ABOUT US

Bushtit © Liam Hutcheson

Professional Birding Guides

Oregon Birding Guides is about following passions – passion for being in nature, for exploring beautiful places and amazing birds, for getting the best possible photo, and for having new experiences that create lasting memories. We are honored to be able to share our passion for Oregon birds with you!

Liam Hutcheson – Guide

Liam was born in Olympia, Washington, where he began noticing birds at a young age. Before long, birding became an obsession as he and his mom traveled throughout the state, exploring its rich natural beauty and birdlife. Around age 14, Liam got hooked on state listing in Washington, and in 2023, he broke the state big year record with 378 species — and it’s been downhill ever since!...(expand for more)

Liam especially enjoys pelagic birding, seawatching, and maintaining county and patch lists. He has extensive experience with the bird diversity of the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Washington and Oregon. His deep knowledge of Oregon’s habitats and their relationship to bird distribution makes tracking down challenging species in unfamiliar areas much easier.

Liam has organized a Christmas Bird Count (CBC) in the Chehalis Valley of Grays Harbor County for several years and has participated in many others. He has also contributed birding photos and written articles for a local news organization.

Raphael Fennimore – Guide

Raphael lives in Washington and brings a background in marine science to his passion for birding in the Pacific Northwest. He visits Portland often and thoroughly enjoys birding throughout Oregon—from its beautiful coast, through the Willamette Valley and the Cascades, to Eastern Oregon... (expand for more)

Raphael’s early career focused on whale, dolphin, and porpoise research and conservation, taking him to six continents. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a Master of Science in Marine Science Technologies, during which he developed a fixed-wing drone for infrared (thermal imaging) whale surveys. Participation in pelagic open-ocean wildlife surveys sparked Raphael’s greater interest in birding, both as a hobby and a sport. He enjoys wildlife photography and, in 2019, became a certified Antarctic field guide to help lead an Antarctic Peninsula whale and penguin expedition for a wildlife safari company.

Since moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2020, Raphael has deeply immersed himself in birding the region and has become an active leader in the local birding community. In 2021, he completed a King County, WA “big year,” recording 278 species—the highest big year total ever recorded in any Washington county. He manages the Seattle and King County Rare Bird Alert (RBA) as well as a regional birding chat group on WhatsApp.

Raphael works for several Northwest companies as a Protected Species Observer, monitoring endangered and protected species in the Pacific Northwest. He also currently serves on the Board of the Washington Ornithological Society. He has led survey teams for breeding Marbled Murrelets in old-growth forests of the Cascade Mountains. Raphael often spends his free time hiking, hawk watching, or seawatching, which is what he enjoys most.

Elliott Ress – Guide

Elliott’s passion for birds took flight in 2021 after an endearing encounter with White-winged Crossbills right outside his home in northwest Montana. Since then, he has fully immersed himself in ornithology, turning a moment of curiosity into a lifelong pursuit... (expand for more)

He graduated with Distinction in Research from Cornell University, where he studied the flight calls of Magnolia Warblers. Now pursuing a graduate degree at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Elliott continues to deepen his scientific understanding while exploring the rich birdlife of the Pacific Northwest.

Elliott has spent multiple seasons conducting fieldwork across North America, from the windswept tundras of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to the coastal forests of Nova Scotia. He also spent a year guiding in and around Glacier National Park, where he helped others discover the hidden beauty of Montana’s diverse habitats. During that time, he served as a lead counter at the Jewel Basin Hawkwatch and was a contributing editor for Merlin Sound ID.

His experiences across the U.S. and abroad have given him a deep appreciation for the diversity and complexity of bird life and their ecosystems. Elliott loves anything related to birds but is especially fascinated by hybrids, bird migration, bird photography, and, on occasion, sorting through gulls at the local compost pile.

Currently completing his master’s at Oregon State, Elliott continues to explore the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. His love and passion for birds shine through in every outing—birding with him is not only a chance to discover Oregon’s specialty species but also a way to share a deep appreciation for the beauty, mystery, and joy of the natural world.

Felipe Guerrero – Owner & Guide

Felipe started his birding career 17 years ago as a college student studying natural history and ecology in Prescott, Arizona. The more he learned about birds the more he discovered about himself and his passion for exploring the natural world around us and sharing the experience with others...

After several years of avian field surveys, graduate school, adventures in non-profit environmental education, and countless birding trips across the US and to destinations such as Chile, northern Mexico, and Dominican Republic, he started what would become American Birding Guides in 2018.

Louisiana and its spectacular birdlife hold a special place in Felipe’s heart as he lived for a time in Plaquemines Parish while surveying birds on the Mississippi River Delta following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. He rejoices at the idea of returning to this magical area and continuing to celebrate its rich natural and cultural heritage for many years to come.

Felipe is the owner and lead guide of American Birding Guides and Louisiana Birding Guides. He is currently a member of the Arizona Bird Committee, and a former 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.