What are those birds doing? Why are they making that sound? What can we learn if we pay attention to them?
On Tuesday, May 5, at 6:30 PM, Chocorua Lake Conservancy presents Intro to Bird Language, a Zoom program with naturalists and outdoor educators Hillary Behr and Kyle Ball of New England Wildlife Tracking. During this program, Hillary and Kyle will introduce concepts from the book What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World by Jon Young, and share their own experiences with and stories about attuning to Bird Language patterns.
What is Bird Language? In order to survive, birds have to be keenly aware of and responsive to what’s happening around them. With practice, humans can tune in to what the birds are saying and doing and learn to interpret this language. The birds can tell us when there is a predator around and even what species it is, before we see it. From watching birds through the lens of bird language, we can tell where their territories are, who their mates are, and when their nests are in danger. When we pay attention to bird language, it opens up a whole new way of seeing nature.
This presentation on Bird Language is for anyone who would like to learn about this method of observation. Knowledge of bird song and bird identification is useful but not required for practicing paying attention to Bird Language—humans can learn to interpret the different “voices” of birds without necessarily knowing the species. The online program will be recorded and be publicly available; a link to the recording will be sent to everyone who registers in advance. Please register above.
If you’d like an opportunity to practice Bird Language with others, New England Wildlife Tracking will be hosting an outdoor Bird Language program on May 9. Tamworth Conservation Commission also hosts weekly bird walks in April and May.
Hillary Behr.
Hillary Behr grew up exploring the woods and waters of Tamworth and still calls it home. She earned a degree in Environmental Conservation and spent 8 years in rural California, working in land conservation and outdoor science education. Hillary has a Masters of Education and has worked as a teacher in many different settings, both outdoors and in the classroom, most recently teaching high school Environmental Science.
Kyle Ball.
Kyle Ball grew up recreating in the White Mountains. With a childhood of hiking, he was drawn to forestry and wetland delineation. He earned a Master’s of Science studying the effect of climate change and parasites on moose populations in northern NH. He is an avid wildlife tracker and holds a level 3 Track and Sign Certification from the internationally recognized CyberTracker North America. He has been birding by ear for 15 years and has been actively practicing Bird Language for three years.
Hillary and Kyle jointly own and operate New England Wildlife Tracking, which was created to help foster a relationship between our neighbors and the life around us through wildlife tracking, bird language, and nature connection.
Banner image: American Robin. | Patrice Bouchard via Unsplash