Our Team

Andrea is a biologist from the Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia. She is the founder and co-owner of MANAKIN NATURE TOURS.  She loves birds, orchids and nature in general, having more than 5 years of experience in ornithology. Andrea has worked on scientific investigations of 4 species of important birds in danger of extinction; Blue-billed Curassow, Recurved-billed Bushbird, Perija Parakeet and the Yellow-eared Parrot, which have provided important information related to their biology and conservation.  Currently Andrea oversees the administration, management and logistics of MANAKIN NATURE TOURS.

Biologist from the National University, member of the ornithology group of the same university since 2011 and coordinator between 2012 and 2013. Developed a research project: implications of seed dispersal by birds and its implication in natural restoration in the Colombian eastern plain to get his BSc. Worked during a year developing a database of morphology of birds of high Andean and Paramo ecosystems for Alexander von Humboldt research institute, also one year collecting information of birds of the upper Bogotá river basin for international conservation NGO, has worked in different project proposing new areas for conservation in the transitional area between the eastern plains and the Amazon forest, developed two projects to obtain information of two migratory warblers (Cerulean Wabler and Golden-winged Warbler), and have collaborate in books: “Colibries en Colombia” (Cap. Orinoquia and Amazonia)  and “Aves de Casanare” (ed. Villegas) and co-author of the book “Tesoros alados” (ed. Alas de Cristal), Scientific articles published: “Aves de la Orinoquia Colombiana” (Birds of the Colombian Orinoquia – Diversidad Biótica) and “a morphological database for 606 species of birds of Colombia ”(Ecogology). part of the coordination committee for the Ornithology national meeting in 2013 (Guaviare – Colombia) and 2017 (Mocoa – Colombia) Freelance guide since 2012. Since 2017 full-time guide and Chief operations officer for Manakin Nature Tours.

Alejandro is a French-Venezuelan empiric ornithologist since 8 years old when his fascination for nature and wildlife began at El Parque Nacional Ávila, in Caracas (Venezuela), his hometown. Currently, he has acquired 18-years of experience in ornithology. It all started in 2001 when he participated as a field assistant on a survey about the ethnobiological knowledge of a Yanomami ethnic subgroup called the Shirian. After this experience, he worked for many years as a bird guide and natural historian within the worldwide acclaimed “Hato El Cedral” and “Hato Piñero” in the Venezuelan Plains. Alejandro also performed guided visits for bird watching companies from America, the United Kingdom, and Europe with Chris Sharpe at Birding Venezuela, and Ascanio Birding Tours (David Ascanio). His research fieldwork and birding training, have taken him all across Venezuela. For decades, he spent time at the Parque Nacional Tama, which is shared with Colombia at the last trail from the Eastern range on the Andes, searching for unregistered species such as the Tachira Antpitta and having the privilege to be among the pioneers who rediscovered the locally restricted Orinoco Softtail. After birdwatching at the six largest avifauna places on the planet and being overwhelmed by the massive diversity of his neighboring country, Alejandro arrived in Colombia in 2016 and is now part of the guide’s team at MANAKIN NATURE TOURS.

Daniel was born in 1987 in Manizales and is still living there. He got an Electronic Engineer degree in 2011, but some years ago, he found his passion for birdwatching and began to work on bird’s conservation at the SCO (Sociedad Caldense de Ornitología). There he was on charge of the coordination of some programs like, The Counts that are carried out during the year, and other programs in which we seek to publicize the wonderful world of birds to different actors in the community. Now, He is working as a Birdwatching Guide in Tinamú Birding Nature Reserve and Río Blanco Protected Forest Reserve since 2016, when he started studying Touristic Guidance, and now he is part of our team as the main guide for the Andean area.

Thanks to his passion for knowledge of Colombian daytime butterflies, Fredy has traveled along the country (Caribbean coast, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Magdalena Valley, Orinoquía, Amazonia, and the Bogotá Savannah) to carry out different research on ecosystems conservation and the populations of rare and endemic species. He studied Biology at the Universidad del Atlántico where he wrote his first scientific article and by now, more than 10 of his articles have been published in different specialized journals. He has participated in many library publications, where the most relevant books have been published, offering photographs and video footage of Lepidoptera species in their natural habitat. He is a founding member of ACOLEP (Colombian Lepidopterology Association) and ACZ (Colombian Zoological Association). Over the last few years, he has carried out research in the south of the country, especially in the Putumayo forest, a zone that contains perhaps the most diverse fauna in Colombia. He has produced photography catalogs at different altitudes in the country and managed to photograph more than 900 species in this area of the country alone. Since 2012, he has been in charge of different butterfly’s research and photography trips in different national ecosystems. Fredy is probably one of the most important experts in butterflies in the country and is the new specialized guide for MANAKIN NATURE TOURS.

Iván was born in 1991 in Bogotá, D.C.. He is a Tourism and hospitality manager and a Chef. Iván is passionate about nature, local communities and photography. He has traveled to many Colombian regions knowing, learning, working and falling in love with all the natural and cultural diversity of the country. His curiosity for birds began in 2019 when he saw a couple of torrent ducks swimming against the currents of the Otún River, since then he has wanted to learn and photograph the birds that can be found in Colombia “the country of the birds”.

I am Sindy Lavacude, from Chita Boyacá, Technical Bachelor’s in Tourism, and I graduated in Tourism and Hotel Administration from the Juan de Castellanos University Foundation of Tunja Boyacá. I have experience in the public sector, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, and Secretary of Tourism of Boyacá in tourism planning and development. I love my profession and everything that revolves around it (the social and sustainable part).

I am Ana Barajas, I live in Tunja-Boyacá for several years, I am an accounting and administrative technician, with experience for more than 18 years, providing support in legalizing accounting and financial documentation that allows control of the overall management of the Company, based on in accounting principles generally accepted in Colombia and in accordance with current tax regulations.

Edson Moroni, graduated in Biological Sciences from the Universidad Federal de Grande Dourados (UFGD) in Brazil, has been working on birdwatching tourism mainly in Swamp areas in Brazil since 2015 and in Colombia from 2020. He is now specializing in digital marketing strategies and bird-tourism product commerce as well as ecotourism for different lodges and natural reserves in his hometown. He has experience in the public and private sector as a developer and touristic destination positioner for wildlife places with an emphasis on birdwatching. He was responsible to run the first business meeting in Avistar ( BirdFair, Brazil) and has tough conferences, courses, and workshops about ecotourism, birdwatching, strategic planning in farms and inns with commercialization actions along with his career. Actually, he is the marketing strategist for MANAKIN NATURE TOURS.

Jovani was born in La Calera, Cundinamarca, and he is one of the most experienced drivers in the field of birding in Colombia. He has been involved in this line of work for more than 10 years and is in charge of transport logistics throughout Colombia. He’s a very kind, friendly person who always tries to innovate with his service. He has a large fleet of automobiles that include Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen SUVs, and 4×4 vehicles across the country. In Jovani we place all of our trust with the transport because he is considered the best transport coordinator for birding excursions in the country.