Virtual Program

Bird identification can be challenging, a fact which can be part of the appeal of birding. But some prove notoriously and consistently difficult. Sparrows are one such group of birds that never fails to stump birders of all levels, so much so that they have their own term: LBJ or little brown jobs. But identifying sparrows doesn’t have to lead to exasperation. Join us for the latest episode of Birds & Bytes where Alyssa DeRubeis will break down the key field marks and demystify the mosaic of browns that is Chicagoland sparrows.

All are welcome to attend this free event but RSVP is required.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

About our speaker:

Alyssa grew up in an oak grove near Minneapolis, Minnesota. Between nearby ponds and the Mighty Mississippi, nature kept her quite busy during her childhood. The fascination continued into her adult life, when Alyssa obtained a BSc in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2013, then completed her MSc in Ecology at the University of Arkansas in 2019. For the past 15 years, Alyssa has held numerous field gigs, from surveying grassland birds in Texas to finding Ovenbird nests in Quebec. She is particularly fond of emberizine sparrows after a remarkably abundant year for LeConte's Sparrow in northwest Arkansas in 2017/2018. Alyssa currently resides in Montreal, Quebec, despite not being a fluent French-speaker.