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Learning to identify the birds you see and hear is a wonderful skill to have. Improving your bird identification skills will lead to greater enjoyment of the birds around you.

Once you can identify most of the birds you see and hear, you can support various citizen science programs or even become a researcher or professional ornithologist.

There are two topics in this section of the site…

bird identification

1. Identifying Birds – Which Bird Did You See?

The first choice on your right is called Which bird did you see? In this bird identifier section you will find assistance in identifying what birds you have seen. We have selected 200 of the most commonly observed birds across the United States.

They are presented in different ways and with multiple images. Bird identification filters include color, size, and habitat.

State-specific bird identification information is also provided.

If you can identify 200 bird species, you are well on your way to becoming a bird expert!

Which Bird Did You See >

2. Bird Identification – Skill Development

bird identificationIdentifying birds you see is a fun part of bird watching.  This section will help you improve your birding skills. Topics include:

  • Basics of bird identification
  • Common Bird ID Challenges
  • Bird Family Study Guides.  They serve as an advanced bird identifier resource.  Novice to intermediate level birders will find the information useful in improving their bird ID skills.

 

Skill Development >>

 

In This Category

Illinois Ducks: 10 Common Species & Where To Find Them

10 Missouri Ducks Everyone Should Know – An ID Guide

10 Most Popular Arizona Ducks & How To ID Them In The Wild

Duck Species In Indiana: 10 Ducks You Are Most Likely To See

6 Common Owl Species You Can See & Identify In Louisiana

Grebes & Similar Loons Living In The U.S [ID Guide]

The Intelligence Of Owls – How Smart Are They Really?

A Look At Owl Excrement – Is Their Poop Solid Or Liquid?

Owl Eyes In Full: How Well Can Owls See? (Night & Daytime)

5 Large Owls Fighting For The “Biggest Owl” Title (Worldwide)

Kingfisher Species In North America & Around The World

Pennsylvania’s Owls In Full: 7 Species & Their Habits

18 Penguin Species Alive Today: The Differences Between Them

Readers Questions: “Which Bird Did I See?”

8 Swallows In The United States – Identification & Behavior

Get To Know The Types Of Geese (In The United States)

Reasons Behind Singing: Why Birds Sing & What It Means

10 (Humane & Safe) Ways To Keep Ducks Out Of Your Pool

Know Your Ducks: 10 Common Delaware Minnesota Ducks [ID Guide]

Cardinal Family & Their Closest Relatives In North America

Why Do Birds Fly In V Formations & Do All Birds Do This?

Ducks And Fish: Do They Even Eat Fish? (The Birds That Do)

Surviving Against The Odds: How Long Can Ducks Live?

North Carolina’s Owls: 6 Common Species [ID Guide]

Are Owls Mated For Life Or Do They Find New Ones Every Year?

Relationships Between Ducks – Do They Mate For Life?

Ducks And Their Teeth-Like Formations & How They Use Them

Indian Runner Ducks And Their Unique Upright Stance

Different Types Of Parrots & How To Tell Them Apart

Which Ducks Live In Arkansas & How To Properly ID Them

The Corvid Family: A Selection Of Corvids Around The World

Owls Behavior – Are They Dangerous For Us Or Our Pets?

10 Owls You Can See In New York & How To Identify Them?

Alaska Ducks – 15 Most Common Ducks & Where To See Them

Owl Species In Alabama – Who Can You See & How To ID Them?

Owl Nests: Construction, What They’re Made Of, Safety & More

A Look Around The World: Types Of Eagles & Their Habits

The Spoonbill Family (Threskiornithidae) [Common Species]

15 Most Common Duck Species In Maine [Field Guide]

7 Owls In Maine: The Residents Of The Pine Tree State

Ducks In California: TOP 15 Duck Species [ID Guide]

Oklahoma Owls – 9 Species And Their Habits & Habitats

Blackbird (Icteridae) Family – What Do We Know About Them?

What Are Owl Pellets Really & How Are They Created?

Is Minnesota An Owl Paradise? 10+ Species You Can See

Louisiana Duck Species – 10 Ducks & Where To Find Them

36 Sparrows In The U.S. & How To Correctly Identify Them

8 Owl Species Found In Iowa: How To Identify Them?

Ducks in Colorado – 15 Species You Are Most Likely To See

14 Owl Species You Can See In Oregon (An How To ID Them)

South Carolina Ducks – 10 Species You Are Most Likely To See

8 Owls In Tennessee: From Common To Rarest Species

10 Ohio Ducks – Most Common Species [Based on eBird Data]

Ducks In Texas – 15 Species & How To Identify Them

Owls In South Carolina – 6 Species (Incl. The Snowy Owl)

Know Your Ducks: 15 Common Minnesota Ducks [ID Guide]

8 Owls In Massachusetts – The Rare & Not So Rare Species

6 Ways To Get Rid Of Geese – Humane & Natural Solutions

Owls In Maryland – 8 Owl Species & How To Find Them

8 Owls In Indiana – Identification & When To See Them

11 Types of Doves In The U.S. – Species & Identification

Owl Species In Illinois – 8 Species You Can See & Identify

Owls In Missouri – 9 Owl Species & Their Habits [ID Guide]

Know Your Ducks: 15 Common Michigan Ducks [ID Guide]

Wisconsin Ducks – 26 Common Species & Where To See Them

Florida Duck Species – (All) 24 Common & Rare Species

The Truth Behind It: Can You Have An Owl As A Pet?

Tit Family Rundown: Eurasian & North-American Species

The Diet Of Geese: What Is Their Diet Made Out Of?

Finch Species In The United States – 17 Native Finches

Answering Your Questions: Are Owls Dangerous To Cats?

15 Different Bird Species With Beautiful Orange Chests

The Diet of Ducks: What Is Their Diet Made Out Of?

Types of Woodpeckers Found in the United States [23 Species]

What Do Owls Eat? A Sneak Peek To The Diet Of Owls

Lifespan of Owls: How Long Do Owls Live In The Wild?

The Truth Revealed: How Long Do Geese Live In The Wild?

What Are The Most Common Black Birds With White Bellies?

Comparing The Two: Are Egrets And Herons Related Or Not?

Blue Grosbeak vs Indigo Bunting – Are There Any Differences?

Do Owls Live In Wisconsin? 11 Species You Can See in WI

13 Owl Species You Can See In Arizona (Common & Rare)

Are There Any Owls Living In California? How To ID Them?

Do Owls Live in Virginia? [Most Common Species You Can See]

14 Common & Rare Owls You Can See In Colorado [Full List]

A Guide To Different Types Of Hummingbirds In The U.S.

Eagle vs Hawk vs Falcon – Are There Any Similarities?

Looking Inside The Mouths Of Geese: Do Geese Have Teeth?

Cooper’s vs Sharp-Shinned Hawks – How to Tell Them Apart?

Baby Owls: The Journey From Hatchlings To Independent Adults

12 Owl Species You Can See & Identify Successfully In Ohio

Red-tailed vs Red-shouldered Hawk – How Similar Are They?

The 12 Common and Rare Owls in Michigan (That You Can See)

The 17 Owls in Texas (Commonly Seen & Rare Species)

The 11 Owls in Georgia That You Can See (5 Common & 4 Rare)

11 Owls in Florida That You Can Actually See And ID

The Booby Family – How to Spot & Identify Them Correctly

Types of Falcons (All 6) | Field Guide For Identification

20 Beautiful Birds With Yellow Bellies In North America

Turkey vs Chicken – How Different Are They Really?

Members Of The Nightjar Family – How to Spot & Identify Them

How Different Or Similar Are Ospreys & Eagles? [Comparisons]

Birds By Color: 15 Birds With Magnificent Red Chests

Snowy Owl

15 Different Types Of Birds With Red Heads (In The U.S.)

What’s The Difference Between The Downy vs Hairy Woodpecker?

House Finch vs Purple Finch? Here’s How to Tell Them Apart

Identifying All 23 Types of Owls in U.S (With Photos)

Blackbird and Crow – The Differences Between The Two

Search Birds By Color: Most Common Black And Orange Birds

Bluebird vs Blue Jay – How Different Are They Really?

Falcon? Eagle? – The Main Differences and Similarities

13 Beautiful Yellow And Black Birds You Can See In The U.S.

12 Beautiful Black And Blue Birds From North America

Falcon vs Hawk – Are These Two Similar In Some Sense?

Saw A Bird? Top 10 Most Popular Red And Black Birds

11 Beautiful Purple Birds (From Across The World)

Doves and Pigeons – How Different Or Similar Are They?

Collective Names & Sayings: What is a Group of Geese Called?

Search Birds By Color: 20 Common & Beautiful Brown Birds

Why Are Owl Legs So Freakishly Long? [Anatomy & Uses]

Swan vs Goose – How Similar Are These Waterfowl Species?

What Is A Group Of Owls Called? The Reasons Behind It

Goose and Duck – How To Tell The Difference Between The Two

Grackles And Crows – What Are The Main Differences?

Raven or Crow? How Different Or Similar Are They Really?

Reasons Behind Owls Hooting: From Communicating To Protection

Emu vs Ostrich – Differences Between Two Flightless Birds

Do Groups of Birds Really Have Their Collective Nouns?

12 Strikingly Beautiful Pink Birds From Across The World

Redhead (Duck)

Red-breasted Merganser

Northern Shoveler

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Northern Pintail

Northern Hawk Owl

Mallard (Duck)

Long-tailed Duck

Long-eared Owl

Lesser Scaup

King Eider

Hooded Merganser

Harlequin Duck

Green-winged Teal

Greater Scaup

Great Horned Owl

Great Gray Owl

Flammulated Owl

Emperor Goose

Elf Owl

Eastern Screech-Owl

Common Merganser

Common Loon

Common Goldeneye

Common Eider

Short-eared Owl

Snow Goose

Cinnamon Teal

Spotted Owl

Surf Scoter

Canvasback

Canada Goose

Burrowing Owl

Bufflehead

Boreal Owl

Western Meadowlark

Western Screech-Owl

Barn Owl

American Wigeon (Male and Female Identification)

American Black Duck

15 Fun Facts About Owls That Every Birder Must Know

Odd Or Not So Odd? Odd Ducks You Can See In The Wild

All Three Types of Swans in United States (Identification)

Comparison of Mallard VS. Black Duck VS. Mottled Ducks

Comparison of Lesser and Greater Scaup [Identifying Guide]

Blue-winged Teal Identification

Pelicans In The United States: Species & Identification Tips

Wood Stork Or Roseate Spoonbill? Learn To Identify On The Go

Juvenile Black-Crowned vs. Yellow-Crowned Night-Herons

Bittern Species You Can See In The U.S. [ID Guide]

Regularly Occurring Cranes You Can See In The United States

Types of Regularly Occurring Ibis of the United States

Regularly Occurring Night-Herons of the United States

Different Types of Herons in North America [Field Guide]

5 Egret Species You Can See & ID In The United States

18 Types Of Hawks in the United States (Complete ID Guide)

27 Types of Ducks You Can See in the United States

Types of White Birds: 25 Stunning and Interesting Birds

Identify By Color: 12 Different Black Birds (With Photos)

20 Magnificent Black and White Birds In North America

Different Species of Red Birds (You Might Have Seen)

20 Beautiful Blue Birds in North America (With Pictures)

20 Beautiful Orange Birds You Can See In North America

26 Types of Yellow Birds With Pics & Identification

15 Types of Green Birds – The Most Flamboyant Species

Most Colorful Birds (Incl. Rainbow & Mixed Birds) in the U.S

Long Legged Birds – 16 Most Common Specimen In North America

11 Birds With Distinctive Long Bills (And How To ID Them)

16 Birds With Hooked Beaks – Uses & Identification

Identifying Birds With Pointed Bills (Long & Short Beaks)

Identifying Birds By Size: The Largest Birds In The World

How To Identify Medium-sized Birds [19 Common Examples]

Small Birds – How To Identify The Most Common Species

World’s Smallest Birds: Discover The 11 Tiniest Species

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