David Sarkozi

David Sarkozi began birding as a teenager in Central Texas. Although college briefly pulled him away from the hobby, it quickly became a full-blown obsession afterward. He has now been birding for over 45 years—and still owns his very first field guide.

David served as President of the Texas Ornithological Society and was a board member for 16 years. He has led countless field trips across Texas and has a special interest in birding in Belize. Through his company, KoziBirding, he has organized more than 30 birding trips to the country.

In 2016, David retired after a 35-year career at the University of Houston, where he was Manager of Public Safety Systems. His birding accomplishments are equally impressive: he completed two Texas Big Years, recording 500 species in 2015 and 509 species in 2017. In 2019, he became the first person to bird in all 254 Texas counties within a single calendar year.

David also enjoys creating birding challenges and games, including the Texas Local Patch Challenge and the Texas Century Club. Outside of birding, he’s passionate about cooking and craft beer—boasting a "beer life list" of over 1,600 brews and visits to more than 100 breweries. Recently, he has rekindled his interest in amateur radio and holds an Extra Class license.