A free workshop that will help you identify sparrows will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on March 17 at the MK Nature Center 600 S. Walnut St. in Boise.
Sparrows are “little brown birds” with a reputation for sending beginning birders back to the river to look for ducks, herons, and eagles. However, once you learn a few simple strategies, most sparrows are pretty easy to identify, especially when they are singing and in breeding plumage.
There are 25 species of sparrows seen in Idaho, 21 of which are regularly occurring. During the workshop, you will learn how to identify sparrows using six strategies: Plumage, Song, Habitat, Abundance, Seasonality, and Taxonomy.
Workshop is taught by Terry Rich, who is an avid birder who enjoys helping others (especially beginners) learn about birds and birding. Rich has a bachelor of science in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an MS in Zoology from Idaho State University, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Public Policy from BSU.