Rodrigo Tapia

Ornithologist & Expedition Leader

From a young age, Rodrigo showed a deep interest in wildlife and the sea, traveling across Chile with a pair of binoculars and a field guide always at hand. He studied Biology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso and earned a certificate in Bird Biology from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. At age 22, he presented his first study—focused on the birdlife of the Aconcagua River estuary—at the inaugural Chilean Ornithology Congress. In 1989, during a field trip, a chance encounter with a German birdwatcher led him to begin his path as a guide.

In 1991, he traveled to Antarctica for the first time as part of a scientific team, an experience that profoundly shaped his career. Since then, he has worked as a guide and lecturer on more than 130 Antarctic expeditions, crossing the Drake Passage over 260 times. He has also sailed along the Chilean coast, through the southern channels, and to Rapa Nui, gaining extensive experience with seabirds. Rodrigo has worked in environmental education, founded Chile’s first Bird Festival in 2008, and has served as a consultant on environmental impact studies.

He currently lives in Concón and guides birdwatching tours throughout Chile—from the desert to the forests of Patagonia.