2025 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
More information coming soon!
Kenn Kaufman
Wild America and the Legacy of Natural History
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Date: Friday, May 9, 2025
Time: 4-5 p.m. Location: Maumee Bay Lodge, Ballroom Fee: $15 Registration Required: Yes Seventy years have passed since publication of Wild America, written by Roger Tory Peterson, the most renowned American birder at the time, and his British counterpart, James Fisher. Peterson and Fisher had traveled around North America, from Newfoundland to Florida to northern Mexico to California to Alaska, an epic birding journey of a kind almost unheard of in the early 1950s. The two friends wrote about every bird species they could find but also about every other aspect of nature, and Wild America became an instant classic.
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The book had a lasting impact in several ways. It inspired at least two generations of naturalists. It set a very high bar for quality of nature writing. It fostered more communication between birders in North America and Europe and promoted the idea that birders should also take an interest in other areas of natural history. And it launched what would become a whole genre of “big year” birding books, including Kenn Kaufman’s Kingbird Highway. In this talk, Kenn will revisit Wild America and its legacy, to show how the book is still vitally relevant today.
Kenn burst onto the North American birding scene as a teenager in the 1970s hitch-hiking all over the continent 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.
Most of his energy currently goes into book projects and painting bird portraits. His 13 books include seven titles in his own series, Kaufman Field Guides, which are designed to encourage beginners by making the first steps in nature study as easy as possible. His most recent book was The Birds That Audubon Missed, published in May 2024.
Kenn is a field editor for the National Audubon Society and a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society, and is the only person alive to have received the American Birding Association’s lifetime achievement award twice.
Kenn burst onto the North American birding scene as a teenager in the 1970s hitch-hiking all over the continent 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.
Most of his energy currently goes into book projects and painting bird portraits. His 13 books include seven titles in his own series, Kaufman Field Guides, which are designed to encourage beginners by making the first steps in nature study as easy as possible. His most recent book was The Birds That Audubon Missed, published in May 2024.
Kenn is a field editor for the National Audubon Society and a Fellow of the American Ornithological Society, and is the only person alive to have received the American Birding Association’s lifetime achievement award twice.
Thank you to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute for sponsoring this keynote presentation!
Lillian Stokes and Matthew Young
Finches of the United States and Canada
Date: Saturday, May 10, 2025
Time: 4-5 p.m.
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge, Ballroom
Fee: $15
Registration Required: Yes
*Books will be available for sale at the festival with a book signing immediately following the keynote
Time: 4-5 p.m.
Location: Maumee Bay Lodge, Ballroom
Fee: $15
Registration Required: Yes
*Books will be available for sale at the festival with a book signing immediately following the keynote
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Matthew Young is the Founder and Board President of the Finch Research Network. Matthew has also worked in the field of social work with special needs populations at the William George Agency for almost 13 years. Additionally, Matthew worked at the Cornell Lab across 15 years where he worked on Golden-winged Warblers, Voices of Hawaii’s Birds, and Merlin Bird ID and was Project Lead on the Lab’s first Irruptive Finch Survey in 1999. Widely known as a preeminent authority on finches of North America, Matthew has written finch species accounts for breeding bird atlases and Birds of the World accounts and has published several papers on finches and the Red Crossbill vocal complex.
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Lillian Stokes is an award-winning author and photographer who produced 35 Stokes guides with her husband Don, selling over 5 million copies including the bestselling The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America, The Stokes Field Guide to Birds: Eastern and Western Regions, the Stokes Beginner's Guide to Birds, the Stokes Nature Guides, and the Stokes Backyard Nature Books. Lillian was producer and cohost of two national PBS birdwatching TV series seen by 40 million viewers. Other achievements and activities include: Federal Duck Stamp Judge, Partners in Flight National Conservation Award, Lifetime Achievement Award Kappa Kappa Gamma, Board of Directors of the Hawk Migration Association of North America, member of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, and former board member of NH Audubon.
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From backyards to wilderness peaks, finches are some of the most exciting, mysterious, and popular songbirds. In this information-packed talk, Lillian Stokes, best-selling author of 35 Stokes guides, and finch expert Matthew Young will introduce you to the 43 finches of the United States and Canada, from feeder-favorite goldfinches to Red Crossbill tribes to least-known mountain-top Black Rosy-Finches to endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers. Based on the new book, The Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada, the talk will cover finch identification, language, behavior, irruptions, how to conserve finches, and more. Infused throughout with quotes from the creative Quick Take chapter intros, filled with interesting facts, scientific knowledge, and stunning photos, this talk will leave you understanding so much more about the finches you thought you knew.
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Amar Ayyash
Man & Gull
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Date: Sunday, May 11, 2025
Time: 4-5 p.m. Location: Maumee Bay Lodge, Ballroom Fee: $15 Registration Required: Yes *Amar's book will be available for sale at the festival with a book signing immediately following his keynote Amar Ayyash is both an expert on the gulls of North America and an evangelist for "gull recreation." He coordinates the Illinois Ornithological Society’s Annual Gull Frolic on Lake Michigan, hosts the popular website anythinglarus.com, and is often found speaking at birding events throughout the continent. Much of his free time is dedicated to traveling the world to photograph and study gulls. Ayyash has published a number of papers and articles on gull identification, distribution, and molt. He is the author of the authoritative guide to North American Gulls--The Gull Guide. Amar lives in northern Illinois where he teaches mathematics. Among the world's “seabirds," gulls are the most accessible to humans, invading our most immediate surroundings. Gulls are sometimes perceived as second-class avian creatures. This, along with the identification challenges they present, has created a love-hate relationship with many birders. And yet, some of our most coveted bird species in the world are gulls, presenting us with an interesting juxtaposition. Amar Ayyash will take us through an entertaining and intriguing exploration of their natural history and taxonomy and will share some of their lesser-known adaptations and quirky behaviors.
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Stephen Moss
Two Nations Divided by a Common Language: The Story of English and American Bird Names
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Date: Monday, May 12, 2025
Time: 4-5 p.m. Location: Maumee Bay Lodge, Ballroom Fee: $15 Registration Required: Yes Stephen Moss is one of Britain’s leading nature writers and broadcasters. Now based in Somerset, he was born in London and read English at Cambridge before joining the BBC. His TV credits include the BAFTA award-winning Springwatch, The Nature of Britain, and Birds Britannia, while his books include ‘biographies’ of the Robin, Wren, Swallow, Swan, and Owl, and Ten Birds that Changed the World—recently published by Basic Books in the USA. After leading the MA Nature & Travel Writing at Bath Spa University, he is now a Visiting Research Fellow there, and also a Special Visiting Professor at the University of Nottingham. He currently works as the Global Consultant for Netvue Technologies Ltd, a company making bird feeder cameras and other related products. A lifelong naturalist, Stephen has travelled to all seven of the world’s continents in search of wildlife.
Loons or divers? Jaegers or skuas? Sparrows that are buntings, blackbirds that are icterids, and two sets of warblers--the American versions impossibly colorful and easy to identify, the British ones drab and told apart only by their songs! Bestselling author and lifelong birder Stephen Moss tells the compelling story of the origins of bird names on either side of the Atlantic Ocean, based on his book Mrs Moreau's Warbler: How Birds Got Their Names.
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Miyoko Chu
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Marvels, Moonshots, and a Movement for Birds:
How Birds, Birdwatchers, and AI Are Reshaping How We See and Conserve Nature Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Time: 4-5 p.m. Location: Maumee Bay Lodge, Ballroom Fee: $15 Registration Required: Yes Dr. Miyoko Chu is the senior director of Communications at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a nonprofit organization that engages people of all ages and backgrounds in the understanding and protection of birds and nature. An ornithologist and science writer, Miyoko led the team that developed and launched the Cornell Lab’s free Merlin Bird ID app which has now been downloaded more than 22 million times, sparking connections with birds around the world. She is the author of Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds; Birdscapes, a Pop-Up Celebration of Bird Songs in Stereo Sound; and America’s Favorite Birds: 40 Beautiful Birds to Color.
Birds are extraordinary—they dance in brilliant plumes, make music, engineer nests, navigate thousands of miles, and achieve feats under water and above land that no human can. In this talk, Miyoko Chu will celebrate the marvels of birds and explore one of their biggest superpowers of all—their ability to transform how humans see and steward the natural world.
Take a look at the future of bird conservation with Miyoko Chu, whose visionary work at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology led to the creation and launch of the Merlin Bird ID app. Miyoko will share how digital innovation, AI technology, and growing numbers of bird enthusiasts are generating unprecedented data and insights about 11,000 bird species around the world—and how you can join the movement to protect birds and the fabric of nature that sustains us all. |
Biggest Week Birder's Banquet:
An Evening with Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman
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Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Time: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Location: Maumee Bay Lodge, Ballroom Fee: $60 Registration Required: Yes Plated dinner included with registration fee One of the country's leading birding couples, the Kaufmans' passion, energy, and expertise not only created The Biggest Week but helped make it what it is today, an event that brings together thousands of birders from around the world to celebrate their shared love of birds and birding. |
Kimberly will present: Reflections on the Past. Visions for the Future
On this special night, Kimberly will reflect on 15 years of Biggest Week highlights and memories and share the vision for the future of this remarkable event and the organization at the center of so much joy.
But wait, there's MORE!
Kenn will present: Secret Superheroes of the Birding World
When we look at how birding has developed in North America, some famous names stand out—names like John James Audubon or Roger Tory Peterson. And it’s true that those people had a big impact on how we go birding today. But they’re not the only ones.
Kenn Kaufman has been researching the history of birding, ornithology, and bird conservation, and he has found that some of the most important, lasting influences came from people who didn’t necessarily become famous as a result. In this program he’ll talk about some of these little-known but amazing individuals, his “secret superheroes” of birding.
On this special night, Kimberly will reflect on 15 years of Biggest Week highlights and memories and share the vision for the future of this remarkable event and the organization at the center of so much joy.
But wait, there's MORE!
Kenn will present: Secret Superheroes of the Birding World
When we look at how birding has developed in North America, some famous names stand out—names like John James Audubon or Roger Tory Peterson. And it’s true that those people had a big impact on how we go birding today. But they’re not the only ones.
Kenn Kaufman has been researching the history of birding, ornithology, and bird conservation, and he has found that some of the most important, lasting influences came from people who didn’t necessarily become famous as a result. In this program he’ll talk about some of these little-known but amazing individuals, his “secret superheroes” of birding.
Dexter Patterson
Bird Joy for All
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Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025
Time: 4-5 p.m. Location: Maumee Bay Lodge, Ballroom Fee: $15 Registration Required: Yes Dexter Patterson, known as the "Wisco Birder" on social media, is passionate about making birdwatching accessible to everyone. With his energetic "You Ready? Let's Go!" videos, Dexter brings the excitement of bird discovery to a broad audience, captivating millions of viewers with his vibrant personality and commitment to nature. As an author, educator, photographer, and co-founder of the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, Dexter is dedicated to showing that birding is open to all and to sharing the joy of birdwatching across communities. His mission is to inspire a new generation of bird enthusiasts to explore the outdoors and celebrate the beauty around them.
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Join Dexter Patterson, the Wisco Birder, for his inspiring and educational program, "Bird Joy for All." A passionate advocate for inclusive birdwatching, Dexter’s engaging birding videos have captivated millions on social media and made him a beloved figure in the birding community. In this presentation, Dexter shares birdwatching's physical and mental health benefits, personal stories from his journey, and insights into how birding nurtures curiosity and a deep connection to nature.
"Bird Joy for All" will cover practical tips for introducing children to birdwatching, creating memorable family adventures, and fostering diversity in birding communities. Additionally, Dexter will highlight the role of birders in conservation and offer guidance on safety for all birders, particularly people of color, women, and differently-abled individuals. Attendees will leave with actionable tips, inspiring stories, and a renewed appreciation for the joy and accessibility of birdwatching.
As co-founder of the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, Dexter Patterson has made it his mission to make birding welcoming and accessible to everyone across the state. His vibrant social media presence captures his enthusiasm for sharing “Bird Joy” as he sings, dances, and discovers stunning birds throughout the state. Through his work, he demonstrates that birding is for all and continues to make a positive impact on fostering inclusivity within Madison and beyond.
"Bird Joy for All" will cover practical tips for introducing children to birdwatching, creating memorable family adventures, and fostering diversity in birding communities. Additionally, Dexter will highlight the role of birders in conservation and offer guidance on safety for all birders, particularly people of color, women, and differently-abled individuals. Attendees will leave with actionable tips, inspiring stories, and a renewed appreciation for the joy and accessibility of birdwatching.
As co-founder of the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, Dexter Patterson has made it his mission to make birding welcoming and accessible to everyone across the state. His vibrant social media presence captures his enthusiasm for sharing “Bird Joy” as he sings, dances, and discovers stunning birds throughout the state. Through his work, he demonstrates that birding is for all and continues to make a positive impact on fostering inclusivity within Madison and beyond.
Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza
Veracruz, River of Raptors: The World's Largest Raptor Migration
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Date: Friday, May 16, 2025
Time: 4-5 p.m. Location: Maumee Bay Lodge, Ballroom Fee: $15 Registration Required: Yes Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza is a professor and research scientist at the Universidad Veracruzana. He holds a B.Sc. in biology and a Ph.D. in ecology, evolution, and behavior from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is interested in bird migration and has studied raptors in Veracruz since 1991. Over the years, Ernesto has also worked in biodiversity conservation. He founded Pronatura Veracruz, a conservation non-profit, in 1994. For several years, Ernesto was part of the Rapid Inventories team of the Field Museum of Natural History doing extensive work in the western Amazon basin and providing support to local governments for the creation of protected areas. He currently lives in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, and, besides birdwatching, he enjoys running, open water swimming, and reading Latin American contemporary authors and scientific essays.
Millions of raptors and other Neotropical migratory birds are funneled through a narrow geographic bottleneck in Veracruz, Mexico. Twice a year, in spring and fall, Veracruzan skies are filled with spectacular flights of vultures, kites, hawks, storks, pelicans, and many other birds. For more than 30 years, Pronatura Veracruz and its collaborators at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and HawkWatch International have undertaken the task of promoting the world’s most important flyway for migratory raptors.
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We have identified a list of threats and set a long-term agenda for the conservation of this migration site of global importance. These threats include habitat loss, heavy agrochemical use, and negative attitudes towards raptors that result in direct persecution of these birds. The Veracruz River of Raptors was founded in 1991 as a long-term initiative to address these problems. Its conservation work is based on three work axes: (1) Monitoring and research, focused on population monitoring and studies of the ecology of migration, (2) The identification and protection of critical stopover habitat patches, and (3) Education and outreach, primarily of elementary school children and teachers and through the operation of a small facility to educate visitors on the importance of migratory birds and their conservation. Sustaining a conservation long-term endeavor like this requires clear plans and strategic goals, trained personnel, and sufficient funding. This program will discuss how this has been accomplished over the years and how our conservation team is actively collaborating in training and exchanges with many other sites of conservation importance for migratory raptors.
Lili Taylor
An Evening with Actor Lili Taylor, Author of TURNING TO BIRDS
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Date: Friday, May 16, 2025
Time: 7-8:30 p.m. Location: Maumee Bay Lodge, Ballroom Fee: $15 Registration Required: Yes Award-winning actor Lili Taylor will discuss her new book, TURNING TO BIRDS: The Power and Beauty of Noticing, revelatory essays on the transformative power of birdwatching and uncovering meaning in the natural world.
Lili Taylor is an award-winning movie, television, and theater actor. In the birding world, Lili is a board member of the National Audubon Society, the American Birding Association, and the New York City Bird Alliance. Lili nests in Brooklyn and upstate New York with her husband, the memoirist and poet Nick Flynn, and their daughter. In TURNING TO BIRDS: The Power and Beauty of Noticing (Crown Hardcover; On Sale 4/29/25), Lili shares her intimate encounters with the birds that have captured her heart and imagination through the years in a series of beautifully crafted essays. From learning the virtue of patience from the Gambel’s quail in New Mexico to experiencing a moment of connection with the wonderfully strange woodcock in Ohio, from the exhilaration of witnessing a migratory flock from the top of the Empire State Building to the quiet joy of observing a nest of hatchlings in her own backyard, Lili demonstrates how she has been shown a parallel world through birdwatching that is wider and deeper, one of constant change and movement, full of life and the will to survive. TURNING TO BIRDS is an invitation to mindfulness, urging readers to notice the world anew no matter where they may reside. Her lyrical prose and thoughtful meditations on both the art we make and the art we discover around us create a sense of intimacy and wonder, accompanied by beautiful illustrations of some of her favorite birds. |
Denver Holt
Snowy Owls & Lemmings: 35 Years of Predator-Prey Dynamics in the Arctic
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Date: Saturday, May 17, 2025
Time: 4-5 p.m. Location: Maumee Bay Lodge, Ballroom Fee: $15 Registration Required: Yes *Sponsored by The Owl Research Institute Founder of the Owl Research Institute, Denver’s research has been published in many academic journals. He is currently the team leader for Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s Snowy Owl species account, as well as an authority who has been acknowledged by the media, including a cover story for National Geographic magazine in Dec. 2002 and a feature in the New York Times in 2011. His work has been the subject of many television bits on major networks, as well as featured on Audubon’s Up-Close series, PBS’s Bird Watch, Disney, and David Attenborough’s The Life of Birds, and the film The Magic of the Snowy Owl, among others. His research on Snowy Owls has been showcased on documentaries for National Geographic Explorer, NHK Natural History Unit of Japan, and the Norwegian Broadcasting Company Natural History Unit. His Snowy Owl research has also been the focus of the British Broadcasting Company’s (BBC) documentary series, Frozen Earth, a sequel to the highly acclaimed Planet Earth series, and most recently, he was a co-producer for "SoCal Snowy Owl," a short documentary that was chosen for the Newport Beach Film Festival in 2024. Denver has been fortunate to speak at many major bird festivals throughout the United States and gave a TEDxBozeman talk in 2023.
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Denver Holt, founder of the Owl Research Institute (ORI), will share insights from 35 years of dedicated Snowy Owl research in Utqiaġvik/Barrow, Alaska. He will highlight the intricate relationship between Snowy Owls and their primary prey, the lemming, and explore the alarming declines both species have faced at that location over the recent decades. Holt will discuss the critical role of predator-prey dynamics in Arctic ecosystems, the potential causes of these population shifts, and why understanding these changes is essential for conservation efforts. This presentation offers a rare glimpse into the nuances of Arctic wildlife and the ongoing challenges they face. The ORI stands as one of the most active owl research groups in the world. Their organization is reinvigorating the essence of 'boots on the ground' field research. For over 40 years, Denver and the ORI have been dedicated to the pursuit of in-depth and long-lasting studies that illuminate the enigmatic world of owls and their intricate ecology. Listeners will come away with a comprehensive understanding of why long-term studies are essential for revealing population trends, changes in climate, and unraveling these complex ecological puzzles for long-term survival and conservation strategies for owls in general.