Gavin McKinnon - Founder & Lead Guide

From an early age, Gavin developed a deep fascination for birds after he visited Point Pelee National Park on a weekend trip with his parents. Since then, he has traveled extensively in Canada and to numerous locations in the tropics and around the globe in search of unique birding opportunities. In 2022, Gavin founded Meadowlark Birding Tours, intending to share his passion for birds with others. After high school, he studied Renewable Resource Management at Lethbridge College and briefly worked in environmental consulting. In addition to leading tours, Gavin is actively involved in the local birding community, serving as a volunteer eBird reviewer. 

Gavin is the lead guide at Meadowlark Birding Tours, handling day-to-day operations

Guides

Aaron Brisebois 
​Aaron Brisebois has been a birder and naturalist since he was a child, one of many passions passed down from his father. Pursuing this, he graduated with a BSc. in environmental biology, a specialization in wildlife biology, and a minor in field studies from McGill University, and his love for adventure and the natural world has led him to 6 continents so far! Over the last 5 years, while working in the field of biology, outdoor pursuits, and bird guiding, he has developed an equal passion for teaching and sharing with others the wonders of the outdoors. He has most recently worked in Antarctica as an ornithology lecturer and New Zealand as a sea kayak guide, but it all started with mentorship from outdoor educators in the Outaouais region of Quebec and his first-ever guiding job at Point Pelee National Park! Aaron does his best to return to Point Pelee every May, as it still remains one of the most wonderful birding he has ever experienced.

Annie Finch
Born and raised in Calgary, Annie grew up exploring Alberta’s unique landscape. Her passion for helping people connect with nature emerged from her early work as a canoe instructor. She became an avid birder in 2020, developing special interests in bird sounds, hawk watching, and how birding relates to the wider world. Annie has birded extensively in Alberta and traveled across western Canada in search of birds. She looks forward to upcoming adventures, both near and far from home. Annie participates in regional citizen science projects and is an active member of the local birding community. She is also a keen hawk watcher and volunteers as a Principal Observer monitoring Golden Eagle migration with the Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation. She lives in Calgary.

Calvin van der Merwe 
Calvin developed a passion for birding while exploring wilderness areas across South Africa and its neighbouring countries with his family in the early 2000s. Along the way, he discovered a joy in sharing these experiences, leading private trips for friends and family to see sought-after specials throughout the region. In 2023, Calvin turned his passion into a profession, guiding tours in South Africa. He recently moved to Calgary to immerse himself in North American birding while embarking on adventures into the Neotropics and beyond. Professionally, Calvin is an Environmental Engineer with expertise in mine rehabilitation and sustainable stormwater management.

Cameron Hunter 
​Cameron is a Conservation Specialist with the Alberta Wilderness Association and a Wildlife Photographer/videographer with recognition from the National Audubon Society and Canadian Geographic. Cameron also has education in eco-tourism and outdoor leadership, and volunteer experience with the Calgary Area Nest-box Monitoring Society, monitoring Bluebird trails around Cochrane and Sibbald Creek. With many years of birding and photographic experience, Cameron approaches wildlife and wild places with respect and a willingness to learn, and birds offer
us that opportunity every time we go out.

Daniel Arndt​
Daniel Arndt is a wildlife biologist, birding tour guide, and wildlife photographer born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. A mix of education, work experience, and volunteer opportunities led him to dive headfirst into birding about 15 years ago, and it's been all downhill ever since. Working on a wide variety of projects throughout western Canada has allowed him to observe birds in some pretty amazing places. He has birded extensively in western Canada and the western United States, southern Mexico, Belize, Cuba, and, most recently, Panama. When he's not chasing birds, he's at home taking care of his miniature house panther, miniature tiger, and three crested geckos.

David Scott
Born and raised in northern Ontario, David began venturing from home to find birds at age sixteen and has been an avid birder and naturalist ever since. After moving to southern Alberta, he came to love the birds of the prairies, badlands, foothills, and mountains as much as he did those of the boreal forest on the Canadian Shield. A librarian by trade, David works at the University of Lethbridge and serves as chair of the Alberta Bird Record Committee and as editor for the province’s Christmas Bird Counts. He has also spent several years on the board of Nature Lethbridge and has authored and coauthored articles published in Nature Alberta Magazine, North American Birds, and Western Birds. David lives in Lethbridge, Alberta, with his wife, Emma, and son, Lewis, who recently received his first pair of binoculars. David co-authored a Field Guide to the Birds of Alberta with Meadowlark's owner Gavin McKinnon, which will be released in May 2026. 

Josiah Van Egmond
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Josiah has been birding for over a decade, starting from a young age and never stopping. Josiah has birded far and wide throughout his home province of Manitoba as well as across Canada and internationally. He has been a part of various citizen science and research programs, including three years of grassland bird fieldwork with the Canadian Wildlife Service. Josiah has extensive experience birding in Mexico, including assisting with a research project part of the Hummingbird Monitoring Network and banding birds in the Chihuahuan Desert.

Liron Gertsman
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You may have seen him on CBC’s “The National”, heard his voice on CBC Radio One, or seen his work in publications such Canadian Geographic magazine, The Guardian, GEO magazine, and others. Liron Gertsman has been observing and photographing the natural world continuously since he first got his hands on a borrowed pair of binoculars and a camera at the age of five. His work has been experienced by millions in some of the largest museums across the world, including the Natural History Museum in London and the Smithsonian in Washington DC. As a naturalist and photographer, he feels it is his duty to show people the essence of Earth.  Liron’s photographic work has been widely recognized and awarded, sweeping the professional category of the 2022 Audubon Photography Awards and earning a highly commended designation in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Bringing 15 years of experience to his tours, Liron uses his intimate knowledge of bird and wildlife hotspots to craft the best experiences possible. Liron has ornithological training from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada, and has a biology degree from the University of British Columbia.