Rafael Rueda Hernández

Rafael is an ornithologist that has been studying birds for almost 20 years. He was raised in the small town of Xalapa, right in the world’s largest fall migratory pathway. After receiving his Master’s in Biology, Rafael took off to the US and Costa Rica to lead bird banding projects to assess avian productivity and winter connectivity of endangered species. He got a Ph.D. in Ornithology from UNAM, Mexico’s leading University, studying cloud forest birds in southeastern Mexico. Rafael has also published more than 20 scientific papers and has been leading tours in Veracruz and southern Mexico since 2006, where he started “All the birds of Veracruz”, a project aiming to visit all major birding hotspots in the state and as many species as possible during 2022.