Thomas Bancroft is a lifelong birder, ornithologist, naturalist, teacher, and writer. One of his earliest memories is climbing into the kitchen sink on his family's farm at age five so he could see the birds visiting his mother's feeder. His fascination with birds has never gone away.

Thomas earned a Ph.D. studying birds and spent much of his professional career as a research scientist and conservationist. His work has taken him from studying birds in graduate school to field research in the Everglades and Florida Keys and eventually to bringing science into conservation and public-policy decisions. His professional work has centered on bird ecology, conservation, habitat restoration, and the use of science to protect birds and the places they depend upon. 

Teaching has also been an important part of his life. Thomas has developed and taught courses on raptors, seabirds, shorebirds and other aspects of natural history, and has led many field trips throughout the Pacific Northwest. His teaching emphasizes learning how to observe rather than simply memorizing names—using shape, behavior, habitat and other clues to understand what we're seeing.

Today Thomas writes and speaks about birds, nature, science, and our relationship with the natural world. His essays have appeared in a variety of natural-history and birding publications. He is the author of Beyond the Wonder and Marvelous Wings.

Most of all, he hopes this course will deepen your enjoyment of raptors and give you the confidence to keep learning every time you go outside.