Meet our guides​

ALVARO JARAMILLO

Owner & Guide

RICARDO MATUS

Guide - Chile, Argentina 

MANDY TALPAS

Guide - Hawaii
Alvaro 

​Alvaro has been birding since he was 11 years old, and started guiding local trips as a teenager. He is a biologist, researcher, conservationist and guide. He started Alvaro's Adventures to provide his own style of trip leading to tours. About the experience of travel through birds, having a good time while birding! This philosophy guides all of our tours, although each guide adds their own personal touch to each trip
Ricardo

Ricardo lives in Chilean Patagonia. He is a conservationist who has been key in preserving the mainland population of the Ruddy-headed Goose, and wintering shorebird habitats in Patagonia. He is one of the experts of Chile's birds, and the Magellanic birding "guru." He is also one of the nicest people you will meet, and one of the few ice hockey players in Chile! 
Mandy

As a tremendous lover of birds and wildlife, since her childhood in northeastern Pennsylvania, Mandy has dedicated her life to avian conservation. Her passion for parrots led her to the remote forests of Manu, Peru, where she worked to save endangered macaws, as well as studying tropical ecology in Costa Rica, Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Mandy is grateful to have made Hawaii her permanent home, where she is a popular birdin guide. She has assisted endangered forest bird conservation efforts with Oahu Elepaio and volunteers with local non-profits working to save Hawaii’s endangered forest birds and seabirds.

PETER BURKE

Guide - Bolivia, Thailand

ANDREA
​BELTRAN

Guide - Colombia

SIMON TONKIN & NIKI WILLIAMSON

​Guides - Spain

FLORENCIA OCAMPO

Guide - Uruguay
Dorian

​is a well-known Canadian birder, artist, and author. Peter is widely known as one of the most affable guides out there, with an upbeat and accessible personality. His great sense of humor and amazing knowledge of birds makes for a fun, and informative tour. He devotes much of his time to illustrating and works as a biological consultant. He has co-authored various articles on bird identification and biology. Peter has birded extensively throughout the world. He is an accomplished artist and has illustrated Birds of Chile, New World Blackbirds (Jaramillo and Burke), several editions of the Nat. Geo's Birds of North America. He is also a contributing artist to Birds of Peru (T. Schulenberg et. al.) and the Peterson Field Guide to the Birds of Northern Central America (Fagan and Komar 2016). 
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Andrea

​Andrea and her husband Alejandro run the company Birding and Herping. They specialize in both birding, and herp watching tours but as biologists they also incorporate a conservation ethic to their work, and support local communities, in addition to environmental education. You will enjoy Andrea’s outgoing personality, and knowledge of the Eje Cafetero (Coffee Triangle) zone of Colombia. 
Simon and Niki

​Simon and Niki are the "Inglorious Bustards." They are experienced conservationists, originally from the UK, and now in southern Spain where they can experience a more diverse and wonderful European biodiversity. They love Spain and it shows, and they have become wonderful partners in our Spain and Morocco offerings, and hopefully other destinations in the future. They like to have fun, and fix the best picnics1  
Florencia

​Florencia runs Birding with Me in Uruguay, where she knows the country from corner to corner. She is as comfortable on a horse as she is wielding her binoculars, a true Gaucho birder. Florencia is a biologist and conservationist. While she was a researcher she started guiding and loved it, this is her tenth year showing people birds. She is keen to create tours that have a positive impact on local people, and local conservation needs. 

Meet our pelagic guides

Our pelagic spotters are volunteers who love the oceans rather than paid employees. Some have been out on the ocean for decades or nearly so. They are keen to share their knowledge and experiences with you, particularly if you are new to the pelagic birding world. 

MALIA DEFELICE

Pelagic guide

CHRIS HAYWARD

Pelagic guide

MATTHEW DODDER

Pelagic guide

STEVE HOWELL

Pelagic expert

DORIAN ANDERSON

Pelagic guide
Malia DeFelice

​Malia is an ardent birdwatcher, living in Half Moon Bay, CA since the 1970’s, and a birder since the early 90’s.  Malia is a regional reviewer San Mateo County eBird records.  She is an active volunteer for Sequoia Audubon Society.  Malia has been part of the Alvaro’s Adventures pelagic team for a number of years. Malia has an educational background in Cultural Anthropology with a focus on local indigenous cultures. 
Chris Hayward

​Chris is an avid birder and keen outdoorsman. He first tried identifying birds as a young boy at his family's backyard feeders in Bath, England and now lives in Half Moon Bay with his wife Malia DeFelice. He fell in love with pelagic birding after taking a trip with Alvaro in 2011. In 2016, he started spotting on the trips and has many trips under his belt. 
Matthew Dodder

Matthew is the Executive Director Of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society. Previously he was a senior designer at the premier graphic design and marketing agency in the Bay Area. He has taught a popular birding class at the Palo Alto Adult School since 1999. Apart from being a great birder and teacher, Matthew is an accomplished artist. 
Steve Howell

Steve is a world expert on birds, particularly so with seabirds. Originally from Cardiff, Wales he now lives in Bolinas, CA when not guiding tours throughout the world for WINGS.  Among the books Steve has authored and co-authored include: the Petrels, Albatrosses & Storm-Petrels of North America (2012), the very popular The Amazing World of Flyingfish (2014). In collaboration with Brian Sullivan he wrote the very useful Offshore Sea Life ID Guide: West Coast (2015). 
Dorian Anderson

​Dorian is originally from Philly, and is one of our most energetic guides! He became well known in North America when he conducted a big  year on a bike! Dorian is currently writing a book about this life changing experience. He was a highly successful microbiologist who recently decided to give that a break and become a birding guide and author. He is an incredibly precise and accomplished photographer. 

DAN
SINGER​

Pelagic guide

ALAN HOPKINS​

Pelagic guide


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 OSCAR
MOSS​ 

Pelagic guide

JONAH
BENNINGFIELD

Pelagic guide
Dan Singer

​Dan Singer developed an interest in natural history,  in childhood. His interest and expertise in identification issues and the status and distribution of birds in California led to many years as a regional editor for North American Birds. He is the current Chair of the California Bird Records Committee, a member since the 1990s. Dan is also a state-wide reviewer for eBird with a focus on the north bay counties in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dan has been known to spend an inordinate amount of time watching gulls, but would rather be at sea looking for petrels or gazing at albatrosses. 
Alan Hopkins

​Alan graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree form the San Francisco Art. He was a founder of the San Francisco CBC, and past president of Golden Gate Audubon Society.  He is teacher for the Kids In Parks program, and SF Nature Education at Heron’s Head Park.  Alan is now creating new art that is informed by his work with birds and conservation. He was awarded the Shipyard Trust for The Arts Artist in Residence in 2010. Hopkins received the Crissy Field Center’s Community Hero award in 2004 and the Elsie Roemer Conservation Award in 1996.


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Eli Gross
Peter Winch