Laughing Whitefish Bird Alliance presents…
Feather Wars: And the Great Crusade to Save Birds
Presenter: James McCommons, NMU professor emeritus
February 18, 2026 (Wednesday) on
ZOOM @ 7 PM
James McCommons will talk about his upcoming nonfiction book, The Feathers Wars and the Great Crusade to America’s Birds, focusing on the transition from shotgun ornithology to sight recognition and the simultaneous evolution of optics and user-friendly field guides that led to the popularity of recreational birding. The Feather Wars has been described as an entertaining and expansive work of American history about how disparate characters―progressive politicians, free-thinking society belles, nature writers and artists, bird-loving U.S. presidents, gunmakers, business titans, and brave game wardens―came together in the early 20th century to save hundreds of species of birds. The book, to be published in hardback by St. Martin’s Press on March 17, 2026, is available for preorder at  https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250286895/thefeatherwars/. James McCommons is a professor emeritus at NMU and a veteran journalist, specializing in ecology, environmental and travel topics. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Audubon, Discover among other publications. He is the author of Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service, and Camera Hunter: George Shiras III and the Birth of Wildlife Photography.

Cathy Waller is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Laughing Whitefish Bird Alliance Zoom Meeting on “Feather Wars: And the Great Crusade to Save Birds” with James McCommons
Time: Feb 18, 2026 06:30 PM America/Detroit
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82207404731?pwd=z5ai8gV8YmQPYGr41rtJCyxwcRmaE5.1
Meeting ID: 822 0740 4731
Passcode: 258091
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