Welcome to Shebirds

Birding in South Padre, Texas. Birdwatching, Texas.

Hi my name is Roniq Bartanen and welcome to my site. I'm a bird guide, Certified Interpretive Guide, native plant and "Birdscape" advisor and a photographer. My passions include mindful and urban birding, promoting female bird guides and female birders around the world as well as writing about the culture and joy of birds and birding.

I frequently lead bird walks for Seattle Audubon Society, Seward Park Audubon Center, Seattle Mountaineers and one of the largest outdoor activity focused Meetup groups in the United States, Seattle Outdoor Adventurers. My intent is to continue to find ways to bring outdoor accessibility, diversity and inclusivity to all. Click here to learn more about my birding background.

Events

Join me on my next "Urban Bird" Walk. Check out my events page for more info. Photo credit: Jill Corral.

Ramblings at the Roost: Blog and Birdy Happenings

Click here to visit my blog and read about various topics related to the culture and joy of birds and birdwatching.

Testimonials

Roniq Bartanen has been my student and a wonderful birding companion. I have always been impressed by her observational skills. She has the ability to meld with nature so that somehow she becomes attuned to all the happenings around her. This is unbelievably helpful in both finding birds in the field and identifying them. At the same time, Roniq takes a sincere interest in the people around her. She makes sure that everyone in her group is included in birding activities, that people's questions get answered, and that everyone gets "on" a given bird. Roniq's birding and people skills make her a welcome addition to any birding group. You couldn't find a better, more thoughtful leader. Any day I spend birding with Roniq is a great day.

Constance Sidles; Seattle Audubon Conservation Award Winner, Writer, Master Birder, Teacher

"Roniq is perceptive, engaging and a passionate birder/ naturalist. She is also an outstanding photographer with an artistic sense of composition. Her world travels provide her with a broad view of natural history and culture. She continues to learn more about birding and interpretation via a certified guide training class in Portland, Oregon and multiple birding classes at Seattle Audubon Society. Anyone who has the pleasure of going on a trip with her will find that her enthusiasm combined with her knowledge is infectious. She can not only teach you how to find and identify birds, but also how to photograph them."

Woody Wheeler; Owner of Conservation Catalyst

I recently had the pleasure of attending a bird walk with Roniq at Seward Park Audubon Center. It was a wonderful experience! I am not an expert birder and she was able to lead the walk in a way that made it interesting and also accessible for those who are relatively new (like me). The entire two hour walk was filled with her expert knowledge of birds and their habitats and I learned a lot of new things about the birds that live in my area. Now I know what those cute little birds are that I always see in my yard (dark eyed juncos)! She is friendly, knowledgeable, and accessible as well as enthusiastic about her subject- all of which combine to make her bird walks really fun and informative. Becky Porter MacPherson; Artist, Illustrator