Sam Wilson grew up in New Jersey and had his spark moment as a young adult visiting Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. On his first visit he witnessed an epic migration of 10,000 Broad-winged Hawks as they took to the skies over the Appalachian ridges. He was hooked, and his fascination with bird migration has only grown.
Sam spent four years working in Cape May, New Jersey, for New Jersey Audubon developing bird migration programs for school groups and families and leading group trips for Cape May Bird Observatory and New Jersey Young Birders Club. He enjoyed a stint in the Hawaiian Islands doing breeding bird surveys in the remote Alakai Swamp for the Kauai Forest Birds Recovery project (though his gear didn’t recover!).
Eventually, wanderlust led him to Alaska, where he led backcountry trips focused on birds and wildlife in Denali National Park, as well as guided trips for birding festivals along the Kenai Peninsula and Copper River. He has since led group trips as a naturalist-guide in most regions of the country with a special focus on National Parks and Wilderness areas. Sam is an eBird reviewer in Alaska and contributor to both Cape May Magazine and ABA’s Birding magazine.
When not experimenting with flight photography, investigating nocturnal migration, or researching biodiversity hot spots, Sam enjoys backpacking, growing super-hot peppers, discovering new music, and creating experimental dishes (usually Asian cuisine). Sam and his wife, Margeaux, have spent months traveling around the world seeking out rare birds and wildlife. They currently reside in Anchorage, Alaska.
Client comment
"Sam is a great birder and is a wonderful addition to your organization. He offered an abundance of helpful ID information and helped make sure everyone got the additional help or attention they needed to see a bird. We all enjoyed him immensely, and he and John Coons made a great team!" A.R., TEXAS COAST MIGRATION SPECTACLE
"Sam is an expert guide and one of the best spotters we've ever experienced. He was great to get us on hard-to-see birds. He worked well with all the participants and was knowledgeable about the birds and plants." A.D., TEXAS COAST MIGRATION SPECTACLE
Sam's Upcoming Tours
Apr 26 - May 5, 2025 ($4550) with Doug Gochfeld & Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 14
A tour for numerous specialties from Central Florida south to the Keys and Dry Tortugas.
May 17-23, 2025 ($3025) with John Coons & Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 7
A tour for mountain and high-desert birds of the western US amidst stunning scenery with California Condors at the Grand Canyon, all guided by our own Flagstaff-based resident expert, John Coons.
Sep 7-16, 2025 ($5695) with Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 7
A September itinerary at a beautiful season in Maine for coastal migrants and pelagic birds, with a good chance for skuas.
Sep 20-26, 2025 ($3425) with Doug Gochfeld & Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 7
See bird migration in action at one of the country's top migration hotspots.
Sep 28 - Oct 4, 2025 ($3425) with Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 7
See bird migration in action at one of the country's top migration hotspots.
Oct 9-13, 2025 - Part Two ($3325) with Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 7
A fall adventure in two parts to the far north, Part I to St. Paul Island in the Pribilofs for migrants and vagrants, and Part II to Barrow for the legendary Ross's Gull, loons, eiders, and possibly even Polar Bear and Ivory Gull.
Nov 9-27, 2025 ($8725) with Dan Lane & Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 12
Beautiful landscapes as a backdrop for nearly 50 endemic birds plus a great selection of seabirds.
(Pelagic Extension to Nov 29, 2025)
Jan 31 - Feb 7, 2026 (Fee TBD / 2025=$3250) with Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 7
Fun birding from rosy-finches in the Sandia Mts to thousands of Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese (plus Ross's) along the Rio Grande.
Mar 12-21, 2026 (Fee TBD / 2025=$7125) with Sam Wilson & Mandy Talpas
Tour Limit: 14
On our birding tour we'll visit three of the major islands--Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii--giving us a chance to sample a great portion of the Hawaiian endemic birds and the seabird specialties.
Apr 10-26, 2026 (Fee TBD) with Jesse Fagan & Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 8
Comprehensive tour searching for all the accessible endemics (many highly endangered) of the southern Caribbean on 10 attractive islands.
May 10-16, 2026 (Fee TBD / 2025=$3175) with Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 7
Spring migration at one of the country's famed birding hotspots.
May 30 - Jun 15, 2026 (Fee TBD / 2025=$13575) with Micah Riegner & Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 14
Our fabulous survey of the best of Alaska birding: the Pribilofs, Kenai Fjords, Nome, and Utqiagvik (formerly Barrow).
Jun 24 - Jul 1, 2026 (Fee TBD / 2025=$4325) with Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 7
A chance to spend the better part of a week birding in one of the subarctic's most famous hotspots!
Sep 7-16, 2026 (Fee TBD / 2025=$5695) with Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 7
A September itinerary at a beautiful season in Maine for coastal migrants and pelagic birds, with a good chance for skuas.
Oct 6-10, 2026 - Part Two (Fee TBD / 2025=$3325) with Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 7
A fall adventure in two parts to the far north, Part I to St. Paul Island in the Pribilofs for migrants and vagrants, and Part II to Barrow for the legendary Ross's Gull, loons, eiders, and possibly even Polar Bear and Ivory Gull.
Oct 13-28, 2026 - Part Two (Fee TBD / 2025=$8225) with Cory Gregory & Sam Wilson
Tour Limit: 12
In two parts for those with limited time. Part I covers the environs of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, southwest Australia, and Alice Springs. Part II begins in Darwin and continues to Queensland (Cairns, Atherton Tableland, Outback Queensland, and O'Reilly's Guest House). Both parts combine for a complete birding tour of Australia. An optional endemic-rich extension to Tasmania follows Part II.
(Tasmania Extension to Nov 2, 2026)
Dec 28, 2026 - Jan 5, 2027 (Fee TBD / 2024=$3950) with Sam Wilson & local guide
Tour Limit: 12
One-site holiday tour based at the comfortable Rancho Naturalista Lodge, with excursions to other habitats on Costa Rica's bird-rich Caribbean slope.