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Free Education · saveabird Inc®

Online Bird Classes

Five free classes covering bird habitats, coastal birds, endangered species, migration science, and bird identification tools. No registration required.

🌿 All classes are completely free — part of our nonprofit mission to educate the world about birds and their habitats.
5 Free Classes

What you'll learn

Free · Self-paced

🌿 Bird Habitat Identification

Learn to identify and understand the different types of bird habitats across North America — from coastal wetlands and barrier islands to longleaf pine forests, freshwater marshes, and suburban environments. Understanding habitat is the first step to understanding birds.

What you'll learn
  • The five major bird habitat types and their characteristics
  • How habitat loss affects bird populations
  • Local Brunswick County habitats and the birds they support
  • How to identify habitat quality for different species
  • Simple steps you can take to improve habitat in your own yard
Free · Self-paced

🌊 Brunswick County NC Coastal Birds

Brunswick County is one of North Carolina's most remarkable coastal regions — and home to an extraordinary diversity of bird life. From the Cape Fear River to the barrier island beaches of Oak Island and Sunset Beach, our coastline hosts hundreds of species year-round and during migration.

What you'll learn
  • Common shorebirds of Brunswick County beaches
  • Wading birds of the Cape Fear River and tidal creeks
  • Seabirds and pelicans of the Atlantic coast
  • Seasonal visitors and migratory stopovers
  • Best birding spots in Brunswick County, NC
Free · Conservation focus

🪵 Red-Cockaded Woodpecker of Boiling Spring Lakes

The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker is one of America's most endangered birds — and Boiling Spring Lakes, NC is home to one of the largest remaining populations in the world. This class dives deep into the biology, habitat needs, and conservation story of this remarkable species.

What you'll learn
  • Biology and behavior of the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker
  • Why longleaf pine forests are essential to their survival
  • The history of RCW decline and recovery efforts
  • Why Boiling Spring Lakes is a critical conservation site
  • How you can help protect RCW habitat in Brunswick County
Free · Interactive map

✈️ Bird Migration — Aerial Odysseys in the Americas

Every spring and fall, billions of birds make extraordinary journeys across continents. This class uses the National Audubon Society's Bird Migration Explorer — a live, interactive story map — to show you the actual migration pathways of thousands of individually tracked birds.

What you'll learn
  • Why birds migrate and what drives their journeys
  • The four major flyways across North America
  • How scientists track individual birds with tiny devices
  • The role of stopover sites and critical habitats along migration routes
  • How climate change is affecting bird migration patterns
View the Migration Story Map → Bird Migration Explorer →
Free · Cornell Lab

📱 How to Use the Merlin Bird ID App

Merlin Bird ID, developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is one of the most powerful free bird identification tools ever created. This class teaches you how to use it to identify birds by photo, sound, or description — and how to contribute your sightings to global bird science through eBird.

What you'll learn
  • How to download and set up Merlin Bird ID
  • Identifying birds by photo using Merlin's AI recognition
  • Using Sound ID to identify birds by their calls
  • Building your life list and tracking sightings
  • Connecting Merlin to eBird to contribute to bird science
Download for iPhone → Download for Android →