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Rich Hoyer

Rich Hoyer began keying out wildflowers, raising butterflies and moths in his bedroom, netting tadpoles and dragonfly larvae, and catching snakes, lizards, moles, and voles with his younger brother and father before he finally discovered birding at the age of 14. After graduating with bachelors degrees in Zoology and German he began his dream guiding career in 1996 as a local guide on Saint Paul Island in Alaska’s Pribilofs. He has been a full-time leader for WINGS since September 1997.

His musical ear is always tuned into bird voices, and he has nearly instant recall of thousands of bird songs and call notes in his head, but his interests in other areas of natural history have only grown, and he continues to enjoy learning about various forms wildlife such as damselflies, keying out composites, and photographing beeflies, among many others. His other passions and hobbies include playing piano, singing, learning languages, cooking, baking bread, gardening, and knitting. He currently lives in his homestate of Oregon.

The diversity of Rich’s natural history interests is well represented in his blog, Birdernaturalist.

Upcoming Tours with Rich

Testimonials for Rich

I can't say enough good about Rich. His knowledge and enthusiasm know no bounds (not to mention his endless energy). Great guide and acquaintance!

- Diane T. on Jamaica

Rich is not only an excellent leader who does his best to get everyone on the birds and make sure that everyone’s personal needs are met, but he is without question the most knowledgable leader I have ever done a tour with. His knowledge of not only birds, but mammals, insects, flowers, reptiles, and just about every aspect of nature on the tour was awesome.

- Alan B. on Peru: Rainforest Lodges of the Madre de Dios

Rich and Jairo did an excellent job leading the trip. Their knowledge of the birds and other wildlife was top-notch. They both did a good job communicating plans to the group on a regular basis. Once we got the hang of how it all worked, it was pretty smooth to figure out what we had to do each day. I like the presentations at night and the level of detail shared. That reduced some anxiety and made the trip less stressful.

- Andy F. on The Galápagos Islands

Rich is an outstanding leader. Starting at the orientation meeting he clearly explained what was expected of us with respect to behavior on the trails, in the van, and he set up a WhatsApp group to facilitate communication with the group. He is extremely knowledgeable about the birds and their respective songs and calls. He is personable, outgoing, enthusiastic and patient. He works hard to ensure that everyone would see the birds that were being spotted. Our picnics, breakfasts and lunches both, were outstanding. Rich went out of his way to make them so. It is amply clear that he loves what he does. 

- Marisa W. on Oregon in Late Summer

Rich was excellent in the Galapagos. He knew all of the birds very well and was able to get everyone on them. Rich was also great at pointing out butterflies, plants, and other wildlife. He also worked hard to identify the fish we saw snorkeling, which was not always easy. Jairo was also a great local guide, who worked well with Rich to make this a tour that I will never forget.

- Michael P. on The Galápagos Islands
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