When trying to identify a new bird, it is helpful to try compare the bird’s size to that of common birds such as a Sparrow, Robin, Crow, Red-tailed Hawk, and Turkey Vulture*. These birds can be called “Reference Birds” and because we see them relatively often, they can be very helpful points of reference for estimating size. For this Study Challenge you’ll need a field guide that lists lengths of birds (both Peterson and Sibley do) along with a tape measure or ruler.

• Before you crack open your field guide start by making your best estimate for the length of each of the Reference Birds listed above (length of birds is measured from tip of tail to tip of bill).

• Then with your fingers or hands try to “air sculpt” or approximate the size of each of those birds

• Now you can crack open your field guide and look up the actual size of each of those birds and use your tape measure or ruler to compare the actual lengths to the estimates you made.

*Depending on where you are or what kind of bird you are trying to identify, you might use different reference birds. For example, if you are trying to identify a wading bird such as a Cattle Egret, it would be most helpful to compare their size with other birds of a similar body shape such as Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron etc. When identifying a duck, it would be most helpful to compare with other swimming birds which have similar shape such as geese, or grebes.

Be sure to complete the challenge “Learn the Size of Reference Birds” before beginning this assignment.

At your sit-spot each time you see a bird, try to make an estimate of the size of the bird relative to the Reference Birds from the first Study Assignment. For example you could say “that Cardinal looks bigger than a Sparrow but smaller than a Robin” or “that hawk looks about the size of a Red-tail or maybe a little smaller.” This can be challenging at first especially because we see birds from such varying distances- a Blue Jay up close might look larger than a crow at a distance. One trick that might be helpful is to walk around your sit spot and get a sense for how large the trunks and limbs are for the various trees in your sit-spot view. Then use that information to better inform your estimates.

If you’d like, each time you see a new bird today at your sit spot, rather than writing their names down chronologically (in the order that you saw them), make a simple chart and try to record your daily bird list by size. Then when you get a chance you can check this list against the actual bird lengths listed in your field guide.

A really good way to help us focus in on specific details of birds is through sketching. When we reproduce what we are seeing through drawing, it makes us look more closely and helps us notice the minute details and proportions. For this and the rest of the Study Challenges this week, you’ll be invited to do some drawing- but don’t worry about making these drawings perfectly accurate or beautiful in any way. Just the practice of sketching will help ingrain these images into your memory.

One of the most helpful features to look for when identifying birds is the shape and size of their beak so that’s the feature we’ll be focusing on first.

For this study challenge, use your field guide, app, or internet image search to take a closer look at the beak shapes and proportions of different common birds. Then in your journal, make a quick sketch of just the beak of each of those birds. Below each drawing, include a brief description of the food/ foraging style that each bird uses their beak for (you can find info on diet in field guides or on All About Birds.

Start with the following birds first then if you’re still excited, try to find other common birds with unique beaks:

• House Finch

• American Crow

• Tufted Titmouse

• Carolina Wren

• Red-tailed Hawk

• Pileated Woodpecker

• Golden-crowned Kinglet

• Mallard.

Be sure to complete the challenge “Study & Sketch Bird Beaks” before beginning this assignment.

Today at your sit spot, try to really focus on beaks. Even with common birds who you’ve seen a thousand times, take a good long look at their beaks and the way that each bird uses theirs. Note the size and shape of the beak and if you like, say the shape out loud to yourself along with the food that the beak is most likely used for. “Cardinal-seeds…hummingbird-nectar…” etc. Then keep watching and try to notice any behaviors which utilize the beak, for example: foraging, singing, or preening. Take particular note of what the bird is eating and how it is eating. Does this match your guess that you made based on the bill shape?

Finally try to get a sense for proportions of different bird beaks relative to their overall head. Which birds that you are seeing have the smallest or shortest beaks relative to their head size? Which have the largest or longest?

Posture is important! It’s not only a great thing to be aware of in your own body (I’m looking at you, neck straining warbler watchers!) but it can also be a super helpful trait to look for when identifying birds. All birds have what’s known as a “baseline posture.” This refers to the general orientation of their body most of the time or when they are at rest. For example, imagine a Red-tailed hawk perched on a branch or power pole, surveying the landscape. Chances are, the image that comes to mind is a large bird with a fairly upright or erect posture. Now imagine a Northern Mockingbird or an Eastern Towhee foraging on the ground. The baseline posture that comes to mind for these birds (especially when they are on the ground) is fairly horizontal.

Of course, birds are amazing and dynamic beings with complex musculoskeletal systems which can stretch and contort in all sorts of ways depending on their activity. But the posture a bird spends most of their time in is what we are looking for.

For this study challenge, you’ll make a simple graph in your journal to list 10-20 common birds according to their baseline posture from those with the most horizontal to most upright posture. Look at several photos of each species on your app or online then imagine drawing a straight line from the tip of their beak to the tip of their tail. See an example here.

Feel free to make a separate list of birds who have particularly unique postures like “Wren: fairly horizontal with upright tail” or “Nuthatch: often pointed straight downward on a tree-trunk”

Be sure to complete the challenge “Study Bird Posture” before beginning this assignment.

Today at your sit spot, really tune in to the posture of the birds you are seeing. As always, try to watch a single bird for as long as possible and notice the way that their body is oriented and their posture changes as they move around the landscape. Note these posture quietly out loud to yourself as you watch for example: “Cardinal, pretty diagonal at rest, more horizontal when picking up seeds and pretty upright when singing.” If you have your journal you can make very simple sketches of the birds you see or simply dray a line that represents the posture(s) that they are using.

Just like beak shape, tail shape and length can be a very helpful characteristic to focus on when trying to identify a bird.

For this challenge, first take a look at this diagram which shows some of the common tail shapes seen in birds- feel free to sketch these into your journal as well if you’d like. Next, make a list of all the birds you can think of which have each tail shape. Try to do this from memory at first, then take a look through your field guide and apps. Note that some field guides are better than others at showing this feature and depending on whether the tail is shown fanned out in flight or shown folded in a resting position will affect how much this feature is visible.

Be sure to complete the challenge “Study & Sketch Tail Shapes” before beginning this assignment.

Today at your sit spot, spend some time focusing on the tails of the birds you see. Look not only for the shapes described in the last study challenge but also get a sense for the proportion or relative length of the tail compared to the overall size of the bird. For example, a White-breasted Nuthatch has a relatively short tail, a Northern Mockingbird has a relatively long tail, and a House Finch has a medium length tail.

For each bird you see, make note of the shape and length of the tail and say it out loud or write it down. Of course this is also a great opportunity to notice some interesting tail behaviors or markings at the same time such as bobbing or flashing.

Check out this amazing two-page Guide to Hawks PDF which compares the shapes and proportions of hawks found in North Eastern US (all of the most commonly seen species from WNC are featured).

Measure your own wingspan and compare it to the different species listed. Then if you like, make some simple sketches of the body outlines of a few of our local hawks alog with the size and shape details that help distinguish them from other similar hawks.

One of the coolest skills of experienced birders is beng able to make an accurate identification from a split second glimpse of a bird. While this might seem like magic to some, this is a fairly simple talent to acquire-though it does take some practice. Birders refer to talent ts his as using “jizz” or forming an impression.

To begin to do this yourself, try the following practice: Each time you see a bird at your sit spot, take a look for just a few seconds- don’t spend a long time consciously studying like you did in the last assignments, just take a quick mental snapshot. After just a few seconds close your eyes and picture the bird in your minds-eye as if the bird’s impression had been burned into your memory. Now with your eyes still closed, study your mental image of the bird as if with a magnifying glass: How long was the tail? Was it notched or flat? How chunky was that beak? What was the bird’s posture?

If you can’t answer all the questions that’s OK, it will take some time. But keep trying, taking mental snapshots and quizzing yourself about the overall shape and size of each bird you catch a glimpse of. It’s interesting to notice which features we can recall and which we can’t quite picture- even with birds we’ve seen a thousand times!

Practice this skill often, adding in questions about flight style, foraging habits, and other behaviors. Pretty soon you’ll be able to very clearly imagine all the details of a few birds and before you know it, you’ll see a flash in the corner of your eye and immediately and confidently know who it was. Ta-daa! Now you’re the one doing magic!