About Your Guide

Philip Maher was born in Deniliquin, in south-western New South Wales. His interest in natural history was fostered by his parents from a young age. While Philip is an authority on Australian birds generally, his name is synonymous with the plains-wanderer, a bird of the open plains of inland Australia. In 1980 Philip and the Nevinson family came across a plains-wanderer while atlassing. Philip went on to study the species extensively, banding about 600 birds. He has shown the species to large numbers of Australian and international birders.


Philip, with his partner Patricia, established Inland Bird Tours in 1985, leading tours to Australia's arid inland and the top end of Australia. In 1994 they formed Australian Ornithological Services Pty Ltd to better reflect the expansion of their tours to all parts of Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and South-east Asia. Philip also acts as a consultant to government departments and business.

While Philip is undeniably a hardcore birder, he has an immense interest in, and vast knowledge of, native fauna, particularly mammals and reptiles. Philip's passion, however, is native vegetation, particularly the indigenous plants of the Riverine Plain. He grows several thousand trees, shrubs and grasses from locally collected seed each year — the majority of which are planted in fenced-off plots on Travelling Stock Routes in the Conargo Shire and at Gulpa Island SF.


Photo: M Danzenbaker - Sub Antarctic Islands tour 1998