ATTENTION: Exhibition changeover is taking place in the main floor galleries. Admission is pay what you want. Anderson Gallery and Mezzanine remain open with Roger Tory Peterson and Plein Air exhibits. Also please note that this coming Saturday, October 4th, we will be closing the museum at 1 pm for a private event. Thank you for your patience.
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Flights of Feathers: Migratory Birds Exhibition Opening

October 9, 2026 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute

Members FREE
Non-members $12

Register

Please join us on Friday, October 9, 2026, for the opening reception of Flights of Feathers: Migratory Birds! Guests will be the first to experience the second major exhibition of the year, and learn about how and why birds travel hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles, during their migrations!

The artworks included in this exhibition display various birds and how they handle migrations (or don’t migrate at all, and why). Original paintings, pencil sketches, and ink drawings by Roger Tory Peterson span from 1941 to 1980, depicted in his field guides, Wild America, World of Birds, Bird Watcher’s Anthology, and miscellaneous projects done early in his career. Also on display are his original photographs, which he used for both reference images and for publication in books and articles. These are held in conversation with current photos reproduced courtesy of the Macaulay Library at Cornell University.

Jim Berry, former President of RTPI and a Master Bird Bander, will provide brief opening remarks. Berry served as coeditor of Bob Sundell’s Birds of Chautauqua County, New York and Nearby Areas. Prior to his seventeen years at RTPI, Berry was the Executive Director of the Cincinnati Nature Center for ten years, and before that spent fourteen years with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). During his ODNR tenure, he held various positions: Park Ranger at Mohican State Park, Park Naturalist at Hueston Woods State Park, and Park Manager at Malabar Farm State Park. He holds a B.S. degree in Natural History Interpretation from Ohio State University.

The evening includes live music and charcuterie. A cash bar and nonalcoholic beverages will also be available.