home, deep in the neighboring forest. He recalls seeing lots of birds and mammals around her house. "I loved watching trogons, motmots, and night monkeys, but did not know their names," says Carlos. "Now I even know their calls, their English, Spanish, and Latin names, and also their behavior." After finishing high school in Panama, he won a scholarship from the USAID and Georgetown University to study natural resources at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon. It was there that he began birding in an organized fashion, and where he received his first formal training in ornithology. Upon his return to Panama in October of 2000, he immediately started working in the Canopy Tower where he further refined his birding skills, and birded with some of the best known professional birding guides in the world (click for photos). In 2002, Carlos attended the American Birding Association Convention in Duluth, Minnesota. While participating in one of the field trips, he was able to identify a raptor flying very high in the sky. He was immediately nicknamed "Hawk Eyes" by the other birders. Carlos 'Hawk Eyes' Bethancourt, with Raul and Prince Albert of Monaco, points out a group of Geoffrey's Tamarins in the trees just outside the Tower. photo credit: Didier Baverel
	Some Guest Testimonials about Carlos "Carlos is a great guide." -- Carole & Stanley Klein (Pittsburg, PA)   email us "Our guide, Carlos, is superb!" -- Don & Dixie Weaver (St. Wayne, IN)   email us "Carlos -- a superb guide who works as hard as he can to find the birds one most wants to see." -- Gerry Weinberger (Doswell, VA)   email me "Carlos Bethancourt was an outstanding -- indeed extraordinary -- birding guide. We look forward to returning." -- Chuck & Nancy Bell (American Birding Association)   email us
	photo credit: Andrew Coates José Soto was born and grew up in the rural town of Santiago de Veraguas, Panama in 1978. He was an active Boy Scout in his home town, and was president of the Ecoclub in the high school he attended. "I loved spending time in the forest and camping in the mountains of Central Panama," says José. He graduated with a degree in agriculture and won a scholarship from the USAID and Georgetown University to study natural resources at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon. While in the United States, he was bitten by the birding bug and birded all over the state of Oregon and in northern California. Upon his return to Panama in October of 2000, he started working in the Canopy Tower where he confirmed his vocation to be a professional birding guide. José has birded with some of the world's top professional birding guides who visit the Canopy Tower regularly (click for photos). In 2001, at Chan Chich Lodge in Belize, he attended a workshop entitled "Ecology of Tropical Birds" through the Institute for Field Ornithology. His quiet demeanor and his amazing knack for finding the elusive birds of the forest interior have given him the nickname "Mr. Tinamou."
	Some Guest Testimonials about José "Special appreciation is due to Jose, our wonderful guide, for his patience, enthusiasm and (most of all) his knowledge of the birds!" -- Gail Mackiernan & Garry Cooper (Silver Spring, MD)   email us "I saw more birds in 4 days with Jose than I did in 10 days in Costa Rica with another guide. Jose is a fantastic birding guide and a nice guy, too." -- Mary Vester (Los Angeles Audubon)   email me "Jose is a knowledgeable guide who seems to talk to the birds. He made all of our outings real adventures -- and fun too!!! Thanks! Thanks!" -- Sandy Sawyer (Rochester, IN)   email me "Jose, you're a perfect guide!" -- Billie Rakestraw (Rochester, IN)   email me
	Part-Time Birding Guides
	Carmen Martino is a joy to be around. She has a great sense of humor and an extraordinary knowledge of the natural world, specially birds and plants. A grandmother of three children (two in Panama and one in California) and a resident of Gamboa (5 minutes from Pipeline Rd and 10 minutes from the Canopy Tower), Carmen has been birding Panama for over 20 years. She knows every nook and cranny of our bird-rich country and will surely lead you to some spectacular sightings. She is an active member of the Panama Audubon Society and has birded all over Panama as well as in Brazil, Ecuador and Venezuela. Carmen also leads tours for several international birding companies.

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