Bird resources
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The S-System of Bird ID
A helpful way of identifying birds is the S-System. Use these 6 words to help identify the birds seen not only on the web cam but anywhere you might run across them.
Size: How big is the bird? Compare it to common things in hour life. Is it bigger or smaller than a cup? A glass? A loaf of bread? A microwave oven? Or compare it to a bird that is familiar: bigger than a robin, smaller than a crow. Smaller than a swan, bigger than a duck.
Site: Where was in seen? In the forest? A meadow? A stream? A lake’? Soaring overhead?
Sight: In this case there are several different ways of interpreting “sight”.
Physical Features
Behavioural Observations
Shape: What shape is it? Common shapes are:
Other shapes to look for:
Wings:
Season: What season did you see it in?
A helpful way of identifying birds is the S-System. Use these 6 words to help identify the birds seen not only on the web cam but anywhere you might run across them.
Size: How big is the bird? Compare it to common things in hour life. Is it bigger or smaller than a cup? A glass? A loaf of bread? A microwave oven? Or compare it to a bird that is familiar: bigger than a robin, smaller than a crow. Smaller than a swan, bigger than a duck.
Site: Where was in seen? In the forest? A meadow? A stream? A lake’? Soaring overhead?
Sight: In this case there are several different ways of interpreting “sight”.
Physical Features
- What colour was the bird in general?
- What patterns did you see? What colour was its back? Its head? Its chest?
- What are its feet like? Webbed? Talons? Were the toes all facing forward?
- Did the bird have an eye-ring?
- Were their patterns on its wings? If so what were they like?
- Was the chest speckled? Streaked? Barred? A solid colour?
- What was the beak like? Thin? Sturdy? Long? Short?
- Did have a crest?
- Was it long legged or short?
- Other?
Behavioural Observations
- How did it fly? Did soar? Flap and glide? Flap all of the time?
- Did walk? Hop?
- Did it land on branches? Was it on the ground?
- Did carry food away or eat it right then and there?
- Was it in a flock or was it solitary?
- Did it mix with other birds or was it alone?
- Was it nesting?
- Other?
Shape: What shape is it? Common shapes are:
- Owl shaped
- Hawk or Eagle shaped
- Chicken or turkey like?
- Song bird like? (Robin)
- Heron shaped?
- Duck shaped?
Other shapes to look for:
Wings:
- Long and narrow?
- Short and wide?
- Long and wide?
- Other?
- Thick and short?
- Curved, hawk like?
- Very long and spear like?
- Very thin?
- Flat, duck like?
- Other?
Season: What season did you see it in?