Colorado's premier local guiding service for birders and bird photographers!

More Birds. Better Photos. Your List.

Mountain Plover © Robert Royse

Our Services

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White-tailed Ptarmigan © Kadynn Hatfield
Birding

The best choice for birders looking to experience Colorado's incredibly diverse birdlife.

Starting at $200.

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Lark Bunting © David Tonnessen
Bird Photography

A birding experience designed to get you the best possible photos of Colorado's birds.

Starting at $250.

The BEST OF Colorado

We guide across several major regions of Colorado, from the top of the iconic Rocky Mountains to the rolling plains and prairies of Pawnee National Grasslands. We want you to get the best of Colorado birds and birding across this wild and scenic state–White-tailed Ptarmigans and Brown-capped Rosy-Finches to longspurs and prairie-chickens, Black Swifts to Pinyon Jays and Lewis’s Woodpeckers.

American Dipper © David Tonnessen

Our REVIEWS

Colorado Birding Guides
Excellent
5.0
Based on 12 reviews
review us on
My partner and I birded with Simon for a day and it was amazing! He was tireless and conscientious, and we saw *so many* birds. I booked the trip as a birthday gift, and we both had a blast. The Barn Owl we saw at sunset was the coolest bird I've ever seen.
Luke was a great guide. Knowledgeable, accommodating. I’d use this company again.
Luke worked diligently throughout long hours and many miles to get our party on everything we needed and then some. His patience, tenacity, and local knowledge made a big difference. Highly recommended.
We’ve birded with Arizona Birding Guides and this was our first Colorado Birding Guides experience, and it was very successful. Simon was great. We would bird with this team again.
I went out with Luke Pheneger in April 2025 for grouse, chickens and owls. It was amazing! Luke did an amazing job and found all of our target birds, including Boreal Owl! He worked hard to get me on the birds and was also watching the weather constantly to work around fog, snow and rain. We even both had our lifer mountain lion!! I highly recommend Colorado Birding Guides and Luke!!
Luke Pheneger was great! Great eyes and ears. Knows his Colorado birds. Highly recommended.
I've had the opportunity to go birding with Luke several times and I have always been blown away by his identification skills both by sight and sound. He has an incredible ability to locate the best habitat to find the target birds. His patience while making sure everyone in the group can see the birds he finds is unparalleled. He is an amazing guide with immense knowledge and passion. I highly recommend Luke to lead any birding trip. You are guaranteed to learn something new and have a great time!
Whether by sight or by sound, David is a fantastic spotter. He is also an amazing guide and extremely knowledgable about birds and habitats. He is a fun leader and intent to get everyone on the bird. Anyone that has birded with him in the past knows how incredibly patient he is and that he makes sure that everyone is included in all aspects of birding adventures.
Love David. We wanted to call it a day before he did! He would hear a sound, call it out and then find the bird for us. And a great individual to be with for 10 hours. We will seek him out again!
I have had the opportunity to bird watch with Brian and his knowledge showed. As a beginner he was incredibly helpful at teaching me about the birds and was patient with my questions I had. I would highly recommend him as a guide to anyone.
My wife and I have birded with David for almost 10 years in Colorado. He is an excellent birding guide and knowledgeable ornithologist. He has amazing visual and audio ID skills for both local and migratory species from Central America, Mexico, Southwestern United States and particularly Colorado. He is patient and helps each individual maximize their tour experience. Meeting the individual participant's needs is a priority.Leonard and Joy Lake
David is an extremely knowledgeable guide and a patient teacher. I went on a trip to the Texas coast with him, and his choice of locations was excellent. His ability to identify birds by sight and sound amazed me. He is enthusiastic and passionate about birding. He helps each person on the tour get on the bird, and is able to find the target birds. I highly recommend him for any birding trip.
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Colorado Birding GUIDES

Colorado Birding Guides is all about following passions—our passion for nature, exploring beautiful places, discovering amazing birds, capturing the perfect photo, and creating lasting memories. We’re honored to share our love for Colorado birds with you!

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February to May is lekking season for Greater Sage-Grouse. Photo by Brian Genge.

Answers to your questions!

What time of year is best for birding in Colorado? Where should I go birding when I visit? What species of birds will I see while I’m there? Find answers to all your questions and more on our FAQ page.

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