Jody Allair

Jody Allair is an avid birder and naturalist who enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for the natural world. Jody has been birding and banding since his teens, when he began volunteering at Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO).

After university, Jody spent two years as LPBO’s Landbird Program Coordinator, and a season as the Migration Program Manager at Thunder Cape Bird Observatory. From 2004-06, he worked as a Science Educator for the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, and in his spare time ran birdwatching courses and field trips through Calgary’s Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.

Jody returned to Bird Studies Canada (BSC) in 2006 and is now the National Conservation Outreach Advisor and delivers various education and outreach programs to audiences across Canada. He has banded owls on CBC’s Rick Mercer Report, spoken about Gray Jays at Ideacity, is a regular contributor on the American Birding Association podcast and has written numerous articles on birds, birding and connecting with nature.

Over the years Jody has coordinated a variety of different bird research projects including the Southern Ontario Bald Eagle Monitoring Program, the Ontario Nocturnal Owl Survey and the Southern Ontario Forest Birds at Risk Program. Current projects include coordinating eBird Canada, and advising on BSC's Citizen Science programs.

In addition to his work at BSC, Jody has been a Birding Tour Leader with Eagle-Eye Tours since 2008. His tour destinations have included Belize and Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, Hawaii, Mexico, New Zealand, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland.

Testimonials:

"Jody did an excellent job of getting us to where we were supposed to be. We saw lots of the target birds on the trip and (he) was concerned that everyone saw each bird if possible." - 2016 Hawaii participant

"Very informative guide with an upbeat personality." - 2016 Hawaii participant

"Jody knew all the target birds well and where to find them.  He is very enthusiastic about the birds which inspired the group." - 2016 Hawaii participant

"Jody worked hard to find birds, good leadership skills, entertaining, knowledgeable, good driving skills, high energy." Hawaii 2015 participant

"Jody was an exceptional guide - his familiarity with the area, landscape, geology, palenontology, and birds and their habitat was remarkable. His boundless enthusiasm about birds that were encountered was a delight."  Alberta Birds & Dinosaurs tour 2015

"Excellent. What enthusiasm, wonderful. Jody made this tour very enjoyable. Had a great time because of him." Anon. 2014

"Excellent. Jody is a fun, patient, knowledgeable guide. I learned much more about the birds." Anon. 2014

"Excellent. Jody (and Jared Clarke) were great. Jody was the reason we took the tour." D.&G. M. 2014

"Excellent. They (with Paul Prior) made me feel very at ease and they went out of their way to make sure everyone in the group got a good view of the birds we were looking at!" Anon. 2013

"Excellent. Always in a good mood. Made sure we all saw the bird as best he could. Handled little personal problems of their guests with no sign of frustration. Excited about the things we were doing, so hard not to be upbeat, even though sleep was what you really wanted to do!" H.M. & S.M. 2013

"Excellent. These fellows (Jody & Paul) fit together like pie and ice cream. Their styles complimented each other, both are spectacularly skilled and knowledgeable about the bird species seen, as well as the reptiles and butterflies we encountered. They were enthusiastic about everything we saw, and make every day a birding party. A lot of laughter, so important! They are both "people" persons, and were attentive to everyone's needs." L.C. 2013

"Excellent tour leaders (Jody and Jared). Jody was quite amazing in his knowledge and enthusiasm for making the experience enjoyable for all no matter the skill level of the individual participant. He and Jared shared responsibilities in a gentle, caring manner. I would travel with both again. They were knowledgeable, good natured, efficient and passionate. Jody shared info on birds as we traveled. He knew about geology, plant life, sea life, and birds. He is impressive. Jody showed no ego to compete. He is very special in his sense of self and thoughtfulness of others." C.B. 2013

"Excellent. Jared (Clarke)'s quiet enthusiasm helped balance out Jody's exuberance! Both guides more than know their birds. Extremely well prepared. They were attentive to people's needs. I also liked the way Jody would give us a condensed "lesson" on where we were going and what we might see as well as how to ID certain birds. No easy task being responsible for a group of people and keeping all on an even keel!" P.H.M. 2013

"Excellent. First-rate birder! Also good at handling all the logistics of travel, meals, hikes, etc. Patient and good humored thoughout. Made sure we saw our target birds." R.H. 2013

"Excellent. Deep knowledge of birds and surrounding area. Good communication skills and well organized. Two very enthusiastic fellows with a wonderful sense of humor. They (Jody & Jared) work well together. Very professional." Anon 2013

"Excellent. These two (Jody & Jared) worked well together, nice complimentary styles. Love the passion these guides have for birds and nature. Very positive and always looking for ways to enrich the learning and experience." P.P. & C.C. 2013

"Excellent. Deep knowledge, not just of birds, and great enthusiasm. Good communication and organization." M.H. 2013

"Excellent. The guides were excellent and it is their personal contributions that made the tour exceed my expectations. They have excellent birding and people skills and the entire group much enjoyed their company and very responsible leadership." Anon 2013

"Excellent. Both extremely knowledgeable and nice people. Jody had clearly researched and prepared the tour very thoroughly. He was able to give us much of the conservation background. Jody had everything so completey under control." Anon 2013

"These (with Paul Prior) are two very enthusiastic fellows! Their enthusiasm was contagious - they loved the birds we saw passionately! All of their time was spent making sure all of us were happy and comfortable, making sure we saw everything. Their knowledge was amazing!" Anon 2013

"Both guides (with Paul Prior) were very knowledgeable. They were familiar with locations and comfortable with driving. They strived to make the tour fun and to take care of the many needs of the group. They are passionate birders and were able to convey their enthusiasm to the group. Both great guys!" Anon 2013

“His knowledge of birding and his communication skills are excellent.” Anon 2011