Middle School Student Fascinated by How Our Brains Recognize Birds

By Guest Blogger Anastasia

I started birding a few months ago, and it has quickly become my favorite hobby. I have always loved animals, but birds are definitely my favorite. Something about them just captivates me. The fast flutter of a hummingbird’s wings. The steady soar of a raptor. The cheerful “cheeps” of a baby killdeer. I love observing and identifying birds, and I am always thrilled to see a “lifer”!  Photographing birds is another hobby of mine, as well as drawing and painting birds. 

​When I heard about the Bird ID Techniques Workshop with Alvaro ...

Jaramillo, I was excited to elevate my bird identification skills. It was fascinating to learn Alvaro’s tips for bird ID-ing and hear his birding stories. I learned how to use the shape of birds to identify them instead of the colors. I learned how to differentiate a House Finch from a Purple Finch, a pair of birds that I have a hard time telling apart. I also enjoyed his segment on common bird ID mistakes, as well as the interactive sections where I could guess the bird. The part when he shared about how our brains recognize birds was really interesting, and might have been my favorite portion of the workshop. 
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I am so grateful to all of the kind donors, and SFBBO who gave me the unique opportunity to attend the Bird ID Techniques Workshop with Alvaro Jaramillo through a scholarship. It really means a lot to me and I am super thankful!

Anastasia is a middle schooler who enjoys many types of arts and crafts. Her latest hobby is bird photography and now she notices birds everywhere she goes.