Chris Benesh grew up studying natural history in California, where he was inspired by his father to take up birding as a teenager. After earning a degree in zoology from UC Santa Barbara in 1987, Chris moved to Austin to join the Field Guides staff. Since then, his life has undergone a wonderful transformation. The intervening years at Field Guides have taken him to many corners of the world and across both the Arctic and Antarctic circles!

Chris takes an interest in nearly anything that flies, and you might catch him sneaking a peek at a passing aircraft or stopping to examine a butterfly or odonate. You might also notice him getting especially excited at the sighting of a rare or wonderful mammal (heck, he can get excited about a squirrel).

Chris serves on the Arizona Bird Committee, and additionally his passion for education has led to his ongoing work on a photoguide to North American flycatchers (can you say "glacial pace"?), as well as the occasional workshop or birding convention presentation. These days, most of his "down time" is spent at home in Tucson watching his two wonderful kids, Sean and Linnea, grow.