Birdwatching in Iran Birding contacts and birdwatching information Check our personalized year round birdwatching tours for small groups Local Birdingpal Contacts Local Birdwatchers Please note that most Birdingpals are serious birdwatchers. It is a privilege to contact them, and your message should reflect it. A local Pal does not get paid, but should he/she offer to take you out birding, using their own vehicle, it would be courteous to pay for the fuel. A lunch and/or a small gift would also be appropriate, something as simple as a souvenir of your country, or a pin from your local birding club. Initial Last Name Area Available Language B Moosavi Bandar Abas, Hormozgan Anytime M Karamzadeh Karaj, Tehran Anytime H Keshavarz Tehran Anytime Persian/English F Keshavarz Tehran Weekend Persian/English Professional Guides Initial Last Name Area Available Language T Yeganeh-Majd Teheran Anytime Persian/English/Spanish My name is Pieter Paul, I am a Biologist. I live and work in the Netherlands. This year in June I have made a journey, to watch birds and to record their sounds in various wetlands in the Middle-East. I have visited the Shadegan Marshes in Iran and Ammiq Swamp in Lebanon and Sultan Sazligi Marshes in Turkey. My first aim was to visit the remote Shadegan Marshes in the far South-West part of Iran. The wetland is very close the Iraqi border, and formed one of the most important battlefield of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980-87. I knew I would be totally helpless in this rural area, where hardly anyone speaks English. A guide with a good understanding of English, Persian and Arabic wouldn't be much of a luxury thing. Since the Arabs are by far the largest ethnic minority in this area. I found Tirdaad on the site of Birding Pal. From the very first moment he showed his enthusiasm and did his utmost best to arrange the necessary permits to enter this 'political sensitive' area. As soon as I arrived in Teheran all the permits and flight tickets were ready. Everything was arranged really well and the next morning we were ready to fly to Ahvaz in the South-West. We stayed about three days in Ahvaz and about four days in Shadegan. Everyday we left very early in the morning, to reach the wetland as early as possible to avoid the scorching heat and to be ready when the birds wake up. Without Tirdaad this would be shear impossible. He arranged everything, from a good hotel, taxis to a boat with a local Arabic guide in the wetland. With the help of Tirdaad, as an outstanding translator, I was able to speak (and to have a lot of fun!) with the very hospitable local Arabs living in little villages next to the wetland. I guess I realized it even more afterwards: how difficult this would have been to do this on my own. Because of all his efforts I have been able to see a lot of birds and to make many beautiful recordings. Among them there is the song of the 'Basrah Reed Warbler' (acrocephalus Griseldus) a very rare, endemic breeder in this area. But Tirdaad gave me much more than only solutions for hundreds of practical problems. In the afternoon and early evening, when it was very hot to go outside we spent all the time talking about Iran. He made me see the beautiful things and the moderate sides of this country. He knows a lot, and I couldn't imagine getting a better introduction to this beautiful and interesting country. I had a great time in Iran with Tirdaad, and I am very grateful for all his efforts that made my project successful. Pieter Paul Pothoven, The Netherlands. pieterpaulpothoven(AT)gmail.com A Alieslam Teheran, Mazandaran Anytime English/Farsi(Persian) I almost have enough experience in the bird watching tour operation in different regions of Iran, especially those places which are important to birding. I also have the ecotourism tour-guide card from the ministry of tourism of Iran. Mountaineering and birding are my two vital hobbies in life. I did work as the simultaneous translator, so I feel native with English language colleagues. Local Information Name Description Birding Hotspots around the world Sites Wildlife Middle East Information Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Iran Local weather Yahoo Electronic maps MapQuest Find lowest prices for field guides, books, maps etc. Printable bird check list Trip Reports from Iran Last update 09/12/2007
Check our personalized year round birdwatching tours for small groups Local Birdingpal Contacts Local Birdwatchers Please note that most Birdingpals are serious birdwatchers. It is a privilege to contact them, and your message should reflect it. A local Pal does not get paid, but should he/she offer to take you out birding, using their own vehicle, it would be courteous to pay for the fuel. A lunch and/or a small gift would also be appropriate, something as simple as a souvenir of your country, or a pin from your local birding club. Initial Last Name Area Available Language B Moosavi Bandar Abas, Hormozgan Anytime M Karamzadeh Karaj, Tehran Anytime H Keshavarz Tehran Anytime Persian/English F Keshavarz Tehran Weekend Persian/English Professional Guides Initial Last Name Area Available Language T Yeganeh-Majd Teheran Anytime Persian/English/Spanish My name is Pieter Paul, I am a Biologist. I live and work in the Netherlands. This year in June I have made a journey, to watch birds and to record their sounds in various wetlands in the Middle-East. I have visited the Shadegan Marshes in Iran and Ammiq Swamp in Lebanon and Sultan Sazligi Marshes in Turkey. My first aim was to visit the remote Shadegan Marshes in the far South-West part of Iran. The wetland is very close the Iraqi border, and formed one of the most important battlefield of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980-87. I knew I would be totally helpless in this rural area, where hardly anyone speaks English. A guide with a good understanding of English, Persian and Arabic wouldn't be much of a luxury thing. Since the Arabs are by far the largest ethnic minority in this area. I found Tirdaad on the site of Birding Pal. From the very first moment he showed his enthusiasm and did his utmost best to arrange the necessary permits to enter this 'political sensitive' area. As soon as I arrived in Teheran all the permits and flight tickets were ready. Everything was arranged really well and the next morning we were ready to fly to Ahvaz in the South-West. We stayed about three days in Ahvaz and about four days in Shadegan. Everyday we left very early in the morning, to reach the wetland as early as possible to avoid the scorching heat and to be ready when the birds wake up. Without Tirdaad this would be shear impossible. He arranged everything, from a good hotel, taxis to a boat with a local Arabic guide in the wetland. With the help of Tirdaad, as an outstanding translator, I was able to speak (and to have a lot of fun!) with the very hospitable local Arabs living in little villages next to the wetland. I guess I realized it even more afterwards: how difficult this would have been to do this on my own. Because of all his efforts I have been able to see a lot of birds and to make many beautiful recordings. Among them there is the song of the 'Basrah Reed Warbler' (acrocephalus Griseldus) a very rare, endemic breeder in this area. But Tirdaad gave me much more than only solutions for hundreds of practical problems. In the afternoon and early evening, when it was very hot to go outside we spent all the time talking about Iran. He made me see the beautiful things and the moderate sides of this country. He knows a lot, and I couldn't imagine getting a better introduction to this beautiful and interesting country. I had a great time in Iran with Tirdaad, and I am very grateful for all his efforts that made my project successful. Pieter Paul Pothoven, The Netherlands. pieterpaulpothoven(AT)gmail.com A Alieslam Teheran, Mazandaran Anytime English/Farsi(Persian) I almost have enough experience in the bird watching tour operation in different regions of Iran, especially those places which are important to birding. I also have the ecotourism tour-guide card from the ministry of tourism of Iran. Mountaineering and birding are my two vital hobbies in life. I did work as the simultaneous translator, so I feel native with English language colleagues. Local Information Name Description Birding Hotspots around the world Sites Wildlife Middle East Information Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Iran Local weather Yahoo Electronic maps MapQuest Find lowest prices for field guides, books, maps etc. Printable bird check list Trip Reports from Iran Last update 09/12/2007
