How to Look at Birds and Process What You See
Written by Andy McCormick
Andy McCormick, Volunteer and Former Board President of Eastside Audubon
Birding skills can be improved by looking at the whole bird before focusing on a single field mark. This theme is prominent in National Geographic Birding Essentials (Alderfer and Dunn, 2005). In the chapter on Identifying Birds the authors discuss the process of looking at birds using four attributes: size, structure, plumage, and behavior, which I summarize below. However, they first recommend answering the questions, “where are you, and what is the date.” By knowing which birds are expected in our location at a particular time of year, we greatly narrow the choices of what our bird might be. Beginning this way will over time build our knowledge of the status and distribution of birds in our area.
JUDGING SIZE
It might seem counterintuitive, but it can be difficult to judge the size of a bird in the field, especially in an open area or an all-blue sky. Binoculars and spotting scopes can distort the size of a bird and birds farther away can look larger than ones closer to you. Having something else in the field of view is very helpful. Another bird is the best option for comparison, and this technique is useful when looking at a mixed species group where you can compare the sizes of the birds in the flock. Knowing that your bird is larger than a sparrow, or smaller than a crow can be a big help in identifying it. Dunn warns, however, never to use size as the only field mark.
STRUCTURE
Structure relates to the parts of a bird and their proportions. The length and shape of the bill, head, legs, and wings; the shape of the body; and the pattern of the feathers are all important structural features of a bird. The authors use the example of the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers which have an almost identical color and plumage pattern, but the size and shape of their bills and heads are visible and useful for identification. The Downy is an overall smaller bird with a shorter and thinner bill, than the Hairy. Observing these details may seem difficult, but after seeing them a few times in the field, they become more obvious, and easier to see the next time.
PLUMAGE: PATTERN AND COLOR
The plumage of birds can be another challenging area of bird identification, especially when you are confronted in the field with male and females differences in plumage, and plumage changes in immature birds. Most field guides show the end points of the molt into breeding plumage and the change into winter plumage, and we don’t see the gradation of plumages as the bird goes through a molt which may takes weeks or months to complete. The color of birds can also change over the course of a year as the feathers wear. The ultraviolet light of the sun bleaches and weakens the structure of feathers. Despite these changes, plumage patterns such as eye stripes, wing bars, vertical streaking, and horizontal barring are all helpful for identification. Look for patterns while birding, they can help get you to the right group of birds. Pay attention to the light conditions on the day you are birding. Colors will be less vibrant on cloudy days or if the bird is against a dark background, or in deep cover.
BEHAVIOR
The authors remind us that most field guides contain very little information about bird behavior. Most of us learn about behaviors from other birders, a mentor, or personal observation. Birds on the page of a field guide are static. In life they are active, flying, singing, feeding on the ground, in a tree, or hawking flies in the air. Some of the most fun of birding is observing bird behavior, and these experiences while watching them will remain as memories to help us identify them in the future. Watch for flight patterns, including the speed of flight, the rhythm of wing beats, and the shape of wings in flight. Bird song is an important behavior that can be an important aid to identification for us. Take the time to locate a singing bird to be sure of its identification. Seeing a bird while singing is a good aid to fixing the identification in your memory.
One thing that has become clearer to me in the years that I have been birding is that I improve my identification skills the more I am out watching birds. Reading books, studying photographs, and listening to bird songs are all helpful, but the act of being outdoors watching birds and making connections with their size, structure, plumage, and behavior is the most valuable way to learn about and appreciate birds. Spring is a great time of year for birding. Birds are active finding mates, singing, building nests, and making themselves visible to one another. Take advantage of this season and go birding!
Photo Credit: Mick Thompson.