WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., will host the free program, “Bird Identification for Beginners” from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, April 13.
The program will be presented by Dan Brauning, a retired Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife biologist, and is sponsored by the Lycoming Audubon Society.
We are usually first attracted to birds by noticing their color or maybe some of
their markings. But, in fact, many other factors can be even more important when
learning to identify the species of a bird. This program will help beginner birders learn about key bird identification factors such as shape, size, habitat, and field marks among others.
Brauning started his career as project coordinator of Pennsylvania’s first Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania. He joined the Pennsylvania Game Commission as ornithologist in 1990 and retired in 2021. During this tenure, he co-authored The Birds of Pennsylvania with Gerald McWilliams in 1992, served as director of the Second Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas, and co-editor of the resulting book in 2012. Brauning is a member of Lycoming Audubon Society.
Brauning has a master’s degree in ecology from Penn State University, and is presently supervisor of the Wildlife Diversity Section of the Bureau of Wildlife Management, Pennsylvania Game Commission. He is a member of the Wilson Ornithological Society, the Pennsylvania Ornithological Society, the Ornithological Technical Committee (OTC) of the Pennsylvania Biological Survey, Partners In Flight Northeast Working Group, and The Nature Conservancy.
Brauning has published two dozen articles in Pennsylvania Game News, Pennsylvania Birds, and The Auk since 1987. Most of these papers deal with the status of Pennsylvania’s threatened/endangered/at risk species, some with population trends for Pennsylvania’s nesting birds, and others with research techniques for monitoring grassland birds. In addition, he has edited or coauthored three books in his young career.
Brauning played a major role in the restoration of Pennsylvania’s super-raptors: Bald Eagle, Osprey, and Peregrine Falcon, and was the principal author of the recovery/ management plans for those species. He has designed and implemented numerous monitoring programs for Pennsylvania’s protected and at-risk birds, including grassland birds, wetland birds, and birds of prey. He has worked with many partners to encourage bird conservation, including the Partners in Flight program.
The program will be presented in the Lowry Room on the third floor of the Welch Children’s Wing. Visit https://jvbrown.libcal.com/event/11962253 to register or call 570-326-0536.
This program supports the PA Forward state initiative by providing social and civic literacy opportunities for learning and highlighting the transformative nature of public libraries within a community. Libraries contribute to education, employment, entrepreneurship, engagement and empowerment but are often overlooked as catalysts for powerful individual and community change.
The James V. Brown Library is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. To place a hold, visit www.jvbrown.edu or call 570-326-0536 during the library’s operating hours. Walk-in passport services are available from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
The James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., Williamsport, Pa., is the place to go to learn, connect and grow. Founded in June 1907, the library champions the love of reading, opens new doors to lifelong learning, provides a haven to those who seek and ensures the preservation of public library services for future generations. The library has more than 225,000 visitors in a year and circulates a half-million items annually. A member of the Lycoming County Library System, the James V. Brown Library participates in PA Forward, a statewide initiative to promote literacies in our communities to power a better future for everyone.
