BIRDING BY EAR: Learning techniques to identify birds without relying on sight

Co-organized by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, the Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired, and Aldo Leopold Nature Center

There is just one session this year: Saturday, May 4, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Aldo Leopold Nature Center and online (hybrid) format

Registration opens to all on March 1, 2024

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 anyone interested in birding by ear, of all physical abilities, ages, and birding skills.

Class structure and activities:

The class will begin in the classroom to focus on techniques and context for learning to bird by ear, and learn some of the most common bird sounds heard in early May in southern Wisconsin. In-person and online attendees will participate.
The in-person participants will then transition to spending time outdoors listening and practicing birding by ear. The online participants will listen to audio clips of different choruses and songs to practice birding by ear.
The class will reconvene in the classroom to share lessons and continue learning. In-person and online attendees will participate.

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 / SoWBA*

Fully accessible class

This class specially designed to serve those who experience vision impairment or loss, as well as individuals with full sight.

In 2024, the class will be held in person at Aldo Leopold Nature Center and online via Zoom. Materials will be available digitally and in standard print, large-print, and braille.

The paths at Aldo Leopold Nature Center are wide, relatively flat, and dirt and grass. There will be three options for participants to experience the outdoor component: a “Sit” which allows participants to remain in one place and observe the changing sounds of nature; a short-distance (approx. .5 mile) walk; and a long-distance (approx. 1.5 mile) walk.

WHEELCHAIR USE: Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance has one electric-powered outdoor wheelchair available for anyone to use for free. You can learn more about it here, and request it in the form when you register.

Or, if you want to use a more rugged, all-terrain, outdoor wheelchair for this field trip, Access Ability Wisconsin offers them for free! To reserve a chair and trailer, visit their website.

Register here!

Registration opens to all on March !

Registration fee: $20.00 per person; scholarships to cover registration fee are available – request when registering.
Enrollment cap: 25 individuals (which does not include sighted guides)

Access your cart here!

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.

About the Instructors:

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.

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.

Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (formerly 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 southern Wisconsin through land protection and restoration, youth and community education, citizen science, and advocacy. Learn more about SoWBA here.

Header photo by Mick Thompson