508-228-9198

Dr. Bob Kennedy was the Director of Natural Sciences at the Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) from 2001 to 2010 and is now a Senior Research Fellow at MMA. He has been an ornithologist for over 50 years and has studied birds around the world. He graduated from the College of William & Mary with a BA in 1970 and an MA in 1971, and from Louisiana State University with a Ph.D. in 1977. He has held academic positions at many institutions and has published over 50 scientific and popular articles on birds. 

He began his studies of Ospreys in 1970 completing his Master’s Thesis on the Ospreys of Tidewater Virginia, and has continued his research with Ospreys over the past 19 years on Nantucket. Bob has satellite tracked two Ospreys from Nantucket and that study was part of a broader, program with Dr. Rob Bierregaard, to understand the movements and migration of Ospreys nesting in the Northeastern USA. He has also studied Barn Owls on Nantucket since 2001 originally with MMA Ornithologist Edith Andrews and now with Ginger Andrews.

Favorite bird seen on Nantucket

As for my favorite bird, that is really hard one since I like all birds. Osprey or Barn Owl would be my top choices since I have spent so much time with them, but if you just need one, I guess it would have to be Osprey since I have studied them for over 50 years!