
Concord, MA. 29 Apr 2009. Copyright David Sibley.
Test your knowledge of bird feather topography with the questions below.
….Continue reading Quiz 37: Bird topography →
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posted May 23rd, 2012; last edited May 23rd, 2012 –– David Sibley ![]() Concord, MA. 29 Apr 2009. Copyright David Sibley. Test your knowledge of bird feather topography with the questions below. posted May 22nd, 2012; last edited May 22nd, 2012 –– David Sibley In late April 2012, Roy Halpin found and photographed an entirely buff-colored Cattle Egret in Saint Augustine, Florida. This is a particularly interesting bird because it provides an opportunity to consider the unusual nature of Cattle Egret coloration, as well as the identification of Cattle Egret subspecies. ![]() Buff-colored Cattle Egret, photographed at the Gator Farm in Saint Augustine Florida, 27 April 2012, copyright Roy Halpin. Coloration in Cattle EgretsTo understand this bird’s coloration, it’s important to understand the unusual source of the buff color in Cattle Egrets. Evidence suggests that the buff color of Cattle Egrets is essentially a stain, coming from pigmented oil from specialized powder-down feathers (Delhey et al, 2007). When a Cattle Egret molts in late summer the new feathers are all-white, and they slowly turn buff in winter and spring without molting. posted May 18th, 2012; last edited May 18th, 2012 –– David Sibley
posted May 14th, 2012; last edited May 14th, 2012 –– David Sibley
posted May 11th, 2012; last edited May 11th, 2012 –– David Sibley I’ve been neglecting trees in my posts recently, but here in Massachusetts spring is the best time of year for tree-watching, and today the sun was out offering some good photo opportunities. posted May 11th, 2012; last edited May 11th, 2012 –– David Sibley
posted May 10th, 2012; last edited May 10th, 2012 –– David Sibley
As in the last quiz this one shows warblers as they are so often seen in the field – with just the underside of the body visible. Clues such as tail shape, overall size, behavior and other subtleties can be very helpful with experience. In this quiz I focus on the more objective features of plumage. When all you can see is the belly, flanks, and tail of a warbler, you will have to rely on tail pattern, any streaking, and the overall pattern of dark/light and bright/drab. Leg color can also be helpful. You should be able to identify most species by matching those patterns to the pictures in the guide, and with practice you will recognize more and more warblers from these small clues. With thanks, again, to Brian E. Small for providing the beautiful photos. You can see lots more at his website. ….Continue reading Quiz 36: More Warblers →
posted May 8th, 2012; last edited May 8th, 2012 –– David Sibley
posted May 7th, 2012; last edited May 7th, 2012 –– David Sibley Like a previous quiz this one shows warblers as they are so often seen in the field – with just the underside of the body visible. Clues such as tail shape, overall size, behavior and other subtleties can be very helpful with experience. In this quiz I focus on the more objective features of plumage. When all you can see is the belly, flanks, and tail of a warbler, take note of tail pattern, any streaking, and the overall pattern of dark/light and bright/drab. You should be able to identify most species by matching those patterns to the pictures in the guide, and with practice you will recognize more and more warblers from these small clues. With thanks, again, to Brian E. Small for providing the beautiful photos. You can see lots more at his website. posted May 4th, 2012; last edited May 4th, 2012 –– David Sibley
Most bird vocalizations are complex, and cover a wide range of frequencies, and there is often considerable variation in pitch within a species, making it hard to use pitch alone as an identification clue. Even so, the actual pitch of a bird sound is useful for getting into the right “ballpark” for identification. —>>Continue reading Pitch, and bird song identification |
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