identifying song birds
DESCRIPTION
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! Habitat Bird shape Field Marks (not just color) Behavior Songs and Calls. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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.