When you see a strange bird, get a long and good look at him. Having a reliable and convenient field guide will also help. Whenever you find an unknown bird, start observing the bird from top to back.
Bird watching is a popular hobby that is enjoyed by both old and young. But sometimes the identification of birds can be a problem. You can have several birds in your area that you can identify by their song or appearance, but what about the bird that comes occasionally to eat at your Bird feeder? Here are some bird watching tips to help you sharpen your skills of bird identification.
Practice
As the old saying goes, "Practice makes perfect." You see, the more you get in the open air, and monitor the wild birds, the faster you can identify them. Be patient and do not despair. It takes time to understand what to look for in a bird in order to identify it. Over time, you will notice that you can pick out the specific details of the bird more quickly.
The sounds and songs
Sometimes you will find that you can see more with your ears than you can with your own eyes. The songs and basic communication reveals much about some of the species of wild birds. With practice and perseverance, you can teach your ear to distinguish individual birds before you see them.
Behavior:
It is good to pay attention to the specific behavior of the birds. Eating habits give a good idea of the behavior of birds. For example, the Nuthatch is in a habit of storing food under the bark and crevices of the trees. This particular habit is not seen in many other birds. Such habits and behavior patterns can help a lot in bird identification.
Color:
Each species has a unique pattern, color and markings, called field marks that make a special kind of bird different from all the rest. Many wild birds have different field marks on tail and head. Try to get an extra good look at those areas when you see a mystery bird.
Form and size:
The idea behind the definition of the shape and size of wild birds is to get a general and overall impression of the bird's body type and body proportions. How large is the mystery bird? How is the silhouette? Are there any pointed or curved wings? Is there a wide, long or short tail? What about the bill?
Study of the anatomy of birds:
Bird anatomy helps you to describe more specifically the bird under observation. Most of the field guides use anatomical descriptions for explaining the birds. If you can be familiar with the body parts of the bird, it is more likely for you to successfully identify unknown birds.
Look closely:
When you see a strange bird, get a long and good look at him. Having a reliable and convenient field guide will also help. Whenever you find an unknown bird, start observing the bird from top to back. After the bird has flown, write down as many of your observations as possible. This will ensure that you do not miss any important details (color, song, behavior, etc.).
Bird watching is a fun and interesting hobby that provides us with an insight on the wonderful world of birds. The tips mentioned above can be used as a guide when go bird watching. The more time you will spend in practicing the techniques mentioned above, the more successful you can be in defining your backyard visitors, who were once known.
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