About Rich Hoyer

Rich Hoyer is first and foremost a birder whose subconscious registers and identifies every bird he hears, even when he isn't birding. But he actually started keying out wildflowers , catching reptiles, and raising butterflies before he discovered birding at age 14, and has since branched out to enjoy photographing and identifying dragonflies, grasshoppers, spiders and almost anything else alive. For the past 13 years he has been leading birding and natural history tours for WINGS. Among his regular destinations are Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, the Galapagos, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Jamaica. Originally from Oregon, he currently lives in Tucson, Arizona.

A Quetzal Christmas

Christmas Red and Green The colors red and green represent Christmas probably from traditions of using sprigs of evergreen trees and red berries to decorate – holly comes to mind. […]

Winter Birding in Oregon

My excuse for not blogging on time in my usual Tuesday slot has been heard before – it’s that busy holiday time of year. But if you were leaving for […]

Mayan Mexico – A Taste of the Tropics

While Mexico is riddled with centers of endemism — its pines, oaks and deserts offering a distinctive Middle American flavor — the Mayan south is instead a Neotropical paradise. This […]

Tapajos Hermit Recognized by SACC

A quorum in the South American Classification Committee has been reached on the proposal to consider the Tapajos Hermit, Phaethornis aethopyga, as a valid species, separate from the Little Hermit. […]

Satellite Tracking of Sooty Shearwaters

Satellite technologies, similar to those used by cell phone companies, are enabling scientists to track the Sooty Shearwater seabird species. The data helps to identify critical at-sea habitats for marine […]

Darwin’s Mocking-Thrushes

The Mockingbirds of the Galápagos I’m just back from my week in the Galápagos Islands onboard the marine yacht Integrity. With great weather, an exceptionally hard-working crew, Richard Polatty as […]

Getting Friendly With Frigatebirds

I’m currently in the Galapagos, a wonderful paradise of watching birds, snorkeling, and marveling at the evidence of evolution that seems so obvious to us today but was a totally […]

A Modest Menagerie of Motmots

Are there nine, twelve, thirteen – or maybe even fourteen species of this Neotropical family? Motmots are loved by everyone. But what makes them so appealing? There’s certainly something attractively […]

Hummer Madness in Tucson

Watch your head in this hummer-filled yard! The yard here on N Vine Avenue in Tucson has been a hazard zone the past week with dozens of hummingbirds whizzing back […]

Cristalino Jungle Lodge, Brazil

One of My Favorite Places in the World Cristalino Jungle Lodge is one of my favorite places on Earth. OK, you could probably put me almost anywhere in the Amazon […]