Nils is an ornithologist who contributes regularly to the venerable Dutch Birding magazine and other premier European birding journals. His books include Advanced Bird ID Guide: The Western Palearctic and of course, published this summer, the widely acclaimed ID Handbook European Birds, the landmark two-volume photo identification set of the birds of Europe in every identifiable plumage. A project that took over seven years to complete in which Nils described all the necessary ID features of all in the field recognizable plumages of 733 European bird species. When not birding on his beloved Wadden Island, Vlieland, Netherlands or working as a pulmonary function analyst in the hospital, Nils can be found riding his racing bike in between long hours working on the 3th volume of the ID Handbook. This time describing the rest of the species found in the Western Palearctic. Marc is a birder and bird photographer with a keen interest in photographing seabirds and seeing the more skulking birds of this planet. He is also the founder and director of AGAMI Photo Agency, a Dutch based stock agency specializing in birds and nature images. Marc also writes a blog series for Birdlife Netherlands about his travel experiences in his quest to see and photograph the birds in the world and is co-founder of the Texel Big Day, a 24 hour big day bird race by bike for conservation on Texel, Netherlands. Initiator of the ID Handbook of European Birds (authored by Nils van Duivendijk) and responsible for collating the 5,500 images in the book - mostly sourced from AGAMI photographers and many photographed specially for the project. Other recent book projects Marc was involved include Europe’s Birds (WildGuides), Birds of the Netherlands & Prachtvogels (Vogelinformatiecentrum Publishing) and co-author of the Pocket photo guide to the butterflies of the Benelux (KNNV Publishing). When not birding and creating publications and events Marc likes to walk the roads to Camino de Santiago – without his binoculars and camera! X: @MarcGuyt Instagram: marcguyt Learn about perhaps the best bird book of 2024

Jim Mastro holds a Bachelor of Science in zoology from San Diego State University and a Master of Arts in English from the University of New Hampshire. He has had several careers including seal trainer, field biologist, laboratory manager, college professor, professional diver and technical editor. He spent over six years in Antarctica, including two 14-month stints that involved wintering over. For five years, he supported all scientific diving in Antarctica for the U.S. Antarctic Program during which he made 250 dives under the ice. Currently, he is a full-time writer who has authored or co-authored nine book including Antarctica: A Year at the Bottom of the World; Under Antarctic Ice: The Photographs of Norbert Wu; the Jason Hunter science fiction/adventure trilogy; and, most recently, Journeys with Emperors: Tracking the World’s Most Extreme Penguin. His fourth novel, a comedic fantasy entitled The Leprechaun Effect, is represented by Lighthouse Literary. His most recent project, in progress, is a parallel worlds fantasy. Originally from San Diego, he now lives in New Hampshire with his wife, son, and a crazy little fuzz-muffin of a dog. Gerald Kooyman has many accolades. His main scientific goal has been to learn how marine animals work; that is internally to determine the internal workings of air breathing natural divers, especially seals and penguins. Plus, how these same animals work and make a living in the natural environment. In addition, his hope is that the empathy gained in knowing about them will further support to protecting them it their hazardous environment. Learning the ways of Emperor Penguins

Amar is both an expert on the gulls of North America and an evangelist for "Gull Recreation". He coordinates the Illinois Ornithological Society’s Annual Gull Frolic on Lake Michigan, hosts the popular website anythinglarus.com, and is often found speaking at birding events throughout North America. Much of his free time is dedicated to traveling the world to photograph and study gulls. Ayyash has published a number of papers and articles on gull identification, distribution, and molt. He is the author of the upcoming book, The Gull Guide. Amar lives in the Chicagoland region where he teaches mathematics. You will be mad about gulls after this ICW…!

Emily is an Outreach Coordinator for eBird and Merlin Bird ID at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. In her role, she helps connect people to nature, participatory science, community and conservation though digital outreach and in-person events. Growing up on the California Coast, she developed a love for the natural world at a young age and pursued an education to learn how to protect it. Her work, from large carnivore research to conservation tourism marketing, has allowed her to explore the critical interdependence between people and wildlife. After working as a naturalist on Little St. Simons Island and being captivated by the birds and landscapes of Coastal Georgia she began her role at the Cornell Lab. Driven by a passion for connecting people and nature, she is honored to celebrate birds, participatory science, and conservation with eBird and Merlin. Learn about the role of Merlin and eBird in today’s birding world

A dedicated naturalist from the age of six, Kenn Kaufman burst onto the birding scene as a teenager in the 1970s, hitch-hiking all over North America in pursuit of birds — an adventure later chronicled in his cult-classic book Kingbird Highway. After several years as a leader of birding tours worldwide, he transitioned to a career as a writer, editor, and illustrator. Most of his energy currently goes into book projects and painting bird portraits. His 14 books include his latest, The Birds That Audubon Missed, published in May 2024. Kenn is a field editor for the National Audubon Society, a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society, and the only person to have received the American Birding Association’s lifetime achievement award twice. A fresh look at the early days of American Ornithology