2020

Introduction to Bird Song

Wednesday evenings, February 5 – March 25, 7:00 – 8:30 pm.

Instructor: Bill Mueller was Director of the Western Great Lakes Bird & Bat Observatory until his retirement in October of 2019. Bill is currently serving on the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative’s Steering Committee and is the co-chair of the Issues Committee.  He has had many other leadership roles in bird conservation projects, including serving as Conservation Chair of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (2002 – 2012), as co-chair of the Midwest Aerial Insectivore Working Group, and as Project Coordinator for the Milwaukee BIOME Project.

The Course: This course will introduce students with varying prior skill levels to bird song identification.  We will also cover how and why birds sing, how they “use” song in their reproductive cycle, and incorporate the ecological and evolutionary functions of song. We will briefly survey current research on bird song, and how bird song is being used by science to understand many aspects of avian behavior and ecology. An overview of resources for studying bird song will be made available and demonstrated. The aesthetics of bird song will also be explored. A final skill test and methods and resources for further study will end the 8-week class period.  This course will be valuable to students who are just beginning to learn the bird songs, as well as those students who want to hone their skills and delve more deeply into an understanding of bird song.

Recommended materials: Please bring a laptop or tablet to the first class.

Click here for the syllabus.

Workshop fee: $80.00. Available for 1.2 CEU. Not offered for college credit.