I’m a serious American birder and was hoping for lots of hard-to-find localized Victoria birds. I booked a 3-day trip out of Melbourne with Simon and it was fantastic. Simon knew the best places for each of the hard-to-find species and managed to lure virtually every target bird into view. We ended up with over 200 species in three days which is really hard to beat. The birds were enough, but Simon was also a great birding companion. His interest and enthusiasm never flagged. He had us booked into great little bed and breakfasts and had meals arranged so we got great food with almost most interruption to birding. I very highly recommend Simon as a bird guide.

It was an awesome experience doing 2.5days of bird and wildlife photography with Simon. Besides his immense knowledge and experience, his friendly demeanour added further fun during the trip. Long drives through the country side of Victoria, great food options, comfortable stay, fantastic birding hotspots, short picnic breaks, adventurous spotlight photography.... it was beyond me and my friend’s expectations. Thank you Simon and looking forward to more trips together. Cheers Sudip Saha Singapore

My wife, Chris, and I did a 6-day birding tour with Simon in Jan 2020. Absolutely wonderful. Simon really knows his birds in terms of what they look like, what they sound like, and where to find them. We had a great time and I got some great photos. Highly recommended if you're into this sort of thing - which we certainly are.

My partner is an aspiring birder and I organised a tour for her birthday. It exceeded all expectations- we saw over 80 bird species, went to some beautiful places and Simon shared his knowledge with us all day. He clearly loves what he does and he is passionate about nature and wildlife. My partner was extremely happy.

Great day birding around Melbourne with Simon. 112 (!) species seen due to Simon's expertise and knowledge of where to be and when. Most all of them are lifers for us on our first trip to Australia. Highly recommended guide and a pleasure to spend the day with!

Simon gave us an excellent day's birding as new visitors to the Melbourne area. We were picked up from our hotel at 6:30am and driven to several locations during the day, returning after 12 hours superb birding with a sightings list of 118 species. Simon not only knows his birds, but also exactly where to find them; it was a delight to get such good views of birds that we would have missed without him. Simon is very personable, friendly and easy to get on with - a perfect companion for the day. He provided snacks and drinks to keep us going (and a good bakery for lunch on our tour). If we return to Melbourne we will certainly be booking him again. Steve & Juliet Amos

Great birding day with Simon. Nice guy who went above and beyond to find things, point out field characteristics etc. A very long day much to our delight. Highly recommended.

Simon of Firetail Birdwatching Tours is great company and a brilliant birder. I couldn't have asked for a better guide for our 3-day whirlwind bird tour of Victoria! He is clearly experienced--he knows all the obscure, local spots, and the birds to watch for. He comes with a trunk full of snacks and drinks, perfect for keeping birders fed, watered, and happy. And, he seems to perfectly tailor his tour style to his guests: we had long but relaxed days that kept the trip enjoyable rather than strenuous. I will absolutely be contacting Simon again for future birding needs!

We had a great day birding with Simon, being picked up from our airport hotel promptly at 6am. The itinerary was well planned to include the habitats of the birds that we wished to see. We had good views of our target birds, starting with our priority species, the Rufous Bristlebird. Overall a most enjoyable day with a very good guide, pleasant to be with and most knowledgeable about the birds. Sandra and Rae

I was in Melbourne for a day after work commitments so tailored a day out with Simon. The advice and planning was fantastic, got an early start out to the Dandenongs to see the lyrebirds in full display and eventually found our way out to see the visiting SIPO and little stint. Easy to travel with and good conversation. Highly recommended.

Simon Starr is a very experienced guide with decades of living in and visiting the Mallee. My grandson, 14yo, and I did a 4D/3N tour in late September 2017 and we had a blast. Accomodation and food in Hopetoun and Ouyen was pretty good considering it is not 5-star Melbourne. Ethan was able to eat vegetarian but with limited choice. 160+ species over 4 days including some late evening, on-the-way-to-the-accommodation birding meant we covered all the daylight hours. Simon worked very hard to get us Malleefowl, Black Honeyeater, Babblers, loads of Honeyeaters and parrots, cuckoos, grasswren and emu-wren. We only dipped big time on Pied HE and Crested Bellbird, not for lack of trying. Very highly recommended.

Simon turned up in the dark at 0600hrs sharp, and then proceeded to guide us through a very well planned itinerary across a variety of habitats - all which linked perfectly to my interests that I had previously described to him. He was very well prepared (gear, bird lists, drinks and snacks) and effortlessly shared his apparent great depth of knowledge of the birds and ecology of the region. A top day out with Simon. I would highly recommend his guiding service. Lindsay Agnew

An outstanding birding adventure. Simon is very knowledgeable and clearly likes to share his knowledge in an accessible way. We saw a host of special birds, including all of our key target species.

Had a fantastic half day birding with Simon at Werribee. A real highlight for me. He was relaxed, very knowledgeable, easy to chat to and very focused on providing an excellent experience. Would highly recommend.

I had a single day for birding in melbourne and a target list of birds foremost being Lyrebird. Simon Starr made sure i got my targets and many more besides. He picked me up from my residence and dropped me back after a great day of birding at Dandenong Ranges National Park and Werribe Water treatment plant. I would recommend birding with Firetail Birdwatching.

Great birding experience and amazing walk trail. Huge lake is a home for many bird species but due to prominent numbers it can be called as Australian white ibis home. Huge walk trail utilised by walking enthusiast. This trail also shed by bikes. Restaurant and Cafe area is available for refreshments. Great place for picnic, family gathering.

Had a great day out with Simon into Central Victoria. The tour was a birthday present that ended up getting rained out. Simon was very accommodating in rescheduling for another time. We managed to see so many great birds for the first time, with lots of helpful tips along the way. Would definitely recommend going on a tour for all experience levels, its well worth it.

My son, daughter in law and I had a very pleasant and productive day birding with Simon a couple of weeks ago in the greater Geelong area. We vary somewhat in our birding experience but Simon found something for each of us - ninety odd species all up, ranging from rufous bristlebirds and chestnut-rumped heathwrens in heathlands through to banded stilts and double banded plovers on/near the shore and speckled warblers and diamond firetails in woodlands. Excellent views of most birds (aided by his superb Swarovski spotting scope), along with good photo opportunities for many of them. Simon was also very knowledgeable and congenial company. We look forward to birding with him again in future visits to Victoria.

One day Melbourne surrounds birding Blitz! I wanted a packed day seeing as much as I could and learning from an experienced birder. Had a brilliant day seeing over 90 species, many a good dozen lifers for me including some Swifties! I was very impressed by Simons bird call knowledge and ability to spot Raptors and birds while driving. Thankyou for a wonderful day, and hope to day another tour next time I am in Melbourne.

5th Feb 2018. We had a fantastic day with Simon, our best ever birding day!He is friendly and helpful and his knowledge and enthusiasm are outstanding. The sites he took us to, especially Werribee were unforgettable. Thank you Simon for getting our Australia holiday off to a ‘flying start’ !

We spent 8 wonderful days with Simon exploring quite a bit of Victoria specifically focusing on a list of birds that had evaded us and enjoying all the other birds that showed themselves and also the animals , reptiles, insects and plants that we encountered. We went to many beautiful forests and grasslands and spent 5 nights spotlighting. We had great success due to Simon’s skills, knowledge, capacities and perseverance. We were really very lucky with the weather and saw over 200 birds with 22 out of out 26 specific targets found and seen well. Everything was well planned but also flexible when required. Accommodation and food were good. Although this trip specifically catered to our desires, it was quite clear that Simon can tailor a trip to suit any requirements – be it a one day trip or a specific longer trip. People interested in birds, animals, insects or plants would enjoy spending time with Simon observing and appreciating nature in all its forms. We intend to travel again with Simon and are more than happy to recommend his services to anyone.

We had a wonderful sunny, April day with Simon in West Gippsland. He was excellent. We are total novices and he struck a great balance of patience and suitable, relevant information. We have used what we learnt and hope to see Simon in Gippsland again in summer.

What an experience with Simon who is a fountain of birding knowledge and great company. We saw 73 species in the Bendigo region and were lucky enough to see 3x Swift Parrots and hear a bunch more. After our trip, Simon was kind enough to share a full log of our sightings and share some great shots.

Mi wife and I birded with Simon for several days, mostly in northern Victoria. Simon is incredibly knowledgeable about the area and the birds. He did a great job at getting us on our most wanted species. Anyone looking to do some birding in Victoria should definitely go with Firetail.

Highly recommend! Had a fabulous morning with Simon at the WTP. His knowledge, expertise and spotting skills were most impressive. We saw so many different species, a super fun day! Whether you're into bird photography like me or birding in general, this tour will not disappoint. Thank you Simon, looking forward to meeting up again. Maybe the "Plains Wanderer" tour might be next on the list!

Put simply, we both had the very best day with Simon on this tour. Whether you are a Twitcher, photographer or, like us, just lovers of nature, a day out with the informed and pleasant Simon will stay with you. On our trip to the Werribee Wetlands we managed to see 100 different species of shore birds, raptors and bush birds.. Simon knows the places to take you to get the best out of the day. A highlight for us was to watch the Brolgas dancing and touching beaks..simply magical. I will try to post a picture of these beautiful birds that Simon took and sent to us. Highly recommended.

Wonderful afternoon birding with Simon at the Werribee Treatment Works--what a sublime place! It was one of the best days out that I can remember. Simon is a wonderful easy-going and very knowledgeable guide. It was enjoyable and fun -- nice laminations and tea to boot! Afterwards Simon sent us some beautiful photos of our favourite birds too. For example the Golden-Headed Cisticola and Freckled Ducks. Priceless. Simon is a superb guide to this wonderland right on the edge of Melbourne. I highly recommend Simon's birding tours and we will definitely do another one soon.

The single best part of my trip to Melbourne was doing a tour with Simon. I did Tour 1 and got see both a prodigious amount of aquatic birds as well as some very cool forest and plains species. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the region and in the span of a day we saw over a hundred different species of birds, to include some really unique ones like a fire robin. Simon was an absolute pleasure to spend a day with and I would do this again.

Just the most delightful day with Simon - we saw over 100 bird species, from the elusive Bristle bird - blink and you missed it- to beautiful fish eagles, blue winged parrots and gang gang cockatoos. We went to various locations, Gr Ocean Road, National Parks and Werribee and had fun exchanging notes and sightings. Simon knew his birds very well - and this was verified by a very keen twitcher in our midst. Totally recommend him for a days birding in Victoria. Marina Marangos

I took one of Simon's day tours with my mother this Autumn. We aren’t bird watchers but we both love animals and being in nature. Simon picked us up early and took us to Werribee Wetlands where we saw a huge array of different birds (over 100 for the day). After that we went to a national park and continued to see many birds and get some great tips from Simon. Simon knew exactly where to look for certain species and was able to show us such a large array of fauna. He was very, very knowledgeable and personable, and made the trip very interesting, educational and fun – as we started getting our eyes in, spotting birds everywhere once we looked. The tour would suit lots of different people and age groups – we used the car a lot as a ‘hide’ so there wasn’t extensive walking, we had lots of tea breaks and really enjoyed hearing from Simon his wealth of knowledge and absolute passion for birds. We will definitely be booking in for another trip soon.

I'm Kalong, and I want to express my gratitude to Simon for the fantastic guided bird-watching tours these past few days! We've spotted over 200 bird species, both in forests and wetlands, including our favorite raptors. If given the chance, we'll definitely have Simon lead us on more adventurous trips around Victoria in the future. In short, I highly recommend it.

I went on the well organised 12 day Victoria Megatour with Simon of Firetail Birdwatching Tours in November 2023. It was a wonderful experience seeing and hearing many new bird species in a wide variety of habitats. Simon is an excellent bird guide with incredible knowledge and enthusiasm for the fauna and flora of Australia which he shared in a relaxed manner with all members of our group. I recommend this tour to anyone keen to see and learn more about the birds of Australia.

We would highly recommend Simon for bird guiding. Not only was he knowledgeable but very patient with two novices, particularly re the waders. Both of us are now proficient in identifying the most frequently seen four waders at WTP, all of which look very similar. The snacks were also excellent. Simon it was a great day, thank you very much.

Simon Starr designed an itinerary for us to target the speciality species of the Mallee Country over five days. His extensive knowledge of the habitats, the birds and their particular routines proved crucial in us achieving success in seeing all of the targets. He ensured that we got great views of all the birds and other goodies and shared a wealth of interesting information on lots of the plants in the habitats that we were in, as well as the history of the areas that we visited. He was focussed and prepared to adjust our plans as necessary when birds were being tricky, all the while maintaining a great sense of humour and ensuring that coffee was close to hand! The whole experience was fantastic and I highly recommend Simon for any tour you have in mind.

I joined the 10 day Victoria Megatour, and it really was mega in terms of the numbers of birds we saw, and the variety of habitats we visited. Simon is the perfect guide - extremely knowledgeable, modest, patient and persistent in locating that elusive species. He is also very skilful in providing a satisfying experience for both the experienced birder and the novice. Highly recommended.

This was a great days birding. Simon picked me up from my hotel at 7.00am and we birded for 10.5 hours. Simon really knows where to find the birds. We got three very difficult species ( spotted quail thrush, speckled warbler and chestnut-rumped heathwren) as well as another one hundred species.He is well equipped with high quality gear and is very understanding of your particular requirements. I wanted to get some photos along the way and Simon was very accommodating with positioning the car for some great shots.Awesome day out. well worth the money.

On a 2 week holiday in Australia, my itinerary included a few days in Melbourne. As an birder, I did not want to miss the chance to see some of the birds in this part of the world. Along with my wife and 2 friends from Canberra, we hired Simon for a day of bird watching. He picked us up at 7:00AM in the city and took us on an amazing tour. Some of the avian hot spots around the city are simply amazing. Both the variety (we saw over a 100 different species) and quantity of birds is something that should be experienced. Simon's deep knowledge, vast experience and an untiring willingness to show us as much as one can pack into a day, made this a truly memorable event. If you have even just a modest interest in birds, I would highly recommend that you do a trip with Simon Starr. Just great stuff!

We had a great day of birding with Simon. He is so knowledgeable and accommodating. We saw so many species we would never have found on our own! Regardless of your birding expertise I would recommend a tour with Simon.

A great birdwatching experience. Simon's knowledge and his willingness to share his experience together with his great organisation and friendliness made for a memorable day. Simon went out of his way to find rarities and to point out every thing possible- over 100 species for the day. Anyone remotely interested in nature would have a wonderful day out with Simon.

Spent a day with Simon earlier this month with a brief to locate a dozen tricky target birds in the Melbourne area. His excellent local knowledge enabled us to see a good proportion of our most wanted list plus a large cast of additional species, totalling 130+ for the day. One of the most memorable highlights has to be the Black Eared Cuckoo & Speckled Warbler encounter. Many thanks Simon for a great day out, and great cake too!!

My two companions were keen birders, and I was just there along for the ride. But now I’m a convert! Although it was a cold and windy day at the Western Treatment Plant, it was a joyous experience. I couldn’t believe there was so much wondrous bird life not far from the busy Geelong to Melbourne main road. Simon is very knowledgeable and very committed to sharing his love of birds. He is also a very good driver, and he gave us a welcome coffee and muffin mid afternoon. The falcon that allowed itself to be photographed, posing on a branch quite close, and the magnificent sea eagle alighting in nearby tree, were a pure gift at the end of the day. Highly recommended!

Simon went out of his way to give me the best possible birding experience. It was a real treat! He was tireless in his efforts to find some really difficult birds. His knowledge of the birds and the area are extraordinary. Highly recommended.

What an outstanding half day I had! My parents gave me a gift certificate for a tour to the Western Treatment Plant just as we were entering lockdown, so I've been waiting months to use it. I finally enjoyed an excellent private tour with Simon last weekend. Simon was pleasant and knowledgeable and took me to a variety of sites in WTP, resulting in 80 species sighted, 41 of which were lifers for me. I particularly appreciated his laid back style - he wanted to ensure I had the kind of day I wanted, and paced the outing accordingly - I'm not a hardcore twitcher, and this was perfect. He set up his scope at several locations and showed me how to take photos with it, too, so I have some particularly nice shots as memories from the day. I would highly recommend Simon's tours to any level of birder.

I've wanted to see and hear a lyrebird for a long time and would have been happy to hear a brief bit of song and maybe catch a passing glimpse. My wife and I spent the day with Simon on a tour starting in the Dandenong Ranges on the trail of the Superb Lyrebird. Wasn't long before we heard their songs! Simon was able to estimate the numbers and point out all the calls they were mimicing. Then we spotted 2 of them not far from the path, one even put his tail right up in display. Shortly after that one of them decided to come out and run right down the path past us. A bit of patience and trust and you get to see these amazing birds on their terms, without needing to crash about off the path damaging the forest! I'd have been happy at that. Simon was amazing with the amount of knowledge about all the species we asked about, and could identify the birds so quickly from the call and a quick view. Other highlights were the tiny spotted pardalote and the Superb fairy wrens. And it was only 9am!! We stopped off at a couple of locations where we hopped to see a Powerful Owl, but big Ninox didn't want to be seen. We carried on out to the Western Treatment plant and although we couldn't access we still saw a huge range of species. Highlights were the Brolgas, Red-necked Stint and the Striated FieldWren. Again Simon shared a wealth of knowledge about the birds, locations, equipment and anything else we could think of about birding. We are real newbies at this, but both completely hooked, thanks to a great day and great company with SImon from Firetail. Could not recommend more!

I spent 1/2 day birdwatching with Simon on Western treatment plant and I highly recommend Simon. He has great knowledge about birds, where to find them and their behavior. He is patient and very kind person. On my next trip to Melbourne I will hire Simon again to show me more exciting places to wath birds. He knows the places.

Simon was a fantastic guide taking us to all the best spots to see a wide variety of species. Great day out. If you are looking for a local knowledgeable guide we would highly recommend Simon.

I recently spent a very enjoyable day's birding with Simon. I was visiting from the UK, and since I had only visited Western Australia before, most of the birds were new to me - Simon provided me with the perfect introduction, and was very patient with my ignorance and inexperience. Simon picked me up from the Melbourne CBD and we spent most of the morning at Werribee Wetlands, where we saw a good number of shorebirds (highlight, Long-toed Stint), raptors and waterfowl, as well as other species in the surrounding fields, grasslands and hedges. We then went up to Angelsea on the Surf Coast, where we took in some woodlands (fan-tailed cuckoo), the shore (Hooded Plover and Sanderling) and the river, where Simon showed me, but I failed to see, a Southern Emu Wren. After lunch it was back to explore another area of Werribee Wetlands (Buff-banded Rail, Australian Crake, Royal Spoonbill). Finally, Simon dropped me back at my apartment in Melbourne. It had been an exhilarating day, throughout which Simon showed an extraordinary knowledge of the local birds, including their song, habits, ecology and where to find them. In total, we spotted or heard a total of 117 species (116 in my case since I missed the Southern Emu Wren). In summary, I can wholeheartedly recommend Simon's services as a bird guide.

Thanks to Simon, our small party has just had a memorable trip up to the Victorian mallee. Simon is a wonderful guide and a day out is enlivened by his unquenchable passion for birds. He is organised and flexible, and carefully adapts the days’ plan when weather conditions change to give you the best outcome on the day. He doesn’t over-promise, but has an almost uncanny ability to find a raft of rare or uncommon species for you. His knowledge is not limited to birds, so you may also learn a lot about local reptiles, mammals, vegetation, landscape changes, and the history of local settlement! Add to this Simon’s dry wit, good judgement, and unerring ability to find great places to eat en route, and quite frankly I could not recommend him highly enough!

Simon organised a fantastic 4 day trip through central Victoria to the Mallee in the North West of the state. He found many tricky species that we knew we would have great difficulty finding on our own, even though we live in Victoria. He patiently taught what distinctive markings to look for & was able to also talk about the mammals, reptiles & flora of the area. He organised an extensive schedule & maximised birding from dawn to spotlighting at night, whilst adding enough food & rest breaks to ensure an enjoyable trip. Simon is very easy going & happy to answer our many questions, plus adjust the itinerary as needed according to the weather & target birds. He is excellent company as well as a brilliant birder! Highly recommended.

Had a great time with Simon at the Werribee Water Treatment Plant. We saw 63 different types of birds and learned heaps! Would highly recommend!

Excellent 4 days of birding from Melbourne to the Mallee. Excellent local knowledge, wonderful ear - and eye - for the local birds. 187 species including many extremely rare and difficult to find species .

We had a fantastic day birdwatching with Simon! He provided exceptional service, and tailored the day perfectly for us as 'beginners'. I would highly recommend booking a tour with Firetail.

A full day of birdwatching! I only had the pleasure of one day with Simon - but it was a full one at that. Over 100+ species in one day. The itinerary Simon put together was perfect - though I know not everyone would get through 12 hrs, but I did and it was a truly a magnificently full day. Pick up was at my doorstep 6:30 am before sunrise and drop off at 6:30 pm. We hit 3 main areas - first to the east to Dandenong Ranges National Park to catch the Superb Lyrebird singing in the morning. Then back through the city to the west to You Yangs Regional Park and the massive Werribee Water Treatment area. All these areas were so different and yielded great looks at a huge variety of birds and landscapes. Simon was greatly knowledgeable and skilled identifying birds we heard and saw, but also sharing his momentary uncertainty and show of patience when waiting to see more definitive markings for an ID. He's also very quick with the scope setup to get eyes on birds which I much appreciated. If/when I'm back in the area I'll be sure to spend time with Simon again. Was a pleasure sharing such a day!

I thoroughly enjoyed my three days of birding with Simon. He has a great eye and a ditto ear and his knowledge about general natural and cultural history added depth to the experience - and enjoyable conversations. This was my first visit to Australia and the itinerary Simon arranged gave a wonderful introduction to the avifauna of several habitats (plus more lifers than I had expected during the Austral winter). If I have a chance to return, I would definitely engage him again.

Spent a long day with Simon. Said he'd get me 10 to 12 life time tics. True to his word he got me 11 lifers. He has a great ear and eye for birding. Good value and very productive. Referred to Simon from my son, would recommend him to anyone. Cheers Simon. Ian and Joy. WA.

I have been using Simon Starr for many years to guide me birding in the Melbourne area. He has a great knowledge of Australian birds and where to find them around Melbourne. He will pick you up at your hotel and can provide sustenance for the trip. He is very good company and easy to get on with and also takes some excellent photos of the birds seen. Personally Iwould not use anyone else.

Simon’s a top bloke 👍 will be coming back again!