B๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐๐, ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ, ๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ซ and YouTuber
Leon Moore; an award winning, guide, conservationist, and expert birder and naturalist guide, stands out as a top eBirder and regional reviewer for eBird Guyana. With observations of over 700 of Guyana’s bird species, he holds the top eBirder ranking in the country.
Leonโs journey took a significant turn in 2008 when he redirected his career to join Baganara Island Resort as their Guest Service Officer and General Tour Guide. There, he developed his first bird list, aimed at attracting birders interested in the unique sightings the location offered. Over the years, he expanded his efforts, creating bird checklists for the ten administrative regions of Guyana and several tourist resorts and lodges.
A few highlights of Leonโs career include his involvement in the discovery of several new bird species in Guyana, such as the Black-legged Kittiwake 38 miles up the Essequibo River. He co-authored a scientific paper on shorebirds titled ‘A Preliminary Assessment of Shorebird Harvestย in Coastal Guyana'( read more here )and played a role in finding another new bird for Guyana, the Black-chested Tyrant in the Barima Mora Passage in Region 1.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions, the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) awarded Leon the Tour Guide of the Year in 2013. Known for his extensive local knowledge and his ability to identify birds by voice and field marks, Leon is highly regarded in the birding community.
To promote birding in key hotspots around Guyana, Leon volunteers as a regional reviewer for eBird Guyana. He passionately advocates for the work of naturalists and birders who contribute to developing checklists for Guyana and other locations worldwide. Leon encourages partners to utilize these resources in their planning and marketing of Guyana birding sites, emphasizing the importance of improving local bird guides’ knowledge to enhance visitor experiences.
This belief in education and improvement led to his position as Assistant Instructor for bird and tour guide training at the Iwokrama International Research Centre for Rain Forest Conservation and Development.
Currently, Leon runs Leon Moore Nature Experience, a tour company specializing in birding, wildlife, and photography tours in Guyana, Suriname, and soon, French Guiana. He also leads tours for international companies like Birding the Islands, based in the United Kingdom. When not leading tours, Leon conducts biodiversity surveys, environmental impact assessments, and monitoring for local and international organizations such as Guyana Goldfields, U.S. Shorebird Services, Birdlife International, and Environmental Resource Management (ERM)
