Learn What Birds Are Saying at a Bird Language Workshop March 14

By Guest Blogger Jeff Caplan

​I’m just back from teaching bird language in the tropical jungles of Ecuador and the Galapagos. You know what? The same sounds that birds here in California have taught us to listen for also work to understand bird language on the Equator and in the Amazon.
 
For example, listening to the rather friendly Galapagos Flycatcher, you can understand who’s looking for a mate and who’s just making casual conversation in the same way you can understand flycatchers here in the United States. You may not be able to speak Spanish when you head south, but you can learn ...

bird language here and take it with you when you travel!

You can learn more about bird language by joining me at my Bird Language Workshop on Saturday, March 14! We will start with a short lecture at the Sobrato Center in Milpitas and then practice our skills together on a field trip at Ulistac Natural Area in Santa Clara.

The workshop is great for adults and families and the focus will be on helping people connect with nature rather than on identifying species. I’ve also found that learning bird language is not only fun, it also helps me with a skill I have been practicing for years, mindfulness. It’s what I use to keep my calm in the midst of the everyday stresses of life and helps me find focus and practice gratitude.
 
Using bird language skills also makes for better birding because the birds really notice and display more when I am calm and relaxed in my sit spot and listening! I have to admit I’m not great at sitting on a pillow in a lotus position, but somehow when the Golden-crowned Sparrow arrives from Alaska and starts to sing, it enables me to sit quietly without worrying for a fully engaged and relaxing hour.
 
If you want to learn the skills of interpreting bird communication through posture, movement and sounds, please register for my workshop today!

​Jeff Caplan weaves 30 years as a naturalist and a teacher of communication skills to cultivate a common language for connecting more deeply with nature and birds. Working privately and through the University of California, he has given workshops to hundreds of people in the Bay Area, Malaysia, and Ecuador. He combines story telling, citizen science, and strengthening observation skills to inspire connection and stewardship among his audiences.