ABOUT US

Our birding tours take you from the middle of the concrete jungle to the middle of nowhere and back again.

The Urban Birder World Tours (TUBW Tours) with Bird’s Wildlife and Nature differ from other birding and wildlife tours in that we always include an urban birding element. Despite urban birding being in our blood we are not shy to wander into the middle of rural idylls in search of wildlife. We always try to choose destinations that are overlooked, unusual and unexpectedly rich for birding. And, even with the more familiar locations, we will always try to find the sites that others don’t think of or visit often. Our ethos is based on leisurely birding and certainly does not involve rushing around ticking lists and chasing after rarities. We are into fully enjoying the wildlife that we discover, and we also love having fun, soaking up the local culture. There is also a very strong conservation element too. Often within our itineraries will take the time to visit small local NGO’s carrying out vital work that is often not known about in the wider world. We will certainly always give you the conservational back stories to the places we visit and the wildlife that we encounter.

Working with Bird’s Wildlife and Nature

We are proud to announce our collaboration with Bird’s Wildlife and Nature. Together, we will strive to organise unique tours with you safe in the knowledge that you are being looked after by a combined organization with over 50 years of experience leading wildlife tours. Also, Bird’s Wildlife and Nature are fully bonded and licensed fully for your further piece of mind.

The various TUBW and Bird’s Wildlife and Nature Tours offered are all conceived, designed and organised by our TUBW Tours team alongside Tom and Steve Bird of Bird’s Wildlife and Nature, but not necessarily led by David Lindo, The Urban Birder. Between us we have a brilliant team of experienced leaders who are also all experienced urban birders that know and love their birds and other wildlife. Our leaders will fully cater for you making sure that you don’t miss a feather, tuft of fur or antennae and will always lead tours at your pace putting your needs and safety first.

Where we use ground agents in other countries we personally put these companies to the test. We visit all the locations personally and do the tours ourselves to make sure that all is well. Please be assured that we consider your safety, enjoyment and peace of mind as paramount. Terms and conditions, travel insurance advice and healthcare guidance can be found within the booking details of each tour.

Other Tours

TUBW Tours will also be organising tours within the UK where we will sometimes collaborate with hotels and other partners to provide the best accommodation experience and birding/wildlife watching opportunities. We have already been running tours with the Grant Arms Hotel in the Cairngorms, Scotland on an annual basis for several years. Keep looking out for new UK based tours.

Private Tours with David Lindo

If you would prefer a more individual experience with a private tour for singles, couples or groups of friends or work colleagues with David Lindo then please get in touch.

He can take you around locations within Britain, Europe and further afield. In particular, he would love to show you around his beloved Extremadura in southwestern Spain.

To enquire about a personalised private tour please contact us here tours@theurbanbirderworld.com.

Flight and hotel assistance

For additional help with flight and hotel bookings we recommend that you contact or travel agent Sacha Barbato (+44 (0) 1603 360 099) sacha.barbato@travelcounsellors.com.

Working under the umbrella of the ATOL and ABTA Bonded Travel Counsellors he will be on hand to assist you with all aspects of your travel needs. Sacha is also a knowledgeable birder and has been working in the travel industry for over twenty years. He has personal experience of many of the destinations that TUBW Tours and Bird’s Wildlife and Nature have to offer.

He will be able to book any flight or hotel that you may require if you want prolong your stay outside of our specified tour inclusions. Plus, he can also offer travel insurance if you do not already have any in place.

Anyway, we hope to see you on one of our tours one day. If you have any queries, please email Nelson Rogers at tours@theurbanbirderworld.com.

KEEP LOOKING UP!

The Urban Birder World and Bird’s Wildlife and Nature Team

David Lindo

The Urban Birder

David, the maestro behind The Urban Birder brand, has been watching birds since the devil was a boy and spent his childhood and youth learning about the birds in his urban neighbourhood. He has now visited over 350 cities worldwide in search of birds but, despite his moniker, he is equally at home on a deserted island. If there are birds to be found, he will find them!

Tom Bird

TUB Leader

Tom is owner of Bird’s Wildlife & Nature. With a great passion for all wildlife Tom has taken his father’s (Steve Bird) years of experience and has developed a company to meet the requirements of modern-day birders and naturalists who want the very best from a wildlife tour company. With new and fresh ideas of where to go and what to see, he has already attracted a lot of attention with many travellers eager to participate in a Bird’s Wildlife & Nature Tour. Tom has a particular skill when it comes to other taxa aside from birds and mammals. He has led tours specifically for dragonflies and cetaceans and is looking forward to developing even more tours where the focus is on all aspects of nature at a nice pace where small groups can enjoy seeing some of the world’s most incredible creatures.

Steve Bird

TUB Leader

Steve has been leading and organising birding and wildlife tours for over 25 years. He has travelled to all the corners of the world including some 75 countries with over 100 tours to the neotropics and 40 to Costa Rica alone! His meticulous planning and superb bird finding skills have seen him attract a big band of followers who he enjoys passing on the wealth of information he has acquired. His enthusiasm and tireless leadership skills, combined with a pleasant, easy-going attitude and great sense of humour have made him a very popular leader. Steve is a principal guide for Bird’s Wildlife & Nature and organises many of the tours, he is also an accomplished wildlife artist and has in interest in all aspects of nature. Steve co/leads many of his tours with his American partner Gina Nichol, herself a tour leader and owner of Sunrise Birding.

Gina Nichol

TUB Leader

Gina is the founder and principal tour leader of Sunrise Birding. A naturalist and birder for more than thirty years, Gina began leading ecotours for Audubon Nature Odysseys in the early 1990’s in Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, the Pacific Northwest, and Baja California. Gina’s avid interest in wildlife biology led her to the Yellowstone Institute in Wyoming where she studied animal behaviour as well as methods for tracking animal movements. She also worked on research projects investigating habitat requirements of otters and Pumas in the Jim Sage Mountains in Idaho. Her varied interests and love of the natural world have taken her to all corners of the globe – from Alaska to Antarctica, Costa Rica to Japan, the Arctic to South Africa, Mongolia, New Zealand, Australia, Colombia, Greece, Spain, India – the list goes on. She has has a particular love of cats searching for and seeing Snow Leopards, Jaguar, Tiger, Puma and many more.

Howard Vaughan

TUB Leader

Birding has been in Howard’s blood ever since picking up a pair of bins as child in 1977. Howard has over 35 years of knowledge, passion and insight into birds and other wildlife both close to home and further afield. His enthusiasm and knowledge of birds is second to none. He also has a fantastic way of teaching people around him about the intricacies of bird identification in such a simple and understandable way which makes him a perfect guide and host.

Gary Elton

TUB Leader

Gary has been a keen birder from the tender age of nine. He spent most of his early years building his knowledge birding near his childhood home, in and around Northwest London.

Tourleading has become a major part of his working life and his recent destinations include Israel, Northern Greece, Iceland, Spain, Bulgaria, and The Gambia. He has also led tours to Goa, Morocco, Switzerland, Mexico and the Americas.

Gary also conducts some of our Urban Birder Day Courses.