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Jake Mohlmann

Jake Mohlmann holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Parks and Recreation Management from The Pennsylvania State University, where he was instrumental in forming the university’s first official Student Bird Club.

Raised in rural northeast Pennsylvania, Jake is a lifelong birdwatcher and conservationist. He has worked for New York City’s Museum of Natural History and for Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Science, and made significant contributions to the field work for the most recent edition of the Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas. But a summer in Portal, Arizona, convinced Jake that the Southwest was where he needed to be.

After graduating in 2005, Jake, assured of an hourly job with the University of Arizona, packed up his car and hit the road for Tucson. Since then he has worked on projects involving Burrowing Owls at the Salton Sea and counted secretive marsh birds in the lower Colorado River basin. He also spent a summer leading tours on St. Paul Island, isolated in the middle of the Bering Sea, and has worked on the identification and monitoring of endangered species in South Texas.  He has recently spent much time in the Mojave Desert working with the highly endangered Mojave Desert Tortoise and Golden Eagle.

It was on St. Paul that Jake lived a birder’s dream, with the first Western Hemisphere record of Northern Boobook—subject of a subsequent cover photo and article in North American Birds in 2007.

Jake and his college friend John Yerger are the founders of Adventure Birding, for which Jake led tours to destinations from Alaska to southern Mexico while specializing in southeastern Arizona. His voluminous knowledge of ornithology and natural history is enhanced by attention to detail and meticulous planning, along with a genuine gift for sharing and interpreting observations afield.

Still taken with the American Southwest, Jake also enjoys traveling in, and leading tours around, South America.

Upcoming Tours with Jake

Testimonials for Jake

Jake has all the attributes of an excellent leader. His bird finding skills are exceptional. He remains on top of all his responsibilities (the smooth functioning of transportation, accommodations, meals and so on). He manages to, quite effortlessly, stay attuned to the highly differing personalities, needs and expectations of all the clients. He is tireless in his role, endlessly positive and has a wonderful sense of humour. I felt very privileged to have been part of his tour.

- Harry S. on Argentina: The South

Our tour was excellent. Jake was a wonderful guide, intrepid and dedicated to seeing the special birds of the Lower Rio Grande. He was also a great teacher, very patient with questions about the birds, and patient too in explaining the daily itinerary and why we were there. I was more than amazed at his knowledge of the birds and the area. His kindness, caring and good spirits kept me going even when the weather was not cooperating.

- Jeannette M. on Texas: The Rio Grande Valley in Winter

Jake was a great guide for my first birding experience. He knows how to find birds. He recognizes the bird calls and was uncannily accurate in identifying the birds we were seeing....He also researched the local bird sightings and had an identified agenda each morning which helped ensure we saw a wide variety of birds. As a beginner, he was patient with me when I had to ask novice questions or required a bit of extra assistance to either sight the bird or identify the bird I was viewing. 

- John K. on Arizona: A Winter Week in the Southeast

The Northern Argentina tour was excellent and Jake was exceptional, the best leader I have experienced on any tour. Not only a brilliant birder but a superb organizer, energetic, personable, humorous, sensitive to the needs of individuals. The local guides were also outstanding, particularly Mario in the Andean section of the tour. Lunches and evening meals were excellent. I am missing empanadas and steaks… 

- David N. on Argentina: The North

Jake is the most wonderful, terrific, and fantastic bird guide. As always, he made sure we were all comfortable, safe, and seeing the birds we wanted. Jake makes seeing birds fun.

- Peggy C. on Texas: The Rio Grande Valley in Winter