In many bird species, the sexes look pretty much the same to us: think sparrows, wrens, crows, jays, herons, gulls, most hawks, and more. And in the species that do look different, females often sport plain plumage designed to keep them camouflaged on the nest. Thus our eyes are drawn to the flashy male and we write off the female as “hard to ID” or “confusing,” or we think “just look for the male to figure out who she is.”
Join this class to study female birds on their own terms, not in comparison to male representatives of the species. We’ll take a look at several western North American species of finch, grosbeak, woodpecker, hummingbird, duck, hawk, and maybe a few surprises.

About the Instructor :
Laura Whittemore has been teaching classes in beginning birding and birding by ear for the Portland Audubon since 2000. She loves to teach people about birds and open the door to learning more about their fascinating and interesting lives. Her goal as a teacher is to help students raise their awareness of the natural world around them. Laura finds that taking just five minutes to slow down and watch birds creates a meaningful and inspiring connection with creatures other people might pass by.

Registration Fee : $25

Registration will open before Jul 15th

Picture: Bufflehead Female by Mick Thompson