


On leaving school, Kókay Szabolcs worked for BirdLife Hungary as a civil servant, and then to the Ministry for the Environment, Authority of Nature Conservation. He worked on the Washington Convention (CITES) for two years.
A keen birdwatcher from the age of 12 and drawing all his life, he began to take commissions from national parks and NGOs. Eventually he became a full-time illustrator.
He prefers to draw his subjects from life, spending an inordinate amount of time in the field. His favourite continent is Asia, and he especially enjoys studying Bengal tigers and snow leopards. In 2000, he won the PJC Award for the Bird Illustrator of the Year.
Szabolcs is married with two sons and lives in Budapest on an island in the River Danube.
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