Learn About Birds Online With OLLI

If you missed the presentations during the 2024 Florida Birding and Nature Festival, here is your chance to catch up! The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is offering lectures from last year's festival, featuring topics on herons and egrets, Snail Kites and migration.

To learn more and register, go to usfseniors.org

Friday, September 26, 11:00 a.m., Zoom Lecture

Ann Paul, President of the Tampa Audubon Society

Florida’s Herons and Egrets – Their Biology and Behavior

Ann Paul details key factors relating to the herons and egrets of Florida, including their anatomy, foraging and breeding behaviors, and populations in the Tampa Bay area. One species, the American Bittern, is a winter visitor. The others are year-round residents. Learn what they eat, where they nest, and why conservation measures are needed to restore and maintain their populations.

Friday, October 3, 11:00 a.m., Zoom Lecture

Gina Kent, Senior Conservation Scientist, Avian Research and Conservation Institute

Snail Kites and Their Prey

Gina Kent describes the state-threatened Snail Kite’s behavior and distribution, relates this to the apple snail its only prey item, and explains how we know about this beautiful bird of prey. This recorded lecture was presented at the Florida Birding and Nature Festival in October 2024. Ann Paul will introduce the lecture and answer questions at the conclusion.

Friday, October 10, 11:00 a.m., Zoom Lecture

Dr. Mary Keith, Board Member, Audubon Florida

Bird Migration: How and Why Do They Do It?

Mary Keith outlines the reasons birds migrate, the amazing distances some species travel in a year, differences in migratory paths, and offers scientists’ concepts on how they accomplish their journeys and how they know where to go. This is a lecture recorded during the Florida Birding and Nature Festival in October 2024. Ann Paul will introduce the lecture and answer questions at the conclusion.