Aaron Steed
Aaron has been interested in birds and natural history his entire life. Originally from Wilmington, NC, Aaron holds a B.S. in General Biology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and has worked numerous ornithological field positions in North Carolina, Texas, Kansas, California and Arizona, focusing primarily on endangered or imperiled species (such as the Black-capped Vireo and Lesser Prairie-Chicken).
Instead of going to grad school in 2013, Aaron decided to take the opportunity to become a professional bird guide and began working for Ventures Birding, leading local day trips in the Western NC region. In the years since, he has taken groups to Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, Honduras, Belize, Peru, Cuba, and Spain as well as a multitude of destinations across the US. Aaron likes to have fun with his groups, bringing a low-key professionalism and relaxed atmosphere to his tours.
When he’s not guiding, he’s hard at work in the Ventures office, answering phones, writing itineraries, & researching new destinations. He’s currently working on expanding Ventures’ operations in Europe and has planned upcoming trips to Spain, Romania, and Belarus to name a few. As much as he loves traveling and birding new places, he’ll always be drawn back to the incredible biodiversity of the Southern Appalachians (specifically Asheville), where he lives with his wife and menagerie of pets (2 cats, 1 dog, 15 chickens, and a beta fish).
Testimonials
"Aaron was our guide. He knows his birds! He is professional and accommodating, and he took us to amazing places. He always found us great food to eat!"
Aaron, our guide, is extremely knowledgeable and went above and beyond our expectations! He took great care to make sure that we all saw the birds that he had spotted and shared his knowledge and experiences with us. It was a very enjoyable trip and we look forward to future trips with Ventures Birding!
Thank You!
Aaron is an extraordinary bird guide; he is knowledgeable and he pointed out individual birds using his laser light and scope and that made the experience much more personal. He spotted quite a diverse collection of birds including those that I would not have seen on my own.
Ventures Birding guide, Aaron Steed was amazing at hearing, identifying and spotting well disguised birds, many of which we would never have located without him.