VIRTUAL SERIES
An Introduction to Bird ID – Birding by Sight & Sound
Thursdays, April 17 & May 1 / 5:30 PM – 7 PM
$15 per session; FREE for VINS Members

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Have you ever noticed a small flash of color high in the treetops and wondered what species of bird you are looking at, or awoken to the dawn chorus of songbirds and wished you could identify who was singing outside your window?

If you want to get better at identifying birds by sight and sound then join VINS for these virtual classes that will introduce you to the basics of birding. Begin your birding journey this spring!

Suggested Materials:
No materials are required. For those who wish to get into birding, suggested materials include a notebook or journal and binoculars as well as field guides. A selection of field guides are available for purchase at the VINS Nature Store.

These workshops are designed for the beginner to intermediate birder and open to all ages.

April 17 – Birding by Sight
There are 265 birds found regularly in Vermont. Being able to quickly recognize body shape, size, behavior, and habitat can help narrow down the list of possible matches from hundreds to a handful. Distinct field markings can then get you the rest of the way to a positive ID. In this class, we will compare the wide variety of shapes and sizes that exist in the bird world and begin to understand how to use our general impressions of birds to build our identification skills.

May 1 – Birding by Sound
When foliage is thick and birds are hidden deep within the protective leaves of a tree or in the uppermost part of the forest canopy, one of the only ways to potentially identify them is by listening to their call. A spring or summer soundscape in Vermont is full of a wide variety of wonderful bird calls and being able to identify a single bird call amongst the many sounds can seem a daunting task. This class will hone your ear to some of the most common songbird calls to start building your birding-by-ear foundation.

Field Guides Recommended by VINS Educators:

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of East & Central North America
Guide to birds of eastern and central North America guides a unique identification system, which has been called the greatest invention since binoculars. This guide is illustrated with drawings and photographs in color and black and white and all provide up to date range information and the most useful descriptions, pinpoints key field marks for quick recognition and easy comparison of species.

National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America
This fully revised edition of the best-selling North American bird field guide is the most up-to-date guide on the market. Perfect for beginning to advanced birders, it is the only book organized to match the latest American Ornithological Society taxonomy.

National Audubon Field Guide to North America Birds: Eastern Region
This wonderful field guide describes over 500 species of birds on the Eastern Region of North America in 800+ pages. Featuring nearly 700 vivid, full-color photographs, they include a detailed range map for each species.

Stan Tekiela’s Birding for Beginners: Northeast
This accessible guide for an increasingly popular hobby teaches how to attract a variety of birds with specific food and create a welcoming space for year-round and migratory birds.

Sibley’s Backyard Birds of the Northeast
A virtually indestructible, waterproof folding guide covers the most frequently seen species of the region, including illustrations, descriptions, size, and range all taken from the award-winning Sibley Guide to Birds.

For more information, contact us at 802.359.5000 or info@vinsweb.org.