Nesting Warblers of the Allegheny Plateau: Where Birding Began in America - the Home of Roger Tory Peterson

Highlights:

Bird where it all started... in the footsteps of Roger Tory Peterson
A partnership with the American Birding Association and RTPI makes this festival one of the best in 2011
New for 2011: 3 all-day field experiences with expert leaders for regional specialties of warblers, sparrows, vireos and flycatchers
Many other 1/2 day field trips to local hot-spots
Workshops & Trips by notable bird research scientists and field ornithologists
Tour the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, the repository of Peterson's lifetime body of work

Resources

Many of your questions answered in our FAQ section
Checklist of Birds from our 2009 & 2010 festivals
If you have questions about the Roger Tory Peterson Birding festival, e-mail Jim Berry or call (800) 758-6841 x225
Read our blog and keep up with the latest Festival news!
Download the Registration Form

Young Birders Day: On Saturday June 9, 2012 there will be a major addition to the Roger Tory Peterson Birding Festival. It will be a series of events and activities designed for young people who enjoy nature, science and anything adventuresome. A live bird of prey demonstration, a bird-banding demonstration involving the capture and release of wild birds, and birding hikes on nearby trails. No preregistration is necessary. Contact birdingfestival@rtpi.org for more information.

Featured Speaker

Greg Miller, of will be the keynote speaker at the Roger Tory Peterson Birding Festival on Saturday June 9, 2012 at 7:00 PM. Greg's exploits in attempting to break the world's record for the most bird sigthings in North America in 1-year were recorded in the movie "The Big Year." The film was based on the book "The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession" which was written by Mark Obmascik. Greg's character in the film was played by Jack Black, Greg will also co-lead the Piney tract field trip on Friday June 8, 2012. Contact birdingfestival@rtpi.org for more information.

Featured Program

John Rappole

On Thursday night June 9th there will be a reception at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute headquarters. President Jim Berry will give a special presentation on The Peterson Collection, where he will unveil a few of the rarest pieces of Peterson art and memoribilia and talk about their significance. Also featured will be Dr. John Rappole.John is the author of Birds of Texas: A Field Guide, Ecology of Migratory Birds: A Neotropical Perspective and Wildlife of the Mid-Atlantic; A Complete Reference manual.

Featured Trips

RTPI_Birding_Fest_2009011 The Pennsylvania Whirlwind Warbler Tour is quickly shaping up into a warbler "Big Day" with 16 species reported on this same trip in 2010. Running on Friday June 10, this trip covers land within Allegheny National Forests and other nearby public lands and is led by Forest Service Ornithologist Dr. Scott Stoleson and other PA experts. Cerulean, Black-throated Blue, Mourning and Blackburnian Warblers are sure to be seen. Sign up early for this one. See all trips...

About the 2012 Festival

hooded_warbler_morrell.jpg_copy_copy The Fourth Annual Roger Tory Peterson Festival, June 8 -9, 2012, will include many new events designed to appeal to novice birders and to those who simply wish to enjoy and learn more about nature with like-minded folk. While many of the Festival’s field trips and sessions are planned for serious intermediate and hard-core birders, on Saturday June 9 young people and their parents are invited to participate in hands-on experiences and beginner field trips at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. These will provide an easy introduction and a great environment for helping young and old alike find the pleasures many have derived from an engagement with nature. Experts will be available to help with binoculars, advice on backyard bird feeding and other bird related interests . A live raptor exhibit and a bird-banding demonstration will enable all to get up close and personal with these creatures usually seen only in the distance.

Family Fun Day List of Activities

As a young boy, Roger Tory Peterson explored his Jamestown environment, learning at the hands of an exceptional teacher. The Roger Tory Peterson Institute’s aim for the Third Annual Festival is to offer the same type of introductory teaching that helped inspire and propel Roger Tory Peterson into his marvelous career. We hope you will join us.