GCBO – Raptor Identification Workshop- Oct. 14-15

The Gulf Coast Bird Observatory is pleased to host: Raptor Identification Workshop With William S. Clark. This workshop will take place October 14th and 15th, 2023.

Register for the class here

Enter into VMS as AT: Gulf Coast Bird Observatory

Directions to Smith Point: Directions: From Houston take I-10 East to State Highway 61. Proceed south to the intersection of SH 61, SH 65, and Farm/Ranch Route 562. Continue south on 562 for ~20 miles to the Texas Parks and Wildlife-administered Candy Abshier Wildlife Management Area and follow the signs to the parking area and tower.

Bill Clark is a photographer, author, researcher, and lecturer and has over 50 years of experience working with birds of prey, including 5 years as Director of NWF’s Raptor Information Center. He has published numerous articles on raptor subjects; has traveled extensively world-wide studying, observing, and photographing raptors; and regularly led raptor and birding tours and workshops, both home and abroad. Bill regularly teaches evening and weekend courses on raptor field identification and biology in the US and Canada. He has written a raptor field guide for Europe and another for Mexico and Central America and yet another for Africa is in press. He is a coauthor of the Photographic Guide to North American Raptors and the completely revised Peterson series guide, Hawks. He has on-going research projects on Harlan’s Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, and Harris’s Hawk.

Start the weekend off with class sessions on Saturday October 14th at our Lake Jackson, TX headquarters. Subjects include field marks, shape, measurements, terminology, feathers, molt, and raptor flight identification. He will show photos of many raptors in hand and will discuss their vocalizations and aspects of their biology. We will have Bill’s books available in our nature store.

On Saturday, join Bill and the rest of GCBO at our Smith Point Hawk Watch Celebration at Smith Point.

On Sunday, we will go back out to Smith Point for a class field trip to practice what we’ve learned.

The cost for Saturday and Sunday is $150 per person (non-refundable). Please call GCBO at 979-480-0999 or fill out this form to reserve your spot and make payment.

Workshop schedule:

Saturday, October 14th –

• Session I: 8-9 AM
• Session II: 9-10 AM
• Session III: 10-11
• Lunch: 11am- 12pm (Lunch is not provided)
• Session IV: 12-1 PM
• Session V: 1-2 PM
• Session VI: 2-3 PM

Sunday, October 15th-

8:00-4:00- Field Trip at Smith Point Hawk Watch tower.