Birding with AgriLife Extension hosts Flycatcher Week Aug. 10-14
Virtual seminars feature expert presentations for birders of all skill levels
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host Flycatcher Week Aug. 10-14 as part of Birding with AgriLife Extension’s virtual birding summer seminar series.
The online sessions are held daily from noon to 1 p.m. and feature avian experts from across the U.S. to discuss the wide range of flycatcher bird species.
The event costs $45, and registration is required at tx.ag/VirtualBirding2026.
About Flycatcher Week
Daily presentations will feature nationally recognized researchers, educators, authors and field experts to guide participants through one of North America’s most diverse and challenging bird families.
Texas Master Naturalists can earn advanced training hours by attending.
“Through presentations focused on identification, vocalizations, behavior, photography and conservation, participants will gain practical skills and a deeper understanding of flycatchers,” said Emily Grant, AgriLife Extension 4-H youth development agent in Gillespie County and Birding with AgriLife Extension program coordinator.
Topics and presenters include:
- Flycatchers: A Continental Perspective – Gautam Apte, field biologist, Black Swamp Bird Observatory.
- Introduction to the Art of Flycatcher Identification – Cin-Ty Lee, Ph.D., professor of geology, earth, environmental and planetary sciences, Rice University.
- Vocalization of Flycatchers – Nathan Pieplow, professor and expert in bird vocalizations, University of Colorado Boulder.
- The Secret Lives of Tyrant Flycatchers – Mike Husak, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Agriculture, Biology and Health Sciences, Cameron University.
- How You Can Become a Better Flycatcher Photographer in the Field – Mitch Barry, Macaulay Library video project coordinator, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
- Eastern Phoebe Found at Nest Sites Previously Used by Say’s Phoebe – John Schukman, Kansas Ornithological Society.
Seasonal virtual birding seminars
Flycatcher Week is part of Birding with AgriLife Extension’s seasonal online programming designed to connect birders, researchers and educators through engaging presentations that inspire learning and conservation.
Registration fees support scholarships for Birding with AgriLife Extension’s Rio Diablo Birding Camp. This week-long, youth-based camp enables birders ages 14 to 18 to experience birding, conservation and ecology across southwestern Texas.
For more information, contact Grant at [email protected].
