Nat/Sci In-Person: Birds in Winter

Birds in Winter: Hardy, Ingenious, Adaptable
Four In-Person Sessions
Thur., Feb. 20, 27, 2025, 7-9 pm MT
Bird-Watching Field Trips, Sat., Feb. 22, Mar. 1, 9 am-1 pm

Colorado winters are famously cold and snowy, yet the birdlife in the region is wonderfully diverse and dynamic during the coldest times of the year. And paradoxically, birds are arguably easier to observe during the winter than any other time of the year. They are typically out in the open, flocking and foraging, even right in the heart of Denver. How do they do it? How do they not only survive but flourish during those months of long nights, deep snow cover and prolonged cold? Join Colorado birding expert Ted Floyd for two lectures and two field sessions covering the broad horizon of winter bird ecology. Learn about the remarkable physiological and behavioral adaptations of the winter bird fauna of the Denver region. Floyd’s emphasis is on easily observed birds in the metro area. “I’m confident that you’ll be amazed by how many birds, both species and individuals, occur in and around Denver in winter,” Floyd says.

Learning the basics of winter bird ecology is the central organizing theme, but expect to get acquainted with the remarkable new technologies being put to good use by the scientists who study birds. Not only that, discover how “citizen scientists” are contributing to new knowledge. Equipped with nothing more than smartphones and a couple of free and easy-to-use apps, learn how to contribute data to massive crowdsourced databases that are literally rewriting the books on winter bird ecology. Field trips visit surprisingly bird-rich destinations that are an easy commute from the University of Denver. Delight in sightings of falcons and eagles, huge numbers of waterfowl, and tiny songbirds that amaze and inspire with their almost unbelievable survival abilities.

Ted Floyd is the long-time editor of Birding, the flagship publication of the American Birding Association, and the author of many articles and books, including How to Know the Birds (2019) and Field Guide to Birds of Colorado (3rd printing, 2021). He has taught college courses in ecology, evolution, entomology, conservation biology and other topics.