Zach Simpson

Zach is a passionate wildlife enthusiast with a deep love for travel and discovering new species. His birding journey began just before high school, and he still vividly remembers the thrill of seeing new birds by the dozen. Zach recalls how common species like Black Crake, Black-backed Puffback, and Dark-backed Weaver once felt like great rarities, and how his excitement knew no bounds whenever he spotted one. Dark-backed Weavers, in particular, captivated his imagination and he sees them often, however, they were always there; it’s his birding skills that have grown. 

Fast forward seven years, and Zach has had the privilege of birding across South Africa, Mauritius, and several other African countries. His current focus is building his KwaZulu-Natal (a province of South Africa) bird list—there’s nothing quite like the excitement of twitching a local rarity. In the long run, his goal is to see 2,000 or more bird species across the African continent. Zach also gets much joy out of mammal watching, with cetaceans being a firm favorite. This is a reason why one of his greatest dreams is to visit Antarctica. 

Birding aside, Zach grew up on a farm in Harding in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, and has two younger brothers and amazing parents who have supported him in his birding journey.