Our mission
Yellowbilled Tours birding field trips are designed and led by the skilled, inquisitive and attentive guide, Rich Cimino. YBT transports you to these unique sites in self driven comfortable vehicles in small groups, offering something for everyone at affordable prices. Our specialized birding experience offers you a plan for an enriching experience that’s dedicated to your comfort and tailored to your birding interests. The small group venue and specialized trips per your needs offer getting to know other birders establishing friendship for years to come.
Rich Cimino
Birding Northern California for 55 years, I am inspired by birding and having fun along the way, while appreciating nature for the value it brings to our lives. I have a strong interest in citizen science, habitat conservation, photography, sustainable-organic gardening and Ecotourism*.
With my years of professional industry management experience in business organization. Plus, years as a volunteer organizing Audubon birding tours throughout California. I decided to create a bird touring company, Yellowbilled Tours. Now with 23 plus years of leading field trips, I can lead you to many of the Important birding areas in North America year-round per your needs. My trips cover California, Nome and Barrow, Alaska, the Southwestern states of the United States including the Mohave and Sonoran deserts inter-mountain west Nevada. Fall Migration field trips go into New Mexico and Arizona. Each spring we lead birders to Wisconsin for spring warbler migration. In 2013, we began exploring Southern Europe for birding hot spots after 6 years of birding the Mediterranean coast of France, we are offering BIRDING IN FRANCE this year 2023. Go to YBT web page Birding California to view my 2021 life list totals for California, United States and North America.
YBT field trips embrace local sustainable Eco-tourism, which is defied by the *The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)” as responsible travel into local communities and natural areas which conserve the environment and improves the welfare of the local people”.
I will guide you to the birds you are seeking.
After 8 years as conservation leader for the Ohlone Audubon Society (thirty-five years a member), I decided to retire (Jan 1, 2014) from the volunteer position to devote more energy and focus on Yellowbilled Tours and the clients I serve. I have played an integral part in avian biological surveys as part of state and county land planning of wind turbine and solar farm management. In addition, I retired as the Christmas Bird Count compiler for Eastern Alameda County, and as a 12-year volunteer for the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory in Marin County, a Friends of the Springtown Preserve a rare plant preserve in Livermore, Calif and the East Bay Regional Parks Golden Eagle Survey team 2013. I presently volunteer and board member of the Friends of Olompali a non-profit supporting Olompali historical Park, in Novato, Ca. leading monthly bird walks. I am a founder and current leader of the Vaux’s Swift annual fall survey team of Northern California.
Residing in Marin County and am active in leading bird trips throughout Northern California, including unique areas of Sonoma, Napa and Alameda County- Pine Flat Rd., Mines Road, Patterson Pass, Sunol Wilderness, San Francisco Bay shoreline and into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the remote eastern California Counties.
Janet Bodle has recently joined Yellowbilled Tours. After retiring from 35 years as a Family Physician in Corte Madera/Larkspur and is happy to be able to devote time to the logistics of YBT. Having a BA and MA in Zoology from U.C. Davis, she has had a life-long interest in nature. She has volunteered as a docent at the California Academy of Science, the Marin Foothill Yellow-legged Frog Program, and the Audubon Canyon Ranch Heron (ACR) and Egret Project. The ARC Heron Egret rooky has been a survey site for six years under Janet dedicatated leadership. In 2016, she completed the Master Birder program through the California Academy of Science and Golden Gate Audubon Society. Janet has been a board member and volunteers for The Olompali People a non-profit supporting California State Parks – Olompali Park.
