Australian Ornithological Services

Philip and Patricia Maher have operated guided birding tours from the southern Riverina town of Deniliquin, New South Wales, since 1985 (originally as Inland Bird Tours, formally incorporated as Australian Ornithological Services Pty Ltd in 1994). Their flagship product is a single-night spotlighting trip onto privately accessed grasslands north of Deniliquin to find the cryptic and globally endangered Plains-wanderer, a monotypic family endemic to Australia. The company also runs longer custom itineraries of up to eight days exploring the Riverina, Hay Plains and outback New South Wales for arid-country specialities, and Phil leads natural-history tours throughout Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and South-East Asia. Phil is widely credited as the guide responsible for the majority of birder sightings of Plains-wanderer worldwide.