This class is for those who are new or fairly new to eBird. eBird is an online database used by birders across the world. It is a repository for bird sightings and a great resource for birders to track their birding stats and learn more about birds and birding. Researchers also use the data to answer questions about bird populations, range expansion and other pressing questions about birds and their conservation. State of the Birds reports regularly rely on eBird data along with Christmas Bird Count data and North American Breeding Bird Survey data to draw conclusions about the status of our birds. eBird is an amazing tool that all birders should be familiar with!

This class will prepare you to start using eBird for your benefit as well as the benefit of our amazing birds. The class will include virtual classroom instruction and in-person field work. We will cover how to set up your account and then head outside to go birding and create new checklists. We’ll discuss how to add photos, audio files and age and sex information to your checklists and how to share your checklists with fellow birders. And then, we’ll explore the many ways of using eBird to improve your birding skills, find target birds, and find new places to go birding. It will be a very full class with lots of useful and fun information. The dates for the virtual classroom sessions are August 13 and 27 from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM, and the field trip will be held on August 17 from 7:00 AM to 10:30 AM. Access to a desktop or laptop computer is recommended for practical exercises during the class sessions.

Shelia Hargis is the instructor for this class. She has been birding for 25+ years and is totally obsessed with birds! She spends most of her free time birding or thinking about birds. In addition to teaching classes for Travis Audubon, Shelia gives presentations on a variety of bird topics, surveys birds for the City of Austin and the North American Breeding Bird Survey as well as private landowners, and regularly leads birding and bird behavior field trips. She is Past President of both Travis Audubon and Texas Ornithological Society and a Capital Area Master Naturalist.

The tuition for the workshop is $70 for Travis Audubon members and $90 for non-members. The limit for the class is 15, so register now! If you have any questions, contact Shelia Hargis at shelia.hargis@gmail.com or 512-294-0272.

REGISTER HERE

Payment for a class, workshop, or other fee-based event is due at the time of registration. If payment is not received within a week of registration, the registrant may be dropped from the roster. To withdraw from a class, workshop, or other fee-based event, please contact the Travis Audubon office: 512-300-BIRD (2473) or info@travisaudubon.org.

If a registrant withdraws from a class, workshop, or other fee-based event at least seven (7) days before the first session, Travis Audubon will offer a full refund less a $5.00 administrative fee that helps defray our costs. If the registrant withdraws less than seven (7) days before the first session, no refund will be made. If Travis Audubon cancels the class, workshop, or other fee-based event, we will fully refund the tuition.

The email used to register for this class will be used to communicate any changes or cancellations due to weather or other factors. Please ALWAYS check your email inbox on the morning of the class trips, prior to leaving your home, in case of last-minute changes in the trip plan. Please also check to be sure our emails do not land in your spam folder. When in doubt, please call or email your instructor. We encourage participants to put the instructor’s email address in their safe sender list. Their contact information is included in this class description.