Jose was born and raised in a farm in the Western Andes of Colombia. He begun birding through a conservation project, when he was 17. Acting first as a local guide for Colombian birders, he soon switched towards guiding for international travelers, expanding his birding localities and knowledge of birds. Jose soon became one of the best birding guides for the Western & Central Andes of Colombia. As a freelance guide, he is often hired by operating companies from Colombia and abroad. Jose´s skills for finding birds by sight are amazing, and his capacity to recognize songs & vocalizations is equally astounding.  When guiding, Jose will do his best to show the birds of his beloved Colombia. If not guiding, Jose will be with his parents, running the family farm in San Bernardo, a small village above Cali. Otherwise, he will be birdwatching for fun and recording songs & calls, reading Ornithological literature or listening to bird recordings.