Lists

15 countries with many bird guides

July 9, 2026 by Kai Pflug No Comments

Ever wondered which country has the most bird guides? No, you have not.

It is probably hard to figure out anyway, but the number of bird guides listed on Orniverse might be a useful proxy.

And here is that data:

Obviously, this is not a true ranking of bird guide populations, but rather a reflection of how many guides are listed on Orniverse, which inevitably mixes actual guide density with platform visibility and regional adoption.

Colombia’s strong showing likely reflects its exceptional birding tourism ecosystem, while the relatively modest US figure probably underrepresents a highly fragmented domestic guiding market spread across multiple platforms.

Africa stands out as a coherent block, with Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Gambia forming a clear “birding safari belt” in the dataset.

Overall, the list is probably best read as a map of Orniverse penetration in the global birding economy rather than a census of bird guides per country.

Written by Kai Pflug
Kai has lived in Shanghai for 22 years. He only started birding after moving to China, so he is far more familiar with Chinese birds than the ones back in his native Germany. As a birder, he considers himself strictly average and tries to make up for it with photography, which he shares on a separate website. Alas, most of the photos are pretty average as well. He hopes that few clients of his consulting firm—focused on China’s chemical industry—ever find this blog, as it might raise questions about his professional priorities. Much of his time is spent either editing posts for 10,000 Birds or cleaning the litter boxes of his numerous indoor cats. He occasionally considers writing a piece comparing the two activities.