Download - Bird ID in Central & North Coast
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Bird ID in Central & North Coast
Karen Barry & Christopher Di Corrado
Why are Birds Important?
Essential part of ecosystems & biodiversity around world
Indicators of ecosystem health: occur in every habitat; recognizable among public.
Water quality: pollution (e.g. Oil spills)
Fisheries (e.g. herring)
Climate change
Habitat change
Food resource: eggs and/or birds
Spiritual and cultural significance:
Bald Eagle, hummingbirds
Important to local economy: ecotourism
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Bird Identification: Getting Started
Good optical equipment
Recognize groups
Use field guides
Practice and have fun!
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Groups: Waterbirds, Marine Birds, Seaducks, Seabirds
Loons
Grebes
Albatrosses, Petrels, Shearwaters
Storm-petrels
Pelicans
Cormorants
Herons
Swans & geese
Dabbling Ducks
Diving Ducks
Shorebirds – plovers, sandpipers
Gulls & Terns
Alcids – puffins, murrelets, murres
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Coastal BC: a special place for waterbirds
Inshore and offshore coastal islands support over 5.6 million
nesting seabirds (over 50% global pops)
Protected bays, coves, beaches and highly productive
mudflats, rocky shorelines, eelgrass beds overwintering
resting and feeding areas (Oct-April)
Pacific Flyway: Migration stopover sites (Brant, shorebirds)
Brant Photo: T. Middleton
What to look for: Features to Identify Birds
1. Size & Shape – silhouette, scale, resting, flying
2. Colour Pattern – breeding vs non-breeding,
male vs female, patterns or grey/white/black
3. Behaviour – diving, flocking, flight pattern
4. Habitat – freshwater vs marine, offshore vs
nearshore, rocky vs sandy shores
5. Field Marks – specific & unique features,
usu. need binoculars
6. Songs & Calls – not usually helpful for
waterbirds
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Seasonal Patterns I
1) Colonial breeders on coastal islets - Alcids (Murres, Auklets, Murrelets), Cormorants, Gulls
- Fly to/from colony bringing food back for chicks
- Adults or juveniles can be seen year-round in coastal BC
Common Murre nesting colony (M. Hipfner)
Seasonal Patterns II
2) Inland breeders on freshwater marshes, lakes, wetlands
- Loons, Grebes, many seaducks
- Less abundant on the coast in summer
- Drabber winter plumage
Common Loon, breeding Horned Grebe, breeding
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White-winged Scoter Migration
Courtesy of Sean Boyd, Environment Canada
Identification Warm-Up Surf Scoter
Pacific Loon
Common Loon, summer
Thayer’s Gull
Common Loon, winter
Great Blue Heron
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Identification vs Recognition
Identification vs Recognition
• What colour was the head?
• What colour was the breast?
• What colour was the tail?
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Bird Topography
Identification: Size & Shape
Loons, Grebes and Cormorants: Large birds, sit low in the water, long neck
Ducks: small to large, bulky body, medium neck, large round bill
Auklets & Murrelets: Small birds, football shaped, short neck
Marbled Murrelet
(non-breeding)
Double-crested Cormorant
Mallard, male
Western Grebe (J. Avise)
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Identification: Behaviour (posture, diving, flight pattern, feeding, flocking)
Loons, Grebes and Cormorants: Medium-large birds, diving birds, loons “fish”, cormorants often out of water drying feathers
Dabbling Ducks: Small to large, cannot dive under water
Diving Ducks: Small to large body, dive down for extended periods
Mallards
Double-crested Cormorant, drying
Identification: Colour Pattern
Male/Female plumage
Breeding/Non-breeding plumage
Juvenile/Adult Plumage
Bufflehead, male on left (J. Avise)
Bufflehead (male)
Black Oystercatcher (T. Middleton)
Pigeon Guillemot (summer)
Pigeon Guillemot (winter)
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Identification: Habitat
Check range maps
Time of year
Type of habitat:
Freshwater or marine
Rocky shore or mudflat
Open water
Harlequin Ducks, male on left
www.whatbird.com
Grebes
Pied-billed Grebe
Red-necked Grebe (summer)
Western Grebe
Horned Grebe (winter)
Horned
Pied-billed
Red-necked
Western
Eared
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Cormorants
Pelagic
Double-crested
Brandt’s
Double-crested Cormorant, juvenile
Pelagic Cormorant
Brandt’s
Cormorant
Photo: Mike Yip
Diving Ducks I
Scoters: Black, White-winged & Surf
Goldeneyes: Barrow’s & Common
Surf Scoter, male
Black Scoter, male
Common Goldeneye, male
Barrow’s Goldeneye, male on left
White-winged Scoter,
male
White-winged Scoter,
female
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Diving Ducks II
Mergansers: Common, Red-breasted, Hooded
Red-breasted Merganser, male (J. Avise)
Red-breasted Merganser, female (J. Avise)
Hooded Merganser, female on left
Common Merganser, male on left
Dabbling Ducks
Mallard American Wigeon Green-winged Teal Northern Pintail Gadwall Northern Shoveler
Barrow’s Goldeneye (S. Boyd)
Northern Pintail, female on left (J. Avise)
Green-winged Teal, female on left (J. Avise)
American Wigeon,
female on left (J. Avise)
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Identification Overview
Look at silhouette & behaviour to identify group
Look for key features: head, bill, body colour, other
Consider the habitat: estuaries, freshwater, rocky shores
Use caution: if uncertain, record as “Unknown” e.g. “Unknown gull”
If possible, take photographs of the bird for verification
Rhinoceros Auklet:
head feathers
and horn on the bill
Unusual Species
Important to understand what is “normal” around your home
Seasonal patterns
Vagrants= “the lost ones”
Range expansions, eg. shifting further north/south
Climate change
Storms during migration periods
Juveniles “off track” in fall
Brown Pelican
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Now add in Land Birds!
With ~800 species in North America, looking through a bird guide can be overwhelming
Focus on birds that over-winter or breed along the coast
As with the waterbirds, start by learning to quickly recognize what group a bird belongs to:
1. by becoming familiar with the general shape, colour, and behaviour of birds
2. Knowing which are most likely to be seen in your location and time of year.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Keys to Identify Land Birds
1. Size & Shape – silhouette, size, bill shape
Yellow Warbler
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Keys to Identify Land Birds
2. Colour Pattern – General pattern.
Keep in mind breeding vs non-breeding, bright male
vs dull coloured female, bold patterns and
flashes/ bright colours
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Flicker
Keys to Identify Land Birds
3. Behaviour – Posture, movement, flight pattern
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Keys to Identify Land Birds
4. Habitat – Type of Forest; Age of Forest; Open
Habitats; uplands vs low/wetlands; human
disturbances (towns, clearcuts, farms)
USE range maps and eBird to narrow down choices
Keys to Identify Land Birds
5. Field Marks – specific & unique features,
usu. need binoculars
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Keys to Identify Land Birds
6. Songs & Calls –
Watch and listen
When you see a bird singing, the connection between bird and song tends to stick in your mind.
Learn from an expert
Listen to recordings
Start by listening to recordings of birds you see often.
Say it to yourself
Some songs almost sound like words – eg. Barred Owl's
"Who cooks for you all?"
Pacific Wren
Seasonal Patterns: Land Birds
• Unlike waterbirds, land bird diversity (number of species) is much higher in spring and summer year-round residents + migrants
• Land birds are more vocal, especially in spring-early summer in the morning
• It’s often much easier to hear a bird than to actually see it!
Varied Thrush
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Bird Identification: Resources
Sibley, National Geographic, Peterson – field guidebooks
E-guides/ Smartphone apps:
ibird/ Sibley/ Audubon/ Peterson
Dendroica: http://www.natureinstruct.org/dendroica/
ebird Canada: http://ebird.org/content/canada
Cornell Lab: www.allaboutbirds.org
Whatbird: www.whatbird.com
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Dendroica: Aid to ID’ing Birds