Difficulty: Moderate (Some walking on mild slopes, but still on excellent surfaces.)
Following up on the raptors presentation, this field trip will head out to various habitats to observe and practice your new ID skills. A favorite among birdwatchers, raptors impress us with their size and speed. Though there are not many species of raptors, identification challenges arise from variations in their plumages due to age, sub-species or color morphs. We’ll learn to recognize species apart from their plumages and learn behaviors that aid in their identification. The importance of a raptor’s wing shape and its influence on flight and behavior and other physiological features will be looked at closely. Limited to 9 participants.

Swainson’s Hawk by Martin Molina