Identifying Song Birds

Ms. Slates

How can we identify song birds?

Make a list of all the ways!!

How do we Identify Song Birds?

5 Ways to Identify Song Birds!

1.Habitat

2.Bird shape

3.Field Marks (not just color)

4.Behavior

5.Songs and Calls

Habitat- Different birds live in different places!

Birding by probability! Sparrows like rusty hedges

Swamp-Swamp sparrow, woods-chipping sparrow, fence line- field sparrow

Other helpful hints! Use range maps Check the time of the year Find out what your likely to see!

Bird Shape

Become familiar with silhouettes

Judge by size What sizes of birds can we compare?

Judge against birds in the same field of view?

Apply size and shape to parts of the bird

Field Marks

• Eyebrow stripe (or superciliary, line over the eye)

• Eyeline (line through the eye)• Whisker mark (also called

mustache or malar stripe)• Throat patch• Color of upper and lower beak• Color of the lore (area between

base of beak and eye)• Crown stripe (stripe in the midline of

the head)• Eyering (ring of color around eye)• Presence or absence of crest• The color of the eye itself (iris) can

also be very useful

• Wingbars (stripes across the folded wing)

• Wing patches (blocks of color on the wing)

• Wing lining (the feathers covering the underside of the wing)

• Primaries (the long flight feathers on the outer half of the wing)

• Secondaries (the flight feathers on the inner half of the wing)

• Speculum (the patch of colored secondaries that helps identify many ducks)

• Wing tips

Color Pattern

Focus on Light or Dark First!

Bold or Faint?

Outrageous Color

Behavior

Posture Horizontal vs. vertical

Movement

Flight Pattern Roller-coaster Strait path- fluttering wings

Feeding Style

Flocking

Songs & Calls

This is tough!

Tells where the bird is and what it is

1. Watch and listen

2. Learn from an expert

3. Listen to recordings

4. Say it yourself

5. Listen for details

With more then 800 species of birds in

the US it takes practice!

The ones you need to know!

Black-capped Chickadee

Black-capped

Woodpeckers

Pileated

Red-bellied

Red-headed

Downy

Hairy

1 2

3

4

5

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

Sparrows

White – throated

Fox

Chipping

3

2

1

Finches

American Goldfinch

House Finch

Purple Finch

2

1

3

Grosbeaks

Evening Grosbeak

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

2

1

Indigo Bunting

Summer bird

Forest edges and roadsides

Male dark blue, Female plain brown

Female

Wrens

House Wren

Carolina Wren – more red in color

White stripe by eye

1

2

Orioles

Orchard

Baltimore Summer months, look high in trees!

Female

1

2

Cowbird

Male- Black, Female- Brown

Usually seen on the ground

Female vs. Male

Brown Thrasher

Larger then thrushes

Stripes on stomach

Dense thickets/brush

Starling

Found in the United States and Canada year round

Probe in the grass for food

Nuthatches

White Breasted Nuthatch

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Brown-headed Nuthatch

1

2

3

Tufted Titmouse

Found here year round

Large among the small birds

Often flock with chickadees

Known for their song

Brown Creeper

PA- Winter non breeding

Tiny woodland bird

Eat insects and spiders

Chimney Swift

PA- Summer for breeding

It spends a lot of time in flight Long claws

Do nest on chimneys!

Common Grackle

PA-Year-round

Long, lanky, long-legged

Appear black from a distance

Diet- Corn, garbage, ect.

Swallows

Barn Swallow

Tree Swallow

Purple Martin

1

2

3

House Sparrow

Not related to other North American Sparrows

Chunkier, flatter chest, shorter tail

PA year-round

Gray Catbird

PA-Summer for breeding

Found in thickets and brush

Distinct call

Northern Mockingbird

Found in Pa year round

Wires, fences

Mimics other birds

Northern Cardinal

Male and Female

Don’t migrate

Don’t molt in the winter

Wood Warbler

American Redstart

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Pine Warbler

1

2

3

Feeding Birds

Bird Feeder

Ground

Many species of birds, including sparrows and doves, prefer to feed on large, flat surfaces and may not

visit any type of elevated feeder. Song Sparrows, Fox Sparrows and many towhee species, for instance,

will rarely land on a feeder, but they will readily eat fallen seed from the ground beneath your feeders.

Large Hopper

A hopper feeder is a platform upon which walls and a roof are built, forming a “hopper” that protects seed

against the weather. Large hoppers attract most species of feeder birds and will allow larger species, like doves and grackles to feed. If you would prefer to discourage these larger birds, try using a smaller

hopper feeder.

Large Tube Feeder

A tube feeder is a hollow cylinder, often made of plastic, with multiple feeding ports and perches. Tube feeders keep seed fairly dry. Feeders with short perches accommodate small birds such as finches but exclude larger birds such as grackles and jays. The size of the feeding ports varies as well, depending on the type of seed to be offered. Note that special (small) feeding ports are required for nyjer seed in order to prevent spillage.

Nectar Feeder

Nectar feeders are specially made to dispense nectar through small holes. Choose a feeder that is easy to take apart and clean, because the feeder should be washed or run through the dishwasher

frequently.

Platform

A platform feeder is any flat, raised surface onto which bird food is spread. The platform should have

plenty of drainage holes to prevent water accumulation. A platform with a roof will help keep

seeds dry. Trays attract most species of feeder birds. Placed near the ground, they are most likely to

attract juncos, doves, and sparrows.

Small Hopper

A hopper feeder is a platform upon which walls and a roof are built, forming a “hopper” that protects seed

against the weather. Small hoppers will attract smaller birds while preventing larger species, like

grackles, from comfortably perching and monopolizing the feeder.

Small Tube Feeder

A tube feeder is a hollow cylinder, often made of plastic, with multiple feeding ports and perches. Tube feeders keep seed fairly dry. Feeders with short perches accommodate small birds such as finches but exclude larger birds such as grackles and jays.

Suet Cage

Suet or suet mixes can be placed in an onion bag or a specially made cage. Suet also can be tied to trees or smeared into knotholes. Cages that are only open at the bottom tend to be starling-resistant but allow woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees to feed by clinging upside down.

Food Types

Hulled Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds with the shell removed

“no mess” seeds

Will attract any bird that like sunflower seeds

Mealworms

Larvae of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, and they provide a high protein treat for many birds. Birds like chickadees, titmice, wrens, and nuthatches relish this food and mealworms are one of the only

food items that reliably attract bluebirds.

Sunflower Seeds

The most common type of seed offered at feeders in North America is black-oil sunflower seed. This small sunflower seed is high in energy and has

thin shells, making it the preferred food item for a wide variety of birds. Black-oil sunflower is among the favorite feeder foods of cardinals, chickadees,

finches, and sparrows.

Cracked Corn

Whole corn is a favorite of Wild Turkeys and ducks, while cracked corn will attract doves, quail, and

sparrows. To attract these birds, try mixing cracked corn with millet and feeding a scoopful on the

ground or a platform feeder.

Fruit

Various fruits can prove quite attractive to many species of birds. Oranges cut in half will often

attract orioles which will sip the juice and eat the flesh of the orange. Grapes and raisins are a

favorite of many fruit-eating birds. Mockingbirds, catbirds, bluebirds, robins, and waxwings are all species that are likely to feed upon fruit. Many

species will also be attracted to the dried seeds of fruits like pumpkins or apples

Millet

A small, round grain, millet is commonly found in seed mixes. Millet is a favored food of many smaller, ground foraging birds. A handful of millet sprinkled on the ground will keep your juncos and sparrows happy.

Milo

A reddish-colored, round grain, milo is often a major component of inexpensive seed mixes.

Unfortunately, it is not a favorite of most birds, and the seed often goes to waste. Western birds tend to consume milo more than eastern birds. In

the east, it is best to avoid mixes with large amounts of milo.

Nyjer

Often called "thistle" seed, nyjer is not related to North American thistle plant native to Africa. This imported seed has become increasingly popular in

recent years, largely due to its ability to attract finches including American Goldfinch, Pine Siskin, and Common Redpoll. Because nyjer seed is so small it requires a special feeder with very small

feeding ports.

Oats

Oats grown for cereal or livestock feed are also eaten by many species of birds. This grain is rarely found in modern bird seed mixes, but you can try offering oats on a platform feeder or in a hopper. Species most likely to be attracted to oats include

doves and quail.

Peanut Hearts

Peanut hearts for bird feeding are small pieces of peanuts without the shells that are best offered in

a small hopper or on a platform feeder. Chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, and jays are

most likely to take advantage of this food. Peanuts are high in energy and protein for your birds.

Peanuts

They are not true nuts but are actually legumes--and many birds love them! You can offer peanuts shelled or in the shell. Larger birds like jays may grab several peanuts at a time and fly off to hide them for later consumption. Smaller birds like chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice will have more success feeding on shelled peanuts.