1. Introduction to Song Birds Ms. Lacross Ag and Technology I

2. What is a bird? – “Warm blooded’ Vertebrate – Body temperature is kept more or less at or above its surroundings – All birds produce laying eggs which are fertilized before they are laid.

3. Birding Basics – With more than 800 species of birds in the US and Canada it is easy to confuse birds – There are several id tips that can help – Keys to Id: – Size and Shape – Color Pattern – Behavior – Habitat – Field Marks – Songs and Calls

4. Key 1: Size and Shape – Often you don’t need to see color to know what type of bird you have – Silhouettes quickly tell you a bird’s size, proportions and posture

5. Key 1: Size and Shape – On the photo to the right identify each of the bird silhouette 1.Woodpecker, 2. Owl, 3. Birds of prey, 4. Ducks, 5. Geese, 6. Shorebirds

6. Key 2: Color Patterns – Focus on overall color pattern instead of matching every detail to the pictures – Birds molt and their feathers wear – Appearance can vary if the bird is – old or young, – how well it had been eating last time it molted – light the bird is sitting in can have a huge effect on the colors you see

7. Key 3: Behavior – Birds don’t just look unique they also have unique ways of acting, moving, sitting and flying. – Posture: – The MOST basic aspect of behavior is posture – Posture: How a bird presents its self – Movement: – As you see a sitting bird begin to move, you get a new set of clues to which type it could be. – Flight Pattern: – Certain birds have flight patterns that give them away – Birds or prey have their own distinctive styles

8. Key 3: Behavior – Feeding Style – You don’t only watch birds move but also watch them eat – Some of obvious ex. The heron – Flocking – Some species are born loners – Others are never found solo – Some travel in 3’s or 4’s some in 100’s – Many species get more sociable as summer draws to a close

9. Key 4: Habitat – A habitat is a birds home – Many birds are choosy – Keeping in mind where you are helps to determine what type of bird you have – Using Ebird helps – The great part of the Ebird system is it generates a bar chart – This chart gives you a sense of how often a species has been seen in a region

10. Key 5: Field Marks – Field marks: distinctive stripes, spots, patterns, colors and highlights that birds have in such abundance and variety – Birds develop these patterns for many reasons – How do they use them? – Recognize members of their own species.

11. Key 5: Field Marks – Eyebrow Stripe: line over the eye – Eyeline: line through the eye – Whisker Mark: aka mustache – Throat Patch – Color of upper and lower beak – Color of Lore: area between the base of beak and the eye – Eyering: ring of color around the eye – Crest: Presence or absence – Eye color: The color of the eye itself

12. Key 5: Field Marks – Birds wings are another place to determine a birds identity – Examples: – Wingbars: stripes across the fold – Wing Patches: blocks of color on the wings – Wing Lining: the feathers covering the underlining of the wing

13. Songs of Birds Ms. Lacross Ag and Technology I

14. Black – Capped Chickadee

15. American Crow

16. Ruby- Throated Hummingbird

17. Mourning Dove

18. American Robin

19. Northern Cardinal

20. Blue Jay

21. American Goldfinch

22. Red-Winged Blackbird

23. Barn Swallow

24. White Crowned Sparrow

25. Eastern Phoebe

26. Killdeer

27. Canada Goose

28. Grackle

29. Pigeon

30. Red-Bellied Woodpecker

31. Cedar Waxwing

32. Yellow Warbler

33. Ovenbird

34. Tufted Titmouse

35. Osprey