A Sunrise Birding client recently commented "You are the MASTER at finding the best!" The absolute best is what we strive for and that is what we've created with the Sunrise Birding team of tour leaders. We've carefully selected tour leaders based on their knowledge, enthusiasm, ability to find wildlife, and eagerness to share their expertise so that clients come away with the best possible tour experience and memories that will last a lifetime.

Gina Nichol
Gina Nichol is the founder and principal tour leader of Sunrise Birding. A naturalist and birder for more than twenty years, Gina began leading ecotours for Audubon Nature Odysseys in the early 1990's in Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, the Pacific Northwest, and Baja California. Gina's avid interest in wildlife biology led her to the Yellowstone Institute in Wyoming where she studied animal behavior as well as methods for tracking animal movements. She also worked on a research projects investigating habitat requirements of Eurasian Otters and Mountain Lions in the Jim Sage Mountains in Idaho. Her varied interests and love of the natural world have taken her to Alaska, Costa Rica, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Kenya, Chile, the Northwest Territories, Panama, the American Southwest, California, Belize, Florida, and a host of other destinations. She has led tours in New England, Costa Rica, Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, Colombia, Antarctica, India, Montana and Yellowstone, Big Bend, and Coastal Texas and continues to expand the Sunrise Birding's wildlife tour offerings.

Steve Bird
Steve inspired me to start Sunrise Birding. He has been bird watching since he was a small child and having traveled throughout the world, Steve now enjoys passing on the wealth of information he has acquired. His enthusiasm and tireless leadership skills, combined with a pleasant, easy-going attitude and great sense of humor have made him a very popular leader, and it is this and his uncanny success in finding birds that has seen him gain an avid band of followers. As a wildlife artist Steve has illustrated several books and is a well-known figure in the birding scene in southwest England.  He now co-leads several trips for Sunrise Birding including Costa Rica, Colombia, China, Papua New Guinea, and many others.

Nick Bray
Nick has been birding since the age of nine and has travelled widely throughout the Western Palaearctic, including much of Eastern Europe. He has also spent much time in the field in North America, including Canada, California, Florida and Texas. He has led tours to 5 continents, with a strong interest in Asia. A principal leader for Birdseekers, a respected British tour company, he acquired an immense following and has now formed his own company, Zoothera Global Birding. His great skill in finding birds has made him a well respected leader and his friendly, easy going manner is just one of the factors that make all his tours so enjoyable. 

Peg Abbott
Peg Abbott is the owner and lead guide of Naturalist Journeys, LLC in Portal, Arizona and has been a source of inspiration and support for Sunrise Birding. Peg has been designing, guiding, and organizing natural history tours for more than 25 years, working for the National Audubon Society and other organizations before launching Naturalist Journeys, LLC in 1998. Her work has taken her from Alaska to Africa and Argentina, as well as many other locations around the world. She has conducted research on several bird and mammal species and keeps a close interest in Yellowstone and Mexican wolf reintroduction projects. Her interests include all aspects of natural history and geology. Peg leads Big Bend trips as well as a host of others including the very successful Birds, Tigers, and the Taj Mahal tour in India. 

Carlos Bethancourt
Carlos Bethancourt was born in Panama City, Panama and grew up in the little village of Huile, bordering the forest of the old Panama Canal Zone. His lifelong fascination with the natural world comes from his childhood visits to his grandmother's home, deep in the neighboring forest where he spent hours observing the avifauna of Panama. After finishing high school, Carlos won a scholarship from the USAID and Georgetown University to study natural resources at Mt. Hood College in Gresham, Oregon. There he received his first formal training in ornithology and upon his return to Panama in October of 2000, he immediately started working at the famous Canopy Tower where he further refined his birding skills. Now affectionatly known by many as "Hawk Eyes, Carlos leads many birding tours for Canopy Tower. His great sense of humor and enthusiasm for everything nature makes him a wonderful leader and we are pleased to have Carlos leading our next Panama tour in September 2012.

Diego Calderon
Born in Medellin, Colombia, Diego has conducted ornithological expeditions and field work throughout Antioquia and explored the biological riches Colombia's Caribbean coast, the inter-Andean valleys, the verdant jungle of the Amazon basin, the vast plains of the Llanos, and the lowlands of the Pacific Chocó.  On one of our scouting trips in 2009, Diego enthusiastically introduced us to the wonders of birding in Colombia.  His strong passion for birding, knowledge of the birds and excellent birding and leadership skills make him one of the very best guides in Colombia.  We are pleased to have Diego leading group birding tours exclusively for Sunrise Birding and our British affiliate Zoothera Global Birding!  Diego is set to lead our Central & Western Andes tour in 2011, our comprehensive Colombia tour in 2012, and our Panama tour in 2012 with Carlos Bethancourt.

Juan Carlos Calvachi
Juan was born in Quito, Ecuador, where he studied English and Italian before working in the tourism industry. He then became involved in birding tours and was fortunate to be able to learn his skills from celebrated and knowledgeable birders and scientists such as Neils Krabbe (author of the Birds of the High Andes), Paul Greenfield (co-author of the Birds of Ecuador), Paul Coopmans, and several other experienced bird guides in Ecuador. He has subsequently been guiding professionally all over Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands. Juan is a good friend and valuable member of the Sunrise Birding team.  His excellent field skills combined with a good sense of humor, and attention to detail have already earned him a good following among Sunrise Birding clients.   Juan's next Sunrise Birding tour in Ecuador is in November 2012. 

Julian Hough
Julian is a nature writer, photographer, Illustrator, and graphic designer and well as an expert birder. Julian spent his early years birding around the British Isles in the pursuit of rare birds. His passion for birds led to extensive travel to far-flung corners of the globe, that included extended periods in India, Nepal, Australia, Europe and the Middle East. His penchant for American birding was nurtured and inspired by research work as a field biologist for both Long Point and Cape May Bird Observatories. His photographs have been published in books & magazines across Europe and North America including Birding World, Birdwatch, Birding, and many other periodicals.  The Sunrise Birding logo is Julian's original design.  He also leads shorebird and raptor identification workshops and tours for Sunrise Birding.

Frank Mantlik
An avid birder and naturalist for more than 30 years, Frank has been active in many bird and nature organizations in New England and has served as president of the Connecticut Ornithological Association. He is a popular field trip leader and has traveled extensively in the pursuit of birds leading trips to Point Pelee, Block Island, Cape Cod and Montauk Point. An accomplished photographer with his own stock-photo business, Avocet Images, Frank uses his wonderful slides to illustrate lectures to various groups. Publication credits include Natural History, Audubon, Field & Stream, and American Birds. He is most in his element when in the field sharing the joys of nature with others.  Frank has led our Cape Cod Shorebird Weekend and will lead our Costa Rica Special and Texas Spring Migration tours in 2012.

Chris Mills
Chris Mills has been birding and photographing wildlife for 30 years. He hails from Great Britain and has served as the recorder for Notts Birdwatchers' Records Committee and has worked for Norfolk Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Game Conservancy Trust and The Farming Conservation Group. In 1999, he fulfilled a long term ambition by moving to Norfolk, England where he operates his company Norfolk Birding. His birding efforts are focused in Norfolk and birding has also taken him to many wonderful places around the world. Chris is a natural guide with great experience, knowledge and enthusiasm which he eagerly shares with others. We are pleased to have him lead our Scotland trip in 2013.

Dominic Mitchell
London-based Dominic Mitchell is the founder and managing editor of Birdwatch, Europe’s biggest-selling monthly magazine for keen birders. He has written numerous articles on birds and a number of checklists and books, including Where to Watch Birds in the London Area and the Photographic Handbook of the Rare Birds of Britain and Europe. A keen photographer and also one of the top listers in the Western Palearctic, he has a particular interest in the region’s underwatched hot-spots, travelling to countries as diverse as Armenia, Georgia, Syria, Russia, Mauritania, the Cape Verde Islands and – arguably his favorite destination – the Azores. He has also birded in all seven continents over 40 years, but when back home indulges a literally unhealthy interest in gulls, spending too much time on a rubbish tip in east London studying larids (a pastime which rewarded him with Britain’s first Slaty-backed Gull among 13 gull species). Dominic will lead our Azores, Madeira tour in 2012.

Lisa Schmidt
With our hectic travel schedules, we are pleased to have Lisa Schmidt on the Sunrise Birding team to manage the home office.  Lisa is our right hand, returning phone calls, emails, and other correspondence and we are thrilled to have her help.  She is most helpful to answer questions and make arrangements for tours.  She can be reached via the Sunrise Birding main phone 203.453.6724 and email gina@sunrisebirding.com.  An accomplished horticulturist and enthusiastic birder, we plan to have Lisa lead Birds & Gardens tours whenever possible.