Alex Harper
Tour Leader
Alex Harper began his interests in birds and nature in South Florida, where his parents fostered his early interests in the parks of Miami, Everglades, and Florida Keys. As a teenager, he found mentors within Tropical Audubon Society, remained in Florida to receive a degree in Natural Sciences, and took advantage of the proximity to Central and South America to bird the Neotropics. Captivated by the invitation to explore the open spaces of the deserts and mountains of the west, he found himself in various point count positions before landing in Las Vegas as an avian biologist in the renewable energy industries. Summers off allowed him to spend five summers guiding in and exploring Alaska. Currently, Alex is contracted with the Red Rock Audubon Society to expand the reach and efficacy of their conservation and outreach efforts through community projects and mindfulness-based approaches to birding. Alex is a great birder, but considers himself moreso a student of the big picture of ecology.
Learn more about Alex through his appearances on Life List: A Birding Podcast:
June 6th, 2026: How we became bird guides - Alex Harper interviews George, Mollee, and Alvaro.
Instead of interviewing a guest, Alex Harper takes over hosting duties and puts the Life List Podcast hosts in the hot seats to chat about how they became professional birding guides.August 9th, 2025: Finding rare Alaskan birds and more wildlife encounters with Alex Harper and Phil Chaon.
George Armistead, Alex Harper & Phil Chaon discuss birding, vagrants, and close encounters in the 49th State.
WATCH Alex in The Great Depletion: 112 Mile Walk For Water
Alex Harper walks 112 miles from the mountains above Las Vegas, through the desert, to the Colorado River to see how the water crisis in the West is changing life for the birds, the animals, and the people who can't live without it.
Upcoming tours with Alex