Bird Identification - Color

A rather distinctive identification tool is color. Most people are familiar with the red cardinal and the white and brown bald eagle. Pelicans and whooping cranes are white with black wing tips and mallard ducks have the green head.

With birds, if the male or female is colorful, it's the male. The female is almost drab in her camoflouge colors - to hide her nest and her young.

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These are all general observations about color. Some species are best distinguished by song and behavior - like empidonax flycatchers. All empids are drab green/yellow with pale eye rings and wing bars. Even the best birders rely on voice and habitat to help identify them.

In any case, when you see a bird, get a good look at it. Pay close attention to the placement of contrasting colors, streaks, bars, rings and more. The bird is likely to fly before you find it in the book, so the more details you notice, the better chance you will have at identifying it.

Notice the subtle color differences in the birds to the left. All three birds are primarily white. The snowy egret differs with the black bill, black legs and yellow feet. The cattle egret has all yellow legs, feet and bill. And the little blue heron has black on the bill and wingtips.

If you know what to look for, these species can be easily differentiated. Because they tend to inhabit the same areas, it is important to know the color differences.

Some birds have distinctive colorations. Although not as obvious as the cardinal or the painted bunting, the Yellow Warbler, below, has obvious "fire streaks" of orange on

the yellow underbelly. The American Redstart (above) also has a distinctive coloration; the wings and tail show off hints of bright colors on an otherwise black bird.

With species like sparrows, the color differences are subtle eye

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saw only part of the bird, it would be difficult to identify, but good observation shows the different numbers of head patches, chest patches and location of wing bars.

Go to: Size/Shape, Bill Shape, Legs/Feet, Bird ID Home.