Lelis Navarrete
Lelis Navarrete has more than 16 years of experience as a professional birding tour leader in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, and Peru. A Biology graduate of Quito’s Universidad Catolica, Lelis’s field work has included significant contributions to the standard reference CDs of Ecuadorian bird vocalizations, and he was involved in the rediscovery of the Striated Antbird. In collaboration with Robert S. Ridgely, Lelis was involved in the discovery of the Jocotoco Antpitta and in important records of Crested Becard and Spot-throated Hummingbird. In Ecuador, his work has added Peruvian Antpitta, Andean Tyrant, and White-backed Stilt to that country’s bird list, as well as extending the known range of several other species.
Familiar with the sounds of some 2,400 South American species, Lelis is regarded as one of the finest birding guides in South America, and with his excellent people skills, attentiveness, humor, and organizational ability, he is a pleasure to be with in the field.