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Stephen Menzie

Born and raised in Liverpool, UK, Stephen emigrated to Sweden in 2020 and now lives in the southern city of Malmö. He is editor of British Birds, a prestigious ornithological journal whose history goes back to 1907, and is manager of Falsterbo Bird Observatory. Although most days are now spent at his desk, Stephen is blessed with some fantastic birding opportunities locally – not least the spectacular migration that occurs in the region each fall – and is actively involved in the banding at Falsterbo as often as he’s able to be.

Before coming to Sweden, Stephen worked first with app development in London, including developing the Collins Bird Guide app, before moving to the south coast of England where he spent two years working for The Sound Approach. Stephen is currently a member of the British Birds Rarities Committee and he has a particular interest in identification, molt and taxonomy. He has birded extensively across Europe and the wider Western Palearctic.

Upcoming Tours with Stephen

Testimonials for Stephen

Stephen did an outstanding job. His knowledge of each species, their habits, and their preferred habitat, led to a resoundingly successful tour. Steven's audio birding skills were particularly noteworthy. On numerous occasions, he heard desired species while driving the van and was able to get us on them. He worked hard to enable us to see a significantly higher number of species than on previous tours, at times in adverse weather. Additionally, he nearly seamlessly resolved some unanticipated logistics problems, allowing the tour to continue without disruption. I would definitely participate on any tour led by Stephen.

- Rick S. on Poland in Spring

Stephen is an exceptional guide, particularly for someone relatively young. He combines superb birding skills (especially by ear) with an impressive ability to manage overall logistics, and problems as they come up.

- Malcolm B. on Morocco in Spring

Stephen is a pleasant, informative, knowledgeable guide who is a joy to travel with. He is very considerate of everyone and when an issue did arise, he made sure to take care of it quickly.

- Yvonne H. on Mongolia: Central

Stephen was a delight, he gave us the insider's view of bird banding and migration at Falsterbo. In addition, he provided a running commentary on an outsider's perspective on life in Sweden. We ate at fantastic restaurants, learned a lot about Viking history, stopped at a Viking museum and rune stone. 

- Dana L. on Sweden: Fall Migration at Falsterbo

Stephen was an exemplary leader. His birding skills, expertise and knowledge were astonishingly good. His previous trips had given him local knowledge which he used well. He enabled me to see all the birds I was hoping for and many others, and he was good at checking in with whether we had seen enough. His patience and good humour with the group never wavered. I enjoyed Stephen’s company throughout; his openness, friendliness and humour were great. 5 stars!!

- Tom H. on Poland in Spring