Birdwatching for Beginners - Online Courses - Adult Learning

About this course

This course is aimed at absolute beginners and those new to birdwatching, covering the basics of bird identification, and use of binoculars and field guides.

We will be learning how to identify a range of species, by call, in flight and through behaviour, with lots of useful hints and tips throughout the session.

The pace of the course is relaxed and informal, with discussions and questions encouraged. The aim is to provide an enjoyable introduction to birds, bird identification and bird watching.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Describe the main features used to identify common British birds, compare an unknown bird with familiar species, and use a bird guide or app to support identification.

• Link birds to likely habitats, describe behaviour as an identification clue and classify common birds into broad groups.

• Make a simple bird record, describe the evidence used for identification and suggest ways to continue learning after the course.

Session 1: Introduction to Birdwatching and Bird Identification

Session 2: Habitats, Behaviour and Bird Classification

Session 3: Birdwatching Walk, Recording and Review

To participate in the course, you will need:

A pair of binoculars (preferable but not essential), a bird identifying book, notepad for notes and recording bird sightings. Live sessions will be held on Teams, so you will need a laptop/PC with an internet connection.

Suggested reading:

RSPB birds of Britain and Europe : the definitive photographic field guide - Rob Hume

What's that bird? : the simplest ID guide - Rob Hume

Collins British bird identifier : easy naming of all species using only five features – Paul Stancliffe

Booking your place and fee information

Funding and Fees

If you receive certain benefits, you may be able to take the course for free.
If money is stopping you from enrolling, please visit our funding page to see what help is available.

Living in England

To book and join one of our courses, you must live in England permanently and either:

• Live inside the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) area (Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire)

or

• Live outside the devolved areas listed below

You cannot enrol if you live in these devolved areas:

• Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)

• Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

• Greater London Authority

• North East Combined Authority

• South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority

• Tees Valley Combined Authority

• West Midlands Combined Authority

• West of England Combined Authority

• West Yorkshire Combined Authority

• Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority

• York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority

• Hull and East Yorkshire

• Greater Lincolnshire

• Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority

• Cornwall Council

• Lancashire Combined County Authority

• Buckinghamshire

• Warwickshire

• Surrey

Residency Requirements (Additional Information)

If you live in the UK on a visa, we’ll need evidence of your visa to confirm funding. You can upload this when applying, and you’ll need to complete a short questionnaire.

Some exceptions include:

• Your visa must last until after your course ends.

• Asylum seekers must have lived in the UK for at least 6 months while their claim is being processed.

• You are supported by your local authority under Section 23C or 23CA of the Children Act 1989, or under the Care Act 2014.

Anyone who does not meet the funding criteria would need to pay full course fees.