Contact Us

Bird Las Vegas

 

Beginning tours in September 2021.

If you are interested in a tour, please send us an email or give a phone call, as our availability will open up as we get our vaccinations.

birdlasvegas@gmail.com

(305) 484-6227 – Alex’s personal cellphone

-Alex, Ben, Brandon and Justin

Guided Birding Services in Sin City

The guides at Bird Las Vegas can tailor your tour to see the most species possible, or we can help you find that one lifer you keep missing. Whether you’re new to the desert or a Las Vegas tourist looking for something different, Bird Las Vegas has a trip that’s right for you. Birding around southern Nevada doesn’t mean just cactus and dust (though there are plenty of both). There are a variety of habitats available, from the chilly alpine air of Mt. Charleston to the sun-drenched valleys below. We could be searching for anything from Williamson’s Sapsuckers to LeConte’s Thrashers. Some of the areas most likely to produce both in individual numbers and in species richness include Las Vegas urban parks like Floyd Lamb and Sunset Park, the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, and the Clark County Wetlands Park. If there’s a location you’ve been hoping to check out, chances are Bird Las Vegas knows about it and can take you there. Head over to our tour options below or contact us to hear more about our operations and how we intend to deliver.

Some of the Birds and Wildlife You May See

Our Reviews

  • Image of Alaska trip with Doug Chang

    Over the past few years, the principals of Bird Las Vegas (Justin Streit, Ben Zyla, Brandon Miller, and Alex Harper) have guided multiple birding field trips and workshops for the Red Rock Audubon Society. They have expert knowledge of birds and the local birding locations. Most importantly they’ll provide personal attention in solving your bird watching needs efficiently.

    They are a valuable part of our southern Nevada birding community and members of Audubon.

    ~ Doug Chang - President Red Rock Audubon Society, Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Image of photographer taking a picture

    I still daydream about my trip.

    ~ Frank Garacci - New Iberia, Louisiana
  • Image od a Cactus Wren

    I had a great afternoon birding with Alex. We saw all my target species and a few unexpected ones as well. Organizing the trip was painless, and all logistics were well taken care of. Alex was very knowledgeable about the area and not just the birds. In the time we were out, we covered low desert all the way up to mountain pine forest and saw a good variety of species. Scopes and binoculars were available, which was a great help. Alex was very patient with me while I tried for photographs of the species I wanted and was very flexible on the amount of time at each stop. I’ve hired guides all over the world to bird, and this was up there as one of my best experiences. Including a shot of a Cactus Wren, one of my target birds we got right away.

    ~ Jason Dain - Halifax, Nova Scotia

  • Thanks to Justin Streit of Bird Las Vegas! He took me on a full day guided tour of the area, and it was mind blowing. As a guide, he really knows his stuff. I saw 25 or so new life birds, learned a whole plethora of new places and trails and mountains and canyons, and have a new appreciation for a place I already had a great affection for.

    If you are ever in Las Vegas and want to see a different side of it, I highly recommend their services. Justin was affordable, and they will pick you up from wherever you are staying.

    Bird Las Vegas will have a specific operation laid out to help you see your target species. True pros. Some of our highlight birds were Lewis’s Woodpecker, Male Vermilion Flycatcher, Steller’s Jays, Black-throated Sparrows, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays, Cactus Wren, several different hummingbirds and a Sage Thrasher. Bird Las Vegas!

    ~ Joshua Ketry - Buffalo, NY

  • By chance, we met Alex Harper at Corn Creek. He immediately began to point out birds visiting the feeder. We were attempting to find 100 species in each of the Lower 48 states and had found 50 species in Nevada. We asked if he would us find the other 50 we needed. He agreed and we had a delightful day and a half with him. Alex knew all the places to go and what species to find in each location. He guided us from Mount Charleston to Lake Mead. He is extremely knowledgeable, patient, and was able to get us on the target birds. Our final tally was 115 species, including a Brant (7th state record).

    ~ Priscilla and Paul Thut - Baltimore, Maryland

  • Ben and Brandon took my husband and me out for a full day tour and it was such a blast! They were knowledgeable, helpful, & tried extremely hard to get all of the birds on our list (which were a lot!!). I added 36 new birds to my life-list today and did not want to stop! If you love birding and you enjoy laughing a lot, I highly recommend these guides!

    ~ Katie Bell - Louisville, Kentucky

  • I wanted to thank you for referring my request to Ben Zyla as a guide.  He not only found me a lifer but also a ‘photo lifer’ as well as many other good birds to see and photograph.  He is not only as great guide but a nice guy to boot.

    ~ Kevin Smith - East Cascade Audubon Society

  • My family wanted to take a trip to Las Vegas for the holidays this year; initially I was a bit dismayed about the idea because I’m more of a National Park traveler type of person. So I started researching outdoor options in the area, and was pleasantly surprised to find Bird Las Vegas!

    I booked an all-day guided birding trip and could not have been more pleased. Justin was an excellent guide, very patient when I wanted to take photos, and I saw many “lifer” birds that day, including both male and female Phainopepla, what beauties! Justin was also very flexible–when we heard weather reports for high winds on our planned date, we were able to move the excursion to a different day. Excellent experience, highly recommended! Thanks so much, Justin!

    ~ Kisa Weeman - Akron, Ohio

  • Not only is Justin Streit a genuine person, his knowledge and love of nature is admirable!

    One of my goals was to get better views of the Greater Roadrunner which I did…thanks again!

    ~ Teresa Boyle-Middleton - Lindsay, Ontario

About Our Guides

Alex Harper

Avian field work brought Alex from South Florida to Las Vegas in 2015, and he has been finding rarities in the desert ever since. He first began guiding as a volunteer trip leader for the Audubon chapter in Miami as a teenager and took visiting birders around the city for specialties while in high school. His college education is in Environmental Science and he has done subsequent avian field work in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, California, the Florida Keys and Nevada. Alex is the flightiest of our team, as he heads up to Alaska every summer to guide, returning to Vegas for the fall, winter and spring. Alex is a registered Emergency Medical Technician and Wilderness First Responder. He began serving on the state records committee beginning in 2019.

Brandon Miller

Originally from West Virginia, his interest in birds started casually in college but then later turned into an obsession. After changing his major to Wildlife Management he spent his summers doing field research with Cerulean Warblers until graduation. With his passion for birds leading him, he began his slow move westward taking field jobs in; Pennsylvania, Florida, Missouri, Texas, California and finally Nevada. With his 10 years of experience as a bird bander, field biologist and a passion for avian photography he is a valued asset to the Bird Las Vegas team. 

Justin Streit

Birding recreationally in Southern Nevada for 16 years, Justin loves and lives Mojave Desert birding. And with Justin’s almost 14 of years’ experience working as a professional avian ecologist, he knows southern Nevada birds. He has conducted bird surveys in Arizona, California, Iowa, Nevada, Montana, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Justin has been a member of the Nevada Birds Records Committee since 2015, and as a member of the committee, he has only increased his knowledge of the distribution and timing of some of Nevada’s more rare species. Justin regularly leads tours for the Red Rock Audubon Society, and now he’s excited to share his knowledge of birds and passion for teaching with others.

Ben Zyla

Originally hailing from Buffalo, New York and going to school at Humboldt State in California, Ben has a decade’s worth of avian field work and recreational birding under his belt on both coasts. He brings his experienced warbler identification and in depth knowledge of Southern Texas, Arizona, and California specialties to the team. After moving to the Vegas region in 2014, he quickly became recognized as a top local birder. He is a voting member of the Nevada Bird Records Committee and active with the Red Rock Audubon Society.  Ben will provide both detail and discussion on the denizens of the Mojave Desert, all while probably getting a few laughs out of you!