Birding for Beginners and Near Beginners

Photo Credit: Oscar Palmquist

Are you curious about those birds visiting your backyard feeder, hiding in your shrubs, or hanging around that nearby park you like to visit so much? Would you like to put a name with them?  If so, this could be the class for you.

Who Should Take This Class? You know if you're a beginner and, if so, this class is for you.  But just what do we mean by a "near beginner?"  You could be a near beginner if (1) you've been looking at birds on your own but feel stuck and in need of the help and direction a class can give, or (2) you've even taken a class or two but still have problems finding and identifying a lot of birds.

Class Description: The course includes two classroom meetings with slide and video presentations and four field trips to a variety of Eugene area sites.

Elements of bird identification (ID) will be linked to observation of bird behavior and habitat relationships with interesting tidbits of bird natural history sprinkled throughout.  Knowledge of the habitat a bird selects and the place it occupies in that habitat is an important part of learning bird ID.  Likewise, knowledge of bird behavior can be very useful.  The way a bird flies, feeds, or otherwise behaves can be just as important in ID as whether it has an eye ring or a banded tail.  In this class, the questions "where is the bird hanging out?" and "what is it doing?" will be asked just as often as "what color is it" or "does it have a wing patch?"  In other words, there is a lot more to bird identification than appearance.

In this way you'll be expanding your general knowledge and appreciation of birds while developing and improving your ID skills.  And you'll be encouraged by the relaxed atmosphere and pace of the class.  The goal here is to learn a lot about birds but not at the expense of enjoyment.

Instructor: Dave Bontrager

Classroom Location: All sessions will meet at the West Eugene Wetlands Education Center (also known as the Red House) located at 751 S. Danebo Ave., Eugene.

Schedule for Section 1

Classroom Meetings 

(Wednesday evenings 6:30 - 9PM)

Feb 5  &  Feb 26

Field Trips

(Wednesday mornings 8 - 11AM)

Feb 19,  Mar 12,  Mar 26,  Apr 9

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Schedule for Section 2

Classroom Meetings

(Thursday evenings 6:30 - 9PM)

Feb 6  &  Feb 27

Field Trips

(Sunday mornings 8 - 11AM)

Feb 23,  Mar 16,  Mar 30,  Apr 13

Class Fee: $50  

Please send all class fee payments to, check or money order to:

WREN, 751 S. Danebo Ave., Eugene, OR 97402

** Check or Money Order Only ** 

To Register:

If you'd like to register, send an e-mail to susanna@wewetlands.org  with your name, phone number. Then send in your class fee payment (check only) to WREN, 751 S. Danebo Ave., Eugene, OR 97402. (If you would like to pay cash you will need to make arrangements to drop it off in person.)

This will be the only way to register.

You will be notified if you are on the class roster or if you have been added to the waitlist. WREN must receive your class fee PRIOR to the first class for the section you are registering to attend (February 5th or February 6th) to confirm your space in the class. 

Each class section is limited to 15 participants.