Robert Francis

John James Novotny, born December 21, 1932, in Chicago, Illinois, entered into eternal rest on December 7, 2025. He was the beloved son of John and Rose Novotny, and from an early age displayed an adventurous spirit, an eagerness to learn, and a deep curi... See more

We’re Not Sending Our Best Americans have strong feelings about foreign birds naturalized in the U.S. It turns out we’ve also sent our fair share overseas. When I traveled to Paris for a wedding a few summers ago, I was obviously excited to explore the ci... See more

American Birds Abroad To Europeans, America’s cardinals and mockingbirds were plenty exotic—and they couldn’t get enough of them. “You must have a hobby of some kind in these parts, or you will die,” wrote the Reverend C. D. Farrar, “therefore take my tip... See more

Republic of Feathers I’m writing a book! If you talked to me for more than five minutes at any point between 2020 and 2024, I probably rambled your ear off about The Power Broker. In case you haven’t read it (or haven’t patiently listened to me trying to ... See more

Bird City New York City Can’t Live With Its Birds, And It Can’t Live Without Them No place in America has occupied a more dramatic intersection between its people and its birds than New York City. It was the end of the rail for birds killed for food, whic... See more