$49 - SHOREBIRDS: 3-Part ID Workshop with Kevin Karlson
About this Course
This interactive indoor workshop shares a different approach to field identification that concentrates initially on basic impressions of size, body shape, structural features and behavior to build an accurate mental snapshot of every shorebird seen in the field. Traditional field ID analysis of plumage and bare parts are then added to form a more complete mental ID picture. Real life and digitized comparative photos encourage the audience to spot differences between similar species in side-by-side comparison, and questions may be posed in the chat room during the program. Aging and sexing shorebirds is also covered in this comprehensive workshop, with simple guidelines on how to age some shorebirds. This ID approach is similar to the one used in Kevin’s bestselling book The Shorebird Guide (Houghton Mifflin, 2006).

Kevin will be sharing 41 years of personal tips for identifying and understanding the nature and behavior of shorebirds, including many that are not available anywhere in print or digital media. Casual birders will easily grasp some of this information, and some will test the skills of the most seasoned birders. This workshop is suited for both casual and expert birders, and the ability to go back and review the show at your leisure makes it the perfect comprehensive coverage of this often-difficult bird family. One price gives you the exposure to all three parts of the workshop. Test your birding and observation skills by attending this workshop, and remove many of the problems you might have with these wonderful birds.
This Course Has 4 Sections
  • LIVE: Thursday, July 9, 2020 @ 7:00 PM EDT
    Introduction to Shorebirds and species coverage of four North American shorebird Families
    Thursday, July 9, 2020 · 7:00 PM EDT
    A general overview of these wading birds in the Order Charadriiformes, which also includes skuas, jaegers, gulls, terns, skimmers and alcids, will start the workshop, with some interesting natural history stories about shorebird behavior and migration. Kevin worked four summers in the Alaskan Arctic as a shorebird biologist (1992-95), and he has many interesting tales to tell about these amazing birds. A brief introduction to each of the four family groups listed above will then be followed by comprehensive coverage of each species, including ID tips and natural history information.
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  • LIVE: Thursday, July 16, 2020 @ 7:00 PM EDT
    Sandpipers and Phalaropes
    Thursday, July 16, 2020 · 7:00 PM EDT
    Thirty-six of the roughly 50 species of shorebirds that breed in N. America are grouped in the Family Scolopacidae, including sandpipers and phalaropes. Some of these provide the most difficult ID challenges for birders, so we will only cover this group in this session. Kevin will provide a general overview of each species, with some comparisons of similar species. The really in depth coverage of the most difficult shorebird species will be covered in session 3.
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  • LIVE: Thursday, July 23, 2020 @ 7:00 PM EDT
    Detailed ID Coverage of the Most Difficult Shorebirds PLUS Vagrants & Rarities
    Thursday, July 23, 2020 · 7:00 PM EDT
    This session will provide brief coverage of regular vagrants and some expected rarities, with comparison photos of similar N. American species if applicable. Kevin will then give in depth coverage on how to separate the most difficult shorebird species in North America using real life or digitized photos, including similar species in side-by-side comparison. Pertinent ID tips are embedded into the digital images so participants can see the most important features to concentrate on. A good amount of the information is personal to Kevin and not available in other print or digital media, which should help participants in separating these tough similar species. Some of the species covered include dowitchers; Western and Semi-palmated Sandpipers; Eastern and Western Willet; American and Pacific-golden Plovers; and nonbreeding phalaropes. Forty-one years of Kevin’s study of these birds will be shared during this workshop, so save yourself some time and review it with Kevin in a relatively short amount of time.
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  • Shorebirds Part III (continued) Plus QUIZ
    Thursday, July 30, 2020 · 7:00 PM EDT
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