Recognizing and Identifying Birds by Their Vocalizations is an important part of enjoyable and successful birding. Geoff Williamson, recipient of the 2013 Ludlow Griscom Award from the American Birding Association, given for outstanding contributions to regional ornithology, will introduce us to “birding by ear.” Many experienced birders will say that 90% of their birding is done "by ear." Those conducting censuses and surveys find this skill especially important. But but even the casual bird watcher will find ear-birding skills quite useful. In many situations, such as forest and marshland birding, birding by ear is valuable in locating and identifying birds when they are difficult to see. This presentation describes basic concepts in bird vocalizations and provides organizing principles for learning to bird by ear. The talk also discusses the many resources available to the person looking to acquire or improve ear-birding skills. 7:30 pm at the Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd, Evanston. Park in the Ladd Arboretum Parking lot between Bridge Street and Emerson/Golf Rds. The bridge is under construction and traffic is one way towards McCormick Blvd.
