Introductory Level Classes:
Spring 2026 Breeding Birds class: to be taught May 7, 14, 9, and 16. This class is a great way to gain familiarity with ~200 species of birds that nest in our region. Emphasis will be on family- and species-level characteristics taught in the museum, with two fieldtrips to practice IDs. The class consists of two Thursday evening workshops using slides and study skins, held at the WFVZ Museum from 6:30-8:30 pm. The fieldtrips will be held the following Saturdays from 7:30-11 am. The course provides 12 hours of instruction, and slides and other materials for home review. Fieldtrip locations will be announced at the museum classes; all will be in Ventura County. Extreme weather cancels fieldtrips, but we will try to reschedule on following Saturdays.
Costs are as follows: $100–$130 for people who paid as Members before March 1st 2026; $150 for non-Members and brand-new Members; $75 for current college and high school students with valid ID. Children over 12 are welcome to join the class but must be accompanied by one adult; the cost will be charged as one person. Capacity is limited to <20 students to provide for quality field experiences for all. Registration open now!
January 2027 Wintering Birds ID class: The course emphasizes the identification of wintering birds of prey, sparrows and other passerines, ducks, shorebirds, and other species. Two in-person lab classes are held at the museum in Camarillo on Thursday evenings from 6-8:30 pm, and field trips are held on Saturday mornings from approximately 8 to 10:30 am. Heavy rain cancels or may modify the length of the course.
Costs are as follows: $100-$128 for people who are current members who paid before 31 December 2026. $150 for non-Members and brand-new Members in 2026; $75 for current college and high school students with valid ID. Children over 12 are welcome to join the class but must be accompanied by one adult; the cost will be charged as one person. Capacity is limited to 15 students to provide for quality field experiences for all. For all introductory classes priority will be given to WFVZ Members. Please contact Education at wfvz dot org for specific questions.
For payment for classes please visit our Events page.
Please contact Education at wfvz dot org for specific questions.
Professional Level Classes:
Spring 2026 Vocalizations of southern California riparian and chaparral birds: A 2-morning workshop offered in April 2026. Taught by Dr Linnea Hall, an avian ecologist with >30 years of identifying passerines of the western US by vocalization. More than 8 hours of intensive instruction and a handbook of information on how to group bird vocalizations by types provided.
Times/Dates: An evening Zoom introduction will be held from 6:30-8 pm on Tuesday, April 22; and 2 morning field sessions are from 7:30am to 11 am on Friday and Saturday, April 24 and 25 (sites TBD). 15 people maximum; open to professional biologists or those in training for a field biology/environmental sciences career who have at least 2 years of southern California bird ID experience, or who have taken Ornithology (or equivalent) and have one year of field experience. Extreme weather cancels fieldtrips, but we will try to reschedule to a following weekend.
Pricing: $200 for Non-Members; $140-$170 (a 15-25% discount!) for current members who paid before 1 February 2026; $75 for current college students with valid ID. Registration now open!
An advanced reference for the class is Pieplow, Nathan. 2019. Peterson Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Western North America. Hardcover – Illustrated. This is NOT REQUIRED, but is an amazing source of advanced information about vocalizations of bird species of North America, so is highly recommended.
September 2026 Nests and Eggs Workshop: Taught by Dr. Linnea Hall and Mr. René Corado. This is a 2-day workshop covering all southern California bird families, including more than 150 species. Classes will be held in the museum from 9 am to 3 pm both days (1 hr lunch break each day) for an introduction to the breeding ecology of birds, and the nests and eggs
Students should buy and bring the following reference: McFarland, C., M. Monjello, and D. Moskowitz. 2021. Peterson Field Guide to North American Bird Nests. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishers. 500 pp.
Pricing: $200 for Non-Members; $140-$170 for WFVZ Members; $75 for current college students with valid ID.
For payment for classes please visit our Events page. Thank you!
Please contact Education at wfvz dot org for specific questions.
