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Glenn Olsen

Glenn leads natural history and birding tours with GOBirding Ecotours to the hottest birding locations in the U.S., exotic locales such as the Galapagos Islands, the Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Honduras.  His tours include aspects of the culture, ecology and natural history of the region.

Glenn’s classes at Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies encompass the identification of birds, gardening for birds, butterflies and pollinators, sustainable landscaping, native plants and other nature related subjects. At Houston Audubon his classes focus on the identification of the many birds found in Texas. Glenn  has completed the Master Naturalist course and gives classes for the program.

He has served on the board of Houston Audubon as Vice President of Education and as President of both the Houston Chapter and the statewide organization of the Native Plant Society of Texas. He co-founded Wildscapes Workshops, an event that for twenty years has celebrated the importance of native plants, pollinators, and birds.

Glenn has led field trips and/or given presentations for the Texas Ornithological Society, Houston Audubon, Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, Galveston FeatherFest, Rockport HummerBird Festival, the Native Plant Society of Texas, WildScapes Workshops, the Katy Prairie Conservancy, Houston Arboretum, and others.

Glenn grew up on a farm and was fascinated by birds, snakes, plants, and insects he found while roaming the fields and forest. In college he fell in love with Philosophy which suited his passion for learning. Additionally, Glenn enjoys food, chocolate, photography, and reading. Contact Glenn at h.glenn.olsen@gmail.com or 832-517-2478.

Upcoming Events

April 2025
Tuesday, April 22, 2025 @ 6:30 am - Wednesday, April 23, 2025 @ 3:00 pm

Two ecosystems converge in the Beaumont area, the Pineywoods, so called because of the abundant pine trees that are the dominant tree species for the region and the Coastal Marshes, both fresh and brackish marshes along the Gulf Coast. This combination of a variety of habitat results in some excellent spring birding. With the arrival of neotropical migrants, perhaps a rare or uncommon bird or two, a few habitat restricted birds and you have two exciting days to look forward to!

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Thursday, April 24, 2025 @ 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm

We will concentrate on gaining a deeper understanding of bird identification. Our approach is to observe differences in body structure, behavior, habitat preferences, and feeding styles of various species of birds. This trip allows us time to observe and discover the distinct characteristics of each species as opposed to generating a list of a larger number of species that we know little about. Notebooks are encouraged! We will proceed from the meeting site down Boddecker Rd through the East End…

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Thursday, April 24, 2025 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

A surprising number of birds have very similar looking species and make you think you are seeing double when you look at them. Some look-a-likes are extremely difficult to separate, while others are challenging but can, with practice, be separated. Examples include the Neotropic and Double-creasted Cormorant, Solitary and Lesser Yellowlegs Sandpipers,, Couch’s and Tropical Kingbirds, Northern and Louisiana Waterthrushes to name only a few. In this presentation we will learn how to distinguish between some of the more commonly seen…

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Friday, April 25, 2025 @ 7:00 am - 11:00 am

We will concentrate on gaining a deeper understanding of bird identification. Our approach is to observe differences in body structure, behavior, habitat preferences, and feeding styles of various species of birds. This trip allows us time to observe and discover the distinct characteristics of each species as opposed to generating a list of a larger number of species that we know little about. Notebooks are encouraged! We will proceed from the meeting site down Boddecker Rd through the East End…

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Friday, April 25, 2025 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Hawks are an exciting family of birds to observe and identify. We will discuss the identification of species that occur on the upper Texas Coast, including Accipiters, Buteos, Eagles, Kites, Falcons, Osprey, and Harrier as well as some birds that are often mistaken for a Raptor. In this presentation, we will cover the fundamentals of Raptor Identification. Join us to learn “how to look at a hawk”, “where to look”, and “what to look for” to identify hawks, both in…

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Friday, April 25, 2025 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Back by popular demand, for this trip, you will be guided by one of our most experienced birders and all-around nature lover, Glenn Olsen. Glenn leads nature tours in the US and overseas but he calls the upper Texas coast home. His extensive knowledge of local birding areas is sure to yield excellent views of migrating warblers as they move through our area on their way to nesting habitat. As a bonus, Glenn is also a Texas Master Naturalist and has served as the president of the Native Plant Society of Texas. His knowledge in these areas should greatly enhance your trip experience. Our group will focus on techniques for improving field identification skills. We will be traveling by bus and places visited will depend on weather patterns and reports from the previous day’s birding activities.

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Saturday, April 26, 2025 @ 6:30 am - 3:00 pm

The estuaries of Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge are an important nursery for the fish and shellfish species found in the Gulf of Mexico. Beyond the estuaries, the saltwater marshes ease inland. Fresh water from an occasional storm and the inflow from rivers and creeks helps to keep saltwater out of the freshwater marshes, as well as providing nutrients and sediments.  With the change in salinity level comes a different plant community. Though remnant stands of native prairie can be found…

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Sunday, April 27, 2025 @ 7:30 am - 11:30 am

Back by popular demand, for this trip, you will be guided by one of our most experienced birders and all-around nature lover, Glenn Olsen. Glenn leads nature tours in the US and overseas but he calls the upper Texas coast home. His extensive knowledge of local birding areas is sure to yield excellent views of migrating warblers as they move through our area on their way to nesting habitat. As a bonus, Glenn is also a Texas Master Naturalist and has served as the president of the Native Plant Society of Texas. His knowledge in these areas should greatly enhance your trip experience. Our group will focus on techniques for improving field identification skills. We will be traveling by bus and places visited will depend on weather patterns and reports from the previous day’s birding activities.

Find out more »