Up Close and Personal with Birds

Class Description

This course will explore a variety of bird species as they sleep, eat, sing, and dance. We’ll unravel the mysteries of the secret lives of birds, with an emphasis on Midwestern species. We will examine these topics through historic texts, and students will come away with a better understanding of these often-overlooked but fundamental aspects of the avian life cycle. The class will conclude with an optional field trip to watch waterfowl exhibiting some of these behaviors.

Bob Dolgan is a birder, writer, filmmaker, and former editor of the Meadowlark birding journal. He also serves as Director of Communications at the Newberry.

What to Expect

Format: In Person 

Class Capacity: 24 

Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged 

Materials List

Required

• Bernd Heinrich, Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures with Wolf-Birds. Ecco Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780061136054

• Digital Course Packet

• Other Instructor-Distributed Materials

First Reading (in the Digital Course Packet)

• Read chapters 5 through 11 of Birds Asleep by Alexander Skutch

• Read the Bank Swallow article from the Wilson Bulletin, pages 235-264.

A Brief Syllabus

1. Sleeping Birds
2. The Diet of Birds
3. Singing Birds
4. Dancing Birds

Cost and Registration

4 Sessions, $175 ($157.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.

We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($175), Community Supported ($160), and Sponsor ($185). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.

To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.

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Questions?

Call us at (312) 255-3700 or send us an email at adulteducation@newberry.org.

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