Since 2010 I’ve taught classes for the Travis Audubon Society in Austin, Texas with the intent of, not just teaching bird identification, but of training “better birders”. Typically these classes meet 3-4 times, with each session running 2-2.5 hours, and generally include 1-3 field trips.
As of early 2026, I’ve taught or co-taught 32 classes consisting of about 312 hours in class, about 123 individual sessions, and 84 class field trips. Over 260 students have participated, with many students returning multiple times.
In addition to my classes listed below, over the past 25+ years, the Travis Audubon Society has offered a diverse array of birding and nature classes provided by other talented teachers, including: Introduction to Birds and Birding, Beginning Backyard Birding, Purple Martins, Sparrows, Waterfowl, Spring Warblers, Fall Warblers, Raptors, eBird Workshop, Owls, Introduction to Bird Behavior, Hummingbirds, Grasses, Backyard Gardening for birds, and many others. See https://travisaudubon.org/classes-list#Full-class-list for a full class list.
These classes require 100s of hours of highly pleasurable preparation and they help support Travis Audubon’s work. For these reasons the class materials are reserved for students of the classes. However, please see the Bird Photographs, Commentaries, & Self Study section of my website for many hours of free instructional material designed specifically for the intermediate birder.
Please see Travis Audubon’s webpage at https://travisaudubon.org/ if you are interested in taking one of these classes.
Classes Taught
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This intermediate level class addresses some of the bird identification conundrums that face the Texas birder. The class focuses on detailed identification of specific species, such as flycatchers, swallows, meadowlarks, thrushes, vireos, orioles, tanagers, and other birds found in Texas which present identification problems. The class also includes exercises and non-identification lectures designed to improve the student’s birding skills and knowledge. (Taught 2020/2021, 2025).
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This class teaches how to memorize birdsong for quick identification in the field. It focuses on the birds of central Texas and also presents numerous topics related to birdsong, such as: dialects, acquisition of song, using spectrograms and the anatomy of singing birds. (Taught 2010-2015, 2018, 2019).
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“The Empids”, as they are both affectionately and disparagingly known, are one of the most notorious identification challenges for the North American birder. This class will set you on the road to identification of this troublesome group. In addition to identification lectures, the class will focus on exercises and mnemonics designed for you to first see the subtle differences in these species, and then to remember them. (Taught 2021, 2023).
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This class addresses identification of the flycatchers found in Texas. It includes an introduction to the Empids. (Taught 2021, 2022).
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This class addresses the gulls and terns found in Texas. It initially focuses on the six most common gulls of Texas and then introduces all other gulls recorded in Texas. (Taught 2021-2024, 2026).
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This class is intended for intermediate birders who would like to increase their skills at identifying sandpipers, plovers, godwits, phalaropes, dowitchers, and other shorebirds. (Taught 2012-2026).