What is LearnBirds?
Birds, the places where they live and the lives they lead are complex. So where do you start? There are underlying patterns that will help you identify most of the birds you see, to understand where you are likely to see them and to recognise what they are doing. That is what this course is about. Breaking the whole subject of birds and birdwatching into manageable chunks, giving you simple tasks to reinforce your new skills and knowledge and guiding you through the early stages of your interest.
What does it cost?
Access to LearnBirds includes access to a range of interactive learning materials, activities, mentor support, discussion forums and a complete resource library taken from two hugely popular publications—RSPB Handbook of British Birds and Where to Watch Birds. All of this for only £40. Register now.
How will I learn?
The course has plenty of quizzes, facts and even small games to play to help you learn. Even better, there are message boards and mentors to help you enjoy birds. We hope that by putting you in touch with other beginners you will gain confidence in your new pastime and even start learning from one another.
What support will I have?
We will assign a mentor to help you through the course. Mentors are volunteers who want to share their knowledge of birds. You don't need to complete any of the mentor assignments to complete the course, but we hope you will enjoy doing them.
How long will it take to complete the course?
We estimate that the course will take around 10 hours online to complete. But you have 14 months from your first registration to complete the course and to use the online library. Why 14 months rather than a year? Some aspects of enjoying birds are seasonal – birds sing more in the spring, for example, and winter visitors arrive in October and November. You may want to refer to parts of the course again at these times of year, so we didn't want you to miss out just because you chose to start in the spring but didn't get into the bird song section until the summer.
Life after LearnBirds...
If by the end of the course you are keen to see as many birds as you can, or if you just want to know a little more about the pressures that will birds experience, then this course will have been a success. If you enjoy it, so much the better.