About US
Olive Warbler © Robert Royse
Professional Birding Guides
Arizona Birding Guides is dedicated to helping you follow your passions—whether it’s discovering amazing birds, capturing that perfect photo, exploring beautiful places, or simply embracing your love of nature. Our expert guides specialize in creating personalized birding experiences tailored to your specific interests and skill level. Our unique approach combines the invaluable knowledge of local guides with the dedicated customer support provided by our administrative team. With a focus on flexibility and progressive client-centric policies regarding reservations, payments, and cancellations, we strive to create a smooth and unforgettable experience for you. We can’t wait to share our passion for Arizona’s birds with you!
Tommy Debardeleben
Guide
after watching Ospreys fish and nest around the lakes in Greer, Arizona, which sparked his birding interest. His interest grew more over the years, and really took off when he joined the birding community and started learning more from birding very regularly and by being taught many things by fellow birders.
Tommy enjoys many things about birding. His favorite birding region is Maricopa County, although he really enjoys birding all of Arizona. Tommy also enjoys traveling to many places outside of Arizona for birding. He loves to explore underbirded areas that are rarely birded, and really enjoys birding during migrations. Tommy also enjoys helping people find birds.
Tommy is a current member of the Arizona Bird Committee, has participated in Christmas Bird Counts and events for Arizona Field Ornithologists, and helped write the “Birding Areas” section of the book, Birds of Phoenix and Maricopa County, Arizona
Ezekiel Dobson
Guide
grew up moving often, he was fortunate to experience birds and their habitats throughout the U.S.
In 2024, he completed a Lower 48 big year, accumulating 757 different species. Fascinated with Arizona and the many opportunities it provides for birdwatching, he decided to make it his home base.
Ezekiel has a passion for helping birders reach their personal goals. He loves to inspire young birders like himself to be involved with eBird and conservation efforts. Ezekiel has volunteered at several Audubon centers, contributing to habitat restoration efforts, assisting with local hawk watch surveys, and leading numerous bird walks in his home county. His goal is to deepen the community’s appreciation of birds and nature, helping others connect with the often-overlooked wonders of the outdoors.
Kadynn Hatfield
Guide
Song Sparrow ID. He soon found himself attending young birder camps, club meetings, and bird banding programs. He shared his love of birds with others by leading bird walks, and giving presentations to school groups throughout high school… (expand for more) In his endeavors to see birds on their breeding territories, in migration, and on their wintering grounds, Kadynn has pursued them across the U.S. and Belize. He now calls Arizona home and relishes the diverse birdlife it offers, courtesy of the state’s ranging elevations and climates which allows for many habitats to visit and rarities to list. He loves to help others reach their birding goals and share their appreciation of the avian world.
Kadynn is an eBird state reviewer for Iowa, has worked 7 years with waterfowl and game birds in captivity and has helped as a volunteer hawkwatcher. He’s enjoyed several CBC’s and a season of guiding for Sandhill Cranes on the Platte River.
Eric Hough
Guide
he is fascinated by the tremendous biodiversity the state contains and has always been drawn… (expand for more) to exploring seldom-visited areas. He is particularly interested in the distribution of vegetation and associated ecosystems.
His undergraduate and graduate degrees at Northern Arizona University, and several years of field work as a biologist, further honed his interests and expertise in the natural world to include plants, reptiles and amphibians, dragonflies, and more recently, butterflies. Eric has traveled through much of the U.S. and since 2013, has made several trips deep into Sonora, Mexico. He loves teaching others about nature as much as he enjoys learning about it, and currently works as an interpretive ranger with Maricopa County Parks in the Phoenix area, where he gets to connect others with the natural world.
Eric has served on the Arizona Bird Committee, as Field Expeditions Chair and a board member for Arizona Field Ornithologists, is an eBird reviewer for Navajo and Apache Counties in Arizona, and has coordinated and helped with multiple Christmas Bird Counts and other volunteer bird survey efforts.
Alex Patia
Guide
after seeing a Great-horned Owl being mobbed by crows at age 9. His passion for sharing the joy of wildlife with others is what prompted him to get a Masters in Environmental Education in 2013. He has since worked in seven states including leading puffin cruises in Maine, as a naturalist in all three of Washington’s national parks, on whale watching trips in the Puget Sound, leading overnight trips
to Santa Cruz Island, handling raptors for education programs at the New Mexico Wildlife Center, and as a wildlife guide in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Alex has birded in
all 50 U.S. states but Arizona has been his favorite state to bird in almost every year since first visiting in 2011. Alex is excited to now call Arizona home and share the
amazing diversity of its wildlife and stunning landscapes with visitors!
Alex also shares his passion for birds as the Sweetwater Wetlands Coordinator for Tucson Audubon. He has participated in multiple Christmas Bird Counts, bird surveys, banding stations, and was formerly the eBird Regional Reviewer for Teton and Park counties Wyoming.
Nate Peterson
Guide
became completely obsessed with birds in 2020 when he noticed a particularly bright Vermilion Flycatcher at a local park in Tucson. Since then, he has spent countless hours observing and listening for all the bird species that make Arizona special across its diverse landscape.
He enjoys learning about the biogeographical distribution and rich life histories of Arizona’s birds. Nate often visits areas with little to no eBird data to see what species are present and explores seemingly suitable habitats at the edges of target birds’ known ranges. Additionally, he enjoys patch birding around various spots in his hometown of Tucson, where he notes behaviors and keeps track of the comings and goings of breeders, winter residents, and migrants alike.
Nate has spent several summers conducting breeding bird point counts in the mountains and grasslands of the western U.S. for Bird Conservancy of the Rockies and has volunteered for various bird projects throughout southern Arizona. He is currently a member of the Arizona Field Ornithologists field expeditions committee.
Levi Plummer
Guide
grandparents and was immediately enthralled. He has had the opportunity to bird much of the state, from the Sky Islands in the southeast to the White Mountains and Grand Canyon in the North. Levi enjoys focusing on bird photography and obtaining quality documentation of rare bird species. He has won multiple awards for his work. In addition to bird photography, he is also fascinated by the distribution of species in mountainous regions, and late-arrival breeders. Levi relishes the opportunity to share the incredible avian diversity Arizona has to offer with others and loves working with people and helping create the best birding experiences possible!
Levi is an eBird regional reviewer for Maricopa County, and has participated in many Christmas Bird Counts and bird surveys, and helped run photography workshops.
Mike Sadat
Guide
in southern Arizona. Feeling mostly alone in his hobby throughout grade school, Michael came across Tucson Audubon in his twenties & found his people. Sharing his love for birds in southern Arizona ever since, Michael turns every outing with friends & family into a bird walk. Birding has also been a gateway to his fascination with Sonoran plant life & its intricate relationship with native birds. Photography & field recording have further enhanced his birding experiences & ability to share observations with loved ones. Michael is happiest wherever birds are thriving, from remote riparian habitat to urban backyard feeders.
Michael has led bird walks at the Tucson Audubon Mason Center & Sweetwater Wetlands, & currently leads bird walks at Mission Garden. His bird photography has been featured by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum & Tucson Botanical Gardens, & will soon be published in the upcoming release “The Southwest Native Plant Primer” by Jack Dash & Luke Swenson. To view his photography, please visit https://www.instagram.com/empidonax_sp/.
Nell Smith
Guide
moving to Arizona in her twenties. Since then, she has made up for lost time, birding everywhere from the Midriff Islands in the Gulf of California to the Arctic tundra of Alaska’s North Slope Borough. Whether chasing life birds or enjoying her neighborhood patch, Nell promotes ethical birding practices and loves taking time to observe and listen to birds’ uninterrupted behaviors. She is passionate about creating fun, accessible experiences for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to learn about birds and connect with the natural world. When not in the field, Nell often writes about birds, collaborative conservation efforts, and her experiences outdoors. Wherever she goes, she always keeps an ear out for what unexpected bird—or critter—might be nearby.
Nell has conducted ornithological fieldwork for the National Park Service’s Inventory & Monitoring Program, National Audubon Society’s Seabird Institute (Project Puffin), Central Arizona–Phoenix Long-term Ecological Research, Colorado Plateau Research Station, and others. She has participated in AZGFD’s Greater Phoenix Area Waterbird Surveys and Christmas Bird Counts and has been an active member of several regional Audubon chapters and birding communities. Nell has also co-authored two scientific papers on birds—one of which she presented at the North American Ornithological Conference—and published numerous place-based articles, essays, and poems.
Jake Thompson
Guide
their love for the state’s natural beauty – in particular, the White Mountains. Since finding himself in the grips of birding, he has locked down over 400 species in Arizona in a single year, and is always working to grow his state list.
A habitat of special interest to Jake is Arizona’s high elevation mixed conifer forests. Jake is passionate about wildlife conservation and outreach, always looking to bring that appreciation to others through birding. Through leading family bird walks for both local and regional Audubon societies he has grown his admiration for even the most common species and appreciates getting a chance to turn novice naturalists into full blown birders
Jake has participated in AZGFD survey point counts as well as contributed to AZ’s Breeding Bird Surveys. Jake is also a board member for Desert Rivers Audubon Society.
Kale Van Shaar
Guide
camcorder and a questionable Australian accent, he even made a short documentary about his spark bird, the Great-tailed Grackle.
He has worked as an educational naturalist in the renowned boreal forests of Denali State Park, Alaska, and completed an internship in avian husbandry at the Alaska SeaLife Center, caring for puffins, murres, eiders, and other Arctic seabirds.
Kale has also volunteered building homes for Burrowing Owls and assisting Arizona Field Ornithologists with tours and exploratory surveys. Arizona has been home for most of his life, and he finds deep meaning in helping others experience awe and serenity in its extraordinary natural landscapes.
John Wilson
Guide
his time exploring nature, finding and identifying as much as he could in Northeastern Arizona, where he calls home.
At the age of 15, John was introduced to birding and has since spent his time traveling across Arizona adding to his ever growing life list. For him, birding is a treasure hunt and a great excuse to enjoy all that nature has to offer.
John has found a particular fascination with migration and vagrant traps. Something about finding a species in a totally new area just holds an added fascination to the already interesting life each bird lives. Past birding, John has become a Naturalist with a particular interest in Herps and Insects, but anything living and of even minimal interest is absolutely captivating to him.
John has been an AZGFD Bald Eagle nest watcher for the past six years, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo surveyor for two years, an independent contractor for Burrowing Owl and Kit Fox surveys for one year, and has been heavily involved in his local Audubon societies, guiding for both Northern Arizona Audubon while he attends classes at Northern Arizona University and White Mountain Audubon in his hometown of Taylor, AZ. He has also been a part of the Arizona Field Ornithologists field expedition committee and most recently has become a regional eBird Reviewer for Navajo and Apache counties.
Felipe Guerrero
Owner & Guide
Through years of field work, graduate school, non-profit adventures, and what has been a particularly wonderful 6 years of poking around the most remote and under-birded corners of the state, Arizona Birding Guides was born in 2018. Felipe love birds and loves sharing the excitement and good times of birding with his clients. Birding with Felipe isn’t just about seeking Arizona’s specialty birds, it’s about celebrating the astonishingly diverse biological treasure that is Arizona.
Felipe is currently a member of the Arizona Bird Committee, and an eBird reviewer for Yavapai, Navajo, and Apache Counties. In the past he served as Field Expeditions Chair and board member for Arizona Field Ornithologists, as well as board member for Prescott Audubon Society.
