Sunrise Birding Lectures
Fully illustrated, one-hour lectures
For fee information, contact Gina Nichol at gina@sunrisebirding.com

HUMMINGBIRDS: Feathered Gems
With 330 species known in the world, hummingbirds are the second largest family of birds after flycatchers. These tiny aeronautic marvels have the ability to hover, fly backward, and migrate long distances. The physiological capacity of hummingbirds to raise and lower their heart rate and body temperature to survive cold nights is unmatched in the animal world. This program illustrates the amazing adaptations of these glittering gems and describes their fascinating life histories. Vivid photographs of hummingbirds in the United States, Costa Rica, and Ecuador tell the story of how these birds survive in habitats that range from tropical forests to the forests of the Andes Mountains.

Violet-tailed Sylph, Ecuador.
Photo by Gina Nichol

Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Ecuador.
Photo by Gina Nichol

India: Birding in the Land of the Tiger
Beyond the crowded, pulsating cities of India lie several national parks and reserves Bengal Tiger photo by Gina Nichol.that house a surprisingly rich array of wildlife. India’s 1,200 bird species and 350 species of mammals offer wildlife viewing opportunities that rival Africa. Recent conservation efforts have resulted in the establishment of fifteen reserves to protect one of the world’s most endangered and magnificent wild cats – the Bengal tiger. Yet, these vast expanses of untamed wilderness and their untamed residents are largely unknown to the west. This program illustrates the diverse wildlife of central India, including the spectacular bird life of the world-famous Keoladeo National Park, better known as Bharatpur. Vivid photographs and first-hand accounts document the exhilarating experience of birding and wildlife watching in Kahna, an important tiger reserve and the famed setting of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book.

Bengal Tiger (left), Changeable Hawk Eagle (right) (Photo: Steve Bird)
Safari Brazil
 The seasonal wetlands of the Pantanal region of west central Brazil offer some of South America’s finest wildlife viewing opportunities. In an open, safari-type setting along the famous Transpantaneira Highway, spectacular concentrations of egrets, herons, storks, and ibis can be seen in vast, open wetlands. Five foot tall Greater Rheas (South America’s equivalent to the Ostrich) roam the open pasturelands. The air is filled with the raucous calls of Hyacinth, Red-and-Green, Red-bellied, Golden-collared Macaws and tropical animals including Yellow Anaconda, Black-and-Gold Howler Monkey, Crab-eating Fox, Giant Anteater, Capybara, and Jaguar live in the surrounding habitats. This program describes the stunning habitats and remarkable wildlife of the Pantanal region. Striking photographs illustrate the area’s extensive marsh and river habitats, huge waterfalls, cerrado, and gallery rainforest and vividly document its intriguing, exotic, wild residents.

Toco Toucan (right) & Giant Otter (left)
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Galápagos: The Trip of a Lifetime
First discovered in 1535, the Galápagos Islands have fascinated the world for centuries. Darwin’s famous visit in 1835 and the subsequent publication of his Origin of Species revealed the many wonders of this living laboratory of evolution, population dynamics, ecology, and behavior. These extraordinary, isolated islands are home to a fascinating diversity of animals—from giant land tortoises weighing as much as 600 pounds to nesting Waved Albatrosses and Blue-footed Boobies. Using a wide array of stunning photographs, this travelogue illustrates the unique location, geology, flora, and fauna of the Galápagos, brilliantly documenting its intriguing wild residents—marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, tortoises, penguins, Darwin’s finches, and many more.

 

 

Blue-footed Booby
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Puma: Tracking America’s Big Cat
Known by various names—puma, cougar, catamount, panther—the mountain lion (Felis concolor) is one of the largest wild cats in the Americas, second in size only to the jaguar. According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, mountain lions have the widest distribution of any native mammal in the western hemisphere. Once ranging from northern British Columbia to southern Chile and from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the mountain lion’s North American range has been reduced to the western United States and Canada. A small population of endangered Florida panthers still survives in South Florida. In 1994, scientists confirmed a sighting in Vermont of a female cougar with two kittens, and cougar hair and scat were identified in Massachusetts in 1997. Gina Nichol worked with a team of Earthwatch scientists tracking and studying these magnificent animals. This program, generously illustrated with striking photographs, will feature highlights of her mountain lion study and will discuss the potential for the reoccurrence of mountain lions in New England.

Mountain Lion
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© Sunrise Birding.  All rights reserved.
All photos by Gina Nichol unless otherwise noted.
Contact Gina Nichol at gina@sunrisebirding.com