Carlos was born in El Salvador in 1966 and moved to Lake Atitlan, Guatemala in 1987 to begin a career in architecture, where he lives with his wife and 3 kids.

In October of 2005, Hurricane Stan passed leaving a huge path of destruction, including Carlos almost losing his home due to the flooding of the San Francisco River through Panajachel. Hurricane Stan created an emotional crisis and this is when a friend from the United States invited Carlos to go birdwatching to reduce stress.

This is when Carlos began his interest in birds and eventually he had the opportunity to takes courses, first as a tourism driver, and later as an Advanced Birdwatching Guide through the Audubon Society.

He was a university professor of natural history and volunteered to organize alumni conferences about birdwatching tourism in the region.

He has primarily birdwatched in the Lake Atitlan watershed but has had opportunities in other regions of Guatemala and El Salvador.

As an educator and guide, Carlos enjoys sharing his love of birds and nature as well as the relacionship they have with the Maya culture and cosmo-vision.