Bird Identification for Wildlife Rehabilitators Scott Diehl Wisconsin Humane Society, Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Milwaukee, WI
Why is proper identification important? Selecting appropriate handling techniques Selecting appropriate housing Selecting appropriate diet Selecting appropriate release habitat...
Why is proper identification important? Selecting appropriate season and timing of release. Determining status: endangered or threatened? Accurate record keeping and reporting.
Timing of Release
Old School: Field Guides
Selecting a Field Guide Make sure it s Appropriate for your region Current Not too limited Not too extensive Easy for YOU to use
Using a Field Guide Familiarize yourself with the plates, the range maps and associated symbols.
Using a Field Guide Front: Loons, grebes... Back: sparrows, finches Understand the basic design of the guide: taxonomic order /bird families.
Topography of a Bird From The Sibley Guide to Birds
Identifying birds: Look for field marks
Identifying birds: look for... Minimize stress for the bird while handling for identification. Relative size: compare to familiar species, e.g., House Sparrow, American Robin, Rock Pigeon, American Crow, Mallard, Red-tailed Hawk, Canada Goose... about the size of a Mallard.
Identifying birds: look for... General shape: stocky, plump, slender, long neck, short wings, pointed wings... Bill shape: long, short, conical, down-turned Tail: long, short, notched, squared, rounded Legs and feet: long, short, tiny, big, webbed, talons...
Identifying birds: consider... Range/season: use the field guide maps. Eliminate the expected before considering vagrants. Less useful: voice behavior habitat
Sort to Order, family, genus Use your observations of the bird to sort it to Order, then to Family Beginners may need to use what isn t it, until they become more familiar with bird Orders and Families.
Then identify to species Use your field guide or app to identify to species. Use multiple features to arrive at species. Read similar species accounts. Look for features unique to a species.
New School: Bird I.D. Apps Merlin (free) Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/ Audubon Bird Guide (free) http://www.audubon.org/apps Sibley eguide to the Birds of North America ($19.99) http://www.sibleyguides.com/about/the-sibley-eguide-to-birds-app/ There are several others. Some are for smaller groups of birds, like warblers or hawks. Google Best birding apps for latest reviews
Special considerations... Age: juvenile plumage. Molt: seasonal plumage, e.g., basic or breeding plumage; transitional plumage. Worn, faded feathers. Nearly identical species: e.g. empidonax flycatchers.
Special help... Other wildlife rehabilitators An experienced birder Web sites (e.g. Cornell: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ search/) Facebook pages for bird-watchers Other references: Pyle s Identification Guide to North American Birds...
Document rarities... Please consider reporting rarities and vagrants to your state ornithological society, either directly or through e-bird (www.ebird.org), a local birder or bird club.
ID Challenges Herring Gull Ring-billed Gull
ID Challenges Imm. Herring Gull Imm. Ring-billed Gull
ID Challenges Purple Finch House Finch
ID Challenges Cooper s Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk
ID Challenges Imm. Cooper s Hawk Imm. Sharp-shinned Hawk
ID Challenges Canada Goose Cackling Goose
ID Challenges Forster s Tern Common Tern
ID Challenges In the winter
ID Challenges Mallard American Black Duck Hybrid
ID Challenges American Goldfinch American Redstart
ID Challenges Wilson s Snipe Stilt Sandpiper
Identify these common birds
Questions?