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Bird ID in Central & North Coast

Karen Barry & Christopher Di Corrado

Why are Birds Important?

Essential part of ecosystems & biodiversity around world

Indicators of ecosystem health: occur in every habitat; recognizable among public.

Water quality: pollution (e.g. Oil spills)

Fisheries (e.g. herring)

Climate change

Habitat change

Food resource: eggs and/or birds

Spiritual and cultural significance:

Bald Eagle, hummingbirds

Important to local economy: ecotourism

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Bird Identification: Getting Started

Good optical equipment

Recognize groups

Use field guides

Practice and have fun!

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Groups: Waterbirds, Marine Birds, Seaducks, Seabirds

Loons

Grebes

Albatrosses, Petrels, Shearwaters

Storm-petrels

Pelicans

Cormorants

Herons

Swans & geese

Dabbling Ducks

Diving Ducks

Shorebirds – plovers, sandpipers

Gulls & Terns

Alcids – puffins, murrelets, murres

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Coastal BC: a special place for waterbirds

Inshore and offshore coastal islands support over 5.6 million

nesting seabirds (over 50% global pops)

Protected bays, coves, beaches and highly productive

mudflats, rocky shorelines, eelgrass beds overwintering

resting and feeding areas (Oct-April)

Pacific Flyway: Migration stopover sites (Brant, shorebirds)

Brant Photo: T. Middleton

What to look for: Features to Identify Birds

1. Size & Shape – silhouette, scale, resting, flying

2. Colour Pattern – breeding vs non-breeding,

male vs female, patterns or grey/white/black

3. Behaviour – diving, flocking, flight pattern

4. Habitat – freshwater vs marine, offshore vs

nearshore, rocky vs sandy shores

5. Field Marks – specific & unique features,

usu. need binoculars

6. Songs & Calls – not usually helpful for

waterbirds

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Seasonal Patterns I

1) Colonial breeders on coastal islets - Alcids (Murres, Auklets, Murrelets), Cormorants, Gulls

- Fly to/from colony bringing food back for chicks

- Adults or juveniles can be seen year-round in coastal BC

Common Murre nesting colony (M. Hipfner)

Seasonal Patterns II

2) Inland breeders on freshwater marshes, lakes, wetlands

- Loons, Grebes, many seaducks

- Less abundant on the coast in summer

- Drabber winter plumage

Common Loon, breeding Horned Grebe, breeding

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White-winged Scoter Migration

Courtesy of Sean Boyd, Environment Canada

Identification Warm-Up Surf Scoter

Pacific Loon

Common Loon, summer

Thayer’s Gull

Common Loon, winter

Great Blue Heron

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Identification vs Recognition

Identification vs Recognition

• What colour was the head?

• What colour was the breast?

• What colour was the tail?

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Bird Topography

Identification: Size & Shape

Loons, Grebes and Cormorants: Large birds, sit low in the water, long neck

Ducks: small to large, bulky body, medium neck, large round bill

Auklets & Murrelets: Small birds, football shaped, short neck

Marbled Murrelet

(non-breeding)

Double-crested Cormorant

Mallard, male

Western Grebe (J. Avise)

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Identification: Behaviour (posture, diving, flight pattern, feeding, flocking)

Loons, Grebes and Cormorants: Medium-large birds, diving birds, loons “fish”, cormorants often out of water drying feathers

Dabbling Ducks: Small to large, cannot dive under water

Diving Ducks: Small to large body, dive down for extended periods

Mallards

Double-crested Cormorant, drying

Identification: Colour Pattern

Male/Female plumage

Breeding/Non-breeding plumage

Juvenile/Adult Plumage

Bufflehead, male on left (J. Avise)

Bufflehead (male)

Black Oystercatcher (T. Middleton)

Pigeon Guillemot (summer)

Pigeon Guillemot (winter)

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Identification: Habitat

Check range maps

Time of year

Type of habitat:

Freshwater or marine

Rocky shore or mudflat

Open water

Harlequin Ducks, male on left

www.whatbird.com

Grebes

Pied-billed Grebe

Red-necked Grebe (summer)

Western Grebe

Horned Grebe (winter)

Horned

Pied-billed

Red-necked

Western

Eared

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Cormorants

Pelagic

Double-crested

Brandt’s

Double-crested Cormorant, juvenile

Pelagic Cormorant

Brandt’s

Cormorant

Photo: Mike Yip

Diving Ducks I

Scoters: Black, White-winged & Surf

Goldeneyes: Barrow’s & Common

Surf Scoter, male

Black Scoter, male

Common Goldeneye, male

Barrow’s Goldeneye, male on left

White-winged Scoter,

male

White-winged Scoter,

female

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Diving Ducks II

Mergansers: Common, Red-breasted, Hooded

Red-breasted Merganser, male (J. Avise)

Red-breasted Merganser, female (J. Avise)

Hooded Merganser, female on left

Common Merganser, male on left

Dabbling Ducks

Mallard American Wigeon Green-winged Teal Northern Pintail Gadwall Northern Shoveler

Barrow’s Goldeneye (S. Boyd)

Northern Pintail, female on left (J. Avise)

Green-winged Teal, female on left (J. Avise)

American Wigeon,

female on left (J. Avise)

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Identification Overview

Look at silhouette & behaviour to identify group

Look for key features: head, bill, body colour, other

Consider the habitat: estuaries, freshwater, rocky shores

Use caution: if uncertain, record as “Unknown” e.g. “Unknown gull”

If possible, take photographs of the bird for verification

Rhinoceros Auklet:

head feathers

and horn on the bill

Unusual Species

Important to understand what is “normal” around your home

Seasonal patterns

Vagrants= “the lost ones”

Range expansions, eg. shifting further north/south

Climate change

Storms during migration periods

Juveniles “off track” in fall

Brown Pelican

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Now add in Land Birds!

With ~800 species in North America, looking through a bird guide can be overwhelming

Focus on birds that over-winter or breed along the coast

As with the waterbirds, start by learning to quickly recognize what group a bird belongs to:

1. by becoming familiar with the general shape, colour, and behaviour of birds

2. Knowing which are most likely to be seen in your location and time of year.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Keys to Identify Land Birds

1. Size & Shape – silhouette, size, bill shape

Yellow Warbler

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Keys to Identify Land Birds

2. Colour Pattern – General pattern.

Keep in mind breeding vs non-breeding, bright male

vs dull coloured female, bold patterns and

flashes/ bright colours

Dark-eyed Junco

Northern Flicker

Keys to Identify Land Birds

3. Behaviour – Posture, movement, flight pattern

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Keys to Identify Land Birds

4. Habitat – Type of Forest; Age of Forest; Open

Habitats; uplands vs low/wetlands; human

disturbances (towns, clearcuts, farms)

USE range maps and eBird to narrow down choices

Keys to Identify Land Birds

5. Field Marks – specific & unique features,

usu. need binoculars

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Keys to Identify Land Birds

6. Songs & Calls –

Watch and listen

When you see a bird singing, the connection between bird and song tends to stick in your mind.

Learn from an expert

Listen to recordings

Start by listening to recordings of birds you see often.

Say it to yourself

Some songs almost sound like words – eg. Barred Owl's

"Who cooks for you all?"

Pacific Wren

Seasonal Patterns: Land Birds

• Unlike waterbirds, land bird diversity (number of species) is much higher in spring and summer year-round residents + migrants

• Land birds are more vocal, especially in spring-early summer in the morning

• It’s often much easier to hear a bird than to actually see it!

Varied Thrush

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Bird Identification: Resources

Sibley, National Geographic, Peterson – field guidebooks

E-guides/ Smartphone apps:

ibird/ Sibley/ Audubon/ Peterson

Dendroica: http://www.natureinstruct.org/dendroica/

ebird Canada: http://ebird.org/content/canada

Cornell Lab: www.allaboutbirds.org

Whatbird: www.whatbird.com

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Dendroica: Aid to ID’ing Birds

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Use eBird! what are you likely to see?

Have Fun!