1. – Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately North of Africa - Palearctic Migrants Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa – Training Course – 1

2. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately 2 Authors Designed and written by Nathalie Hecker nat.hecker@yahoo.frnat.hecker@yahoo.fr Photographs Steve Garvie sgarvie@aol.com, www.pbase.com/rainbirdersgarvie@aol.comwww.pbase.com/rainbirder Illustrations Cyril Girard girardcyril3335@neuf.fr, www.cyrilgirard.frgirardcyril3335@neuf.frwww.cyrilgirard.fr Translation Rachel Wakeham moosekeeper77@hotmail.commoosekeeper77@hotmail.com This training course is one of the tools of : Hecker N., 2012. Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa – A toolkit for trainers. ONCFS, Hirundo-FT2E. France

3. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Presenting the Module Technical explanations Indoor exercises 3

4. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately How to describe a bird accurately Objectives of the module At the end of this module you will be able to: name the different parts of a bird’s body; describe the shape of a bird; describe a bird’s plumage; describe a bird’s behaviour. 4

5. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately How to describe a bird accurately Approach Identifying a species = rigorous description Note all key elements needed for a description Describe the bird objectively Write down the description -before the bird flies away -before looking at the field guide 5

6. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Size Compare size to that of a well-known bird for example: “bigger than a turtle-dove but smaller than a teal” 6

7. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Silhouette often characteristic of a family or genus Round: plovers Elongated or slim: stilt, Tringa sandpipers, egret Hunched or stocky: Squacco Heron and Cattle Egret at rest Remember that general shape can change with the bird’s posture. 7

8. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Neck length short: plovers medium: ducks long: Tringa sandpipers, herons, storks position in flight extended: storks, Anatidae, flamingos retracted: herons 8

9. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Shape of the bill pointed and dagger-shaped for fish-eating birds: herons, kingfishers flat: ducks, spoonbills slender and long: birds that feed over mud: waders - straight: snipes, godwits - downcurved: curlews - upturned: avocet short : plovers, gulls, crakes 9

10. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Length of the bill Short or long Compare with length of the head seen from the side Bill > headBill = headBill < head 10

11. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Toes … if they are visible webbed: ducks, geese... not webbed: waders, herons,… very long: Rallidae,… 11

12. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Legs long: extending beyond the tail when in flight, or clearly visible tibia when on the ground: large wading birds, Tringa sandpipers, stilts, godwits, etc. short: do not extend beyond the tail when in flight, or the tibia are hardly visible when on the ground: Anatidae, cormorants, grebes, Calidris sandpipers, etc. 12 extending beyond the tail Not extending beyond the tail clearly visible Tibias hardly visible Legs in flight tibia tarsus

13. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Wings in flight length long short shape broad: storks, grey heron,… pointed: terns, Tringa sandpipers,... rounded: rails,... 13

14. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Tail length long: Northern Pintail short: Common Teal, Little Grebe shape rounded: Common Snipe forked, v-shaped: pratincoles, terns pointed: Jack Snipe, Northern Pintail 14

15. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape On the ground, walking On the ground, restingIn flight Sizemedium medium, but smaller than when walking medium Silhouetteslendersquat NeckLong, sinuous, thinnot visible “head in its shoulders”very thick, bent Billmedium length (= width of head) dagger-shapeddifficult to see Legslong (clearly visible tibias)short to medium (tibias not visible)extending beyond the tail Wingsnot visiblebroad, rounded tips Tailshort 15

16. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 16

17. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 17

18. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 18

19. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 19

20. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 20

21. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 21

22. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 22

23. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 23

24. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Bird topography 24 crest super cilium cheek breast flank scapulars rump tibia tarsus back

25. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Bird topography 25 upper mandible lower mandible speculum wing bar coverts primaries secondaries eyering nape throat

26. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Describing colours poses a real problem for most beginners 26

27. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Different shades of the same colour: light grey... dark grey 27 speckled grey... stripy grey

28. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Shades of mixed colours: … grey-green … grey-brown … reddish-brown … 28

29. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Vague terms whitish... reddish... greenish 29

30. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Colours will look different in different lights 30

31. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast How colour and size are perceived varies with the background against which they are seen Birds can seem smaller than they really are against a light background 31

32. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast To make a good description it is important to describe plumage: patterns, colours and contrasts of each part colour of the legs colour of the bill colour of the bare skin and wattle for some species, etc. 32

33. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Describe the plumage, legs and bill 33

34. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 34 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

35. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 35 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

36. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 36 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

37. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Describe the plumage, legs and bill 37

38. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Describe the plumage, legs and bill 38

39. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 39 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

40. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 40 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

41. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Behaviour, disposition, habitat A description should also include: Behaviour: sleeping, feeding, flying, perched, calling etc. Disposition: alone, in a pair, in a group, etc. Habitat: on water, on a mudflat, in a forest, in bushes, etc. 41

42. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Behaviour Behaviour on the ground walking: storks, herons... jumping: raptors on the ground running: thick-knees, plovers, etc. standing still: heron watching prey constantly moving: Sanderling, Kentish Plover Behaviour on water dives underwater : grebes, diving ducks dives partially: surface-feeding ducks 42

43. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Behaviour Flight behaviour Type of flight flapping: waders, ducks soaring: storks direct, without sharp changes in direction: ducks zigzag: Common Snipe hovering (followed by a dive): terns, Osprey, kingfishers Type of wingbeats rapid or slow regular or irregular 43

44. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Calls and song Why do we need to recognise bird calls? To detect species which are rarely seen or isolated or nocturnal To detect a species a long way away To tell two similar species apart 44

45. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Dispersion & habitat On a wetland… Dispersion solitary: grey heron in pairs: ducks in a flock: ducks and waders Habitat open water: ducks and grebes shoreline vegetation: herons floating vegetation: terns mudflats: waders 45

46. Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately 46 Thanks for your attention!