Date: 6/23/26 6:38 pm From: Bob Reed via groups.io <bobreed1987...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] topics for zoom birding courses
Flier?
Bob Reed
COL US Army, Retired
334-283-5886 Home
334-207-0985 Mobile
On Tue, Jun 23, 2026 at 8:32 PM Yaukey, Peter via groups.io <pyaukey=
<uhcno.edu...> wrote:
> AL Birders:
>
> As promised, here is a list of topics I cover in my four birding courses
> (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced I, Advanced II). They are listed in
> the that order below.
>
> Within each course, I have divided (loosely) content into four
> categories: 1) Biology and Appearance; 2) Behavior and Distribution; 3)
> Birding Tips; and 4) Identification of particular species. Each two hour
> zoom session has content from all four, given in that sequence.
>
> Beginning Birding is starting this Sunday evening, as I indicated last
> time. I have re-attache flier.
>
> PY
>
>
>
> *BEGINNING BIRDING*
> *BIOLOGY AND APPEARANCE*
> Avian morphology- names of body parts I
> Timing and patterns of moult
> Orders of birds in the Southeastern USA
> Migration I- introduction
> *BEHAVIOR AND DISTRIBUTION*
> Annual Cycle
> Songs and calls
> Territoriality
> Types of nests
> Mating systems, courtship
> Brood parasites
> Eggs, incubation, nestlings
> Migration II- migratory dynamics
> *BIRDING TIPS*
> Binoculars, camera, scope
> Clothing
> Good birding vehicles
> Hazards and dangers
> Attracting to your yard
> Online resources, books
> Migration III- finding migrants
> *IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES*
> Backyard birds I
> Backyard birds II
> Backyard birds III
> Beyond the backyard (but in town) I
> Beyond backyard (in town) II
>
> *INTERMEDIATE BIRDING*
> *BIOLOGY AND APPEARANCE*
> The process of identification—field marks, giss, sex and age differences
> Field mark nomenclature
> Folding of wing and tail
> Names of birds
> Splitting and lumping
> Use of 4-letter name codes
> Flight
> Sensory abilities- sight, sound, smell
> *BEHAVIOR AND DISTRIBUTION*
> Nest vs roost, colonial, communal
> Flocking patterns
> Foraging behavior and terminology
> Bird navigation- magnetism, sun, stars, etc
> Introduced species- processes, impacts, local examples
> *BIRDING TIPS*
> Annual calendar (monthly highlights)
> How to find birds I
> How to find birds II
> Working weather to find birds
> Assessing bird size in field
> Counting birds
> Use of eBird (and limitations of eBird)
> Scientific names commonly used by birders
> *IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES*
> Identification of c. 75 common species (not covered in Beginning Birding)
>
> *ADVANCED BIRDING I*
> *BIOLOGY AND APPEARANCE*
> Feather structure and types
> Morphology- advanced wing feather terminology
> Subspecies, hybrids, clines, morphs
> *BEHAVIOR AND DISTRIBUTION*
> Range expansion and contraction
> *BIRDING TIPS*
> Organized counting efforts (Christmas Count, BBS, etc)
> Methods of expressing bird abundance
> Making eBird lists maximally useful to science
> North American biomes and habitats
> Famous birding areas SE USA, and in N America
> Morning flight
> Urban birding: habitats to target
> *IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES*
> Wrens
> Vireos
> Swifts and swallows
> Doves
> Raptors
> Fall warblers
>
> *ADVANCED BIRDING II*
> *BIOLOGY AND APPEARANCE*
> Extinct species
> Endangered and threatened species
> Historical development of bird conservation movement
> Refuge system, Important Bird Areas, etc
> Scientific research methods- tracking, counting, capturing/ringing
> *BEHAVIOR AND DISTRIBUTION*
> Global patterns of bird migration
> Strategies employed by migrating birds
> Transgulf and circumgulf migration
> Vagrancy- patterns and mechanisms
> Attracting winter hummingbird vagrants
> *BIRDING TIPS*
> History of recreational birding in North America
> Personal notes and lists
> Submitting to bird record committees, making mistakes
> Big Days and Years, twitching advice and terminology
> Bird photography- tips
> *IDENTIFICATION OF SPECIES*
> Flycatchers
> Gulls
> Shorebirds
>
>
> *Peter H. Yaukey, Ph.D.*
>
>
> *Departmental Chair and Professor of Biology *
>
> *Department of Biological and Physical Sciences*
>
> *University of Holy Cross*
>
> *4123 Woodland Drive*
>
> *New Orleans, LA 70131*
>
> *504-398-2312 Direct*
>
> *504-394-7744 Main*
>
>
>
> [image: cid:91D4B89B-2D58-4695-9437-0B7014880A72]
>
>
>
>
