October Program Meeting

Seabirds and Pelagic Birding in North America, by Pete Janzen

As a group, seabirds are among the least known and enigmatic bird species in the world and North America.  Pete will provide an overview of the seabirds and other wildlife found offshore on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, as well as coastal Alaska.  Most of the species of alcids, shearwaters, petrels, storm-petrels, gannets, boobies, cormorants, jaegers and skuas that occur in North American waters will be discussed, along with whales, dolphins, seals, and other pelagic wildlife. The program will also discuss other aspects of pelagic birding, some of the more popular pelagic destinations and conservation concerns.

 Pete Janzen has been an active birder throughout the United States, Kansas, and the Wichita area since the late 1970’s.  He is the author of The Birds of Sedgwick County and Cheney Reservoir (2006), and (co-authored with Bob Gress), The Guide to Kansas Birds and Birding Hotspots, Revised and Expanded (2025). He has had a particular interest in pelagic birding since 1994, when he took his first pelagic trip from Monterey, California with Shearwater Journeys.  Since then, he has been on nearly 20 offshore pelagic birding expeditions throughout the United States and Canada. In the past he has served as an officer of Wichita Audubon and the Kansas Ornithological Society and is currently the vice-president of WAS.  He is a graduate of Wichita State University

NOTE: Our programs this year will be in the Cargill Learning Center at the Sedgwick County Zoo. We will also have dinner with our speaker before the program at Jason’s Deli, 7447 W 21st St N, at 5:30 pm.