About the course

Have you wondered what birds you can see in your yard and elsewhere in the county? Do you enjoy seeing birds but would like to learn better how to identify the common birds in our area? We are excited to announce a new course that will introduce participants to the birds in and around Bloomington and Normal. More than 250 species of birds are observed in McLean County year after year. In this course, we will learn how to identify the most common birds around here and how they live. After this course, participants will be able to identify approximately 70 common species of birds and know more about their biology and conservation. No prior knowledge is required for participation in this introductory course. The course includes 5 indoor evening sessions on the campus of Illinois State University and 5 corresponding outdoor excursions to natural areas nearby (in town and up to 20 minutes drive away).

Course participation

Course participants need to be or become members of the Grand Prairie Bird Alliance and make an additional donation of at least $70 to the Grand Prairie Bird Alliance. Participants younger than 21 years or those struggling to make this donation may have their course fee waived or reduced. Directions for how to make those donations will be shared after registration.

This course is limited to 18 participants with priority given in order of registration. To register for this course, please send an email to Avery Dart, averydart@gmail.com, and mention “Birds of BloNo Course” in the header. The registration deadline is Monday, January 18, 2027. The course may be cancelled if fewer than 10 people sign up.

A pair of decent binoculars is necessary for this course and should be acquired by participants. Reasonable binoculars cost upwards of $120 (e.g., Vortex Crossfire HD or similar models) or $200 (e.g., Vortex Diamondback HD or similar models). Further information about binoculars will be shared with registered participants, and a few pairs of binoculars may be available to be loaned out to people not able to buy their own pair.

Participants are responsible for their own insurance. The course will take place in any (safe) weather, so please be prepared to dress accordingly.

Instructor

The course will be taught by Avery Dart, a conservation biologist specializing in birds, who graduated with his M.S. from Illinois State University in 2025. He researched house wren parental behaviors in Dr. Pirmin Nietlisbach's lab at ISU, with the field research taking place at Merwin Nature Preserve just north of town. Now, Avery's research efforts are focused on preventing bird-window strikes, which result in the deaths of between 600 million to 2 billion birds in the US every year. He is currently working with ISU building managers to install window films on buildings on campus, which will let birds see windows and avoid hitting them.

Course dates and tentative program:

Introduction & waterbirds

Wednesday, March 3, 6.30-8.30 pm

Saturday, March 6, 8.30-11.00 am

Systematics & common resident birds

Wednesday, March 17, 6.30-8.30 pm

Saturday, March 20, 8.30-11.00 am

Breeding bird conservation & forest birds

Wednesday, April 7, 6.30-8.30 pm

Saturday, April 10, 8.30-11.00 am

Bird migration & early migrants

Wednesday, April 28, 6.30-8.30 pm

Saturday, May 1, 8.30-11.00 am

Bird conservation & warblers

Wednesday, May 12, 6.30-8.30 pm

Saturday, May 15, 8.30-11.00 am