Identifying birds - The Chipping Sparrow

Chipping sparrow on a log.  Notice the dark eye stripe and rusty cap.

"How do you know what bird it is?" I often get asked.  First off, I can't claim to know all the birds I see, but over time I have come to learn quite a few of them.  There are a number of things that are invaluable when identifying birds.  Below is a list of some of the most basic ones.

1.  Know the types of birds by sight.  This is hugely important because it allows you to go from a thousand possible species down to a manageable number.  Size, shape, colour, and behaviour all go a long way to helping with this.  Most people can identify basic bird types like hummingbirds, seagulls, and crows.  There are many more than this of course.  The website whatbird.com is an excellent place to learn many aspects of birding.  Go to this page to see the different families of birds.

2.  Know basic bird external anatomy.  This may seem silly, but it is actually very important.  I am not talking about the parts you see on a chicken, but rather the parts of birds which often have colour or patterns on them which help identify them.  These are called field marks.  Knowing about them helps to pay attention to those particular details.  You may not normally look for details such as cheek, crown, throat, nape, rump, or eyestripe colour. Details of these can help significantly reduce the number of choices.  The website allaboutbirds.org has excellent information.  Look at this page to see images on field marks.

3.  Use a long lens or a good pair of binoculars.  One of the biggest challenges is to actually see details.  Birds are usually small and not overly fond of getting close to people.  there are clear exceptions to this, but it is generally true.  As a result, it will be difficult to see colour and details clearly enough to allow identification unless properly equipped.  A 400 mm or longer lens (relative)  or a 7x35 set of binoculars will allow you to get visually close enough.  The camera, my tool of choice, is beneficial a captured image can be viewed at leisure.  Binoculars are much easier to operate and significantly less expensive.    The website audubon.org has an excellent page on binoculars.

4.  Get a decent field guide.  I have at least 6 or 7 field guides.  There are many excellent ones and you can find them for your area, province, or region.  Typically the guides are divisible by western or eastern North America.  If you are going someplace outside of this area you may benefit from a field guide made specifically for that.  When we were in New Zealand I had a field guide of the birds there; you will not find images or information on fantails from a North American book.  Have a look at this website - it lists a number of field guides published by Peterson.

5.  Get experience.  If you are interested in birds the best advice I can give you is to get off your chair and go outside to look.  Early mornings are best.  Go to a local bird sanctuary.  The more you read, see, and identify, the easier the process will be.  I have been watching birds for about 40 years now.  I can easily say that it has brought me a great deal of enjoyment.  Go onto the internet and type in "bird sanctuary" and see if there are any near you.  The federal government has a list of important migratory parks at this website.  It is worth a look.

Our birds have taken a tremendous hit.  The more we know about them the more we can be the voice to help save them.  They do not have a voice of their own.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen