Victor Escobar
Birding Guide
Victor’s love for birds began during my childhood. It started by collecting the pictures for Chile’s first sticker album by Thomas Daskam and Jürgen Rottmann. With his friends, he used to go roaming in the fields and hills near Temuco and Lican-ray, in Southern Chile, taking photos and observing wild birds. Later, during his studies at the University of Chile in Santiago, he took bird identification courses given by the Union of Ornithologists and started to visit the central Andes and coast.
As a professional ornithologist, he have visited Peru, Argentina, Brazil, India and Nepal, where he had the chance to observe and photograph countless birds species new to me.
Victor has participated as an ornithologist in many projects, among them the Binational Conservation Program for the Andean Condor between Chile and Argentina), the research and monitoring project for the Crowned Eagle in Mendoza, Argentina, waterbird surveys for Wetlands International, and the Diademed Sandpiper-Plover research project.
Between 2002 and 2008, he worked as a specialist at the Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Center and was Director of the “Unión de Ornitólogos de Chile” (2007 - 2008). He currently is part of the Condor Research and Conservation Group in South America, he coordinates the Condor surveys of the “Red de Observadores de Aves y Vida Silvestre de Chile” and is co-founder of the NGO: “Corporación Amigos del Cóndor”.
He is personally motivated to show the diversity of landscapes and species of my country, especially endemic flora and fauna, to visitors and those who share the same passion for birds as me.
Find out more about the guide
When did your interest in birds and wildlife begin?
I started to collect the pictures in Birds of Chile`s first album with photographs by Thomas Daskam and Jürgen Rottmann (1984). By the same time with my friends we used to go trakking in to the fields and hills near Temuco city and Lican- ray town, Southern Chile, taking photos and observing wild birds
Why did you decide to work as a birding and wildlife guide?
I decided to work as a guide because I like to show the birds and landscapes of my country to visitors from around the world.
What do you enjoy the most of guiding a tour?
I enjoy when visitors have a good time birding on their tour.
What tour would you recommend for a visit to Chile?
I would recommend All of Chile, because you visit very different landscapes and spend time birding Central Chile, from Santiago to Temuco, where the greatest diversity is concentrated.
Which is your favorite species? And why?
My favorite group are the birds of prey in general, and the Andean condor in particular, because many inhabit the Andes, a unique landscape in South America.
Are you involved in any research or conservation projects?
I am currently coordinating the condor censuses of the “Red de Observadores de Aves y Vida Silvestre de Chile” (ROC) and participating in the study and conservation of Andean Condor within the Condor Research and Conservation Group in South America.
What do you do when you are not guiding?
I work as a freelance consultant on wildlife studies for baseline projects and fauna monitoring throughout Chile.
What dish or drink would your recommend visitors to try?
I recommend the “pastel de choclo”, “humitas” and seafood. To drink, I suggest “mote con huesillos”.
Why did you decide to study biology?
I chose to study biology because of my interest in wildlife.
What do you enjoy the most about outdoor living?
I really enjoy walking outdoors and discovering wildlife.
¿Wine or beer?
Both
