– Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Sahel West Africa

Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa – Training Course –

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

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Authors

Designed and written byNathalie Hecker nat.hecker@yahoo.fr

Photographs Steve Garvie sgarvie@aol.com, www.pbase.com/rainbirder

IllustrationsCyril Girard girardcyril3335@neuf.fr, www.cyrilgirard.fr

TranslationRachel Wakeham moosekeeper77@hotmail.com

This training course is one of the tools of : Hecker N., 2012. Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa – A toolkit for trainers. ONCFS, Hirundo-FT2E. France

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Presenting the ModuleTechnical

explanations

Indoor exercises

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

How to describe a bird accurately

Objectives of the moduleAt the end of this module you will be able to: •name the different parts of a bird’s body;•describe the shape of a bird;•describe a bird’s plumage;•describe a bird’s behaviour.

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

How to describe a bird accurately

ApproachIdentifying a species = rigorous description•Note all key elements needed for a description •Describe the bird objectively •Write down the description-before the bird flies away -before looking at the field guide

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Shape

Size•Compare size to that of a well-known bird•for example: “bigger than a turtle-dove but smaller than a whistling duck”

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Shape

Silhouetteoften characteristic of a family or genus•Round: plovers•Elongated or slim: stilt, Tringa sandpiper, egret•Hunched or stocky: Squacco Heron at rest

Remember that general shape can change with the bird’s posture.

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

ShapeNecklength •short: plovers•medium: ducks•long: Tringa sandpipers, herons, storks

position in flight •extended: storks, Anatidae, flamingos•retracted: herons, pelicans

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

ShapeShape of the bill•pointed and dagger-shaped for fish-eating birds: herons, kingfishers•flat: ducks, spoonbills•slender and long: birds that feed over mud: waders - straight: snipes

- downcurved : curlews- upturned: avocet

•short: plovers, gulls, crakes

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Shape

Length of the bill•Short or long •Compare with length of the head seen from the side

Bill > head Bill = head Bill < head10

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

ShapeToes … if they are visible• webbed: ducks, geese ...• not webbed: waders ...

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• very long: jacanas…

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

ShapeLegslong: extending beyond the tail when in flight, or clearly visible tibia when on the ground: large wading birds, Tringa sandpipers, Godwits, etc

short : do not extend beyond the tail when in flight, or the tibia is hardly visible when on the ground: Anatidae, cormorants, grebes, Calidris sandpipers, etc. 12

Extending beyond the tail

Not extending beyond the tail

clearly visible Tibias hardly visible

Legs in flighttibia

tarsus

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

ShapeWings in flightlength •long•short

shape •broad: storks, herons, pelicans…•pointed: terns, Tringa sandpipers ...•rounded : rails...

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

ShapeTaillength•long: African Darter•short : teal, Little Grebeshape•rounded: Common Snipe•forked, v-shaped: pratincoles, terns•pointed: Jack Snipe, Collared Pratincole

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

ShapeOn the ground,

walking On the ground, resting In flight

Size medium medium, but smaller than when walking medium

Silhouette slender squat

Neck Long, sinuous, thin not visible “head in its shoulders” very thick, retracted

Bill medium length (= width of head) dagger-shaped difficult to see

Legs long (clearly visible tibias) short to medium (tibias not visible) extending beyond the tail

Wings not visible broad, rounded tips

Tail short

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Shape

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Shape

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Shape

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Shape

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Shape

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Shape

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Shape

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Shape

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Shape

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Bird topography

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crowneyering

wattle

supercilium

cheek

breast

flank

scapularsrump

face

tibia

tarsus

back

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Bird topography

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upper mandible

lower mandible

collarundertail coverts

throat

speculum

wing bar

coverts

primaries

secondaries

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrastDescribing colours poses a real problem for most beginners

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

Different shades of the same colour: light grey ... dark grey

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speckled grey ... stripy grey

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

Shades of mixed colours: … grey-green … grey-brown … reddish-brown …

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

Vague termswhitish ... reddish ... greenish

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

Colours will look different in different lights

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

How colour and size are perceived varies with the background against which they are seen

Birds can seem smaller than they really are against a light background

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

To make a good description it is important to describe• plumage: patterns, colours and contrasts of each part• colour of the legs• colour of the bill

• colour of the bare skin and wattle for some species, etc.

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

Describe the plumage, legs and bill

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour contrast

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Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

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Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

Describe the plumage, legs and bill

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

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Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

Describe the plumage, legs and bill

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

Describe the plumage, legs and bill

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

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Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Colour and contrast

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Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Behaviour, disposition, habitat

A description should also include :•Behaviour: sleeping, feeding, flying, perched, etc.•Disposition: alone, in a pair, in a group, etc.•Habitat: on water, in a forest, in bushes, etc.

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

BehaviourBehaviour on the ground•walking: cranes, storks, herons, etc.•hopping: raptors on the ground•running: thick-knees, plovers, etc.•standing still: heron watching prey•constantly moving: Sanderling, Kentish Plover

Behaviour on water• dives underwater: grebes, diving ducks• dives partially: surface-feeding ducks

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Behaviour

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Calls and song

Why do we need to recognise bird calls?•To detect species which are rarely seen or isolated or nocturnal•To detect a species a long way away•To tell two similar species apart

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

Dispersion & habitat

On a wetland …

Dispersion• solitary: some herons such as Black-headed Heron• in small or large flocks

Habitat• open water: ducks and grebes• shoreline vegetation: herons• floating vegetation: jacanas• mudflats: waders

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Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately

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Thanks for your attention!