BIRDING BY EAR: Learning techniques to identify birds without relying on sight
Co-organized with the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired
First session: April 27, 6:00-8:00 p.m. | or | April 29, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Second session: May 6, 8:00-10:00 a.m. | or | May 11, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Just as unique as their coloration and shape, bird sounds come in all tunes and pitches. Identifying birds by their song is an exciting activity and skill, and any experienced bird watcher will tell you that most birding is done without actually seeing the bird, but by hearing it.
This class teaches the tools and techniques for identifying birds by close listening (we don’t spend a lot of time memorizing particular bird songs). We welcome participants who are new to the hobby of birding by ear, as well as birders of any level interested in continuing to learn and practice their birding by ear skills. This class is for folks of all visual abilities (sighted, visually impaired, or blind).
If you have taken this class in previous years, we are thrilled to see your continued interest! In order to allow a variety of folks to participate, we give registration priority to new participants. Please keep an eye on our field trips list for upcoming Birding by Ear meet-ups later this summer and fall.
The first session will focus on techniques and context, as well as introduce some of the most common bird sounds heard in early May in southern Wisconsin. The second session will focus on strengthening your listen-memory skills and strategies for picking a song out of a chorus. While the class content is geared for Wisconsinites, the skills and techniques learned in this class can be transferred anywhere!
Attendees of the 2019 Birding by Ear class during the outdoor class component. A group of nearly 30 people stand on a path in the woods. Some have white canes, all are smiling. Photo by Brenna Marsicek / Madison Audubon
Fully accessible class
This class specially designed to serve those who experience vision impairment or loss, as well as individuals with full sight.
In 2023, the first week’s class sessions will be held online via Zoom. Materials will be available digitally. If unable to access them, we can mail large font or Braille options.
The second week will be held at Warner Park in northern Madison. The paths at this location are wide, relatively flat, and asphalt or packed gravel. There will be an option to join the “Sit” group which will not walk through the park, but instead stay in one place to observe which birds are in that area. The park is located along the Metro Transit bus line 21.
WHEELCHAIR USE: Want to use an all-terrain, outdoor wheelchair for the field trip component? Access Ability Wisconsin offers them for free! To reserve a chair and trailer, visit their website. If you need help coordinating a wheelchair for this trip, please let us know (Brenna Marsicek, bmarsicek@madisonaudubon.org).
Dates and times:
We are offering a weeknight date and a weekend date for both class sessions to accommodate varying schedules. When you register, you will select 1 of the 2 date options for each session.
It is required to attend one of the class sessions/first sessions in order to attend the field trip/second session.
First session: April 27, 6:00-8:00 p.m. | or | April 29, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Second session: May 6, 8:00-10:00 a.m. | or | May 11, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Register here!
Registration is open to all!
Registration fee: $20.00 per person; scholarships to cover registration fee are available – request when registering.
Enrollment cap: 25 individuals per class (50 total)
Additional Birding by Ear resources:
The world of Birding by Ear is a wonderfully expansive one! Here are a few resources to heighten your curiosity:
An article by Michael Hurban, an avid birder who is legally blind, describes why birding by ear is important to him.
It’s a Bird World podcast by BBC, focusing on humans’ relationships with birds and how birds can alert us to changes in the environment. The podcast offers great audio and image descriptions.
The World According to Sound and Bird Note teamed up to create an immersive audio event that explores the sounds of a wide variety of birds — they mail you an eye mask to use during the event as part of your registration package! Registration is available here, and you can use discount code BirdsEncore25 to get a 25% discount.
About the Instructors:
Course instructor Kerry Wilcox
Kerry Wilcox worked as an avian biologist in numerous states from 1997-2017, and since moving back to his home state of Wisconsin he has been working as a GIS Specialist focused on monitoring public lands. He has always enjoyed learning the songs and calls of birds and other wildlife, and finds that sound is often the first (and best) clue as to the identity of songbirds in Wisconsin.
Kerry has led the Birding by Ear course since 2018.
Course instructor Jim Denham
Jim Denham is the Access Technology Specialist with the Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired. In this role, he conducts technology assessments and provides training on a wide array of tools, such as screen readers, screen magnification software, smart phones and refreshable braille displays. Being blind himself, Jim utilizes much of this technology on a daily basis. He is passionate about helping individuals with disabilities learn to use technology to accomplish tasks that seem impossible. Jim is an avid birder and enjoys the intersection of technology and nature.
About the Organizations:
The Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired promotes the dignity and empowerment of the people of Wisconsin who live with vision loss through advocacy, education, and vision services. They do this through advocacy, education, and vision services. Learn more about the Council here.
Madison Audubon, established in 1935 as the Madison Bird Club, is today one of the most dynamic Audubon chapters in the nation. We bring birds into the lives of our more than 3,000 local members (and many others!) throughout south-central Wisconsin through land protection and restoration, youth and community education, citizen science, and advocacy. Learn more about Madison Audubon here.
Header photo by Mick Thompson
