Marcelo Padua was born in Belem at the mouth of the Amazon River. Growing up he spent his free time at his uncle's farm in an Amazon rainforest reserve observing everything from insects to mammals and birds. He began studying English at an early age and attended high school in Middletown, Pennsylvania, in a student-exchange program. He is remarkably fluent and even taught English for a couple of years back home in Brazil.

Following university in Rio de Janeiro, Marcelo transferred to law school in Cuiaba, but working as an English-speaking naturalist guide during school holidays soon made it clear to him that birding was much more than a hobby! With just a year to go before his bar exam, he turned his back on the law to hang out his shingle as a birding guide. He met Bret Whitney in 2005 and embarked on a full-time guiding career with Field Guides in 2009.

With his great sense of humor, impeccable organizational skills, and love of seeing birds, Marcelo has quickly become a reference for birding in Brazil, spending over 200 days each year in the field. A warning: Watch out if he sees displaying manakins of any kind! Marcelo makes his nest at the crossroads of the Pantanal and the Amazon in Cuiaba with his wife, Ana.