Once again, we are hosting a SparrowFest webinar for those of us not able to tromp through the cold at 7:00 a.m. with Dr. Birdy and his team.  We've invited Craig Hensley, Texas Nature Trackers Biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. to share his love of these amazing birds.

Texas is home to a host of native sparrows, many of whom are found in the state only during the winter months. Identifying them is one of the greatest challenges for birders of all skill levels. Join Texas Nature Trackers Biologist Craig Hensley for a look at these remarkable, uniquely beautiful birds. Come learn identification pointers based on Craig’s lifelong love of these birds, and through their feathers, flight and behavior. You’ll develop a better appreciation for their subtle beauty, as well as insight into the conservation issues they face. We'll finish up with a fun quiz.

Craig’s presentation will be live online followed by a Q&A session with the attendees.

To close out the program, Byron Stone (“Sparrowman” or “Dr. Birdy”) will call in with a report from the field with the morning sparrow and bird counts, and answer any questions.

The link to the Zoom meeting will be sent in the event reminder you will receive a few days before the event. Last year, we had over 200 folks sign up!

Resources to help you get ready to celebrate these lovely, brown birds:

• Field report from 2021 SparrowFest
• Cornell Labs Sparrow Identification chart
  

Bio for Craig Hensley

Craig Hensley has worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the past 12 years, first as a Park Interpreter and Resource Specialist at Guadalupe River State Park/Honey Creek State Natural Area, and for the past three two and a half years as one of two Texas Nature Trackers Biologists with the Wildlife Diversity team. Craig has a Master’s in Zoology from the University of Arkansas where he studied the breeding biology and nestling diet of Eastern Bluebirds and Red-winged Blackbirds before, during, and after an emergence of periodical cicadas in northwest Arkansas and a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Mgmt. from Arkansas Tech University. Craig is a native of Atlantic, Iowa and has worked for nature centers and other nature-based organizations from Minnesota and Nebraska to Missouri and Kansas. He is a licensed bird bander and absolutely loves the challenges that sparrow identification bring whether in the hand or through binoculars.