In-depth discussions of identification of North American birds
click on any links below to find more info on that topic or species
Tip: Use “edit/find” or “find in this page” or “command + f” (mac), to search for any species quickly
Birding Basics and introductory topics
A list of important online bird references
Changes to official bird names in 2010
Changes to official bird names from 2000 to 2009
The Subspecies concept in the Sibley Guide to Birds
Bird Subspecies names in the Sibley Guide to Birds
On the psychology of bird identification:
Ambiguity and bird identification
Redpoll investigation widens to include “Greater” – another manifestation of subjective impressions of ambiguous features
Probability in bird identification
On bird songs:
More vocal copying by American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, and Ovenbird
On finding rare birds:
How many rare birds do we miss?
How many rare birds did we miss before the internet?
Odds and ends:
Audubon’s mysteries: Carbonated Swamp-Warbler
List of Species
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
Canada Goose Branta canadensis
Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii
Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator
Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica
Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
American Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber
Townsend’s Shearwater Puffinus auricularis
Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus
Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo
Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurhynorhynchus pygmeus
South Polar Skua Catharacta maccormicki
Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucoptera
Green-breasted Mango Anthracothorax prevostii
Ivory-billed Woodpecker Campephilus principalis
Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus borealis
White-crested Elaenia Elaenia albiceps
Cave Swallow Petrochelidon fulva
Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Island Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma insularis
Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
Tropical Parula Parula pitiayumi
Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis
Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea
Hoary Redpoll Carduelis hornemanni
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
you used to have a great list of subspecies and their scientific names which correlated to the regional designations you gave them in the book. Why did you take it down? I can’t find it on the site anymore.
Hi Travis, When I revamped the site a month or so ago I took down the subspecies list, planning to update a few things and repost. Hopefully I can get that done and back up in the next few days.
Perhaps this question has been asked before. I’m curious why Pink-footed Goose is not included in the Sibley Guide? Perhaps a thought-to-be-wild bird had not occurred in North America as of 2000.
Pink-footed Goose was not included in the Sibley Guide because at the time that I was working on the book (1990s) it was too rare and didn’t meet the threshold for inclusion. It is one of a few species that increased in frequency even as I was working on the guide, and would certainly be included now. Hopefully I can get around to doing a revised edition someday and I would definitely include it in that. Other species are Cahow, Green-breasted Mango, and a few others.