David was already fascinated by birds as a 10-year-old. He shared that passion with his father Wilfried, with whom he went out every week. His enthusiasm and perseverance had no limits: he went out to see rare birds at an early age, and only at the age of 14 he ticked a harlequin duck in IJmuiden (NL).
After Belgium and the Netherlands, his passion for birds brought him from when he was 17 to Spain and Hungary already. David was one of the last birders in Morocco to see the – by that time – already extremely threatened slender-billed curlew, before it went extinct, an adventure that he still cherishes upon this day.
The rest of the world followed quickly. Canada and North America were the first distant destinations, followed by India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Nepal in the early 1990s. Later several Asian and African countries followed and since 1998 the focus is mainly on Central and South America. Here he feels more than just at home, after no less than 30 bird trips. Also West Papua, Australia and the sixth continent, Antarctica, he checked off his list. It’s pretty obvious: David is an all-rounder.
And all those trips he made definitely left their marks… David now belongs to a select club of birders who have observed over 7000 bird species in the world. David’s favorite? Antpittas and relatives: he once hopes to see all species within this family. With 57 of the 65 species on his list already, he definitely is well on his way.
But it does not stop with birds: David also has a weakness for felines. Tiger, black asian panther, Pallas’ cat, clouded leopard, African golden cat, ocelot, margay, pampa cat, serval and jaguar are just a few of his richly coloured species list.
His enormous experience, species knowledge and social character make him a perfect guide for our trips. Whoever, after a long intensive day of birding, is not yet fulfilled, will definitely get along with David. With his enormous passion for owls, no night trip is too much for him! In short: a guide that’s driven and goes far for the best observations.
We lanceren de komende tijd een exclusieve reis naar Congo. Wil je als eerste op de hoogte gebracht worden & kans maken om 1 van de 26 deelnemers te zijn?