Bird University classes are similar to college-level ornithology courses. Birds Connect Seattle subsidizes a portion of this program’s expenses, with the grateful understanding that Bird University course graduates will contribute to the local birding community through future volunteerism, advocacy, and knowledge sharing. To make Bird University financially accessible to as many people as possible, we offer a sliding scale for class fees. Birds Connect Seattle will not ask for personal financial details from any Bird University participant. Students will be asked only to confirm participation and specify the amount they will pay for their class fee.

If you have a question about the sliding-scale fee, please contact Christine Scheele at christines@birdsconnectsea.org.

Participants have a few other expenses in addition to the class fee: sharing carpool costs on field trips, lodging and food on overnight class field trips, and optional resources such as field guides and apps. Scholarships are available to help cover these costs.

Bird University courses are designed for individuals with intermediate to advanced bird knowledge. We do not restrict registration or require an entry exam to enroll, but we strongly encourage you to take a self-assessment prior to registration to ensure this course will be a good fit for you. 

Participant Self-Assessment

Want to test your readiness for these intensive classes? Take these fun bird quizzes! These are not entrance exams and we know that you sign up for classes to learn. If, however, you don’t recognize any of the birds or bird names, we suggest signing up for our non-Bird U classes to build your skills before jumping into a Bird U course.

Birds of the Central Puget Lowlands

Birds of the Okanogan

Birds of the Columbia Plateau

To get the most out of the course and to not impact the experience of other class participants all components of the course are manditory including clsswork and field experiences.

Bird University graduates are seen as local leaders in bird knowledge and conservation. Because Birds Connect Seattle subsidizes a portion of the expense of running this course, we gratefully request that all Bird University graduates will contribute to the local birding community through future volunteerism, advocacy, and knowledge sharing.

All Bird University courses have required field experiences in order to apply the lessons learned from course work. Past Bird University students tell us these are a highlight of the course and are an essential opportunity to apply what they have learned.

Carpooling with other students for field trips is a requirement to ensure group safety, smooth trip logistics including parking and permits, and have a lower carbon footprint. 

Some field trips will require extended travel and/or overnight accomodations. 

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information. If you still have lingering questions, contact Christine Scheele at christines@birdsconnectsea.org.