bird identification and behavior

Question 1

List the four keys to bird identification

Answer 1

size, shape, color, and behavior(along with overall habitat)

Question 2

Why is plumage/feather coat color not always useful for identifying a bird?

Answer 2

plumage changes with passing seasons

Question 3

What habitat features makes a “great place” to look for birds?

Answer 3

low grass, wildflowers, deciduous trees, berry shrubs, conifers

Question 4

What are the first two steps to consider when identifying an unknown bird?

Answer 4

try to put it into a group and/or family, then focus on size comparison

(then you can look at shape of body parts)

Question 5

What four PARTS of a bird are most useful for identification?

Answer 5

head, bill, length of bill, and length of tail

Question 6

What two features are helpful for distinguishing betweena downy and hairy woodpecker?

Answer 6

the bill length is shorter on a downy woodpecker; the hairy woodpecker is much larger

Question 7

what feature distinguishes between a male and female downy and/or hairy woodpecker?

Answer 7

the male has the color read on its head

Question 8

When it comes to bird color, what should be focused on and what should be ignored?

Answer 8

subtleties of color should be ignored and overall color patterns should be focused on

Question 9

Relative to color patterns, what two body parts should be focused on?

Answer 9

head and wings

Question 10

Wing bars

Answer 10

bold, contrasting color stripes on the wings

Question 11

Why is behavior a useful tool for bird identification?

Answer 11

it is consistent and unchanging

Question 12

what are three types of behavior used for identification?

Answer 12

posture, foraging, and flight style

Question 13

What behaviors are generally not used to identify birds?

Answer 13

courtship and nesting, because they are not generally observed everyday

Question 14

What do you look for in posture identification? Provide 2 examples.

Answer 14

look at the where and how(location of the bird and the position of the birds body - such as hunched/upright/tilt)

ovenbirds are found in the forest understory

cardinals sit rather upright

Question 15

What do you look for in foraging identification? Provide 2 examples

Answer 15

asking where and how, plus what it eats

Horned larks like to forage in fields and on the ground, while a piping plover with pause and then dash to food

(Carolina chickadees rely on seeds)

Question 16

What do you look for in flight behavior identification? Provide an example

Answer 16

focus on wing beats and flight direction

duck shovelers have fast paced wing beats

Question 17

List the four factors provided by the habitat of a bird species

Answer 17

food to eat, place to reproduce, protection, and ability to survive off of it

Question 18

list and describe the four different habitat types highlighted

Answer 18

forest/woodland habitats, aquatic habitats, shrub habitats, and open habitats

Question 19

what does it mean when the habitat of a bird is considered twice?

Answer 19

birds migrate over seasons, so they will habe different habitats