Gonçalo Elias was born in Lisbon in 1968. He has been dedicated to birdwatching and bird studies since December 1987. He has extensive field experience combined with a strong knowledge of the territory, having visited all municipalities of mainland Portugal and almost all those of the islands, as well as more than 30 countries across four continents, with the aim of observing wild birds. He has contributed to eight ornithological atlases in Portugal, Spain, and Tanzania. He is the author or co-author of twenty books on Portuguese birds and the best locations to observe them, as well as several articles published in specialized journals. A founding member of SPEA – the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds, where he served on the Board of Directors from 1999 to 2002, he was also the coordinator of the CPR – Portuguese Rarities Committee from 2002 to 2006. Since 2007, he has been promoting birdwatching activities through new information and communication technologies, being the founder and administrator of Forum Aves, as well as the founder and coordinator of the portal avesdeportugal.info, launched in January 2008. Through this portal, he has been organizing free online courses since 2011, aiming to promote the development of wild bird identification skills among the Portuguese-speaking community. He holds a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering (IST, 1991) and an MBA in Business Management (UNL, 1996). He is also a certified professional trainer by IEFP.