Mario Córdoba

Mario Córdoba Hidalgo, born in 1973 in Quesada (San Carlos), has been guiding birders and nature travelers in Costa Rica for more than 25 years. He originally studied civil engineering before switching paths after a youth-service stint in Canada, eventually completing formal naturalist-guide training at the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica and cutting his teeth at lodges around Arenal Volcano and Caño Negro. He leads custom birding tours throughout the country and is a regular contract guide for Holbrook Travel, including their Guanacaste, Osa Peninsula, and Talamanca / Turrialba itineraries. He has presented at international events such as the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival and is known for chasing notoriously elusive targets — his published bio specifically highlights tracking down Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo.