Hepatic Tanager © Robert Royse
Guided by Passion. Grounded in Expertise.
At Arizona Birding Guides, our goal is to make birding both accessible and exceptional. We bring together experienced local guides, thoughtful planning, and dedicated support to help birders explore Arizona’s remarkable diversity with confidence and clarity.
We help people follow their passion for birds, whether that means discovering new species, capturing meaningful photographs, or exploring the natural world more deeply. Our statewide network of experienced local guides offers personalized birding and bird photography experiences tailored to your interests, experience level, and travel goals.
By combining regional expertise with the support of a dedicated administrative team, we help make the entire process, from planning through guiding, clear and well coordinated. With flexible, client-centered policies, our focus stays where it belongs: on thoughtful birding experiences and lasting connections to birds and places.
Montezuma Quail © Liam Wolff
Arizona Birding Guides began in 2018 as a small operation in Arizona with a simple vision: connect people to birds through high-quality, personalized guiding experiences. From the beginning, the focus was on local knowledge, careful planning, and creating meaningful time in the field rather than offering standardized or packaged outings. What started as a one-guide operation quickly revealed a broader need. Birders were seeking knowledgeable local experts they could trust, along with a professional structure that made planning and logistics straightforward. That early foundation shaped the values Arizona Birding Guides continues to operate by today.
As demand grew beyond what a single guide could support, Arizona Birding Guides began inviting skilled local birders from across the state to join the team. Many brought backgrounds in science, conservation, education, and long-term field experience. This model proved both scalable and sustainable, allowing guides to share their regional expertise while maintaining the enthusiasm and care that come from doing work they genuinely enjoy.
In 2023, the model developed through Arizona Birding Guides expanded beyond the state with the establishment of American Birding Guides as a national organization. Today, Arizona Birding Guides is part of that nationwide network while remaining focused on connecting birders with experienced local guides throughout Arizona. Despite this growth, the same principles remain at the core: local expertise, personal connection, thoughtful planning, and a shared passion for birds.
Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher © Felipe Guerrero
Northern Pygmy-Owl © Felipe Guerrero
American Birding Guides began in 2018 as a small operation in Arizona with a simple vision: connect people to birds through high-quality, personalized experiences.
As interest grew beyond what one guide could meet, ABG started inviting skilled local birders to join the team—many with backgrounds in science, conservation, and education. This model quickly proved both scalable and sustainable, allowing guides to share their knowledge while maintaining the enthusiasm that comes from work they truly love.
In 2023, ABG expanded into Texas and formally established American Birding Guides as a national organization. Today, nearly 100 guides represent ABG across more than 30 states, making it the largest professional bird-guiding network in the country—still rooted in the same foundation of local expertise, personal connection, and a shared passion for birds.
ABG has grown from a small Arizona operation to the nation’s largest bird guiding network.
Felipe Guerrero discovered birding nearly two decades ago while studying natural history and ecology in Prescott, Arizona. What began as a fascination with birds quickly became a lifelong pursuit, centered on field observation, research, and sharing the experience of birding with others.
Before founding Arizona Birding Guides in 2018, Felipe spent more than a decade conducting avian research, completing graduate studies, and working in environmental education while traveling extensively throughout the Americas. These experiences shaped both his scientific perspective and his belief that the best birding experiences are locally led, thoughtfully planned, and grounded in real field knowledge.
Today, Felipe continues to guide while leading the broader American Birding Guides network. He is a member of the Arizona Bird Committee, has served as an eBird reviewer, and has served on the boards of Arizona Field Ornithologists and Prescott Audubon Society. He lives in Prescott, Arizona, with his wife and two children, and remains dedicated to fostering a community of passionate birders and guides built on trust, expertise, and shared enthusiasm for birds.
ABG has spent nearly two decades exploring birdlife, conducting research, & connecting people to birds through a vision of a nationwide community of local guides.
Work with experienced local birding guides across Arizona who bring regional knowledge, careful planning, and a genuine passion for birds to every outing. Whether you’re visiting a well-known birding destination or exploring closer to home, we’ll help connect you with the right guide and plan an experience that fits your goals.
