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A Deep Dive into Diving Birds

Instructor: Megan Prelinger

6

sessions on:  

  • Tuesdays and Saturdays

Venue: Zoom with field trips

California and the Bay Area provide winter homes for many species of pelagic birds that are adapted to life in a deep water environment. This is a short course on the natural history and identification of commonly found members of the families Alcidae (puffins, murres, murrelets, guillemots), Gaviidae (loons), Podicipedidae (grebes) and Anatidae (ducks, geese, and swans). This grouping allows a close study of adaptive strategies that are commonly engaged by those species. Many members of these families are typically bichromatic in winter: dark above and white below, and share other commonly-held adaptive strategies such as salt glands and waterproofing that enable them to live in deep water environments. These convergent features can make these winter visitors challenging to identify, so the class will cover divergent characteristics that will help us better differentiate them in the field. The class offers illustrated explanations of these strategies as well as dietary practices and cycles of breeding, molt, and migration. 

Recordings of the lecture presentations will be available to class participants  for a limited period of time.

  • Three Tuesday evening classes via Zoom, January 11, 18, and 25  ̶  6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
  • Three Saturday field trips, January 15, 22, 29 (times and locations will be announced in class and by email)
  • $75 for GGAS members, $100 for non-members

Once this class is full, you may sign up to be on a waiting list.

All field trips will be bike accessible and carpooling will be encouraged. Field trip locations will be determined by weather and class interest.

Registration opens: 12/10/2021

Limited to 20 participants

Click here to Register
Questions about this class? Contact the instructor.
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Master Birder Program 2022

Our Mission

The Golden Gate Audubon Society engages people to experience the wonder of birds and to translate that wonder into actions which protect native bird populations and their habitats.

Home page photo of an Anna’s Hummingbird by Parham Pourahmad. Home page photos rotate on an occasional basis. If you have a Bay Area bird photo you would like us to consider, email us at rnakano@goldengateaudubon.org.

Home page bird illustrations by Tex Buss. We are grateful for her generous donation of time and talent!

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Contact Us

Golden Gate Audubon
2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite G
Berkeley, California 94702

Phone: 510.843.2222

Office hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, or by appointment

The Golden Gate Audubon Society  is a
not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Our federal tax ID number is 94-6086896

Manage your GGAS account online

Now you can manage all your GGAS business online — renew your membership, update your contact information, view past donations, or sign up for events such as classes, Birdathon or the Christmas Bird Count. Click here to access your account. (You’ll need to create a login name and password if you don’t have one already. If you forget your password, click on the “forgot your password” link.) You can also sign up for our new GGAS Chat to get updates on trips, talk with other members, and more!

© 2022 Golden Gate Audubon Society | All Rights Reserved
All photos on this site belong to the photographers and may not be used without written permission.
  • About Us
    • About Our Staff
    • About Our Board
    • Job Opportunities
    • Our Commitment to Diversity
    • GGAS StrategicPlan
    • GGAS in the News
  • Education
    • Speaker Series
      • Past Speakers
    • Eco-Ed for Kids
    • Adult Education Classes
    • Rotary Nature Center
  • Conservation
    • Conservation Info
    • Bird-Friendly Coffee Club
  • Volunteer
  • Bird With Us
    • Field Trip Information
    • Travel with GGAS
    • SF Bay Ospreys
    • Birding Resources
    • Christmas Bird Counts
    • The Gull
    • Golden Gate Birder Blog
    • Birdathon 2021
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Member Login
  • GGAS Archives
    • Trip Reports by Year
    • Past Speakers
    • The Gull Archives
    • GGAS Press Releases
    • Travel with GGAS – Past Tours
  • Contact Us
    • Join/Renew
    • Other Ways to Give
    • Planned Giving
    • Member Login
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  • Blog
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