Specialty Workshops
As part of the Lifelong Birding Series we are pleased to offer Specialty Workshops. Intended as stand-alone classes, these workshops are a great opportunity to focus on a specific group of birds and brush up on your identification skills. Instructors go into detail on similar species, identification techniques, and vocalizations. These workshops are for advanced beginner to intermediate birders.
All specialty workshops take place over the course of two days. In the workshop summaries below, the first date listed is the day of the classroom session and the second date listed is the field trip outing. The cost for all specialty workshops is $110 for members and $145 for non-members. All classroom sessions take place on Thursdays (unless otherwise noted) from 5:30pm – 8:30pm in the conference room of the Historic Y building on University and 5th (See parking map). All field trips are on Saturdays from 7:00 am - 5:00 pm. Transportation to the field trip sites is the responsibility of the participant; carpooling is highly recommended. Workshops are limited to 10 participants.
Register online for any of these workshops by clicking the link below. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by email or phone at 520-209-1812 if you have any questions.
SAVE THE DATES FOR OUR FALL 2013 WORKSHOPS! REGISTRATION INFORMATION IS COMING SOON!
All Specialty Workshops are taught by Homer Hansen, Director of Wings over Willcox
Warblers: August 8 & 10, 2013 
Get into birding shape before the Tucson Bird and Wildlife Festival! Learn how to distinguish those challenging fall warblers. Key structural characteristics and similar species comparisons will be taught during this workshop, along with an introduction to learning warbler vocalizations.
Flycatchers: September 5 & 7, 2013
Do you have the post-Festival blues?! Continue exploring our region and its elusive birds and LEAP into the identification of Empidonax and Myiarchus flycatchers! This workshop introduces you to the diverse family Tyrannidae and highlights the ways to separate the kingbirds, pewees, empids and flycatchers of southeastern Arizona.
Sparrows: February 2014. Dates TBD
Often skulky and elusive, these “little brown jobs” are often overlooked in the field. As part of this workshop, you will learn how to find and observe sparrows in their preferred habitat. Useful foraging behaviors and flight characteristics are presented by genera and vocalizations for breeding species are reviewed. The significance of bill shape and size, wing length and tail length are all discussed in relation to identification. This workshop covers 34 species of sparrows, towhees, and longspurs that may be found in the southwest.
Raptors: February 2014. Dates TBD
A favorite among birdwatchers, raptors impress us with their size and speed. Though there are not many species of raptors, identification challenges arise from variations in their plumages due to age, sub-species or color morphs. In this workshop, you will learn to recognize species apart from their plumages and learn behaviors that aid in their identification. The importance of a raptor’s wing shape and its influence on flight and behavior and other physiological features will be presented. This workshop covers 28 species of raptors that can be found in the southwest.
Birding by Ear: April 2014. Dates TBD
Learn to use your ears as much as (if not more than) your eyes while birding your favorite destinations. This class will delve into the world of bird vocalizations and give you a framework for learning the voices of our master singers. The evening classroom session will introduce you to sonograms and vocalization types, as well as work on comparisons between similar sounding Arizona species. The field trip will give students a chance to use these skills in the field. Vocalizations will be recorded and brought back to the classroom to analyze.
