Bird ID
Course

Bird ID course

Birdwatching is a hugely rewarding and enjoyable pastime, bringing a special enjoyment to a walk in the countryside. Being able to identify the birds that you see and hear greatly increases your connection with nature and enables you to contribute to conservation efforts by making a note of your sightings, including through citizen science.

If you want to learn more about birds, you enjoy spending time outdoors and are interested in volunteering as a bird surveyor, our Bird ID Course for beginners may be just for you. 

The course is designed for people who have little or no knowledge about birds but who have the passion and commitment to learn about the abundant bird life in Cyprus and to progress on to playing an important part in nature conservation. The course has been designed to be fun and interactive, with the aim to teach and inspire, to enrich everyday life, help you identify birds and to allow you to pursue a new and exciting hobby. Participants who successfully complete the course may be able to get involved with citizen science and bird monitoring with BirdLife Cyprus, including the Common Breeding Bird Survey, migrating raptor and soaring bird surveys and monthly wetland bird counts and more, depending on ability and interest.

About the course

Express your interest

Please fill in the form below to express your interest in the course. We will keep your details on file to let you know about upcoming courses in the near future. 

Frequently Asked Questions

By the end of the course you will be able to confidently identify the selected 205 target species, by sight and sound. Along the way, you will also learn about: 

  • Best birdwatching sites
  • Conservation of birds in Cyprus
  • Important habitats and bird areas in Cyprus
  • Ecological survey techniques
  • Distance measuring to gauge depth of field
  • GPS skills
  • Estimating and counting birds
  • Benefits of being outdoors on health and wellbeing

The Bird ID course has a duration of 6 months. We are looking for dedicated participants who will commit to one online lesson per week and two weekend field trips per month, during the six month course. Participants will be expected to make their own way to the field trip locations across the island. During the field trips, guidelines pertaining to outdoor events issued by the Ministry of Health will be observed, in order to protect the public and prevent the spread of COVID-19. At the end of the course, participants will take part in an online assessment and certificates will issued.

Binoculars will be available to borrow for the first months of the course, but participants will be expected to purchase their own optics.

205 bird species

More than 400 different species of bird have been recorded in Cyprus, of which nearly 300 are migrants that pass through each spring and autumn or come to breed. This exceptional diversity is the result of the island lying on a migratory crossroads, with central and eastern flyways meeting each other twice a year. The course covers 205 of these species, with a special focus on the 95 that breed here. 

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