Rockjumper Birding Tours

Tour Guides

Meet the Guides that make Rockjumper Birding Tours a truly memorable experience!

All our guides are experienced bird tour leaders, passionate birders and patient teachers, all of which are essential skills for ensuring a well-run and enjoyable tour.

Please click on the abbreviated summaries below to find out more about our dedicated guides!

The Full Time Rockjumper Guides

Adam Riley
Adam Riley

Adam co-founded Rockjumper in partnership with his long-time birding friend, Jonathan Rossouw, and is now the Managing Director. Adam holds a particular fascination with the birds, reptiles and amphibians of Africa and Madagascar.

David Hoddinott
David Hoddinott

David has extensive experience guiding birding tours throughout Africa and Asia. David is Rockjumper's Senior Tour Leader and all our guides acknowledge him as the sharpest birder on the team.

David Shackelford
David Shackelford

David is an avid naturalist as well as an accomplished photographer and bird artist. A native Texan, his fascination with ecology quickly led to a lifelong passion for observing birds and their behavior.

Keith Valentine
Keith Valentine

Keith hails from Johannesburg, where his interest in the outdoors developed at a tender age. Keith is now one of Africa's most experienced birders and is an extremely popular and outgoing tour leader.

Cuan Rush
Cuan Rush

Cuan was involved in various wildlife orientated careers for numerous years until he joined Rockjumper on a full-time basis. His passion, knowledge and enthusiasm for birds is evident to all the participants on his tours.

Glen Valentine
Glen Valentine

Glen's exceptional birding skills and personable nature, coupled with his extreme level of enthusiasm, ensure a fantastic and memorable tour for his participants. Glen is one of our rising stars!

Markus Lilje
Markus Lilje

Markus has an unrivalled enthusiasm for all things natural and for many years shared his passion for wildlife as a guide in the Kruger National Park area of South Africa. He is fluent in both German and English.

Rainer Summers
Rainer Summers

Rainer has been involved with birding and wildlife from an early age. He is an avid outdoorsman, and he completed his BSc Honours degree in Ecology and Conservation Biology.

Lelis Navarete
Erik Forsyth

Erik Forsyth was a very popular full-time Rockjumper leader until he emigrated to New Zealand with his family. Soon after arriving he discovered a new bird for the country and is fast becoming one of the nation's top birders. Erik still guides for Rockjumper in Asia and Australasia.

PJ Fryer

PJ grew up on a farm in the heart of Zululand, South Africa. His interest in the natural environment developed at a young age and he spent countless hours in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, St Lucia and Mkuze Game Reserves.

Part Time Rockjumper Guides

Fraser Gear
Fraser Gear

Upon completion of his education, Fraser followed his passions and explored Africa. After various jobs in conservation, Fraser turned to guiding and is now famous for his game tracking and birding skills.

Richard White
Richard White

Richard is one of our most experienced all-round guides and is a specialist not only on birds, but also the Cape's wildflowers and wine! Richard is now based in Tasmania.

Brian Finch
Brian Finch

Brian lives in Kenya and is the country’s premier bird guide, with extensive knowledge of the region. He spends much of his time leading bird tours, and is also a co-author to the "Birds of East Africa".

Athol Marchant

Athol is one of Southern Africa's most experienced birders and bird tour leaders. He has a strong scientific background and has been working for the world famous Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (Natal Parks Board) for more than twenty years.

Jesper Hornskov
Jesper Hornskov

Jesper grew up in Denmark and began birding internationally at the age of 16. He started bird guiding in 1994 and has now led more than 50 tours throughout China.

Jonathan Russouw
Jonathan Rossouw

Jonathan is undoubtedly one of the world's most experienced birders and tour leaders. He combines his field skills with an infectious enthusiasm for all aspects of natural history.

Tim Fisher
Tim Fisher

Tim has been living in the Philippines for over 20 years. He has become THE Philippines bird expert and his exhaustive knowledge of Philippines birds has been put to good use in the standard fieldguide and on our tours.

Jan Pienaar
Jan Pienaar

Jan has been an avid birder since his earliest memories. He has been a lodge-based guide near Kruger and Madikwe Parks since he left school. His deep knowledge of the African bush and its birds is a huge asset.

Livingstone Kalema
Livingstone Kalema

Livingstone has for the past ten years guided bird watching tours throughout Uganda and his passion for birding is perpetually fueled by the thrill of watching guests experience Uganda's prolific birdlife.

Uthai Treesucon
Uthai Treesucon

Uthai is widely known as one of Thailand’s finest birders and is co-credited with the rediscovery of Gurney's Pitta. His exceptional knowledge of Thailand's birds make him a certain asset on any tour to the region.

Marcelo Padua

Marcelo was born at the mouth of the Amazon river and has always been in love with nature. At Mato Grosso he discovered the pleasure of birding and left a Law degree to concentrate fully on guiding and studying birdlife around Brazil.

Lelis Navarete
Lelis Navarete

Lelis is a native of Ecuador and for the past 18 years has led birding tours throughout South America. His birding and people skills are legendary and he is the perfect leader for our South American tours!

Steve Bailey
Steve Bailey

Steve combines worldwide birding experience with a level of education rare in bird tour leaders, having earned his PhD in ecology and ornithology. Steve guides Rockjumper's Antarctica tours.



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