Birdstagram

How to identify birds: a 6-step guide

Work through these clues in order. Size and shape narrow it down faster than color alone.

  1. Size

    Compare it with birds you already know: sparrow-sized (about 15 cm), robin-sized (about 25 cm), crow-sized (about 45 cm) or bigger.

  2. Shape

    Look at the bill (thin for insects, thick and conical for seeds, hooked for meat), the tail length, a crest, and long legs or neck.

  3. Color pattern

    Note the main color, then the details that stand out: a cap, an eye stripe, wing bars, a breast spot or a colored shoulder.

  4. Behavior

    Is it hopping on the ground, climbing a trunk, hovering, wading, soaring in circles or perched on a wire?

  5. Habitat

    Backyard feeder, open field, marsh, pond, forest edge or coastline. Many birds are easiest to find in one kind of place.

  6. Sound

    Songs and calls often identify a bird before you see it. A sound ID app such as Merlin can suggest matches while you listen.

Find a bird by color

Tap a bird to open its full species page.

Black

Red-winged BlackbirdMales are glossy black with red-and-yellow shoulder patches; females a…American CrowAll-black, large and stocky with a fan-shaped tail; gives a familiar c…

Black & white

Downy WoodpeckerSmall black-and-white woodpecker with a short bill; males have a red p…Red-bellied WoodpeckerBarred black-and-white back with a red cap; the red belly is often har…

Blue

Blue JayCrested, blue above and whitish below with a black necklace; loud, var…Eastern BluebirdBright blue back with a rusty-orange breast; perches on wires and fenc…Barn SwallowGlossy blue above, rusty below, with a deeply forked tail; flies low o…Belted KingfisherBlue-gray with a big shaggy crest and a blue breast band; females also…

Brown

Mourning DoveSlender, soft gray-brown dove with a long pointed tail and black wing …Song SparrowStreaky brown sparrow, often with a dark central spot on the breast.…Bald EagleHuge dark-brown raptor; adults have a white head and tail and a yellow…Red-tailed HawkBulky hawk, pale below with a dark belly band; adults have a rusty red…Canada GooseLarge brown goose with a black neck and head and a white chinstrap.…Cedar WaxwingSleek, crested and silky tan with a black mask and a yellow-tipped tai…Carolina WrenRich brown wren with a bold white eyebrow and a cocked tail; very loud…OspreyBrown above, white below, with a dark eye stripe; hovers and dives fee…Great Horned OwlBig owl with feathered ear tufts, yellow eyes and a white throat patch…

Gray

Black-capped ChickadeeTiny, with a black cap and bib, white cheeks and a gray back.…Dark-eyed JuncoGray or brown sparrow with a pale bill and white outer tail feathers t…Tufted TitmouseSmall gray bird with a crest, big dark eyes and rusty flanks.…White-breasted NuthatchGray-blue back, white face and belly; climbs headfirst down tree trunk…Northern MockingbirdSlim and gray with a long tail and white wing patches; mimics other bi…Great Blue HeronVery tall gray-blue heron with a long neck and dagger bill; wades slow…

Green

Ruby-throated HummingbirdTiny and metallic green; males show a red throat in good light.…MallardMales have a glossy green head and white neck ring; females are mottle…

Orange

American RobinGray-brown back with a warm orange breast; often runs and pauses on la…Baltimore OrioleMales are flame orange with a black head and back; females are yellow-…

Red

Northern CardinalCrested; males are bright red with a black face, females tan with red …House FinchStreaky brown finch; males have a red head and breast.…

Yellow

American GoldfinchSmall finch; breeding males are lemon yellow with a black cap and blac…

Tricky look-alikes

Downy Woodpecker vs Red-bellied Woodpecker

Both are black and white. The Downy is small with a plain white back; the Red-bellied is bigger with a barred back and a red cap.

House Finch vs Northern Cardinal

Both males show red, but the cardinal is all red with a crest and black face; the House Finch is streaky brown with red on the head and breast.

American Crow vs Red-winged Blackbird

Both can look all black. The crow is much larger with a heavy bill; the male Red-winged Blackbird is robin-sized with red shoulder patches.

Osprey vs Bald Eagle

The Osprey is white below with a dark eye stripe; an adult Bald Eagle is dark-bodied with a white head and tail.

Questions people ask

What are field marks?

Field marks are the visible features that separate one species from similar ones, such as a white eyebrow stripe, wing bars, a crest or a colored patch.

What is the easiest way to identify birds as a beginner?

Start with the birds at your own feeder or yard, compare size and shape before color, and check your guess against photos. Free apps like Merlin Bird ID can suggest matches from a photo or a recording.

Why do males and females of some species look different?

In many songbirds, ducks and other groups, males are brighter while females are duller for camouflage. The Northern Cardinal, House Finch, Red-winged Blackbird and Mallard are clear examples on this site.