Meet Our Experts
Eric Defonso
Eric began his birding life over 30 years ago, in 1993 while a graduate student in atmospheric science at the University of California in Davis. For a decade, he simply enjoyed birdwatching solo for its simple pleasures while working full time as a software engineer, but after moving to Colorado in 2005, he became an avid lister and photographer. He began pursuing sound recording in 2010 and has since uploaded over 2,500 recordings of birds to online sound libraries like the Macaulay Library at Cornell and xeno-canto.org. In 2011, he traveled extensively in South America for the entire year, encompassing four countries and encountered over 1,200 species of birds, many with photos and sound recordings.
He began working in 2013 for the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies on the IMBCR project (Integrated Monitoring of Bird Conservation Regions), and in 2024 was a Survey Crew Leader in the Southern Great Plains, the fourth full season he has served in that role with the previous three seasons served here in Colorado. He writes a column on Birding By Ear for the Colorado Field Ornithologists’ quarterly journal, has led field trips for the Colorado Field Ornithologists annual conventions, currently serves on the Colorado Bird Records Committee, is an eBird reviewer for Chaffee, Eagle, and Pitkin Counties, and has done conservation and guiding volunteer work in South America.
Jenyva Fox
Nature has been a special focus for Jenyva Fox ever since she was a child growing up in Montana. Her life goals have since revolved around protecting the natural world and helping others love it more. She was a zookeeper at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo for 17 years where her passion for birds especially took flight! Jenyva is now a full-time Zoo Keeping Technology faculty member at Pikes Peak State College, an exotic animal care instructor at Apex College of Veterinary Technology and a Wildlife Technician for EDM International. Jenyva is also a Master Bird Bander for the United States Geological Survey with a MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) station in Colorado Springs, and volunteers for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. She has been birding for over 20 years.
Debbie Barnes
Debbie has been birding and photographing birds for over twenty years. In addition, she volunteers for Colorado State Parks, Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas II and several Christmas Bird Counts. She has taught raptor identification classes at Cheyenne Mountain State Park, spoken at meetings of Colorado State Parks Raptor Monitors and taught a birding class at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. She has written a bird guide for Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and Cheyenne Mountain State Park. She is currently writing a guide for Mueller State Park. She served for several years on the board of Aiken Audubon and is currently serving on the Field Trip board for Colorado Field Ornithologists.