Proudly Filipino

Our proudly Filipino team of guides is a testament to showcasing our local talents and skills to the world. Our Bird Finder guides all have an extensive background in bird photography, bird watching, biology, and conservation research across multiple regions of the Philippines, and many of them have garnered awards for several bird photography contests and bird races at the local and international levels.

We share our passion for birding and Philippine wildlife with our international guests by showcasing our extensive knowledge of local bird species, their behavior, their habitats, and even their cultural significance across our indigenous groups. They help guests recognize and understand each bird species’ characteristics and ecological significance.

Meet the Team behind Bird Finder Philippines

A man in outdoor clothing and a cap holding a professional camera with a long lens in a dense forest setting.
A smiling man outdoors with a camera and telephoto lens, surrounded by green foliage.
A man sits on a concrete and metal grate in a lush rainforest, smiling and holding his head with one hand, wearing outdoor gear and a backpack.
A man wearing a camouflage jacket and a black cap sits on rocks in a lush green outdoor setting, holding a nature-themed camouflage container, with trees and cloudy sky in the background.

  • Lead Bird Finder Tour Guide

    Djop was fascinated with wildlife at an early age. He joined his parents, who are both biologists, during their fieldwork. This led to a 20 year career as a wildlife biologist in the country working for Haribon Foundation, Birdlife Philippines, and Mindoro Biodiversity Conservation Foundation. His photos have been featured in numerous scientific and social media publications. Djop is a founding member of the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines, and he is currently the Treasurer for 2023-2026. Djop won the 2023, 2024, and 2025 Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race and was awarded Birdman of the Year in 2023.

    • Overall Champion - 8th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2025

    • Overall Champion - 7th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2024

    • Overall Champion - 6th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2023

    • Birdman of the Year - 6th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2023

    • Most Number of Bird Species recorded- Region 1 Birding Caravan 2025

    • 2nd Runner-up - 5th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2019

    • 4th Place - Vietnam Bird Race 2024

  • Lead Bird Finder Tour Guide

    Ben was born and raised in Bukidnon on the slopes of Mount Kitanglad. His closeness to nature led him to conserve hectares of his family’s land and turn it into the “Maputi Bird Preserve” and has since been engaging with projects in the Mt. Kitanglad Range ASEAN Heritage Park. He was blessed by the tribal elders of Bukidnon and given the title of Datu Taytayan, which means Tribal Chief Guide.

  • Lead Bird Finder Tour Guide

    Loel is a professional photographer who has won numerous photo contests and has conducted photography workshops throughout his career. He pursued travel and wildlife photography after retiring from Petron. Since then, he has founded the Petron Camera Club, and he became a member of FUNtastic Philippines and the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines, the latter of which he serves as a member of the 2023-2026 Board of Trustees.

    • 4th Place - Vietnam Bird Race 2024

    • 2nd Place - Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines Infanta-Real Bird Race 2022

    • Overall Champion - 3rd Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Race 2017

  • Lead Bird Finder Tour Guide

    Christian Benavidez is a professional photographer and videographer from the province of Rizal. He started covering events both photos, videos, and as drone operator for the Department of Education. His passion for birding began when he met members of the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines.

    • 1st Runner-Up - 8th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2025 with Team Birdwing x Haring Ibon

    • 1st Runner Up - 7th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2024 with Team Haring Ibon

    • Overall Champion - 6th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2023

    • Overall Champion - Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines Infanta-Real Bird Photography Race 2022

Person wearing red cap and glasses looking through binoculars in a green outdoor setting.
A man dressed in camouflage holding a camera with a long telephoto lens, looking upwards in a forested area.
A man dressed in camouflage clothing holding a Nikon camera on a tripod outdoors in the rain with a green and pink background.
A man holding binoculars outdoors in a green park or forest during daytime

  • Bird Finder Tour Guide

    Totic is a professional bird photographer and bird tour guide from the province of Palawan. He started his birding career as a researcher doing ECAN and Avian Surveys in various Palawan Biodiversity assessment teams. He has since been appointed as a Community Organizer at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) for Palawan and is an official member of the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines. Most recently, he has appeared in news with a first country record in 2025 with a Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo.

    • Overall Champion - 8th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2025

    • Overall Champion - 7th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2024

    • 2nd Runner Up - 1st Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2015 with ERC Hong Kong

  • Bird Finder Tour Guide

    Erickson is one of the Philippines’ most seasoned birders, with a photographic record of around 420 species across the archipelago. He worked at the University of the Philippines Los Baños at the School of Environmental Science and Management, writing papers on distribution modelling and wildlife ecology. He is an official member of the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines. Erickson has since participated in multiple birding events in the country, including winning prizes from the 2024 Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race.

    • 1st Runner-Up - 8th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2025 with Team Birdwing x Haring Ibon

    • 1st Runner Up - 7th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2024

    • Wins Paler Award for the Best Palawan Endemic Photo - 7th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2024

    • Overall Champion - 6th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2023

  • Bird Finder Tour Guide

    Jac Señagan is a Tourist Assistance Officer at the Provincial Tourism Office based in the Visayas. Jac is an official member of both the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines. He has since been established as one of the Philippines’ most decorated bird guides in the Visayas. Jac has been organizing tours across several realms of wildlife, most notably birds and marine life. He has been crucial in Visayas research work, such as in identifying the distribution of the Endangered Negros Striped Babbler.

  • Bird Finder Tour Guide

    A former hunter-turned-birder, Rico has developed a widespread reputation being one of the master bird guides of the Visayas region. He has been instrumental in forest conservation efforts on the island of Negros for multiple decades. Being trained in forest conservation by National Scientist Dr. Angel C. Alcala during his term as the DENR Secretary, Rico has since transformed one of the most severely hunted sites of the Visayas into a must-visit destination for its plethora of endemic Visayan fauna.

A middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap, black jacket, backpack, and binoculars around his neck, standing outdoors in a green field with a cloudy sky.
Chef du ciel with a camera around his neck, looking up through a telescope attached to a tripod in an outdoor setting.
A woman outdoors holding a camera and giving a thumbs-up, smiling at the camera, with a light sky background.
Two men outdoors, one wearing a cap and camo neck gaiter, holding a camera, and the other smiling, also holding a camera, with a background of green leaves.

  • Bird Finder Tour Guide

    The Birding scene in the Philippines would not be complete without the mention of Zardo Goring. Zardo has been instrumental in showcasing the wonders of Mindanao to birders across the world. He has been trained by the late Tim Fisher and Robert S. Kennedy, two names instrumental in developing our knowledge of Philippine birds today with the Kennedy Guide. His foundation of Philippine birding has contributed to his immense experience of over 30 years as a premier bird guide in the Philippines. Zardo has since participated in various research efforts documenting the wildlife of Mindanao, including Bird Finder Philippines’ rapid ecological assessment in VPO Ecoreserve, Agusan del Sur.

  • Bird Finder Tour Guide

    When it comes to bird photography races, Anthony Balbin has one of the most decorated international records out there. He started his photography journey as a wedding photographer and developed his love for bird photography when he joined the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines. He has since been one of the aces of the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines, participating in multiple galleries and exhibitions. He has an incredible Bird Race record, having been part of the team that won the first-ever PPUR International Bird Photography Race.

    • 1st Runner Up - 7th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2024

    • Overall Champion - 6th Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2023

    • Overall Winner - 1st Puerto Princesa Underground River International Bird Photography Race 2015 with Team Tarlac Ecotourism

  • Bird Finder Tour Guide

    Jocelyn is one of the most active members of the Wild Bird Photographers of the Philippines, specializing in some of Luzon’s most elusive endemic birds. She is also one of the founding members of the Baguio - Benguet Birders. She is an active researcher and consultant to various environmental agencies in the Cordilleras on cultural and environmental protection. She has her photographs displayed in photographic exhibitions with BenCab Museum’s Gallery Indigo.

    • 4th Most Number of Bird Species recorded- Region 1 Birding Caravan 2025

  • Bird Finder Tour Guide

    The Tibor brother tandem has been a driving force in the creation of Palawan’s sustainable birding developments. Randy and Mico, have pioneered the use of birding hides in the province to incredible success attracting bird photographers across the world. The Tibor brothers have specialized birding across the many terrains of Palawan, often being capable of finding the most elusive endemics of the island such as the famous Tres Amigos. Randy and Mico work closely with the Palawan government and Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff in preserving the forests of Palawan and in developing birding tours in the province.