James Currie

James Currie (born April 9, 1972) is a birding expert, conservation advocate, and host of Nikon’s Birding Adventures TV and Nat Geo Wild’s Aerial Assassins. Early life Currie was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. His parents owned and ran the restaurant at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on Table Mountain. Currie started birdwatching around the age of seven, becoming enamored of the power and beauty of birds after witnessing a black eagle swoop down and grab a rock hyrax right in front of him. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in African languages (he speaks Xhosa, Zulu and Afrikaans) from the University of Cape Town; a Master of Science in Environmental Management from Middlesex University; and worked for over a decade in Africa as a wildlife and birding tour guide. From 2004 to 2007, Currie was the managing director of the Africa Foundation, a nonprofit working to protect rural lands across Africa. Television Birding Adventures TV Currie created, produces and hosts Birding Adventures TV. The show, sponsored by Nikon, debuted in 2009 and was initially broadcast regionally on Fox Sports Net Florida and Comcast Southeast. In 2012, the show aired nationally on NBC Sports Network. The show also airs on CarbonTV. It focuses on rare and unusual birds, “the adventure of birding, the new smells, new bird calls, new wildlife and amazing cultures,” and emphasizes the importance of bird and wildlife habitat preservation. Going against stereotype, Birding Adventures showcases birding as an active sport, rather than a passive one. Episodes have been filmed around Florida and in exotic locations such as Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Australia and the Andes Mountains. There are 13 episodes per season.