Steve Hilty is one of the most respected figures in modern ornithology, combining decades of field experience with an extraordinary body of published work. He is the senior author of A Guide to the Birds of Colombia and author of Birds of Venezuela, both by Princeton University Press, as well as the widely read Birds of Tropical America: A Watcher’s Introduction to Behavior, Breeding, and Diversity. His most recent publication, Birds of Colombia (Lynx Editions, 2021), reflects a lifetime of exploration and study across the Neotropics.

Steve has described three bird species new to science—two in Venezuela and one in Colombia—and contributed the tanager family accounts to the acclaimed Handbook of the Birds of the World. His writing also extends beyond ornithology, including Dirt, Sweat, and Diesel: A Family Farm in the 21st Century.

Holding a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Arizona, Steve is a research associate in ornithology at the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute. Since 1983, he has guided with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, leading trips throughout the United States, South America, Asia, and Australia. Based in Kansas City, he shares his love of birds and stargazing with his wife, Beverly, and their two daughters.