Develop your songbird identification by sight and sound, and learn how to use technology to help you!

This course involves three weekly online sessions of 100 minutes, with a trainer:participant ratio of about 1:30. Participants’ microphones are muted during the sessions but there is a large interactive component, using chat messaging, polls and non-verbal signals to your webcam. The live sessions are complemented by supported self-study exercises, and we place a strong emphasis on providing tools and techniques that will help you to continue your learning after the course.

Compared to ‘Bird ID’, our Songbird ID course includes:

• greater coverage of some more challenging groups (e.g. warblers, pipits, chats)
• an introduction to bird topography as a tool for helping you to understand descriptions in bird books and better describe the birds you see
• specific guidance on using a smartphone to photograph and sound-record the birds you encounter
• advice on how to create your own sonograms.

With the above in mind, we feel this course is best suited to ‘improvers’, rather than beginners.

The training will be run by BTO staff Nick Moran, Kate Fox and Jenny Donelan, all experienced birdwatchers, surveyors and trainers.