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Pitta Nature Tours
Frequently Asked Questions

Or just a few questions we get every once in a while with some answers! If you have questions, we definitely want to talk to you. Don't hesitate to use our Contact Page to reach out and start a conversation!

 
What is Mountain West Birding Company?

When we started guiding in 2007, we never imagined taking our tours beyond the confines of Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Nevada—thus Mountain West Birding Company was born. Mountain West specialized in Flammulated Owl, Himalayan Snowcock, and Cassia Crossbill Tours.

Why did you change your name to Pitta?

After a decade leading tours in the western United States we expanded our offering with new tours in Southeast Asia and Central America. As we work on expanding further and offering more International options,, we decided we needed a name that reflected that change!

Do your tours require a deposit?

For any full-day or longer tour we require a 25% deposit to hold your space. Final payments are generally required 90-days before the start of the tour. For our smaller tours we often don’t require payment till the time of the tour, but ask if you decide to cancel please provide a weeks notice so we can try and fill your space.

What forms of payment do you accept?

For most tours we accept cash, check, Venmo, and all major credit cards. Credit card payments do come with a 5% processing fee. We can also accept bank transfers for international clients—however these also include a processing fee determined by the transfer amount.

What is your cancellation & refund policy?

We understand that emergencies happen. We offer full refunds up to 30-days before the tour departure date, with a $5 service fee. Cancellations made 29-15 days before the tour departure are subject to a 25% service fee. Cancellations made less than 14 days before the tour departure date are non-refundable. Of course, we understand every situation is different and we will always work with you to reschedule and/or refund when possible.

For our smaller tours we often don’t require payment till the time of the tour, but ask if you decide to cancel please provide a weeks notice so we can try and fill your space.

How strenuous are your tours?

Most of our tours are not physically demanding. Often birding from well maintained roads, by car, and lightly on foot. However, in the mountains of the western United States we do offer some tours with hikes at high elevation, and with a large elevation gain. These hikes generally require our guests to be in good physical shape.

Many of our tours also offer long days with early starts and late ends. While not physically demanding, the pace can be strenuous. Check in the tour details at the bottom of each tour to read about the pace and difficulty, and feel free to ask if you’re unsure or would like more information!

How many clients are allowed on your tours?

From the start we’ve always desired to keep our tours both manageable and enjoyable. For that reason all of our public tours cap at 7 or 8 people. This keeps our groups smaller and provides a more comfortable experience while traveling together. We do offer private tours for individuals, and small groups, as well as large groups. We can accommodate almost any size of private group, just send us an inquiry to learn more.

Can you guarantee we will see our target birds?

While we cannot guarantee we will see every target bird, we make every possible attempt to find our targets on our tours. Birds have wings, ranges and distribution fluctuate, and habits change. But with more than 25 years birding experience and some of the best local guides available during our international tours, we have a very high success rate on locating our targets. Some times birds don’t cooperate and things don’t work out as planned, in which case all we can do is keep trying while we have time!