This quiz features a Dark-eyed Junco, a species with no discernible color pattern on the head. How can you distinguish groups of head feathers with no color patterns? By looking for the subtle creases and shadows at the edges of the feather groups, and differences in the orientation of the feathers.
Here is a close-up of the head of a Song Sparrow, showing the feather groups and feather markings really well. In the copy below, I’ve outlined the feather groups, so that you can test your knowledge in the quiz that follows.
Color patterns on the heads of birds are some of the most complex, and also some of the most important for identification. Understanding those patterns is significantly easier if you learn the five major groups of head feathers, since the contours of the feathers define most of the color patterns shown by birds. In the …
In this quiz your challenge is to compare the weight of the birds with common household items. There is variation in the weight of the birds, and variation in the weight of some of the other items, so this is meant to be a comparison of the average weight for each. We could quibble over …
Each label in the photo above points to a feather group associated with the wings. In the quiz below, choose the correct name for that labeled feather group.
Identify the two labeled feather groups in the quiz below, with a couple of bonus questions.
The major groups of feathers on the wing are showing well on this American Robin, and each is labeled with a letter. In the quiz below, select the letter that matches the feather group named in that question.