The Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC) Talk with Kenn Kaufman
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
6:30 PM-8:00 PM
Join us for a talk with author Kenn Kaufman followed by a Q&A.
Center of the Bird World: Audubon and His Rivals in Philadelphia
Two centuries ago, in spring 1824, three birdmen known for their remarkable contributions to birding met in Philadelphia. George Ord, Vice President of the Academy of Natural Sciences, was launching a new edition of Alexander Wilson’s “American Ornithology.” Charles Bonaparte, Napoleon’s 20-year-old nephew, was just embarking on a journey to study and compare the bird species of North America and Europe. John James Audubon, returning after years on the frontier in Kentucky and Louisiana, was seeking a publisher for his monumental “Birds of America.” In an age of discovery and new ideas, encounters among these three men would change the course of bird study all over the world, as Kenn Kaufman describes in this program based on chapters from his latest book.
Kenn Kaufman
A keen naturalist from the age of six, Kenn Kaufman burst onto the birding scene as a teenager in the 1970s, hitchhiking all over North America in pursuit of birds—an adventure later chronicled in his cult-classic book, “Kingbird Highway.” After several years as a professional bird tour leader, taking groups to all seven continents, he transitioned to a career as a writer, editor and illustrator. The latest of his 14 books, “The Birds That Audubon Missed,” will be published in May 2024. Kenn is a field editor for the National Audubon Society, a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society and the only person to have received the American Birding Association’s lifetime achievement award twice.
The Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC) is one of the oldest ornithology organizations in the United States. Founded in 1890, the club has held regular meetings at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia for more than 125 years and has published the periodical Cassinia since 1901. Membership is open to any dues-paying person with an interest in birds. The club organizes birding field trips throughout the Delaware River valley region, including a dedicated year-round trip schedule within the city limits of Philadelphia (BirdPhilly).
Whether attending in person or via Zoom, register for the event.