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ONLINE Course: Audubon at Home: Alabama’s Breeding Bird Songs
May 12, 2021 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
FreePre-registration is required by 12 p.m. CDT Tuesday, May 11th, and space is limited.
Visit https://alaudubon.org/event/
Spring is here, the leaves are on the trees and shrubs, and the birds have become considerably harder to see! They are here though—in great numbers—skulking along in the lush undergrowth or prowling around the branches behind the thick foliage. You hear them but can’t see them. What to do, what to do?
Join Paul Franklin to learn to beat them at their game by recognizing their songs. Doing so not only lets you identify which species is singing—telling you where to look and what to look for—but it also gives you a fuller enjoyment of the rich beauty and diversity of bird song.
At the peak of breeding season—when virtually all our birds are in full song—we will listen to recordings of our breeding species and help you sort the birds and their songs out by using methods to categorize and characterize the songs to make them more easily understandable. You’ll also get handout material to help guide you through the class, including the following: Simple Singers, De-coding Bird Songs, The Robin Song Family, Mimics and Name-sayers.
Where and when do we meet? This online course meets on six consecutive Wednesdays (5/12, 5/19, 5/26, 6/2, 6/9, and 6/16), from 6:30–7:30 p.m. CDT. It will be a one-hour online class with some time at the end for questions.
Cost: Your one-time registration fee of $60 covers all six meetings.* (While you are not required to attend each class, do note that we cannot refund individuals for partial attendance; however, we are recording our online courses and offering the recordings to registrants for a week after class night.) *We understand there are economic barriers that many are facing during this time. If you live in Alabama and would like to request financial assistance, please email us.*
Registration: Space is limited. To register, visit https://alaudubon.org/event/
Please note, you will receive a separate email with the Zoom webinar instructions before the first class (once registration closes).
About the instructor: A lifelong birder, Paul Franklin has taught birding courses at UAB, Samford University, the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and other institutions since 1987. As an active member of Alabama Audubon, Paul has served as chairman of the Field Trips and Conservation committees, volunteered as a bird-count compiler, and fulfilled two terms as president of the organization. Among other accomplishments, he has conducted Breeding Bird Survey routes for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, held a Master Bird Bander license, and acted as the state’s primary ornithologist during the development of the Alabama Birding Trail.
Photo credit: Carolina Wren singing to defend its territory. By Greg Harber.