Is That an Eagle, Sparrow or Crow?

I get a plethora of few phone calls from time to time asking for an identification of a certain bird. The phone call goes something like this: "I have a little brown bird in my yard. Do you know what it is?" After many questions, the caller and I usually narrow the identification down. So to help you, I thought you might like what I learned at a Davis Mountain bird identification class. The first thing the park ranger told us was to put away our ID books. I knew I was doomed!!

Categorize the bird – there are many different categories of birds. One of the first things you should do is learn these categories and peruse the birds in them. No need to memorize these right now. But, as soon as you see it, try to put the bird into one of the following categories:

• Seabirds
• Heron-like birds
• Swans, geese, ducks and duck-like birds
•  Hawk-like birds
• Chicken-like birds
• Marsh birds
• Gull-like birds
• Shorebirds and small waders
• Pigeon-like birds
• Owls and other nocturnal birds
• Jays and crows
• Shrikes and vireos
• Swallows
• Chickadees, nuthatches, wrens
• Thrushes, mimics
• Warblers
• Tanagers, grosbeaks, buntings
• Sparrows
• Blackbirds, Orioles
• Finches

Size – How big or small is the bird? You can use size relativity to get a general idea. Size relativity refers to being bigger or smaller than a sparrow, robin, crow or pigeon.

Study silhouettes – this is an important part of identification because most times, when a bird is flying, you can’t see all field marks. So pay attention to body, beak, tail and legs. Then ask yourself:

• Is the body short or long? Narrow or plump?
• Is its beak fine, long, or short and stout (insect or seed eater)? Is it dagger-shaped, hooked or straight
• Are its legs short or long? What color are the legs?
•  Do the wings look rounded or pointed?
• Do the wings have wing bars? Are they single, double, bold or obscure?
• Is the tail notched or straight across?
  

What is the bird’s behavior? Different birds have different behaviors. For example: 

an Eastern Phoebe repeatedly bobs it tail,

Brown Creeper hitches itself up a tree,

Nuthatches

move down a tree,

the American Dipper does somersaults in flowing water

Use your bird book’s range maps – These maps show whether or not a bird is located in a specific area. Maps may have 1-4 colors (winter is blue, yellow is migration, brown is summer and purple is year round). Range is very important part in identifying birds. Here are two warblers and their maps:

Cape May Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Do not depend on color!! Birds have different plumages at different stages of life, different times of the year and multiple birds have the same color. Use color as your LAST RESORT. Here are two DIFFERENT birds.

Male House Finch

Male Purple Finch

Female Pine Siskin

Female House Finch

Use a field guide – All the information you need about a particular bird is in one place. You can use a hard copy or there are some new electronic guides available for your iPhone or iPad. Field guides have the categories that birds are in and they separate them by family. Juvenile and adult, male and female photos in field guides are a tremendous help.

Oh, and get a good set of binoculars. With a field guide and binos you are all ready to bird and start your life list!!