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.

Spotted nutcracker

The Spotted Nutcracker – Birds With An Excellent Memory

The spotted nutcracker is characterized by a very strong bond with the Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra) on which it absolutely depends. The remains of pine cones and hazelnuts, split on stumps and cracks in the trunks, are often clearly visible...

Linnet

The Linnet – A Bird Always On The Move!

During the winter, the species stays in the meadows, in numerous flocks, or in the open countryside, where it ventures, among hedges and rows, in search of seeds or some insects. Distinctly gregarious habits that the species sometimes maintains even...

Southern grey shrike

The Southern Grey Shrike – The Butcher Bird

The behavior of the southern grey shrike makes it one of the most striking birds; in fact, its biology leaves no one indifferent as the southern grey shrike (Lanius meridionalis) is one of the most particular birds that can be found in the Iberian...

Black redstart

The Black Redstart – A Red Tail Always On Alert

Originally the black redstart was living almost exclusively in rocky areas, but already in the 18th and 19th centuries, due to the increasing urbanization and expansion of cities, it spread to the plains and then into the cities and villages, using...

Eurasian wigeon

The Eurasian Wigeon – The Deafening Whistling Duck

The Eurasian wigeon is a bird of the Anatidae family. It is the most terrestrial among surface ducks and the sound that is emitted by the male in the mating season is very similar to a high pitched whistle. The Eurasian wigeon is included in the...

Black-headed duck

The Black-Headed Duck – A South American Anatidae

Much like a typical duck, its plumage and other features suggest not a parental relationship, but a convergent evolution in the ancestors of stiff-tailed ducks. It is a small dark duck: the male has a black head and coat, and a lighter side and...

Muscovy duck

The Muscovy Duck – A Duck With Red Face

The Muscovy duck is a species native to South America and in Europe, in its domestic form. It’s specialised in the production of excellent quality meat (even if it does not enjoy a great reputation for the smell of musk that emanates from the...

Demoiselle crane

The Demoiselle Crane – The Smallest Species Of Crane Around

Definitely one of the most elegant birds of the world: the shapes, the grace and the style of this bird are summed up in its scientific name: “anthropoides”, human like, and “virgo”, latin for young lady, demoiselle. Characteristics appreciated...