About Kenn Kaufman

Captivated by birds at the age of six, Kenn Kaufman burst onto the North American birding scene as a teenager, hitch-hiking around the continent in pursuit of new species; those adventures were later chronicled in a book, Kingbird Highway, which has become a cult classic. Kenn went on to lead birding tours on all seven continents and to become a prolific writer. He's now a field editor for Audubon magazine, on the editorial board for WildBird, and a columnist for Birder's World and Bird Watcher's Digest. His own Kaufman Field Guides series includes volumes on North American birds (in English and Spanish), butterflies, mammals, and insects. Kenn lives in northern Ohio with his wife, Kimberly, who is currently executive director of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory.

Will and Kate: the prequel

If you pay close attention to the popular media, you may have noticed recent references to some couple named “Will and Kate.”  Perhaps you’ve been mystified as to the identity […]

SparrowTime

I am blessed to live in a major migration hotspot. Northwestern Ohio, USA, has fabulous concentrations of migrants in spring and fall. Visiting birders come here to see the waterfowl, […]

Location Matters

The idea of “green energy” is popular today, as it should be.  It makes sense for us to find ways to produce power in non-polluting ways, from renewable sources, to […]

First Bird of the Year?

Generally I’m not superstitious. If I’m lucky, I’ll never have reason to be superstitious (knock on wood). But all my life, ever since I started birding at the age of […]

Worthen’s Sparrow: What is it?

Worthen’s Sparrow (Spizella wortheni) has been a creature of mystery ever since its discovery.  It was first found in the southwestern United States, near Silver City, New Mexico, in June […]

Inverted Invaders

We could call them “nutcases” instead of “nuthatches,” and we wouldn’t be far off.  Nuthatches don’t hatch nuts; they run around on trees, clambering up, clambering down headfirst, making nasal […]

Rising From The Caves

During the last week of October 2010, an intense low-pressure system moved from west to east across the mid-latitudes of North America.  Local weather forecasters wondered whether it would become […]

Lovable gulls for gull-haters!

First: ugly Gulls! I admit it: I love gulls.  They are endlessly fascinating and challenging.  If we look at a gull flock closely, we find that no two individuals look […]