Course Overview

Designed for beginners, this 4-chapter primer will provide the essential tools and knowledge to enjoy birdwatching with a focus on New England species

  • Get to know the common, year-round birds of New England

  • Learn the essentials on binoculars, field guides, and apps

  • Understand why birds matter in our ecosystem

  • Gain confidence with expert advice as you get started on your birdwatching journey

Course curriculum

A 4-chapter course to learn the basics of birdingwatching

  • 1

    Chapter 1: An Introduction to Birdwatching

    • Chapter 1 Overview

    • Lesson 1: Interesting Bird Facts

    • Lesson 2: Why Birds Matter

    • Lesson 3: Bird Groups & Identification

    • Lesson 4: Your Birdwatching Journey

    • Quiz: Can you identify these 10 common birds?

  • 2

    Chapter 2: Getting Started with Basic Gear

    • Chapter 2 Overview

    • Lesson 1: Binoculars & How to Use Them

    • Lesson 2: Field Guides

    • Lesson 3: Digital Guides, Apps and More

    • Lesson 4: Keeping a Bird List

    • Quiz: Tools and apps to get started
  • 3

    Chapter 3: Learning How to Identify Birds

    • Chapter 3 Overview

    • Lesson 1: Range and Season

    • Lesson 2: Size and Shape

    • Lesson 3: Color Patterns and Markings

    • Lesson 4: Behavior

    • Lesson 5: Vocalizations
  • 4

    Chapter 4: Get to Know 30 Common Birds of New England

    • Lesson 1: Get to know 30 Year-round Birds

    • Lesson 2: Key Facts, Songs, and Calls of 30 Year-round Birds

    • Lesson 3: Getting Involved - Steps You Can Take

    • Quiz: Identify these 15 year-round birds

    • Your Birdwatching Journey - A final word from Peter Alden

Your Birding Expert

New England's resident birder and author guides the way

Senior Instructor

Peter Alden

Peter Alden is a world renowned naturalist, lecturer, ecotourism guide and author of 15 books on North American and African wildlife, including the National Audubon Society’s Regional Field Guide Series. He is considered to be an authority on birds and larger mammals of the world and is often consulted by the media and the ecotourism industry for his expertise. Peter is also a highly entertaining and widely sought after lecturer on topics that include world wildlife, the Polar regions, invasive plants and biodiversity.

Bonus Items

As part of this course, you get the following extra items

  • Get to know the most common bird species

    What are the most common year-round birds in New England? Learn the basics with photos, species names, sounds, and features to start you on your "Life List".

  • Audubon Field Guide to New England Signed by Author, Peter Alden

    Sign up for the course and you'll be eligible to purchase an autographed copy of this indispensable Field Guide at a 10% discount.

  • Hotspots of New England

    New England is home to some of the best birdwaching sites. Get a state by state guide to over 40 pristine birding hotspots to seek out new birds and when to visit.

This course is entirely online

A fun, informative way to learn the basics from an expert

  • Self-paced, no deadline to complete the course

  • Return to the lessons as often as you want

  • All course materials - instruction, videos, quizzes are accessible via web browser

Course Fee

Sign up with secure payment options

Social proof: reviews

5 star rating

Great fun and well-delivered

Beth Clary

Great fun and well-delivered information. Mr. Alden is clear and shares tidbits of bird trivia, history and perhaps little known facts that add to the genera...

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Great fun and well-delivered information. Mr. Alden is clear and shares tidbits of bird trivia, history and perhaps little known facts that add to the general information about becoming a birder.

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5 star rating

A truly fun experience

Molly Nye

A truly fun experience, full of surprising information, like the biological background of the blue jay and the fact that the tufted titmouse is related to th...

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A truly fun experience, full of surprising information, like the biological background of the blue jay and the fact that the tufted titmouse is related to the chickadee.

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5 star rating

Really, really good

Christopher Bensley

I found it easy to progress through, got me hooked. I like how they mixed in photos with tips and videos. you can go back and forth so you can skip to a sect...

Read More

I found it easy to progress through, got me hooked. I like how they mixed in photos with tips and videos. you can go back and forth so you can skip to a section you want to learn more about. Also price is very reasonable for all you get.

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