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| IDENTIFICATION TIPS (from Bird Watcher’s Digest, March/April 2006) - As long as the bird is there, look at it. Don’t go to your ID book. Note as much as you can about the bird (behavior, characteristics, etc.). You will have time to look at the book when the bird flies away. The longer you look at the bird the more you will remember about it. - Be organized about how you note ID marks. Start at the tip of the bill and work back to the tip of the tail. Don’t forget beak color & shape, and leg color. Is the tail long or short, forked or not? Chest streaked? Etc. - Shape is important; not only bill but the overall body shape. This will often immediately limit your ID choices. - Note size, but remember it can be deceiving through binoculars. Also, natural lighting can fool you; birds look larger on overcast days. If it’s cold, the bird may be “puffed up” to stay warm. Compare to a bird you know well and try to determine size from that. - Color, too, can be deceiving depending on the light. Keep in mind that often, depending on the season, a bird’s color can be different. Also, females are often different colors than males. - Behavior is a key feature that beginner birders often overlook. Tail-bobbing or flicking, wing flapping, feeding high in trees or low, scratching on the ground, running along the shore, moving slow or fast…these are all behavior patterns that can help with ID. - Learn the vocabulary. This will help when trying to describe the bird to another birder, or when you read about the description in the ID book. - Learn Sounds! Sometimes knowing what the call of a bird is will ID the bird before you even see it. Calls help with the ID and it can help you find an elusive bird. - Know what to expect. If you know what birds can be found in the habitat you are birding in, it will help with ID by limiting the birds you might see. For instance, if you are in the woods, you wouldn’t be expecting to see Sanderlings or other shorebirds. To find Meadowlarks, you are best looking in open fields. You may find a Sharp-shinned Hawk in the deep woods, but not a Northern Harrier. Habitat is of great ID help. - The better the optics, the better look you will get of the bird. Buy the best you can afford, and try them out first. They should also be comfortable, light enough for you and easy to focus. - Good field guides are important, but everyone likes different ones. Go to a bookstore and buy the field guide you find the easiest to use. Have a light one to carry and a more in-depth one to keep at home. Most birders find they will eventually own almost all…and use them too! At least one good book on behavior is a must for that bird library as well. - Bird with “better” birders and ask questions! Birding by yourself can greatly enhance your ID skills since you have no-one else to rely on when making that ID. But birding with others that have more expertise can be a great learning tool as well. Don’t be afraid to ask questions; most birders are more than willing to share knowledge. - Like any good sport…Practice!! Go birding as often as you can. Soon, you will find yourself remembering more than you think and you will be the “expert” to someone else! |
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