ADVANCED WORKSHOPS
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Advanced Techniques for Birding by Ear: How to Achieve Lifelong Improvement in This Core Skill Set
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Presented by John C. Robinson
Date: Friday, May 7 Time: 9:30 AM EDT Registration required The experienced birder with an existing foundation of bird identification skills is typically interested in improving those skills at a regional, national, or international scale. Many choose to focus on their ability to "bird by ear." Award-winning author and ornithologist John C. Robinson will introduce a set of advanced techniques that can be adapted year-after-year to fine-tune one's ability to identify similar-sounding bird species or challenging species groups, regardless of geographic location. |
Divas in the Treetops - When and Why do Female Birds Sing?
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Presented by Lauryn Benedict
Date: Friday, May 7 Time: 3:30 PM EDT Registration required Do female birds sing? They certainly do. Female bird song is more common and widespread than is generally appreciated. This presentation will offer an overview of the diversity of female songs, including many from North America and a few used in spectacular partner duets. It will discuss what can be learned from studying the songs of female birds, and explain how citizen scientists can help advance the field by looking for singing females in their own backyards. |
Tidal Marsh Sparrows: Surviving the Flood
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Presented by Arthur Sanchez Jr.
Date: Saturday, May 8 Time: 9:30 AM EDT Registration required Come join me and discover how tidal marsh sparrows survive the flood as a tiny little egg, until they fly into adulthood in one of the most harrowing environments. We will be discussing some basic ecology of the Saltmarsh and Seaside Sparrows, including range and distribution, population trends, threats, and how my MS research will help conserve these salty-caramel-pumpkin-birds. |
Identifying and Appreciating Flycatchers
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Presented by Kenn Kaufman
Date: Saturday, May 8 Time: 3:30 PM EDT Registration required Intimidated by flycatchers? Don’t be! Flycatchers are fascinating birds with quite a reputation! Small, active, and challenging to identify, flycatchers can cause great consternation among birders. A better understanding of what to look (and listen!) for, and where and when to look, can help to unravel the mysteries of flycatcher identification. In this advanced workshop, one of the leading authorities on the subject, Kenn Kaufman, will share tips and techniques for identifying and appreciating flycatchers based on concepts from his highly-acclaimed book Kaufman Field Guide to Advanced Birding. |
Who Keeps Changing My Field Guide?
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Presented by Dr. Andy Jones
Date: Sunday, May 9 Time: 9:30 AM EDT Registration required The market for bird identification guides is enormous, with uncountable numbers of field guides by many authors and publishers. On top of that, existing field guides are constantly being updated and released as new editions, encouraging birders to spend more money to stay on top of changing names and identification techniques. But this isn't a conspiracy by the field guide publishers! Instead, field guides are being updated to capture the changing worlds of identification and, particularly, taxonomy in ornithology. This talk will highlight several major reasons for why the common and scientific names of the birds are not the same today as when you first started birding (remember the Rufous-sided Towhee, the Slate-colored Junco, and the Northern Oriole?). The talk will also cover some of the prospects for future changes. |
Shorebird ID Challenges
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Presented by Kevin Karlson
Date: Sunday, May 9 Time: 3:30 PM EDT Registration required This short workshop concentrates on some of the more challenging shorebird ID scenarios that birders encounter on a regular basis. Due to the short time frame, we will not cover all the shorebird species in North America, but instead show how to identify and separate some of the species that cause regular ID problems for birders using text imbedded on the images to reinforce what Kevin says in his own words. Some of the species covered include the yellowlegs, dowitchers, peeps, and plovers. A number of regular occurring shorebirds species will also be shown, but not covered in serious detail. This workshop does not concentrate on a myriad of technical terms, but some basic feather terminology is used. Birders of all skill levels will find some helpful information in this workshop. |
Intro to Gull Identification Workshop
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Presented by Amar Ayyash
Date: Monday, May 10 Time: 9:30 AM EDT Registration required Gulls have gained a love-hate relationship with many birders. Among these are some of the most coveted bird species in the world, but not without their challenges. Recent genetic data and frequent hybridization in this family compel us to reassess the very concept of a species. Amar will touch on these topics as he highlights identification obstacles that aren’t often addressed in many field guides. This workshop will emphasize several essential topics in gull identification such as the aging process, variable plumages, and feather molt. Come join us and take your Gull ID skills to the next level! |
Advanced Warbler ID
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Presented by Tom Stephenson
Date: Monday, May 10 Time: 3:30 PM EDT Registration required Our warblers are some of the most beautiful birds in the world. But their beautiful colors often blind birders to many of their most important ID points. This problem is compounded by the often brief and obstructed views we have in the field. This talk discusses many of these very important but often overlooked ID points such as overall contrast, subtle facial features, color impressions, feather edging, rump contrast, and foraging style, location, and behavior. And fortunately, viewing a warbler from below can reveal some of the most important ID points for many species. Learn how many tail and undertail covert patterns are, in fact, diagnostic alone or when combined with one other ID point. Individual species, especially the most challenging to identify, will also be discussed with outlines of the important ID points, comparisons with similar species, and illustrations of how even partial views can be used to identify many of even the most challenging warbler species |