Birds of the Mojave: Adaptations, Behavior, & Habitat

 Meet the remarkable resident and migratory birds of Joshua Tree National Park, from the Gambel’s Quail to the elusive Lawrence’s Goldfinch! This weekend field class covers identifying common and rare birds in the park with a focus on each species’ nesting and feeding habits, interactions with plant life, and adaptive strategies.

• The lecture portion of this class is held via Zoom.
• The field portion encompasses the entire park, with the Saturday class beginning at Big Morongo Preserve and ending at Barker Dam and the Sunday class beginning at Luckie Park in Twentynine Palms and ending at Box Canyon in Joshua Tree National Park.
• Anyone may attend! No expertise or experience is required.
• Entry to Joshua Tree National Park is included in the cost of enrollment.
• No lodging, meals, or equipment are provided.
• Participants caravan in their personal vehicles. Carpooling is recommended.

This class is moderate. It requires less than 5 miles of walking with limited elevation gain on somewhat variable terrain and/or more than one hour outdoors in the elements.

Instructor Kurt Leuschner: Kurt Leuschner, M.S., Wildlife Ecology, is a Professor of Natural Resources at College of the Desert. Leuschner's specialties include ornithology, entomology, and desert ecology. He has led hundreds of field trips both locally and as far afield as Africa. He teaches natural history courses for the Bureau of Land Management, UCR Extension, the Desert Institute, the Living Desert, California State Parks, Riverside County Parks, and many other conservation organizations

Photo credit: NPS/Kurt Moses