Chris Spurgeon's fascination with birds began in college where he studied ornithology, with a particular interest in the evolution of bird behavior. During his college years he became an intern at National Public Radio, which led him away from ornithology and into careers in public broadcasting, online communication, and web programming. His interest in birding was rekindled about a decade ago when his family moved to southern California and he was blown away by the variety of local bird life. Chris describes himself as a perpetually beginning birder, and surely holds the Pasadena Audubon Society record for the greatest number of confused and incorrect bird identifications during PAS field trips. He also refuses to back away from his controversial opinion that "House Sparrows are actually kinda cool".