Bird Identification for the Untrained
Bird watching is always a fun and therapeutic thing that a whole family can do during warm weather. But, how many times have you felt envious to your third grader because he can identify more bird species than you could? If only you can carry a bird taxonomy manual with you then you just might have a chance to win in bird identification contest with your child.
Bird identification doesn't have to be frustrating. You're already considered an expert if you can narrow down the identification to the bird's family even.
Remember that bird size is almost uniform across bird species. It may be difficult to identify a Robin from a Grosbeak because they almost have similar size, but you can identify them from pigeons.
Look around where you find the bird because different bird species live in different habitats. The same bird species tend to cluster in similar habitats; that is to say deep forest, open prairies, near oceans, etc. The bird's legs, shape of the tail and beak, and the general build of the bird can tell you which family it belongs, too.
But of course, to identify birds even just down to what family they belong, you need to read a field guide and familiarize species characteristics a bit. With actual practice and book browsing, you, too, can master bird identification.
