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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 really knows the birds, their behavior, their habitat and where to find them. He is outstanding, and patient, making sure everyone gets to have a good look at each and every bird. Jake knows birds through long personal experience, and helps us begin to do the same. Jake also knows a lot about the unique geology of the places we traveled, and helped us to appreciate it.

- Maureen L. on Arizona and Utah

Jake was phenomenal! His ability to hear, see, locate, and identify all the birds we encountered was the best I have ever encountered in decades of birding (I now have a life list slightly over 3,000 birds). I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the great contributions by Mario! All in all, this was a truly great all-round trip, not just birding. Spectacular scenery, interesting culture.

- Robert H. on Argentina: The South

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

Jake is a real gem, an ideal leader - always knowledgeable, pleasant and personable.

- Judy G. on Arizona: A Winter Week in the Southeast

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