Brent Stephenson
Ornithologist & wildlife photographer
“A small ship is, by far, the best way to see so many of the world’s bird species. It’s just you and the wind and water and them. It never gets old.”
Go with Brent: Coming Soon
Brent was born in New Zealand and has been a lifelong birder ever since. In 2003, along with Sav Saville, co-owner of their bird-guiding business, he rediscovered the “extinct” New Zealand storm-petrel, a bird known previously from only three museum specimens collected during the 1800s. With support from National Geographic, he led a team conducting further research on this enigmatic seabird. Brent then completed his PhD in 2005 studying the breeding biology of Australasian gannets in New Zealand.
His love for travel, birds, and the ocean has led him to most corners of the world working on small expedition ships – an incredible way to see remote and inaccessible places and their wildlife. Brent has worked on all seven continents but it’s the polar regions that hold a special attraction for him. From the Arctic with its large mammals and breeding seabirds and rugged landscape, to the grandeur of Antarctica and spectacular wildlife of the sub-Antarctic islands. (But of course the incredible diversity of the tropics also has its attractions!)
Brent’s passion for wildlife photography has led to several publications of photos and articles in books and magazines, both within New Zealand and overseas, and more recently submissions with image libraries. In 2013 the publication of Birds of New Zealand: A Photographic Guide with co-author Paul Scofield was the culmination of an eight-year project.
In his “spare time,” Brent conducts ecological research, conservation work, and co-owns and runs Wrybill Birding Tours, NZ. He splits his time between Buffalo, NY and Napier on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand.
