Tour Leaders

Karenis a conservation scientist from Yerevan in Armenia who, in 2007, won the Whitely fund for nature award for his work on the conservation of the White Stork. Karen lectures at the University of Yerevan and encourages young people in his country to be conservationists and naturalists. He is one of his country’s top birders.

Svetlana was born in Russia but lived in Kazakhstan for many years where she led scientific research in wildlife biology and was a lecturer in environmental studies at the State Agricultural University in Almaty. She has birded widely around the world including Russia and other former Soviet Union countries. She is founder of and principal tour leader for Kazakhstan Bird Tours having extensive knowledge of all aspects of Kazakhstan’s natural history and culture.

Vaughan founded Birdfinders in 1991 after being an assistant bank manager for 24 years. He became interested in birds in the early 1960s, started birding seriously in the mid 1970s and has since travelled extensively around the world. He is treasurer of Portland Bird Observatory and a former Dorset Bird Report editor.

Pete started birdwatching at the age of 13 and has travelled extensively in Europe, Africa, Australia, North America and Asia. A founder member of the Bath RSPB group, and leader for the first 10 years, Pete is a keen and accomplished photographer who is pleased to pass on his skills and help to tour participants.

Solomon has been interested in birds since childhood in Tigray province. After gaining a Natural Science degree at Addis Ababa University, he developed experience of Ethiopia’s birds and habitats as he travelled to various parts of the country with his work in the coffee industry. He then began working as a birdguide and 10 years ago, started his own ground agency.

Tudor is a forest engineer by profession in Romania but now leads birdwatching and wildlife tours on a full-time basis. He is an enthusiastic ornithologist with a keen eye and all-round wildlife ability and has a great love for all aspects of natural history. The Carpathian Mountains are his ‘local patch’. It is an area he knows better than anyone, making him the perfect guide on our tours.

Taya is a writer, wildlife film-maker (he has made over 20 full-length wildlife films), narrator and presenter. As well as being an expert on the birds of Sri Lanka, Taya also has in-depth knowledge not only on the reptiles and butterflies of his country but also on its archaeology and history.

Steven was born and raised in Arkansas but now lives in Costa Rica. He lived in Kenya for 5 years and has led many birding tours to the country where he has seen nearly 1000 species. He was head guide at Rancho Naturalista, the famous birding lodge in Costa Rica, for several years and now leads a number of Birdfinders’ tours.

Neil was formerly the Senior Warden of the RSPB’s Arne-based reserves in Dorset and Dorset County Bird Recorder. From 1983 his work in nature conservation took him to many places, both in the UK and overseas, before arriving at Arne in 1991. Neil has travelled extensively in Europe, Africa, North America, Australia and the Far East and, since marrying his Japanese wife, Japan is now a regular destination.

Dimiter has been working on conservation projects for over 25 years, 18 of which have been spent monitoring wintering geese around the Black Sea. Dimiter has been interested in birds since 1975 and has led birdwatching and natural history tours in Bulgaria since 1992.

Gerardis the author of several books, including Where to Watch Birds in Eastern Europe, The Birds of Hungary and Woodpeckers of Europe: A study of the European Picidae, and is one of the foremost experts on birds in Eastern Europe. English by birth, he now lives in Hungary.

Solomon is a Gambian national who has an extensive knowledge of the birds, sites and people of his country. He is president of the West African Bird Study Association and organises Habitat Africa, a group of the best birdguides in The Gambia. Solomon’s enthusiasm for birds and his easy-going nature cannot fail to make an impression on you.

Martyn was an active birder in Sussex for 30 years before marrying and moving to Trinidad, where he now works as a freelance ornithologist and is Honorary Secretary of the Trinidad & Tobago Rare Birds Committee. He has extensive experience of South-east Asia, East Africa, North America and the Western Palearctic.

Kamol lives in Thailand and, as well as being an expert on its birds, is a superb artist. With his wife Patcharee organising all of the ground arrangements for our tour, we are in very safe hands.

Przemysław works in the Polish Forestry Department and has been involved in many conservation schemes including those for Ural Owls and Wolves. Przemek’s knowledge of the sites and birds of Poland is excellent. He has led Birdfinders tours to Poland for the past ten years.

Peter has been bird recorder and report editor for Glamorgan, a member of the British Ornithologists Union Records Committee and chairman of the British Birds Rarities Committee. His main interests are bird identification, migration and recording. He has written many published papers and is co-author of Birds of Glamorgan. Peter is a regular Birdfinders tour leader.

David is an ex-pat who has lived and worked in Canada for many years. Over the past few years he has also visited many other countries throughout the world. He has a great deal of knowledge, not only of the birds of North America but also of its many other forms of wildlife, and his expertise is greatly welcomed on our Canadian Point Pelee and Michigan tour.

Loven, together with his partners Leio De Souza and Pramod Madaikar, operates Backwoods Camp in the Western Ghats of Goa. He is an excellent field birder who also has an in-depth knowledge of his country, its habitats and its people.

Willy has been birding since he was 20 years old. He is a biologist and has been working for Neblina Forest for five years having previously worked at the famous Kapawi Lodge. As well as tour leading, Willy also works on various conservation and research projects.

James is a staff leader and has led many tours for us over the past 5 years. James was originally from Yorkshire but now lives in the northeastern US. He leads all of our US tours as well as tours to Gambia, India and Israel, where he still retains his position on the rare birds committee.

Attila has been a keen naturalist and birdwatcher since childhood. Prior to becoming a bird and nature guide he worked for WWF on species conservation and wildlife trade issues. He has travelled extensively around the world and has a good knowledge of the sites and birds of Central and South Mexico.

Chubzang was born and brought up in Trongsa, Central Bhutan. He strongly believes in his country’s environmental protection and has extensive knowledge of his country, its culture, traditions and people. Chubzang began leading birding tours in 2000 and has worked with the International Crane Foundation. Chubzang is now acknowledged as one of Bhutan's top birders. He has travelled widely in the USA, India, Thailand and the UK but returns to Bhutan to lead birding groups and to research for documentary films, photography and editorials. He is a passionate photographer and has exhibited his work in Nature Reserves and Art Centres.

Although born in Adelaide, South Australia, Peter has lived in the ‘tall timber country’ of Manjimup, in the southwest of Western Australia (a hotspot for endemic birds and plants) for the past 10 years. He works as a freelance wildlife tour guide, having forsaken a comfortable career with the government to follow his true passion for birds and birdwatching. He is also a regional organiser for the Australian Bird Atlas project in Western Australia. Peter leads our Western Australia endemic bird tours and from 2011, will also be leading our new Southern Australia & Tasmania endemic bird tour.

Toni lives on the west coast of Finland where he works as an environmental engineer. He started birdwatching in the late 1980s and over the past few years has led a number of birdwatching tours in Finland and Norway including for Birdfinders. The combination of Toni’s knowledge, energy and enthusiasm makes him a very popular leader..

Nigel works for In Focus and is a well-known figure in the south-west birding scene. His extensive birding experience in the Western Palearctic, North America and Asia, combined with his sense of humour, makes him a popular leader.