After hiking and climbing the tallest peaks of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Waly Naranjo safely settled down for the birds more than 15 years ago when he was managing recovery programs for wild fauna in the Caribbean coast. Trained as a Doctor in Veterinary Medicine, Waly combines bird guidance with his two other passions in life: computers and nature conservation.

Waly designed and manages DATAves  – the database for the Red Nacional de Observadores de Aves (RNOA) – Colombia’s Birdwatching Network. He fathered the RNOA’s Discussion List, which has become the most active forum for birders in Colombia. Waly registered three new species for Colombia and documented the expansion in the distribution of many Caribbean species. As a recordist, Waly has gathered an extensive collection of bird songs and is a certified birding guide, much devoted in the training of Colombians in birdwatching, conservation and nature exploration. Very knowledgeable of the Guajira geography and Indian cultures, Waly is the best guide for running a tour in Northern Colombia.