Barry Walker was born near Manchester, England and started bird watching at the age of 13. After birding extensively in Europe and the Middle East, Barry switched his attention to the neo-tropics and has extensive birding experience in Chile, Guyana, and Suriname, Ecuador, and particularly Peru, Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia. He has participated in many ornithological expeditions and contributed to many scientific and general publications concerning birds in Peru. Living in Cusco, Peru for 30 years, Barry has visited every corner of the country as a trekking guide, natural History guide and specifically as a bird tour leader, and he is the author of the well received books A Field Guide to the Birds of Machu Picchu and the Cuzco area, Peru and Peruvian Wildlife: A Visitor's Guide to the High Andes. He has been leading bird tours for private groups and well known bird tour companies for the last 25 years. Having seen 1700 plus species in Peru alone he is well known for his field craft when leading tours. He is married with a 14 year daughter and with his wife Rosario, is owner of Manu Expeditions a pioneer eco-tour operator in Manu specializing in natural history, horse riding and cultural trips, as well as bird watching tours. Barry has also participated in many archaeological expeditions, discovered unknown Inca archaeological sites and has a keen interest in the Inca period and the Conquest of Peru. Barry also occupies the post of British Consul in Cusco, and received an M.B.E in the Queens New Years Honors list 2004.

Silverio was born in the Rainforests of Peru and comes from the Ese-Eja indigenous community on the Tambopata River where he is an important community leader. He has worked for many years as a rainforest natural history guide in the Tambopata-Candamo National Park and has specialized in leading bird tours for the last ten years learning from some of the most renowned ornithologists that have visited the area. He has the eyes and ears of a true native of the rainforests and is incredibly adept at spotting quietly sitting birds and his knowledge of birdsong is unsurpassed. He has broadened his horizons and is now one of our top bird tour leaders in Manu and Machu Picchu and North Peru. He is renowned for his field craft and knowledge of all aspects of rainforest ecology and is a great all rounder and very good at getting all onto the bird.

Fabrice Schmitt was born in the east of France, where he began to bird at the age of 12. After birding intensively and extensively in Europe, North Africa and Middle East, he fell in love with the Neotropical birds during his first trip in Peru in 1995. He then spent most of his free time in South and Central America, mostly looking for birds, but also wildlife in general. In 2002/2003, Fabrice (a teacher for 8 years), took a sabbatical year, to visit main birding destinations and look for and study the most localized species of south Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and south of Brazil. Fabrice participated in field expeditions in the Peruvian Andes, gaining knowledge about endangered, rare and even un-described bird species. Since 2005 Fabrice has been living in Santiago de Chile where he is involved with the ROC non-governmental ornithologist organization. He is editor of the electronic birding magazine La Chiricoca. He has been leading birding trips in Peru, Bolivia Argentina and Chile since 2005. Fabrice is fluent in English, Spanish and French.

Doris Valencia grew up in Cusco, Peru, and she has a degree in tourism administration. She has spent most of her youth between the rainforest and Cusco, has worked as a park ranger in the Manu National Park in 1998, where she deepened her passion for birds and nature. Since then she is been working as a naturalist tour guide in several natural areas of Peru. Doris has dedicated the last 10 years of her life to bird watching and bird tour leading, which is what she enjoys the most. She is also a very avid lecturer, and has a special dedication to the study of the rich cultural and archaeological content of her country. Doris is an excellent birder and leads birding groups throughout Peru including Paracas National Marine Reserve, Bajuaha-Sonene National Park, Tambopata-Candamo National Reserve, Pampas del Heath, Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary, and Manu Biosphere Reserve. Doris is also an avid student of Peruvian history and of the history of Machu Picchu. Her lectures on the history of Machu Picchu are superlative. Doris has had the opportunity to show her skills and has worked and led tours for many international bird tour companies, The Audubon Society and American Birding Association, has worked as a general natural history guide and birding guide for the Explorer Cruise Ship doing Amazon River cruises between Manaus and Iquitos. She loves to share with our traveler’s intimate knowledge of regional customs, history, folklore, music and food. Her attention to detail, humor, and knowledge of the local areas we visit is outstanding but it is her skills as a bird tour leader that stands out and makes her a great addition to the Manu birding team.