Paola Soublette

Birding & Naturalist Guide

Paola was born in Sydney, Australia. She has always loved nature and has dedicated most of her career to the study of birds and biodiversity conservation. She holds a biology degree from the Catholic University of Chile with a focus on ornithology, particularly ecology and conservation of terrestrial bird species. Her thesis project was a study of the distribution of bird communities in different habitats in central Chile.

Her professional work includes: participating in the “Neotropical Census of Aquatic Birds” (Wetlands International), conducting population and behavioral studies of aquatic birds in Ramsar sites (The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance), rehabilitating native fauna, conducting environmental education in schools and teaching about native species protection.

She has worked in National Parks, Reserves and Sanctuaries throughout the country, acquiring extensive experience in fieldwork and as a naturalist. Her knowledge of bird calls gives her a great ability to find and identify terrestrial birds. She has also travelled abroad; her curiosity for birds took her to Argentina, Colombia, Bolivia and Spain.

She has been organizing and guiding birdwatching and natural history excursions around Chile for 15 years and speaks English fluently.

When the birding season slows down she works in as a consultant in environmental impact assessments. She specializes in terrestrial fauna, advising companies to reduce impacts through mitigation, compensation and restoration programs.

Find out more about the guide

When did your interest in birds and wildlife begin? Since my childhood, my parents used to organize expeditions where I learned to observe and admire nature. Why did you decide to work as a birding and wildlife guide? Because it allows me to be close to nature. What do you enjoy the most of guiding a tour? I really enjoy being outdoors, meeting new people and showing them new species. What tour would you recommend for a visit to Chile? I would recommend a trip to San Pedro de Atacama, because the altiplano is absolutely beautiful. Which is your favorite species? And why? The Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, because it’s a very special species. Only found in a very specific type of habitat and it’s also incredible beautiful. What do you do when you are not guiding? I work in environmental consulting sector, working with companies to assess their environmental impact for proyects under development. What dish or drink would your recommend visitors to try? Pisco Sour Why did you decide to study biology? My passion for nature. I dreamt of working in support of biodiversity conservation. What do you enjoy the most about outdoor living? I really enjoy the landscapes and, of course, all the fauna you can observe. ¿Wine or beer? Red wine.