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Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 🦅 Expert birding and nature tours since 1976. Small groups, superior service, unforgettable experiences with professional guides.

First recorded in Bolivia's Beni savannas in 1960, the bird now known as the Beni Greenlet (Hylophilus moxensis) was lon...
10/15/2026

First recorded in Bolivia's Beni savannas in 1960, the bird now known as the Beni Greenlet (Hylophilus moxensis) was long considered a regional variant of two known Brazilian species. Genetic analysis, morphological study, and careful examination of its vocalizations eventually confirmed it as a distinct endemic species, restricted to the seasonally inundated savannas of the Llanos de Moxos. The Beni Greenlet is endemic to Bolivia.

The species was formally described and published on January 1, 2026 in the journal Avian Systematics by van Els, Montenegro-Avila, and colleagues, with the South American Classification Committee of Louisiana State University's Museum of Natural Science subsequently endorsing the English name Beni Greenlet in recognition of its restricted range in Bolivia's Beni Department. It is separated from its nearest relatives by approximately 1,200 miles.

eBird currently tracks observations of the taxon provisionally or under a descriptive placeholder (such as Gray-eyed Greenlet (Beni) / Hylophilus amaurocephalus [undescribed Beni form]) pending the annual Clements/eBird taxonomy update cycle.

VENT tour leader Andy Whittaker and his group encountered this newly described species on our recently completed Grand Bolivia Part 1 tour — the first VENT group to observe the Beni Greenlet as a recognized species in the field.

To read the full paper visit: researchgate.net/publication/399285182
For the SACC proposal visit: museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCprop1072.htm

Photo credit: Andrew Whittaker

đź“Ť Bolivia

This past Saturday, VENT tour leaders from across the United States and around the world participated in Cornell Lab of ...
10/14/2026

This past Saturday, VENT tour leaders from across the United States and around the world participated in Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Global Big Day, submitting checklists as part of the world's largest single-day citizen science birding event. Compiled by VENT tour leader Brian Gibbons, the collective effort produced 53 checklists and an extraordinary 485 species observed — and that is pending Raymond VanBuskirk's lists from Utqiagvik, Alaska, still to come!

VENT groups were in the field across six countries — Australia, Brazil, Guyana, Madagascar, Peru, and South Africa — and across five U.S. states including Arizona, California, Florida, New Jersey, and Texas.

VENT tour leader David Ascanio is currently leading a tour in Guyana, where the group had superb views of the Endangered Red Siskin alongside a remarkable collection of Guianan specialties including Sun Parakeet, Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, Blood-colored Woodpecker, Black-faced Hawk, Rufous Crab-Hawk, Bearded Tachuri, Pinnated Bittern, Hoary-throated Spinetail, and Rio Branco Antbird.

Closer to home, VENT tour leader Brian logged 45 species from his yard in Arizona, including three migrant Ospreys, a couple of Dickcissels, and more than 50 southbound Yellow-rumped Warblers moving overhead in migration.

A remarkable collective effort from the VENT community on one of birding's great global celebrations.

The Zigzag Heron wears its calling card in plain sight. Its common name points to the intricate zigzag barring in its pl...
10/13/2026

The Zigzag Heron wears its calling card in plain sight. Its common name points to the intricate zigzag barring in its plumage. Its genus name, Zebrilus, comes from the French zèbre, meaning "zebra." Its species name, undulatus, means "furnished with wave-like markings." Every name points back to pattern. Yet this patterned bird remains one of the Amazon's hardest birds to find.

Smaller than many familiar herons, the Zigzag Heron inhabits slow-moving streams, pools, and swampy forest in the depths of the Amazonian rainforest, staying close to cover and foraging deliberately along densely vegetated riverbanks. It is heard far more often than seen: its muffled hoot is repeated at long intervals before dawn or at dusk. When approached, it may freeze motionless, relying on cryptic plumage to disappear against the forest floor. Despite its heron-like appearance, it is closely aligned with the bitterns, with only 10 tail feathers rather than the 12 found in many other Ardeidae. As the sole member of its genus, it represents a distinctive branch within the heron family.

A sighting of the Zigzag Heron in the wild is genuinely rare for most birders and deeply coveted, the kind of encounter in the Amazonian lowlands. It is one of the many sought-after species possible at the Napo Wildlife Center on VENT's Ecuador: Best of Amazonia Short Tour with VENT tour leaders Paul Greenfield and Remi Grefa.

Join VENT in Ecuador's Amazon Basin for a short, immersive birding experience based at the award-winning Napo Wildlife Center.

January 19 – 26, 2027

đź“Ť YasunĂ­ National Park, Ecuadorian Amazon

Ecuador: Best of Amazonia Short TourEcuador is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, with over 1,730 bird speci...
10/12/2026

Ecuador: Best of Amazonia Short Tour

Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, with over 1,730 bird species recorded in an area smaller than the state of Colorado. This tour immerses guests in the lush rainforests of the upper Amazon Basin, based at one of the region's most extraordinary wildlife destinations.

The Napo Wildlife Center, located within the vast Yasuní National Park in northeastern Ecuador, sits on the beautiful Añangu Lagoon, surrounded by pristine rainforest under the stewardship of the indigenous Añangu community. A model of sustainable ecotourism built and run entirely by the local community, the Center's domain has recorded nearly 600 bird species.

The lowland rainforests here are home to guans, large raptors, macaws, and a rich diversity of antbirds, while mixed-species flocks move through the understory and subcanopy. Clay licks attract large numbers of parrots, three canopy towers offer exceptional treetop viewing, and blackwater streams and river islands add further dimension to the birding experience.

Join VENT tour leaders Paul Greenfield and Remi Grefa, January 19 – 26, 2027.

Looking to extend your Ecuador adventure? This tour pairs perfectly with our Ecuador: Eastern Slope of the Andes tour, January 24 – February 3, 2027, offering a spectacular journey from the steamy Amazonian lowlands to the snow-capped peaks of the Andes.

Photo credit: Brian Gibbons

đź“Ť Ecuadorian Amazon

2026 Tour Highlights - France: Brittany in FallAutumn birding in Brittany is still something of a regional secret, and V...
10/11/2026

2026 Tour Highlights - France: Brittany in Fall

Autumn birding in Brittany is still something of a regional secret, and VENT tour leader Rick Wright and his group found it living up to its reputation in full this year.

The rich tidal flats of the Bay of Goulven delivered a scarce Temminck's Stint consorting with Spotted and Common Redshanks, Common Greenshanks, Eurasian Curlews, Bar-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, and Curlew Sandpipers. Waterfowl were pouring in — Eurasian Wigeon in striking coppery-red plumage, the first Northern Pintails of the winter, and Common Shelducks working the mud at low tide. Out in the marshes and reedbeds, Cetti's Warblers, Water Rails, and Common Snipe rewarded patient observers.

Afternoons on the seawall at the group's elegant beach hotel produced a steady stream of Northern Gannets, Razorbills, Manx and Balearic Shearwaters, Sanderlings, Black-bellied Plovers, and Ruddy Turnstones — with a Gray Seal bobbing among Black-headed and Mediterranean Gulls on the final sunny afternoon providing a memorable mammal encounter.

Between birding excursions, the group explored Brittany's remarkable cultural heritage — medieval enclos at the churches of Trémouézant and Le Folguët, the wartime Musée Mémoires 1939–1945 in a German command bunker, and the haunting ruins of the Gothic abbey church of St-Mathieu alongside a modern lighthouse.

Photo credits: Rick Wright

đź“Ť Brittany, France

VENT tour leader Doris Valencia and her group are enjoying a remarkable run on our Southern Peru: Birding the Enchanting...
10/10/2026

VENT tour leader Doris Valencia and her group are enjoying a remarkable run on our Southern Peru: Birding the Enchanting Manu Road tour.

Several antpitta species have been among the standout encounters: the range-restricted Leymebamba Antpitta, the sought-after Red-and-white Antpitta, and an Amazonian Antpitta filling the forest with its distinctive voice. A Common Potoo discovered at its daytime roost, perched in its classic sentry pose, provided one of those magical birding moments. A Buff-tailed Sicklebill rounded out an already extraordinary several days in the field.

Between birding outings, Doris and her group have been soaking up the full Manu Road experience, enjoying field lunches and pausing at waterfalls along one of South America’s most breathtaking routes.

More highlights to come from this incredible journey!

Photo and video credits: Doris Valencia

đź“Ť Manu Road, Southern Peru

Today is World Migratory Bird Day. This year's theme, "Every Bird Counts — Your Observations Matter!" highlights the vi...
10/10/2026

Today is World Migratory Bird Day. This year's theme, "Every Bird Counts — Your Observations Matter!" highlights the vital role that community science plays in migratory bird conservation. From backyard bird counts to large-scale coordinated surveys, individual observations contribute directly to the science and policy that protect migratory birds. Every sighting recorded matters.

For VENT travelers and tour leaders, every day in the field is an opportunity to contribute to that collective knowledge.

Happy World Migratory Bird Day from all of us at VENT!

Original embroidery artwork by Brazilian artist LuĂ­sa Lacerda.

10/09/2026

The lush Yungas forest visible from Refugio Los Volcanes lies within Bolivia's remarkable AmborĂł National Park. Situated at the "Elbow of the Andes," where the mountain range changes direction, AmborĂł occupies a biologically rich transition zone among the Andes, the Amazon Basin, and the Chaco. Its dramatic range of elevations and habitats supports extraordinary biodiversity, including hundreds of bird species.

For VENT tour leader Andy Whittaker and his group on our recently completed Grand Bolivia tours, Refugio Los Volcanes provided an immersive two-night base in the heart of this remarkable wilderness.

Video credit: Andy Whittaker

đź“Ť AmborĂł National Park, Bolivia

A highlight of our recently completed New Jersey: Fall Migration in Cape May tour was a special demonstration by Mark Ga...
10/08/2026

A highlight of our recently completed New Jersey: Fall Migration in Cape May tour was a special demonstration by Mark Garland. He showed the group how to attach cellular and Bluetooth-enabled transmitters to monarch butterflies as part of ongoing migration research.

Two monarchs were tagged during the demonstration. CMP26-025-VENT chose to wait out the nor’easter in Cape May, while CMP26-026-M&L wasted no time. Aided by northeast winds, it crossed Delaware Bay in a record-breaking 26 minutes. The group then monitored CMP26-026-M&L’s migration in real time, watching the butterfly travel 502 kilometers in just four days to Point Lookout, North Carolina, on its way to Mexico.

Mark Garland is a familiar face in the VENT community. He has led tours with Michael and Louise to Antarctica and will join next year’s Galapagos trip. His expertise and enthusiasm for the natural world extend well beyond birds, as this memorable demonstration made clear.

We are cheering for CMP26-026-M&L as it continues its remarkable journey to Mexico!

Photo credits: Michael O'Brien, Louise Zemaitis

đź“Ť Cape May, New Jersey

Although a Nor'easter settled over the Jersey Shore for much of the week, VENT tour leaders Michael O'Brien and Louise Z...
10/07/2026

Although a Nor'easter settled over the Jersey Shore for much of the week, VENT tour leaders Michael O'Brien and Louise Zemaitis and their group had a remarkably successful Cape May fall migration tour, logging an impressive 133 species.

Massive concentrations of birds driven by the wind were a recurring theme throughout the week. Thousands of Laughing Gulls fed on the bayside creeks at Jake's Landing, hundreds of Black Skimmers roosted on the Cape May beachfront, and a tornadic swirl of several thousand Tree Swallows seen during the boat cruise was a sight none will soon forget. At Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, hundreds of herons, egrets, ibises, terns, and fifteen shorebird species huddled together out of the wind in remarkable concentrations.

The conditions also produced some welcome surprises: Hudsonian Godwit and Red-necked Phalarope pushed ashore by the winds, cooperative Saltmarsh and Seaside Sparrows out in the open, and a first for this tour—an American Mink at Jake's Landing.

When northerly winds arrived, Cape May Point delivered an excellent raptor show with Northern Harriers, Peregrine Falcons, Broad-winged and Sharp-shinned Hawks, Bald Eagles, Merlins, and Cooper's Hawks all putting on a memorable performance. A warbler influx at Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area, Cape May Bird Observatory, Lily Lake, and Cape May Point State Park rounded out an outstanding week of fall migration birding in one of North America's most celebrated birding destinations.

Photo credits: Michael O'Brien

đź“Ť Cape May, New Jersey

Address

2525 Wallingwood Drive, Ste 1003
Austin, TX
78746

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 5:30pm

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