Comments for Sibley Guides

Comment on Questions about Starling migration by David Sibley

David Sibley — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:05:59 +0000

It sounds like they are flying to a night-time roost, which is probably not far away given how many birds you see, and that you say it happens at dusk. Birds will forage long distances in all directions during the day and then all come back to one massive group roost for the night. It only happens in the winter. In summer when they are nesting the birds are spread out on individual territories. Grackles, Blackbirds, Cowbirds, and Starlings all do this and form mixed-species roosts, so you might be seeing any or all of those species.

Comment on Questions about Starling migration by Lynn Evans

Lynn Evans — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:55:56 +0000

During the past month or so in the Williamsburg, Virginia, area we have noticed, what I would guess to be MILLIONS, of what I think are starlings migrating south. They seem to be in the wooded areas during the datime and feeding in the trees and yards, but around dusk they fill the sky flying south. Can anyone give me information about this. It seems to happen around this time every year.

Thanks for your help

Comment on The Sibley eGuide to Birds App by Jonah

Jonah — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:33:59 +0000

I’m using the iPhone app. The illustrations are beautiful but I wish the search function could be improved. I’m new to birding and it’s hard to identify anything from a big long list of bird names. It would be great if you could improve the browsing. For example, there could be a black silhouette of the most prominent bird in the family and when you click on that, a color icon for each bird. That would help a lot. It would also be great if you could support eBird like some other apps (but that is less important to me than improving the browsing). I hope that’s possible.

Comment on The two stages of field identification by David Sibley

David Sibley — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:42:35 +0000

Hi Tony, Thanks for the comment. I agree with your points, which are a little different from the original post. I was saying that there are two general categories of field marks: broad and subjective ones that help with the “first approximation” and then the details that actually confirm that initial identification. We’re now talking about the best ways to “discover” birds in the field, which I think can be divided into a “fuzzy” search mode, looking for anything that catches your eye, and a “targeted” search mode in which you have a species in mind and a well-defined search image. The latter is much more successful and is the way experts find most rare birds, in fact I suspect that experts never get back to full “blank slate” fuzzy search mode. I think there’s material for several more posts here, and I hope to get around to that.

And to expand on your gull example, here’s the advice I learned as a kid, and it has served me well: It’s a progression from broad to specific, and it probably comes naturally, but I think it’s still worth spelling out. First, give the whole scene a quick “once-over” with the naked eye to see if there’s a flamingo or a Crowned Pigeon sitting there. Then scan once with binoculars looking again for anything obvious (and you might be looking for something very specific like a Lesser Black-backed Gull, or just hoping to spot something different, in either case someone with more expertise will be able to manage more subtle search images as they scan), then, finally, settle in with binoculars or telescope to study each individual bird.

Comment on Distinguishing Black-capped and Carolina Chickadees by Michael Retter

Michael Retter — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:59:04 +0000

Hi, David. Wonderful post. I’m especially happy to see such a detailed map of the zone of overlap. I have a couple edits to suggest.

First, in much of Illinois, there is no zone of overlap, but rather, a void where neither species occurs. Indeed, the only place I’m personally aware of any known contact is in the Champaign, IL area. Birds south and east of there are Carolinas, and interestingly, BCCH has spread SOUTH in this area in the last 15 years. BCCHs have replaced hybrids and hybrids have replaced CACHs in many locations in Champaign Co.

Where I live in Lafayette, IN is well south of BBCH range by about 40 miles. It’s only the very norther tier of counties in IN which have BCCHs. In general, I think the line (with very little overlap) could be moved north in IL and IN about 40 miles.

Comment on The two stages of field identification by Tony Leukering

Tony Leukering — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:51:44 +0000

David and Greg: While I understand the point you’re making, and agree with it in many situations, I find that it is something that can lead one to miss birds. In the gull-ID workshops that I’ve taught, nearly the first point that I make is to “identify every bird, don’t just go looking for obviously different birds.” I find it much easier to go through a pontential mixed-flock of similar species one-by-one, identifying each one to be certain that nothing different escapes me. Yes, going through hordes of Ring-billed and Herring gulls and noting the dark-backed individuals is perfectly acceptable if all one wants to find is Lesser Black-backed or California gulls or if the flock may depart shortly. However, such cursory scans will probably not do the job of finding the Vega Gull. Or the European Herring Gull. Or even the Thayer’s Gull.

I find too many birders skip over large swaths of individuals in mixed flocks, finding only the very obvious different species. The true expert can scan through a flock, identifying every individual present, quite quickly, and with fair assuredness of noting all species present, simply because that expert is experienced with most or all of the species. This situation is, again, the difference that is created by experience and experts being able to “recognize” species rather than to have to go through the actual identification process.

I know, first-hand, that David knows this process very well, as I learned it while standing next to him watching swallows go by in the hundreds, David glassing every one that he could.

Comment on New feature: a bird identification quiz by Diane G.

Diane G. — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:46:21 +0000

Add me to the “great fun, keep ‘em coming” camp!

Comment on New feature: a bird identification quiz by Amy

Amy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:43:56 +0000

I would second RH’s suggestion to hide the full post from feed aggregators, but please don’t turn this on for ALL posts. This was a great quiz and I’m looking forward to seeing more.

Comment on New feature: a bird identification quiz by Jeremy Medina

Jeremy Medina — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:34:38 +0000

Great stuff! More please!

Comment on New feature: a bird identification quiz by Lee Ellsworth

Lee Ellsworth — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:32:58 +0000

Fun, looking forward to more. Thanks!