Paul Prior

Paul cannot recall a time when he was not birding, and his passion has always been for migrant songbirds. Through the 70s and 80s in Britain he concentrated on those birds that were heading to and from sub-Saharan Africa; but since 1991 he has spent literally thousands of hours in the field in southern Ontario watching and studying those that make the parallel journey to and from South and Central America. Throughout the 90s Paul ran the field aspect of the Migration Monitoring Project at Long Point Bird Observatory, training hundreds of volunteers and amassing an unlikely list of species for the Long Point area!

Paul’s passion for birds has taken him to passerine monitoring / banding stations in Israel, Costa Rica, northern Ontario and northern British Columbia. In the late 90s his attentions were steered more to work with Ontario’s endangered breeding species, specifically with Bald Eagles, Loggerhead Shrikes and Prothonotary Warblers. However, he still found time to indulge in grass-roots migration monitoring with the Toronto Bird Observatory, where as a certified banding trainer with the North American Banding Council he continued to pass on his experience from 15 years of banding on 3 continents.

Having spent so much time in the field studying birds it was inevitable that other things would likewise catch Paul’s eye. Part of the daily routine at Long Point in the fall was the Monarch butterfly census, and earlier in the season time was spent marking turtles for a long-term study in turtle movements and longevity. Paul has lead day-trips to local marshes in search of turtles, and over the course of his ten years with Long Point Bird Observatory shared his knowledge and enthusiasm for birds and nature in general with thousands of visitors. For the past decade Paul has worked as a fauna biologist with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, conducting breeding bird, frog and salamander inventories, point counts and surveys throughout the spring and summer months.

Paul has led our Guyana, Costa Rica, Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic & Puerto Rico, and Newfoundland tours among others.

Testimonials:

"Paul's birding skills along with his positive jovial attitude are a treat to behold." - 2017 Central Mexico tour participant

"Paul is a great spotter. He has a great sense of humor and makes for a fun travel companion." - 2017 Central Mexico tour participant

"Paul was very personable and we enjoyed birding with him.  Paul was great allowing siesta time but made himself available if you wanted to go out." - Guyana 2016 participant

"Excellent. Paul is an excellent birder. His enthusiasm and passion for birding is very evident! He made sure to have many birds seen by all of us as possible." Anon 2014

"Excellent." J.L. 2014

"Excellent." Anon 2014

"Excellent. They (with Jody Allair) 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 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." B.V. 2013

"Excellent." B.K. 2013

"Excellent." H.M. 2013

"Excellent. These fellows (Paul and Jody) 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 made every day a birding party. A lot of laughter, so important! They are both "people" persons, and were attentive to everyone's needs. I was pleased to be part of Paul's last formal trip as leader here. His relationship with the local guides and knowledge of the ins and outs of the islands was invaluable." L.C. 2013

"These (with Jody Allair) 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 Jody Allair) were very knowledgeable. They were familiar with the 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

"Paul is exceptional! He was most energetic and enthusiastic. He made sure that everyone in the group saw all birds. He assisted those with weaker abilities. He was able to find target birds, and was patient and persistent with the search." B.S. 2013

“Paul is a great birder – expert in birds, good people skills. Very good when changes needed to be made, right combination of flexibility and firmness.” J.K. 2012

“Paul was a great tour leader. I appreciated his willingness to let me leave the group and explore the wonderful trails on my own.” B.l.G. 2012

“Good bird knowledge.  Very personable with all clients. Knows lots of bird calls and imitates as well.” Anon

“Paul handled every aspect with humor and aplomb, not just with with his professional capacities – can’t praise him highly enough.” M.K. 2012

“Paul was a great leader allowing members flexibility while ensuring a maximum number of bird species were seen. He met the expectations of both the serious and casual birder. He is to be congratulated on a smooth tour in spite of limited Spanish. His friendly nature ensured the driver gave more than would normally be expected.” D.&G.C. 2012

“Appreciated Paul’s interest in amphibitans/reptiles – added a different dimension to the trip. Both guides (with Richard) were very patient and helpful.” Anon 2011

“Friendly, easy manner, very concerned for all regarding safety, viewing birds/animals, full of information on most aspects of flora fauna.” B.M. 2011

“I appreciated Paul’s knowledge in butterflies, frogs, fish – in other words, more than just birds.” C.M. 2011

“Paul is a star birder for Trinidad. He was a very good go-between with many local people.” S.W. 2010

“I enjoyed his enthusiasm for the birds and his good-tempered chatty ways in both English and bird calls, as well as his knowledge – and not only of birds.” T.O. 2010

“Paul was excellent – hugely knowledgeable entertaining and made sure everything ran as it should have done. Despite 6am-7pm outings, he still had more “outings” up his sleeve. Indefactable! He even found me a common pootoo!” J.&A.M. 2010

“I have been on many birding trips and Paul ranks up there with the best. He really knows his birds – esp songs, etc. Easy guy to bird with.” B.T. 2010

“Very knowledgeable and dedicated!” anon 2010

“Two superb birders. They both (Paul & Hector) did a great job of helping people see the birds they wanted to see – and in making people understand how the birds could be identified again in future. Very patient and very attentive to people who were having health issues. They really understood and paid attention to all aspects of their roles. A pleasure to meet and spend time with both of them.” M.S. 2010

“Great guides! Hector excelled at finding and identifying the birds. Paul was our shepherd of the flock and did a great job of caring for us. It was a great combo!” anon 2010

“Everyone was very good at getting everyone in the group on the birds. I didn’t miss any bird that I really wanted to see.” H.H. 2009

“Paul is great – he is patient, so knowledgeable and tries everything to get me to see the birds – I am a challenge.” Anon 2009

“Just a really fine person – he had several personalities to deal with and did an amazing job. He even remembers who has not seen a particular bird. His knowledge of the birds is encyclopedic – and he shares that information very well. Because he recognizes calls, we saw lots of birds we otherwise would have missed. Usually his persistence paid off. “ J.W. 2009

“Very enthusiastic, competent.” B.D. 2009

“Knows his birds, is people oriented.” Anon 2009

“Paul was excellent in every way. Birding, dealing with the group, helping find birds.” Anon 2009

“A great ability to identify birds by sound – particularly important for me who am becoming rather deaf. He is very helpful to the older and less experienced tourists.” M.N. 2009

“They (Richard & Paul) made a good team, complimenting each other’s strengths – able to be both friendly and firm, as well as help each other.” D.F. 2009

“Richard probably knows every Costa Rican bird personally – very impressive. None of us had a clue this was Paul’s first time guiding in CR – also very impressive.” M.W. 2009

“Paul was a wonderful guide and never seemed to tire of looking for more birds. He was always ready to take another hike before dinner, after dinner, or before breakfast. Reading through his trip summary was a pleasure, filled with details that brought back memories.” N.S. 2009