Birding Guides and Educators

Ronnie Almonte is a biology teacher in the NYC public schools. He is also an elected member of the Executive Board of the United Federation of Teachers. Ronnie regularly birdwatches in his Brooklyn neighborhood, Sunset Park, but he is especially fond of birding by ear. Ronnie is passionate about making birds and wildlife accessible, and has led community-focused birding tours for programs such as NYC Bird Alliance's NYCHA in Nature, and campaigns such as #BlackBirdersWeek. You can follow him at @ronniealmonte18.

To schedule a private bird tour with Ronnie, you can email him at birds@ronniealmonte.com

Richard grew up in the Bronx where he first became fascinated with birds around the age of 15 through going for walks in Pelham Bay Park with his parents and grandfather. His grandmother gave him his first Sibley Guide. Birds have since become his passion and a lifelong pursuit. After graduating from SUNY-ESF, he became a traveling field biologist working on various ornithological research projects across the lower 48, Maui and Kauai, New Brunswick, Canada; Sonora, Mexico; Cockscomb Basin in Belize; the Manu region of Peru; the Colombian Choco; and Kinabalu Park in Bornean Malaysia.

Richard has been really enjoying leading birding outings for NYC Bird Alliance. Not only has this been a way to teach and share with others his enthusiasm for birds, they have also been a great learning experience for him in communication and nature interpretation.

Pelham Bay Park continues to be one of his absolute favorite places to bird. He is also an avid Bronx patch birder and county life lister. He also enjoys cycling and bikepacking, usually while birding at the same time.

Email: rvaracil@gmail.com 

Dana is a retired NYC elementary school science teacher, who got into birding late in life during a trip to Florida where she was in awe of the numerous and approachable birds. Dana enjoys being out in nature and trying to capture its beauty in photographs. Through her photography, she hopes to promote an awareness of the wildlife all around us, even in our urban setting, and to instill a sense of stewardship for nature. She has traveled to every continent (except Antarctica, which is on the list), photographing natural marvels around the world. 

Annie leads bird walks on Governors Island and in Inwood Hill Park. Both locations, on either end of Manhattan (Governors Island is technically part of Manhattan!) are new to many New Yorkers and to many birders, and each offers unique birding experiences in the city. Governors Island is an old army base with beautiful constructed green areas. Inwood Hill Park, on the northern tip of Manhattan, offers a saltmarsh, a lush and hilly forest, and magnificent views of the Hudson River and Spuyten Duyvil Creek. Both host an excellent array of birds year-round. Annie also leads occasional walks in Riverside Park. When not leading tours, Annie works for Columbia University, currently in the Human Research Protections office, where she reviews studies to ensure they meet federal, state, and university regulations and policies regarding the protection of participants in human subjects research. Annie welcomes birders of all abilities, beginner through expert, young and old.  

Loyan (they/she) is a formal NYC educator who also has a background in biology and the arts. They are interested in the way these disciplines intersect to make access to nature available to everyone through shared outdoor experiences, conservation, local knowledge, and community science. Loyan is the bird program manager for Washington Square Park Eco Projects and has worked on urban bird surveys of Washington Square Park, East River Park, the Naval Cemetery Landscape and Governors Island.  East Coast conservation efforts include multiple years of volunteer work, under the direction of Helen Hayes, with Common Terns on Great Gull Island. West Coast conservation work includes Marbled Murrelet survey at the Ten Mile Sanctuary in Yachats Oregon.  In NYC, Loyan is most interested in urban Chimney Swifts and working with young children to foster their love, curiosity, and interest in nature and birds.

Email: loybeau@gmail.com

Alyssa is a graduate student at CUNY Queens College and a committee member of NYC Chapter of the Feminist Bird Club. Alyssa first started birding in 2019 when she noticed an Orchard Oriole in Pelham Bay Park. Since then, she has been leading walks for NYC Bird Alliance, Wave Hill, and Feminist Bird Club throughout the Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan. Alyssa also enjoys bird photography and has led educational workshops for the Feminist Bird Club and Brooklyn Bird Club. Her favorite bird is the American Woodcock because of their cute dance. 

Email: alyssabueno2014@gmail.com

Anthony Ciancimino is an elementary school teacher, nature enthusiast, and avid (ok…  obsessive!) birder. Anthony has birded since he was only eight years old. It all started when he put up a bird feeder in his backyard, and within minutes, a Downy Woodpecker visited—the first bird he identified on his own. The rest was history! Anthony was born and raised on Staten Island and still resides there, trying to bird as much as he can.

After the school day, Anthony leads a science-based after school program. He often takes his elementary students birding, hoping to mold the next generation into people who value and respect the environment around them—and maybe even mold a few into some avid listers in the coming years! Additionally, Anthony has appeared in a few recent publications; most recently, he was featured in the journal Northeastern Naturalist, in a paper discussing the re-establishment of Pileated Woodpecker in New York City. 

Leading walks for NYC Bird Alliance and other organizations is something Anthony takes pride in, because he appreciates the opportunities to share his love and knowledge of birding with others. Anthony aspires to influence younger generations to appreciate nature and the environment around them.

Corey Finger is an upstate New York native, hailing from the small town of Saugerties, which is nestled nicely between the mighty Hudson River and the scenic Catskill Mountains. Currently Corey resides in Queens, the best of all the five boroughs of New York City. He lives with his partner, Daisy, and his son, Desmond, who is fortunate enough to have Shearwater as a middle name.

Corey came late to the world of birding, discovering his passion for birds in 2005 when a Green Heron showed itself to him. Since his trigger bird Corey has been on a high-speed course from bird to bird, birding every chance he gets. Because of simple geography, most of Corey’s birding has taken place in New York State and the northeastern United States in general, though near-yearly trips to southern California have allowed him to add many cool birds to his life list. He looks forward to eventually birding in every state in the nation! A trip to Germany in October 2007 led Corey to the revelation that there are even more birds on other continents and since that trip he has visited and birded over twenty countries including Costa Rica, Kazakhstan, Hungary, and Ecuador. One of his birding highlights was finding the first record for Uganda of Pectoral Sandpiper!

When he’s not birding, which isn’t often, Corey works as a union representative, reads, blogs, wanders around New York City, gets angry about politics, and spends time with his family. He’s also written the ABA Field Guide to Birds of New York.

Joe is a native New Yorker who has been birding the NYC region for over 30 years. A former math teacher and Program Chairman at Fort Hamilton High School, Joe is the birding instructor for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. He has led bird walks for the Nature Conservancy and Brooklyn Bird Club, and lectures on birding and leads bird walks for the South Fork Natural History Society (SOFO). Joe is the Bluebird Trail coordinator for SOFO, and a captain in the Brooklyn and South Nassau Christmas Counts. In addition to his popular spring and fall morning migration walk series in Central Park, Joe leads trips for NYC Bird Alliance to popular birding destinations in the NYC area and beyond, while also teaching classes on bird song and identification. An enthusiastic traveler, Joe has birded extensively in Central and South America. Joe is the owner of Happy Warblers LLC, a birding and educational travel company.

Leigh is a licensed New York City tour guide who specializes in Harlem, Morningside Heights, and the Upper West Side. She is passionate about exploring all five boroughs and beyond on foot, mostly through organized walking tours. Leigh, who is retired from a 36-year career as a non-profit librarian, leads our year-round Audubon Mural Project tours in northern Manhattan. She is a feminist, genealogist, and lover of arts, culture, and travel. Leigh lives on the Upper West Side. 

Email: lhallingby@gmail.com

Tim Healy is a high school science teacher and proud member of the NYC Bird Alliance young conservationists council. Born and raised on Long Island, Tim was immersed in the natural world from a very young age thanks to his parents, who loved taking the family on extended camping vacations and cross-country road trips. His first spoken word was "bird," and he has been actively birding since he could hold binoculars. He has worked in a variety of science-education jobs over the course of his career, including seasons as a camp counselor for the US Forest Service in Alaska and as an interpretive naturalist for Project Puffin in Maine.

Tim is a dedicated New York state lister and a devoted patch birder, but he loves partaking in all varieties of birding from morning flight migration watches to deepwater pelagics. He is also a regular contributor to the blog Nemesis Bird, where he writes about his various birding adventures. For Tim, the greatest aspect of birding is that birds can be seen anywhere at any time, bringing unexpected excitement to even the most mundane days. Wherever you go in the world, there are birds, turning life into an endless treasure hunt. He aspires to instill an appreciation of nature in all of his students, encouraging awareness of wildlife and stewardship of the urban environment that surrounds us. He currently lives in Astoria, Queens, where he diligently keeps an apartment list of birds seen from his rooftop.

Email: tph56@cornell.edu 

Russell grew up in Brooklyn and discovered the natural world by exploring New York City’s parks and shorelines as a child. He has led birding and environmental education programs for adults and children throughout the City while working on habitat restoration projects and other initiatives with a variety of environmental organizations, primarily along the Hudson River and the Rockaway shoreline. He loves to talk about local birds, plants, marine life, and natural history with people of all ages. In addition to his work as an educator, Russell has written about New York City’s ecology and environmental history for publications such as Slate, Hell Gate, and Urban Omnibus.

Email: russmjacobs@gmail.com 

Oliver Lopez's journey with birds began near Ecuador's majestic Chimborazo, where his childhood was filled with nature. These early experiences instilled a passion for birds and the environment, which he now shares with others through his work as a Spanish-English bilingual bird guide at NYC Bird Alliance. Oliver oversees the Forever Wild Bird Sanctuary in Riverside Park and leads volunteer events to restore ecosystems, creating a haven for birds in NYC. Oliver is passionate about sharing his knowledge of birds and the natural world with others. With a background in graphic design, photography, and videography, he has honed his skills in crafting compelling visual narratives. 

Living in New York City with his wife and cherished lovebird, Oliver embraces the city's vibrant bird life. When not guiding bird outings, he explores the city's natural areas and creates art that reflects his love for nature.

You can follow him at @OliverNatureArt.

Ryan is a science writer, naturalist, and member of the NYC Bird Alliance's Young Conservationists Council from Long Island. They didn't begin birding until fairly recently—in fact, it was researching NYC Bird Alliance's Harbor Herons project for a journalism school assignment that kicked off their now-obsession. Since then, Ryan has traveled around their home borough of Brooklyn searching for and showing others local birds and stopover migrants before returning home to observe birds and moths from their roof in Park Slope. Ryan is especially passionate about winter finches, especially Red Crossbills, and waits patiently for irruption years in order to seek out crossbills at Brooklyn's coniferous habitats like Green-Wood Cemetery and Floyd Bennett Field. They're equally excited to bear the cold and sift through a flock of seagulls (New Yorkers call them seagulls and Ryan won't hear otherwise) in order to learn about different plumages and find any out-of-place rarities. Ryan has written about birds for a variety of publications, including The New York Times, Gizmodo, Audubon magazine, Gothamist, and more; Ryan also volunteers for the New York State Breeding Bird Atlas, Feminist Bird Club, and the Finch Research Network. When not thinking about birds, Ryan works full-time at IBM as a physics writer.

Ryan mainly leads walks around Brooklyn; they strive to make their walks welcoming, inclusive, and fun. All birds seen on their walks are "good birds," even the pigeons, and they'll have plenty of random facts to dispense about the parks, wildlife, science, and more.

Email: ryan.f.mandelbaum@gmail.com 

A lifelong NYC resident, Joe has been birding since 1977. Birding adventures have taken him to twenty-three states, Canada, and Costa Rica. Joe’s formal introduction to birding started with the beginning bird class of NYC Audubon (now NYC Bird Alliance), then led by Emily Jones and Starr Saphir. Although he likes to travel to bird, most birding is done close to home. Living in the Bronx, Van Cortlandt Park and Pelham Bay Park's Orchard beach afford great birding. Many other venues such as Woodlawn Cemetery, Marshlands Conservancy, Rye Playland, Jamaica Bay, and Jones Beach are a short car ride away. Over his years of birding, Joe has led walks for the Boys Scouts, Woodlawn Conservancy, local school groups, and NYC Bird Alliance. He has also volunteered for the Audubon Christmas Bird count in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and South Nassau. Joe also wrote one article, many years ago, for the NYC Audubon children's magazine Look Around about New York City's bats. The greatest pleasure Joe derives from birding is from sharing bird sightings with others; he gets the most excitement when he is able to help point out a bird that is a "life bird" for someone.

Email: josephmcmanus638@gmail.com

Woo Sung Park was born in Seoul, South Korea, but grew up in Flushing, Queens, since his pre-K years. He currently resides in Bayside, Queens.

Woo got into birding in 2016, when he first started as an Urban Park Ranger for NYC Parks in Brooklyn. While in Canarsie Park, he saw a small yellow "sparrow" and was absolutely amazed. He eventually found out that it was, in fact, a Yellow Warbler, and has been hooked on birding ever since. Woo is very committed to leading bird walks that are inclusive, judgement-free, educational, and fun for birders of all skill levels, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, and socioeconomic demographics. During the pandemic's lockdown, he started the Asian American Birders group in light of the rise of discrimination and hate crimes towards Asian American communities.

In his spare time, Woo enjoys hiking, camping, and above all, birding! Woo recently welcomed Penny, a three month old kitten, to his household. Penny gets absolutely spoiled!

Giselle is an avid birder and guide for NYC Bird Alliance. She is also a volunteer leader for Outdoor Afro, an organization that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature. Giselle hails from Trinidad where her love of birds and nature began. She became interested in birding in NYC during a birding event at Prospect Park and now leads walks there and various parks around NYC. She hosts outdoor events around New York including camping, fishing, astronomy, and paddling (kayak and canoe) as a certified ACA Canoe instructor. Giselle loves to photograph birds, other wildlife and nature, and you would often find her walking through the parks with her camera. 

You can reach Giselle at gisellepemberton@yahoo.com. 

Efua is a lifelong nature lover from Minnesota who found birding more recently when, while running around the Reservoir, she saw some cute little black and white ducks that she just had to get to know (buffleheads!). Since then, she has fallen hard and fast for the activity and gets out whenever she can year round. Some of her favorite local birding spots are Randall's Island, Central Park, and Riverside Park; however, she also loves getting out of the city to bird during camping and backpacking trips, and when she visits her mother's home country of Ghana. She loves that birding can be done anywhere and anytime - last year she counted over thirty species during a triathlon in Harriman State Park! Efua is also a software engineer working in energy and sustainability software and a proud member of the NYC Bird Alliance Young Conservationists Council. 

Email: efuapeterson@gmail.com 

Sam Sam/Samantha Philbert (she/they) is an artist and designer born and raised in NYC. She started birding in 2020 and although she was upset to notice so many dead birds, it led her to realize the vast array of species that are present in NYC alone. Her curiosity was sparked and in her pursuit of knowledge, the need to give back to the community became an important purpose.
 
Sam Sam currently collaborates with NYC Plover Project, Local Nature Lab, and many other organizations to advocate for birds. Through her art using stickers, sculptures, zines, and other mixed media, she strives to connect folks to nature and introduce many more people into the world she so passionately reveres.

Email: letsgo.samsam@gmail.com 

Andrew Reiter is a birder, writer, and amateur naturalist with more than 20 years of birding experience. Born in Massachusetts, Andrew has spent most of his life studying the birds of the Northeast. He lives in Manhattan with his two pet pigeons.

A lifelong bird-lover, Andrew is an advocate for birds and the resources they need to thrive. On bird outings with Andrew, you will learn not only about the birds themselves, but also the threats they face--and the ways we can help. He has volunteered at the Wild Bird Fund in New York City and at the New England Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary in Rhode Island. He currently volunteers with NYC Bird Alliance as an injured bird transporter, picking up injured birds and bringing them to the Wild Bird Fund.

As much as birds themselves, Andrew loves to share his knowledge and the joy of birds with other people. He meets people where they are, whether they are a seasoned ornithologist or a backyard birder. Andrew believes that birds--and birding--are for everybody.

As a writer, Andrew is particularly interested in exploring the human connection to nature. You can read his newsletter about birds, people, and nature here.

Email: andrew.reiter33@gmail.com 

Don Riepe retired in 2003 from the National Park Service where he worked as a naturalist ranger and manager of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in NYC (1979-2003). Currently, he is employed as Jamaica Bay Guardian for the American Littoral Society. Don has written many articles on natural history subjects and his photographs have been published in many journals including Scientific American, National Wildlife, Audubon, Defenders, Underwater Naturalist, Parade and The New York Times. He has an M.S. in Natural Resources Management from the University of New Hampshire and has taught a course in Wildlife Management at St. John’s University. A long time member of the Port Authority’s Bird Hazard Task Force, he also serves on the advisory board of NYC Bird Alliance and is co-chair of the Jamaica Bay Task Force. In his spare time he leads bird walks and eco-tours to many natural areas both here and abroad. 

To schedule a private bird tour in the Jamaica Bay Area, you can email him at donriepe@gmail.com 

Born and raised in Morgan City, Louisiana, Kellye found her lifelong love of birds in Central Park. Formerly the director of development at NYC Bird Alliance, she is the author, with Deborah Rivel, of Birdwatching in New York City and on Long Island (UPNE, 2016). Kellye delights in encouraging new birders from all corners of our community and is a passionate advocate for the exploration of wild places.

As a lifelong Bronx resident, Jack’s only early experiences with birds were house sparrows and pigeons. Then, in the early 1990s, a friend invited him on a bird walk. After the first hour, Jack was hooked. He has birded in many states and countries, but soon realized that he most enjoyed birding with others on his home turf. In 2007, he created the City Island Birds website because he felt the Bronx had been largely neglected as a birding venue. Now, Jack is thrilled that he has joined forces with NYC Bird Alliance for dozens of walks in local Bronx parks. His walks are friendly, non-competitive, social and fun. Whether you see that targeted bird or not, you will leave with a smile.

Haley Scott (she/her) is a BIPOC birder and guide for NYC Bird Alliance and Feminist Bird Club. She is from Bronx, NY and is an enrolled member of the state-recognized Unkechaug Indian Nation on Long Island (Siwan Áhki). She has been birding since 2018. 

Haley has a BS in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont (UVM). It was during her time at UVM that she developed her passion for bird watching and environmental and outdoor education. As a college student, she spent a semester as a birding mentor; teaching elementary school students about native birds and local wildlife through outdoor exploration. After receiving her degree in Environmental Studies, she taught environmental education for K-5 students at a local non-profit youth development organization in the Bronx. 

Haley is passionate about protecting wildlife, environmental conservation, and providing safe and accessible outdoor exploration opportunities for women, BIPOC, and the LGBTQ+ community. Through her work she hopes to further educate her community about local and large-scale environmental issues and traditional ecological knowledge, while influencing appreciation for and re-connection with nature and wildlife in NYC. 

Alexandra Wang (Avian Alex) grew up in Hudson Heights visiting Fort Tryon Park almost daily. She holds an M.S.Ed. in Guidance and School Counseling from Hunter College, and has worked as a disabilities advocate. A passionate urban naturalist, Alexandra hopes to help connect all New Yorkers with nature. She is an advocate of birding for people of all abilities and disabilities.

Her interviews on disability rights can be found on her blog, Questions Students Ask. The blog is designed to provide information for professionals seeking to help all students achieve their full potential. Her photos and videos of nature can be found at Alexandra Wang’s Studio. She gives weekly tours in Fort Tryon Park.

Email: alexmwang1992@gmail.com

Gabriel has been a nature enthusiast and birder since he was a small child in Maine, roaming the woods and fields in search of frogs and woodcocks. In his teens he traveled to Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming to study birds, learning how to use mist nets and band birds. He went on to study ecology in college, his studies taking him to the mountains of Vermont and to southern Mexico, where he studied and painted the endemic avifauna for five years. In 2003 he moved to NYC, hoping to pursue an art school dream, but instead was drawn again to nature and birds, becoming a teacher-naturalist with the Prospect Park Audubon Center and leading tours for Wave Hill, Bryant Park, NYC Bird Alliance, and others. Gabriel leads a wide variety of programs for NYC Bird Alliance these days, including trips to NYC-area birding hotspots like Staten Island’s Clove Lakes Park, and classes on bird identification and using eBird. He also leads popular overnight excursions to places like the Adirondacks and international trips.

Email: gabrielwillow@yahoo.com

Tod grew to love birds as a child in rural Pennsylvania, in the company of his nature-loving father. He particularly enjoys bringing new people to the joy of birds via NYC Bird Alliance's Beginning Birding course, and helping birders of all levels improve their ability to "bird by ear": A lover of foreign languages and music, Tod is constantly working to improve his own understanding of the musical language of birds. He is a proponent of "slow birding"—pausing to appreciate the mysterious activity and beauty of even the most common species—and also enjoys focusing on flowers, trees, and related issues of evolution and ecology. In addition to his role as a birding guide, Tod also serves as NYC Bird Alliance's Urban Biodiversity Specialist. Read more about Tod's work here.
 
Email: twinston@nycbirdalliance.org

Seth Wollney is a life-long Staten Islander and naturalist. The rapid development of the island during his youth lead Seth to start asking how are wildlife and plants affected by human impacts. During high school, he started his career in environmental education and promoting Staten Island’s natural history and rich local history. He has led birding and nature walks all
around Staten Island for multiple organizations, including the Staten Island Museum where he worked from 2001 until 2013.

In addition to birds, Seth’s passions are dragonfly, butterflies and moths and he is an frequent contributor to iNaturalist. Professionally, Seth studies freshwater and soil microbial communities using metabarcoding techniques and is currently an adjunct professor at the College of Staten Island.

Email: seth.wollney@gmail.com

Mike caught the birding bug over 13 years ago and you can often find him in the birding hotspots around NYC. He works in the intersection of technology and advocacy, managing databases and software platforms to support public policy initiatives. 

Mike serves as President of the Board of Director of NYC Bird Alliance and is particularly excited about engaging new audiences in appreciating birds and the wealth of natural spaces in the five boroughs. He is an accomplished birder who also leads field trips for the Brooklyn Bird Club and is happy to use his data management skills to serve as the co-compiler for the Brooklyn count circle of the annual Christmas Bird Count.

Mike grew up in Baltimore and lives in Brooklyn with his wife and indoor cat. His favorite bird is the Upland Sandpiper, for being a shorebird that's not found at the shore, and for being an oddball in general.