Your Adventure Starts Here!

Embark on unforgettable tours to discover the most incredible places on earth with the fascinating wildlife while supporting conservation efforts.

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Our Story!

Woodstars Birding & Nature Tours is an eco-tour agency that was born in 2022 from the love of Mariah Hryniewich and Luis Eduardo Gles. Based in South Florida we offer day tours in the region and scheduled or personalized tours to experience wildlife and natural history through the Caribbean and Central & South America. Our mission is to create unforgettable moments while connecting with local communities and supporting conservation initiatives through eco-tourism.

As a Florida native, Mariah has had a love for wildlife and nature since a young age when she would run around outside with her siblings. Through photography she started realizing there were birds everywhere and has not been able to stop looking for them since. She quickly fell in love with birds of prey while counting alongside Luis at the Florida Keys Hawkwatch and her passion has led her to work closely with various species as a field technician for Avian Research and Conservation Institute. Mariah wanted to start guiding professionally to share and educate others of the fascinating birds and wildlife while encouraging others to experience the beautiful natural world all around us. When she is not with the birds you can find her around at trade shows and festivals as the birding manager for Phone Skope. She loves traveling anywhere and is always ready for an adventure!

Luis is a naturalist from Colombia, where he grew up exploring the country. In his homeland he fell in love with nature and that is when his fascination with birds began. Luis is a familiar face in the birding community as a hawk counter for the Florida Keys Hawkwatch and a professional tour guide for over a decade, leading trips throughout the US, the Caribbean and Central & South America. He has guided for multiple tour companies in the past years and is also co-owner / operator of Woodstars Birding and Nature Tours with his lovely Mariah Hryniewich. When Luis is not in the field, he is a regular in the Kowa booth as an ambassador at trade shows across the US, is an active phonescoper and loves searching for reptiles and butterflies. His infectious charisma and energy along with his passion for everything related with nature makes him a great teacher in the field!

Join us on our trips to explore some of the most incredible spots around the world as we commit to making your wildlife dreams come true together through our enthusiasm and expertise coupled with a profound love for birds and nature.

Our Tours

Day Tours

Scheduled Tours

Personalized Tours & Expeditions

Experience Nature Up Close

Join us on an adventure to connect with local communities and experience the wonders of nature.

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Gallery

Bridled Tern

American Flamingo

Blue-headed Vireo

Red-headed Woodpecker

Yellow Warbler

Zenaida Dove

Gray Fox

American Black Bear

Red-shouldered Hawk

Swanson’s Warbler

Roseate Spoonbill

Gray Cracker

Golden Tanager

Andean Emerald

Black spiny-tailed iguana

Calliope Hummingbird

Scorpion Sp.

Mangrove Cuckoo

Peregrine Falcon

American Alligator

Hear From Our Guests

“My introduction to the tropics in Colombia with Woodstars was a total mindblower. Over 550 species and over 430 lifers in just two weeks! Even more important to me was the feeling of safety provided by local guides every step of the way and being led the whole trip by Luis, a native Colombian. Luis even went above and beyond when I contracted “Montezuma’s revenge” making sure each day I was stocked with a variety of medications that allowed me to stay comfortable and keep enjoying the birds.”

Ron Weeks, Texas.

Hi Luis – Just wanted to mention how much I appreciated your guided tour. You have the eye of an eagle and the wisdom of an owl. You’re well connected with the local situation and know where and when to find the most interesting subjects. It was a pleasure being with someone so experienced with wildlife.

Bart Thiegea, California.

“I’ve birded with Luis and Woodstars 5 different times, 3 times in south Florida and the Keys and twice on custom tours in Colombia. All 5 times were amazing! We chased and found rarities like Cuban Pewee and Red-legged Thrush in the Keys, and found all those south Florida endemics and countable introduced species like Mangrove Cuckoo, La Sagra Flycatcher and Spot-breasted Oriole and Red-whiskered Bulbul. Colombia explored the many wild and incredibly diverse habitats of Colombia, north to south and from sea level in Santa Marta to the amazing Paramo above tree-line near Popoyan. There were SO many highlights but my Top 3 were the Colombian Choco’ of San Cipriano and the ‘brujita’ ride in and out, and the Paramo of the Western Andes around Popoyan, and the motorized canoeing expedition along the Rio Inirida to Cerros de Mavecure and Isla Orjuela.
I strongly recommend Woodstars Birding and Nature Tours for your bucket-list, once in a lifetime expedition to Colombia. Luis and Felipe are Colombianos and incredibly networked into the birding and ecotourism industry. Their infectious enthusiasm, persistent patience, eagle eyes, Jaguar-like hearing and impressive knowledge of the avi-fauna of the American tropics will ensure that you not only collect an impressive tally of beautiful and wonderful birds but that you make memories to last a lifetime.

Bob Friedrichs
Palacios, Texas USA

Steve and I birded with Mariah and Luis Gles many, many times in different places. Most of the time in the Keys or Miami area. We also met them in the Sarasota area. Every time a rare bird showed up and we talked to them, they were always ready to help us to find the bird. They work at the hawkwatch in the Keys and we enjoyed going there to spend time with them and seeing them in action. Our best anecdote with Luis Gles was on May 24, 2021, in the Florida Keys. He was driving with us and suddenly he stopped the car. He was very excited and started to take pictures of a hawk that was flying above us and far away. The bird was a Zone-tailed Hawk! That was amazing! We were able to see the hawk because he reacted so fast, and he got pretty good photos! We believe this is a 2^nd record in Florida and 1^st one with photos!
Mariah and Luis Gles are incredible, they have a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm. They are great at identifying any bird not only visually but also by their calls! They are also very helpful! We had a great time birding with them and hope to continue doing it!

Iliana & Steve Stokes, Florida.