Callan Cohen's partner and former primatologist Deirdre lives in Cape Town, where she assists as a guide and in the Birding Africa office, specialising in African and Madagascan mammals (the lemurs rate among her favourites).

Her passion and previous work in conservation ecology led her to study Water Buffalo in India, Pronghorn Antelopes in Montana, African Elephants and Painted Hunting Dogs in southern and eastern Africa, as well as our closest living relatives, Bonobos, in the jungles of the Congo.

Deirdre holds a Masters of Science degree in Environmental Biology from the Brussels Free University, and a Masters degree in Ecology from the University of California at Davis, where she has also completed the coursework in the Conservation Ecology PhD programme, with research on bonobo ecology at the primatology department of Leipzig's Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology.

Fluent in English, French and Dutch, Deirdre teams up with Callan to co-lead tours to Madagascar, where her expertise in lemurs adds an extra dimension to the tour. She also organises and co-leads tours in other mammal- and primate-focused or French speaking destinations such as Uganda, Tanzania and Gabon.

Marje comes from a corporate publishing background, initially at Struik Publishers and more recently as production manager at Getaway travel magazine. So she brings a wealth of experience and professionalism with her and is a great asset to the company.

Marje has had a life-long interest in birds, but it took a trip to Kruger Park with her husband to realise how much more there is besides big and hairies, and she hasn't looked back since! Marje has been birding for more than 20 years, and covered the length and breadth of southern Africa. She, like the rest of us, loves travel and goes birding far and wide whenever she can. These passions make her the perfect person to work as a travel consultant in a birding tour company.

Michael splits his time between guiding and setting up tours for Birding Africa, and conducting research on birds. He holds a masters degree in Conservation Biology at the University of Cape Town, and is preparing to pursue a PhD in bird conservation at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute for African Ornithology.

His interest in wildlife was sparked at a young age, having grown up in the Kalahari Gemsbok and Kruger National Parks. He has lived in Kruger for 15 years, and know's the area's birds and wildlife intimately. He has also travelled extensively, to 16 countries in Africa, plus Madagascar, Sao Tome and Principe, The Philippines, India, Argentina, Ecuador and the Falklands, South Georgia and Antarctica.

Besides birds, he has a strong interest in mammals, particularly in small carnivores and African primates. Since 1997, he has lived in Cape Town

Dalton Gibbs is a conservator for the City of Cape Town and runs Rondevlei Nature Reserve, where, apart from ensuring Cape Town’s last protected areas remain intact, his responsibilities include monitoring bird breeding colonies and chasing down escaped hippos!

Dalton is a superb naturalist with a deep interest in all living things and their systems - making him a highly valued guide for Birding Africa and a favourite with tour participants. Dalton leads many of our tours around Cape Town, and as long as he buys his wife another rose bush for each excursion, is gearing up to lead trips in Uganda and Madagascar.

Alastair has been attached to binoculars since the age of 10 (not always his own) and things do not appear to be changing soon. His wide-ranging interest in the natural world, developed whilst growing up on a farm in the Western Cape and over the past 13 years living and working in the African bushveld: from early days in majestic Maputaland to the highlands of the Serengeti and most recently the lowveld near the Kruger Park.

He has birded in the Americas, Europe and India, experiences that he still cherishes. He is not only an experienced and knowledgeable guide, but has also managed a guide training school, as well as a number of safari lodges and private game reserves over the last 7 years. Birding highlights are too numerous to mention, but in Africa, finding the first African Pitta for the Serengeti whilst trying to track a leopard must rank close to the top! Alastair has been an active atlasser with the Tanzanian bird atlas and the current South African SABAP2 project. He rates patience, persistence and an appreciation for the natural world as key to great birding.

He currently leads bird and mammal tours throughout Africa, and while he is home in the Cape writing and looking after kids, he takes every opportunity to guide day trips and longer tours around Cape Town to show interested birders some of the trickier Cape endemics.

Try find a Southern African birder more experienced than Barrie Rose!
Born and bred Capetonian, Barrie's deep interest in nature started with his grandfather Walter Rose, a pioneering herpetologist after whom the endemic Table Mountain ghost frog (Heleophryne rosei) was named.

Land birds and pelagic seabirds, the region's mammals, reptiles and frogs absorbed Barrie's fascination and led him to explore unsual places in Africa (Equatorial Guinea, Socotra and sub-Antarctic Islands), South America, Asia, the Antipodes and Antarctica.

Barrie's observations of dwindling seabird populations, while he worked at Marine and Coastal Management and I & J Fishing, led him to institute changes that reduce the impacts of fisheries on seabirds. He has consulted for the seabird portion of Sasol Birds of Southern Africa, and established the ‘Seasonal Table for Seabirds’ in Essential Birding and the Southern African Birdfinder (Callan Cohen et al). He also consulted for the South African Rareties Committee for over eight years. Barry proves to be a talented photographer and has been guiding for local and international birding companies for over 30 years.

His retirement doesn't keep him from his passion: Barrie now monitors and controls international fishing vessels and regularly leads trips for Cape Town Pelagics and Birding Africa.

Joe grew up in northern South Africa and since a very young age showed a great passion for the natural environment around him. He is qualified in conservation and wildlife management and has a Master's in ornithology. Joe has been involved in a vast array of wildlife related activities ranging from field research in the Kruger National Park, game capture and translocation, field guide training, management of large private game reserves and environmental management for local government.

Joe is based in the Limpopo Province, were he has been instrumental in establishing birding routes, bird clubs and bird watching sites. He has designed organized and conducted birding and other eco-safaris across southern Africa for over twenty years and still enjoys every excursion as much as his clients do.

Tertius has birded for more than 30 years in southern Africa. He is passionate about birds, and has done extensive research on the endangered Blue Swallows in Drakensberg and on raptors in Kgalagadi. Currently living in the Cape, he has developed a passion for the fascinating Fynbos and Karoo fauna and flora. With friend Mostert Kriek, he's currently busy compiling the Afrikaans names for all the birds of the world!

In his other life, he is a specialist veterinary pathologist. With a special interest in bird disease and conservation, he also rescues and rehabilitates injured seabirds with the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB).

Cliff is one of the leading birders and naturalists in the Cape and has extensive experience in Southern African birding. His main career is Nature Conservation where he is charged with managing and protecting many of Cape Town's most biodiverse areas.He is passionate about all things natural, from birds to botany.

Cliff is widely travelled and has put in a lot of time at and on remote islands, and he is a regular guide on Cape Town Pelagics trips as well as leading birding trips around southern Africa.

Cape Town-born Claire is a co-founder of Birding Africa and is currently based in Cambridge where she completed her PhD and now pursues her academic career. Birding is still a major passion for Claire and she leads tours and does scouting missions to out-of-the-way places whenever she can (which as far as the birding world is concerned is not often enough!).

Campbell is a student guide studying at the University of Cape Town, majoring in Human Physiology and Biology.

Campbell's interest in birds was sparked at the tender age of seven when his mother brought along a copy of Ian Sinclair’s Photographic Guide to Birds of Southern Africa on holiday. Up until then, birding was something to occupy leisure time. He became hooked after seeing his first Lammergeier soaring above the majestic Drakensberg, and studied the finer points of identification and learning more about the birds themselves.

Since moving to Cape Town seven years ago, he has discovered many new birding spots and seen many of South Africa’s endemic species. For two years, he lived next to the Constantia Greenbelt with Knysna Warbler and Buff-spotted Flufftail (admittedly, only once) not far from his doorstep. In addition to birding, his interests include hiking, photography, sport, and traveling.

Campbell has accompanied Callan on an 4-day Cape endemic tour, producing an excellent trip report, and together with Seth Musker has guided various day trips out of Cape Town.

Campbell also helped organise the images of 350 bird species photographed in one day - see 350.birdingafrica.com!

Seth is a student guide studying at the University of Cape Town, majoring in Ecology, Evolution and Applied Biology.

Seth has been a keen birder from the age of 12, when living in Namibia, and his passion for birding continues to grow. Since moving to Cape Town in 2004, he has birded most of the top sites around Cape Town, and has travelled extensively in Southern Africa visiting the birding meccas of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Mapungubwe National Park, forests of Magoebaskloof and Soutpansberg, Ndumo and Isimangaliso/St. Lucia in KZN, Wakkerstroom and the Kruger Park. He has also been fortunate enough to bird the Kenyan Rift Valley (with great views of the endangered Sharpe’s Longclaw being a highlight) and in India, where the Periyar Tiger Reserve offered some stunning birding opportunities. Seth’s Southern African life list currently stands at just over 580 species.

Other interests include photography, geology, botany and Southern Africa’s butterflies. Sharing his passion for birds gives Seth great pleasure, and his friendly, easy-going manner and dedication ensures that he gets along well with all types of birding personalities. Together with Campbell Fleming he has guided various day trips out of Cape Town.

Ian Sinclair has the highest African bird list and is a renowned birding tour leader. Ian spent six months on Marion Island in the 1970s and has been back for shorter trips many times. He is a veteran of numerous trips to Antarctica and co-leads our trips on the SA Agulhas.

Many of you will remember Eve, who was our Operations Manager for many years. Although Eve no longer works in the office, we are still in regular contact with her. Eve is well, and now has two gorgeous baby girls, Megan (pictured here) and Sydney, to keep her on her toes.

David, who managed the Birding Africa operations and perhaps also introduced you to some of the Cape's endemics (all while completing his MBA!), has donned a suit and is now working as a Management Consultant. He still finds the time to get out as much as he can and runs a popular birding blog -- see his updates at www.getbirding.com