WFVZ’s First Oology and Nidology Class

On March 17th 2006, the WFVZ hosted its first Oology and Nidology class. (Oology is the study of eggs and Nidology is the study of nests.) There were 16 people in attendance for the day-long class. Participants ranged from Audubon
Society members, to agency                                          Class discussion of egg structure.
biologists, to Ph.D. researchers!
Dr. Linnea Hall, Executive Director, taught the morning session, covering male and female anatomy, egg structure and functions, and embryo development. René Corado, Collections Manager, gave an egg blowing demonstration and an overview of materials curation, then taught the second half of the class, when eggs and nests representing each family of birds were identified and described. The class was a great opportunity for people to see eggs and nests that they would otherwise never see, as well as to learn something about the nesting behavior of some unique bird families. The response to the class was overwhelmingly positive, and in the future, 2 or 3-day workshops will be offered. Special                                                                          thanks to Henry Pontarelli (of Morro Coast Audubon) for his help in supporting the class. Also, thanks to Bridget Greuel, Assistant Collections Manager, for helping pull nests and for presenting materials during the class.

Students learn egg blowing techniques from René.

If you are interested in attending future classes, please let us know at !

Linda Reynolds (also a WFVZ volunteer!) takes notes on egg identification.

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