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Steve Rooke

Steve Rooke worked for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds as a reserve warden for 13 years before leaving to become a Sunbird staff leader. After leading a great number of tours to various parts of the world, he took over as the Managing Director of Sunbird. Although this meant spending more time in the office, he retained the leadership of his favourite tours to Central Asia, South Africa and Ethiopia. When Sunbird closed down in 2021 as a result of the pandemic, WINGS took over the running of all the Sunbird tours and Steve now leads tours for them, as well as acting as a WINGS liaison for anyone in the UK booking on a WINGS tour.

Upcoming Tours with Steve

Testimonials for Steve

Steve is a marvelous raconteur and an excellent birder. He is calm, jovial, even tempered, and is never rattled by any dodgy situation. Steve is an expert birder and was a significant asset to our trip.

- Gina S. on South Africa: The East

Steve has admirable knowledge of the birds, their vocalizations, locations visited and their cultural and historical background. He is calm under pressure and quick to adjust to unforeseen events without ever seeming stressed. He is fun to be around and his stories are fascinating.

- Petra W. on Central Asia: Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan

Steve Rooke is one of the finest tour leaders I have ever traveled with. He is extremely knowledgable about the birds and the country, very sensitive to the needs of members of the group, always approachable with problems and questions, and has a great sense of humor. I genuinely enjoyed doing the tour with him and would not hesitate to travel with him again.

- Alan B. on Ethiopia: The Roof of Africa