Federico "Fred" Fiorillo

Federico Fiorillo is an Italian nature guide and content writer based in the magnificent Val de Bagnes, Switzerland. He’s an avid hiker and snowboarder and he travels to the great wilderness areas of the world to see the wildlife and birds he’s passionate about.

In 2008 and 2011 he joined two Brazilian wildlife field trips in Bahia and decided that observing birds in their habitat was going to be one of his driving passions. He completed a birdwatching course with EBN Italia in 2013, and then in 2014 and 2015 he travelled to South East Asia, Australia and the United States where he joined a photographic workshop at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Utah.

From 2016 to 2018 he lives in New Zealand, where he collaborates in environmental projects at the Otorohanga Kiwi House, which since 1971 protects kiwi and other New Zealand native birds, among the projects he worked hands on the most rewarding was the one aiming to release Brown Kiwis into the wild.

In 2017, he completes a backcountry survival course obtaining the skillsets needed to thrive in-stead of just survive in the face of adversity in the wilderness. In 2017 he also joins a NZ Bird Photography Tour in Ulva Island and at the Royal Albatross Center of the Otago Peninsula, home to the world’s only mainland Royal Albatross breeding colony.

After his travels across the South Pacific, following his experiences in 2018 he moves in the Swiss Alps where he’s now a nature guide leading tours in the alpine region between Switzerland, Italy and France. Leading nature walks and overnight hiking trips, teaching tourists and locals the secrets of the plants and animals living in this alpine region.

Inspired by an alternative lifestyle he believes in the importance of being in connection with the natural environment and feels the responsibility of interpreting the natural wealth of a site, educating and informing other of the different aspects of that particular area.

mallard duck

The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) – The Wide-Billed Duck

Considered the progenitor of all domestic duck breeds, the mallard is widespread in our ponds and waterways, nowadays adapted to live both in the countryside and in the city – as long as they offer an adequate environment for its stay. Its...

Yellowhammer

The Yellowhammer Bird (Emberiza citrinella)

The Yellowhammer is the most widespread and most frequent species of bunting in Europe and lives preferably in agricultural landscapes where hedges, orchards, fields and meadows are present. Already at the beginning of spring the male plays his...

Alpine Chough

The Alpine Chough Bird (Pyrrhocorax graculus)

The Alpine chough is a familiar figure for mountain-goers: an acrobat of the air, it sails effortlessly around the highest peaks facing the most impetuous winds. Winter tourism allows these birds to resist even during the cold season at altitudes of...

Greater Flamingo closeup

The Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

Summer, low humid plain. It’s here that, at any moment, the dense network of canals between the mouth of rivers and the wide expanse of the valleys can be coloured by hundreds of flamingos, in search of food, and sometimes in search of fresh water...

Little egret

The Little Egret – A Note Of Whiteness On The Water

White as snow, the little egret lands on the shallow water of the swamps showing off the long white flight feathers, which make this heron reach a meter long wingspan. The neck is long and sinuous, with a sharp and pointy beak, often used to pierce...

Blackbird

Amazing Black Bird with Yellow Beak – Common Blackbird

With its melodious flute song, which sometimes resounds already in January, the blackbird is one of the first heralds of spring. He likes to sing from exposed places, such as rooftops or treetops, so that his singing can be heard from far away. The...

Striated heron

The Striated Heron – A Stealthy Fish Hunter

Also called little heron or mangrove heron, the latter name gives away its preferred habitat as it is a common bird in the mangrove forests of coastal areas of Oceania, Central and South America as well as Asia and the South Pacific Ocean island...

Southern white-faced owl

The Southern White-Faced Owl – A Little Big Owl

The Southern white-faced owl is a “miniature owl” of the African savannah. This little owl has nocturnal habits and is not a great flyer, but prefers to jump on the ground in search of small prey. If disturbed, it swells the plumage and...

Laughing dove

The Laughing Dove – The Bird Loyal To Its Mate For Life

The Laughing dove is a small bird that lives in the sub-Saharan regions of the African continent, in the Middle East and as far as India. This small dove and its long tale are often found in dry bushes and semi-desert environments, where the...