John Graham

Ian Sinclair was born and educated in Northern Ireland. Ian's interest in birds started at an early age and it took him to many interesting parts of the world, including spending nine months on Marion Island studying seabirds for the Percy Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology.

Ian is arguably Africa's most experienced birder, having seen well in excess of 2000 species on the continent. His guiding experience is unrivalled, having led trips throughout Southern Africa as well as Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Gabon, Morocco, Cameroon, Uganda as well as many Indian Ocean Islands. He has officially retired from the bird tour business, but does occasionally guide on the ZEST for BIRDS pelagics trips as well as offering valuable advice in preparing for our land based trips.

Ian is the top birder in South Africa with a staggering list of 900 species seen within the subregion. He has found more "firsts" for Southern African than anyone else and has a passion for birds that is difficult to match.

He has authored or co-authored many books on birds, most notably the SASOL Field Guide of Southern Africa and the Photographic guide to the Birds of Southern Africa and also serves on the SA Rarities Committee.

.....email Ian

Barrie Rose is one of the most experienced seabirders in Africa. A Capetonian, born and bred, Barrie's interest in nature started at a very young age with his grandfather being one of the pioneers in studies on frogs in South Africa.

Barrie's travels have taken him throughout Southern Africa including Malawi and he has also birded in Europe, Thailand, Australia and Tasmania, Madagascar and Marion Island. His interests extend to all things natural and he has a wealth of knowledge on the regions mammals, reptiles and frogs.

Barrie's ability to ferret out rare seabirds when they are no more than specks in the distance is well known throughout the country and his nickname, “Old Snake Eyes” is testament to this.

.....email Barrie

Dr. Peter Ryan is a lecturer at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, and has taught ornithology at the University of California. He is a keen birder with exceptional field skills and has birded on all seven continents.

His research interests include the evolutionary ecology of birds, notably the endemic buntings at Tristan da Cunha and African larks and warblers. He also works on reducing seabird mortality on longlines, and has extensive experience of Southern Ocean seabirds, having made numerous visits to Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, the Prince Edward Islands and Antarctica.

He has led numerous birding tours in Southern Africa since 1982, and with Ian Sinclair has co-led birding tours to Ethiopia and Cameroon. He is a long-standing member of the SA Rarities Committee, and is co-editor of the current revision of Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. He is also working on a field guide to the birds of the Afrotropics.

.....email Peter

Dr. Rob Leslie was born in Greytown, Natal and has been interested in birds since a very early age. Rob is a researcher at the Sea Fisheries Research Institute and because of this, has had the opportunity to spend in excess of 1000 days at sea off southern Africa on commercial trawlers and research vessels. These trips have covered the entire coastline of the subregion, from the Cunene River on the west coast to Beira (and beyond to Angoche) on the east coast. Rob has also led many pelagic birding trips, mainly off the Cape Peninsula.

His other seabird experience worldwide is quite impressive and he has visited Tristan da Cuhna, South Shetland, South Orkney and South Sandwich Islands, Marion Island, Antarctic Peninsula and the southern tip of South America. He has also spent time on the Madagascar Ridge in the western Indian Ocean working as far east as 54°E latitude. In addition, he has been to sea in various places including: off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the USA, English Channel, Tanzania, Thailand and Australia.

Rob's land based birding experience covers all 7 continents. He has incredible experience of Southern Africa's birds having seen well in excess of 820 species within the subregion and has also guided many trips locally.

.....email Rob

Alvin Cope was born in Cape Town, South Africa and has been interested in birds since a very early age. Alvin only religiously started keeping a list of all the birds he had seen about 16 years ago and the first bird to go on to his lifelist was a Baird's Sandpiper! (at that stage, only the second record ever for Southern Africa after almost a 100 year gap…).
 
Alvin has travelled extensively throughout Southern Africa and has seen in excess of 770 species within the subregion. He is also one of the most experienced sailors in the country having spent a major portion of his life at sea which allowed him the opportunity to gain lots of experience with the Southern Ocean pelagic species that visit our waters.
 
Alvin also has lots of experience as a bird guide with many South Western and Northern Cape trips under his belt as well as been a regular guide on pelagic trips out of Cape Town.

Shaun Peard was born and educated in East London and obtained a degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Natal. Shaun’s interest in birding started at the tender age of 12 years when he received his first copy of Roberts’ Birds of Southern Africa, but only in 1988 did he start keeping a detailed life list.

Shaun has travelled extensively throughout South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. His knowledge of birds is excellent and he has guided trips through the Northern and Eastern Cape. Pelagic birds have always been Shaun’s greatest interest, and he has participated in pelagic trips out of Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

.....email Shaun