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With more than 800 species of birds in the U.S. and Canada, it’s easy for a beginning bird watcher to feel overwhelmed by possibilities. Field guides seem crammed with similar-looking birds arranged in seemingly haphazard order. We can help you figure out where to begin.
First off: where not to start. Many ID tips focus on very specific details of plumage called field marks - the eyering of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet; the double breast band of a Killdeer. While these tips are useful, they assume you’ve already narrowed down your search to just a few similar species.
So start by learning to quickly recognize what group a mystery bird belongs to. You do this in two ways: by becoming familiar with the general shape, color, and behavior of birds, and by keeping a running tally in your head of what kinds of birds are most likely to be seen in your location and time of year.
Of course you’ll need to look at field marks – a wingbar here, an eyering there – to clinch some IDs. But these four keys will quickly get you to the right group of species, so you’ll know exactly which field marks to look for.
Bird watchers can identify many species from just a quick look. They’re using the four keys to visual identification, rather than taking the bird apart into field marks.
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Black-capped Chickadee
Size & Shape
Tiny bird with large head, plump body, narrow tail, and short bill
Color Pattern
Striking shiny black cap and throat against white cheeks. Buffy sides; wings and back soft gray
Behavior
Busy, acrobatic, and often in feeding flocks of several species
Habitat
Forests, woodlots, backyards, and shrubby areas; in the West, associated with deciduous trees
Image © Kevin Bolton
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Blue Jay
Size & Shape
A large, bold songbird with a straight bill and triangular crest
Color Pattern
Bright, almost sparkling blue above, with a black necklace and gray-white underparts
Behavior
Inquisitively explores woodlands and yards, moves in long hops; piercing calls
Habitat
Forest edge, woodlands, urban and suburban parks and yards
Image © Gary Mueller/PFW
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Red-bellied Woodpecker
Size & Shape
Sleek, round-headed, without the blocky outlines of Hairy Woodpecker
Color Pattern
Pale overall, even the boldly black-and-white striped back, with flashing red cap and nape
Behavior
Hitches along branches and trunks of medium to large trees, picking at bark more often than drilling into it
Habitat
Eastern woodlands and forests
Image © Richard Lee
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Chipping Sparrow
Size & Shape
A small, compact, fairly flat-headed sparrow with a long, notched tail
Color Pattern
Crisp, frosty gray-white below, striking rufous cap with black line through eye
Behavior
Often in flocks; feeds on open ground, sings from high in trees, often evergreens
Habitat
Open woodlands, forests with grassy clearings, parks, roadsides, yards
Image © Byard Miller
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House Wren
Size & Shape
Small, compact, flat-headed, with a long, curved bill and fairly long narrow tail
Color Pattern
Subdued brown with paler throat and underparts, darker-barred wings and tail
Behavior
Hops quickly through tangles and low branches; sings frequently
Habitat
Forest edges, thickets, overgrown parts of yards and parks
Image © soderlis
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Western Scrub-Jay
Size & Shape
A lanky bird with long, floppy tail and a rounded head without crest
Color Pattern
Blue and gray above, with a pale underside broken up by a blue necklace
Behavior
Assertive, vocal, and inquisitive; in flight seems underpowered and slow
Habitat
Scrubby habitats of the West: oak woodlands and chaparral near the coast and pinyon-juniper woodlands of the interior
Image © Heidi Carlson
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Killdeer
Size & Shape
A large plover with large bill, large eye, and round head; long legs
Color Pattern
Golden brown above with two dark bands across the white breast
Behavior
Runs swiftly along ground or breaks into stiff-winged flight with shrill kill-deer call
Habitat
Open grassy and rocky areas, often far from water, including parking lots, lawns, and driveways
Image © Kevin Bolton
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Cedar Waxwing
Size & Shape
A sleek songbird with a swept-back crest, plump body and square-tipped tail
Color Pattern
Silky gray-brown, with yellow belly and red and yellow accents on wings and tail
Behavior
Often in large flocks, eating berries or catching insects over open water, giving high trilling call
Habitat
Woodlands, orchards, parks, and treed suburbs
Image © cdbtx
Visit each of our tutorials and we’ll run through the tips you need to start identifying birds with speed and confidence.