Why learn bird song?
Knowing which bird species are breeding on a site is a valuable aid in directing habitat management. Because they respond quickly to habitat change, are easily visible and fairly easy to identify, birds are one of the primary groups used to assess habitat change and habitat quality and, thus, to direct management. Many species are scarce or decreasing and managing areas for their breeding is crucial if we are to reverse this trend and prevent breeding sites being mismanaged or inadvertently destroyed.
Having a knowledge of bird song is integral in conducting breeding bird surveys to assess which species are breeding where. A knowledge of their calls gives you further insight into which species use the site at other times of year.
Bird songs and calls are a complete enigma to many bird watchers and with such a huge variety of sounds, many people do not attempt to learn who is making which sound! With practice all bird songs and calls can be learnt and on this course we shall give you a starting point in this subject by teaching you the songs of the commoner species.
Whether you wish to take part in a survey, conduct your own one or just be able to locate the more secretive species by their songs and calls then this course will make a valuable addition to your wildlife knowledge.
The course
This one day course gives you the basics of how to identify bird songs and calls. As with all Project Fred courses we intend to give you the tools with which to identify the subject, so that you can then identify bird song when you are on your own.
The course assumes that you can identify some of the commoner birds by sight.
Learn about
- Identification, both in the classroom and in the field.
- Difference between songs and calls and the function of both.
- Technological aids - we go through some of the more useful web sites, CDs, DVDs and other new technological aids that can help you with bird ID
Highlights include
- Identification practice in the classroom using CDs.
- Unique hand outs to help you ID birds from their song with certain characteristics set out that will help you to group certain species together.
- Field work - to develop identification skills.
Equipment and things to bring
Bring your own binoculars. If you have a field guide to bird song or CDs please do bring these along too. A notebook and pencil are useful.
The course will involve some walking, but there will be nothing too strenuous. Strong, comfortable walking boots or shoes are therefore important, as is a good selection of appropriate clothing to the time of year - all in natural colours as far as possible please - greens and browns are preferable. A small rucksack will also be useful for carrying your equipment. Wellingtons may be needed at some sites. Drinks and snacks can also be bought along.
This course is most effectively run during spring (February to May) as this is when there are more species singing.
Cost
£40 per person. Group size minimum 5 and maximum 15 people. Smaller groups can be catered for at a standard cost of £200 per course. Larger groups may also be accommodated. Conservation Groups and Charities may be able to get a discount. Please contact us to discuss.
