What is your favorite bird species?
Resplendent Quetzal …
and Eurasian Roller
What is your name, and where do you live?
Gabor Orban – during the last 20 years I seasonally migrate like a special bird and live half a year in Costa Rica, Latin America, and half a year in Hungary, Central Europe.
What are the main regions or locations you cover as a bird guide?
Latin America especially Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, Mexico, Belize
Mountain Trogon
How long have you been a bird guide?
30 years
How did you get into bird guiding?
I started birding as a young boy, became a ringer, later a zoologist and an official tour guide
What are the aspects of being a bird guide that you like best?
Being in nature, finding and observing species, sharing knowledge with like-minded people, and discovering new areas are the best
Eurasian Hoopoe
Which aspects do you dislike most?
Although it is a great joy to find and show a new species to someone who has never seen it before I do not like crazy twitching tours. Birding should not be a sport or competition but should be about enjoying nature.
What are the top 5-10 birds in your region that you think are the most interesting for visiting birders?
In Costa Rica:
Resplendent Quetzal, Green-fronted Lancebill, Barred Becard, Wrenthrush, Emerald Toucanet, Volcano Hummingbird, Talamanca Hummingbird, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Spotted Wood-quail, Costa Rica Pygmy Owl.
Fiery-throated Hummingbird
In Hungary:
Saker Falcon, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Montague’s Harrier, Great Bustard, Collared Pratincole, Eurasian Roller, Eurasian Hoopoe, European Bee-eater, Red-footed Falcon, Squacco Heron
Saker Falcon
Can you outline at least one typical birdwatching trip in your area? Please briefly describe the locations, the key birds, and the approximate duration of such a trip
HUNGARY – Upper Kiskunsag National Park – Great Bustard, Collared Pratincole & more
One of the typical habitats of Kiskunsag is the flat, perfect plain what we Hungarians refer to as “The Puszta” which has several different types ranging from dry grassland to marshy meadows.
Kiskunsag grassland is the typical habitat for Great Bustard with the largest population not just in Hungary, but all of Europe! On one of the days, we can travel to the grassland area where we have a good chance of enjoying the view of the enormous males which is quite an unforgettable experience! A nearby area holds Mediterranean Gulls. Not too far we can also search for an occasional Black-winged Pratincole among the Collared ones. On the way, we should look for Stone Curlew, Tawny Pipit, Lesser Grey Shrike, Wheatear, Grey Partridge, Stonechat, and Whinchat. We can admire Bee-eaters at a fantastic colony.
Eurasian Bee-eater
We also will look around from the top of an ancient man-made hill to check a perfect hunting area for some great raptors such as Imperial Eagle, Red-footed Falcon, Saker Falcon, or sometimes even Booted Eagle. Certain species adapted to the agricultural fields and nest at the edge of these areas. Long-eared and Little Owls usually can be found at farmhouses.
Imperial Eagle
COSTA RICA – Quetzal Tour & Paramo tour
One of the most unique birds of the World is the Resplendent Quetzal, so usually it is high on the list of birders who visit Costa Rica. Well, for years our base has been at a location surrounded by cloud forest, habitat of the Quetzal and other highland birds. This is an area where it is easy to spend several days continuously finding more and more high-elevation species. The following description is just an example, not a full list of possibilities.
Before breakfast, we go out early to witness Resplendent Quetzal having its own breakfast. Get prepared for a cool morning at higher elevations of Cordillera de Talamanca.
In the beautiful Savegre Valley, we will try to find Large-footed & Yellow-thighed Finch, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, White-throated & Grey-tailed Mountain Gem, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Sooty-capped Bush Tanager, Flame-colored Tanager, Slaty Flowerpiercer and some more.
Flame-colored Tanager
Later on, we look for Blue-throated Toucanet. There is a good chance to find Black Guan, Spotted Wood-Quail, Sulphur-winged Parakeet & certain month Barred Parakeet as well. A wide variety of hummingbirds will be around, such as the magnificent Talamanca Hummingbird, Green Violetear, Snowy bellied Hummingbird, Volcano & Scintillant Hummingbird. There is a chance to add some other local specialties as well, such as Ruddy Treerunner, Spotted Barbtail, Spot-crowned Woodereeper, Torrent Tyrannulet, Ruddy-capped Nightingale Thrush, Flame-throated Warbler, Collared Whitestart, Black-cheeked Warbler & Spangle-cheeked Tanager, not to mention the long list of common species.
If we still have time and energy we can venture out to the locally highest elevation with paramo vegetation to look for Volcano Hummingbird, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher and Peg-billed Finch, Silvery-throated Jay, Timberline Wren, Volcano Junco, and Red-tailed Hawk.
During the evening we should hear Dusky Nightjar and Costa Rica Pygmy Owl.
What other suggestions can you give to birders interested in your area?
Costa Rica is the best from December till April while Hungary is the best from May till October
If any reader of 10,000 Birds is interested in birding with you, how can they best contact you?
ecotoursgabororban@gmail.com
Gabor is all-around nice guy, birded Amazonia with him.