Ricardo Urquijo was raised in contact with nature as he grew up on a family ranch near Mazatlan, an operation which he ran for 21 years after becoming an agronomy engineer. Ricardo is an amateur wildlife photographer and he started using photography to identify birds. He is very familiar with the birdlife of the state of Sinaloa, which he has traveled extensively. Ricardo has been the director of cultural programs for the city of Mazatlan as well as the director of the city's Angela Peralta Theater. Presently he works for the Sinaloa State Tourism Board. The Mazatlan Bird Festival will be Ricardo's first foray in the world of bird tour guiding yet his comprehensive and balanced knowledge of the area, familiarilty with the bird species and pleasant manner will be a valuable asset on any of the tours he may be assisting in.