This is a Wings over Whidbey Free Festival Event

In-Person and Zoom

Tom Bancroft

Join ornithologist Thomas Bancroft as he shares his love and extensive knowledge of the birds of Washington State in his presentation, “The Joy of Spring and Summer Birds”.

Birds are amazing. Here in Washington, they range in size from minute hummingbirds to swans and eagles. Some stay here all year; others fly incredible distances in their migration. Thrushes have songs like a woodwind quartet, while hawks and vultures squawk and screech. These creatures always leave me with a sense of awe. Their hollow bones and air sacks make them light enough to fly, and their cardiovascular system is far more efficient than the best mammalian athletes. Evolution has blessed the world with more kinds of birds than mammals, heck, more perching birds than mammals. This is unquestionably the age of birds.

This talk will explore birds that are in Washington during the spring and summer. We will look at common ones, hard-to-identify ones, and some rare or more difficult-to-discover ones. Songs, distributions, and migrations will all be topics to ponder. Oh, and then how have they evolved? Our journey will jump from Whidbey Island to the Puget Sound lowlands and even over the top of the Cascades to Eastern Washington, all with the goal of leaving us mesmerized by our feathered friends. Perhaps we can make some sense of why birds leave us with wonder, awe, and incredible joy.

Tom has been a birder all his life and has a Ph.D. in Ornithology.

His career focused on birds, their science, and conservation.

After graduate school, he worked on Everglades and Florida Keys protection, studying wading birds, white-crowned pigeons, and the ecosystems of south Florida.

Then he moved to Washington, DC, to work at the interface of science and policy. Before moving to Seattle, Tom served as Chief Scientist for National Audubon, helping them integrate with the work of Birdlife International across the Americas and advising the Department of Interior on their guidelines for siting wind turbines. He remains active in pushing a conservation agenda.

Most of Tom’s time is spent spreading the wonder and fascination of birds and nature through writing, leading field trips, and photography.

This program will be presented live and via Zoom. Registration is required. Please note that below is a registration form for live attendance and a different registration form for Zoom attendance. Please select the correct form for your situation. Live attendance is limited to 120 people.

Register below for
In-Person Attendance.

Register below for
Zoom Attendance.