Birds identification guide

A field guide is a must as is a decent pair of binoculars. The best way to learn to identify birds is from experienced bird watchers. Several local Audubon societies offer excellent birding field trips. After you learn to identify some birds, it will be easier to identify others. At first it will be difficult as many birds, especially the smaller ones, are difficult to distinguish. After a while, with experience and help from others, your skills will develop so that you will know what to look for and what to ignore. You will learn common birds so that you can more easily search for uncommon birds. The number of birds changes with the seasons, so it's a constant but fun challenge. When encountering a bird in a field, the bird first notes its main distinguishing features, or "field markings"—general size and shape, beak structure, plumage (markings on the head and body)—and its actions. Many birds can be identified by the colors and patterns of their plumage alone, but it can be difficult to assess plumage in the field. Distance, difficult lighting, individual variation, damage from colouration, oil, or simple wear and tear (old feathers often become sun-bleached and spoiled) can result in the absence or obscuration of field markings. Therefore, even before studying a bird's plumage in detail, the bird notes its size and structure.