Adult Opportunities

Field Study: Birds of Spring

Learn how to identify Illinois’ spring resident and migratory birds by sight and call.

Content Detail

After the first classroom session, the class will meet outdoors at The Morton Arboretum and other sites for the remaining weeks, visiting different habitats around the area. Participants will

  • learn to identify resident and migratory birds using bird calls,
  • learn to see key field marks for identification,
  • learn what behavioral clues to watch for to help in identification,
  • discuss feather arrangement and physical topography,
  • review daily checklists from the prior field days, and
  • meet fellow birders.

This program meets in person at the Arboretum.

Instructor: Denis Kania, birding instructor

Age: 16 and older

Course number: O602

Instructor

Denis Kania, birding instructor

Denis Kania has been teaching ecology and bird-related classes for The Morton Arboretum since 1997. He is a founding member of the DuPage Birding Club and leads outings nationally and abroad. When he is not teaching, he is monitoring birds at Fermilab or traveling to the friendly corners of the world in search of birds that he has not seen before.

What to Know

This program is held mostly outdoors. Please dress for the weather and for hiking on uneven terrain.

Several sessions will meet off-site; driving directions will be provided in class.

The recommended text, Sibley’s Birding Basics by David Allen Sibley, is available at The Arboretum Store.

Bring a water bottle, binoculars, and field guides.

Program Schedule

This program meets the following four times.

Saturday, April 13, 2024, 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, April 20, 2024, 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, April 27, 2024, 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, May 4, 2024, 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Thornhill Education Center

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