Carolina  Wren
Photo credit: Susan Puder © 2009

by Linda Gangi

Bird identification can be challenging and quite often it requires split second decisions.

The key to making these decisions lies in knowing the important identification points   for each bird.  This takes years of practice.  If you plan on seriously learning bird identification you will need to purchase a field guide.

There are many guides available and they can be purchased through New Jersey Audubon centers, wild bird stores, through the internet and at book stores.  Some of the more popular field guides are Peterson, Sibley, Kaufman and National Geographic.  These are just a few of the guides that are available.  They will help you understand the key identification points on each bird, what kind of habitat the bird prefers and in what region of the country it can be found.  

One of the easiest ways to begin learning how to identify birds is watching them at your  bird feeder.  The beauty of feeder watching is that the birds sit still long enough for you to get a good look.  When you go out into the field, and the birds are flying from branch to branch, identification becomes more difficult.  When migration season occurs there will be many more birds for you to identify and you’ll have the advantage, you’ll know the residents from the visitors. 

One of the most striking and easiest birds to identify is the radiant male Northern Cardinal (7 ½ - 9 in.).  Key identification marks are its overall scarlet red color with a crest that comes to a point on its head, black feathers at the base of its beak, that flow into the eye and down its chin.  The female is not so stunning but a beauty nonetheless. Her wings are tinged with red, she also has a black patch at the base of her beak, but her colors, buff-brown, are much more muted. If you are confused by her color look for general shape and size, a lot of times they will be together at a feeder.  They do prefer more of a flat surface, so look to the ground first.   

You may hear this bird before you see it.  The Carolina Wren (5 ½ in.) can be heard singing during the coldest of winter days, making the days a little less daunting.  Larger than most wrens its reddish-brown color above along with its obvious white eyebrow strip and erect tail will help cinch your identification.  Undergrowth and brambles in your yard will make this favorite quite at home. Both male and female look alike.

Another common resident that is sure to visit is the Tufted Titmouse (6 in.). A perky little bird whose upper body is gray, sports a crest on its head, along with a little bit of rust on its side and white underneath.  Key identifying marks are its crest and gray upper body color. They love to fly down, grab a sunflower seed and take it to a favorite branch to open.  Both male and female look alike.

If you live near woods, you may have noticed a bird walking head first down the tree which in itself is a good identification tool for the White-breasted Nuthatch (5 ¾ in).  Common in our woods they will grace your bird feeder often.  Look for the black cap on its head, white face and belly, black eye.  The upper portion of the body is a blue-gray color.  The female is similar but does not have a black cap. 

One of the smallest visitors to the feeder is the Black-capped or Carolina Chickadee.  If you live in Northern New Jersey you will most likely be seeing the Black-capped, in Southern New Jersey the Carolina Chickadee.  In both cases the upper portion of the body is gray, with a black head cap, white cheeks and black bib. Their ranges do overlap in the middle of the state. As you gain more experience you will be able to differentiate between the two, for now just enjoy them. When I fill my feeders, the chickadees in my yard fly in close and chatter at me until I leave.  They can be quite tame and quite adorable. 

Physical attributes are important for bird identification but behavior and habitat can also be a clue. White-breasted Nuthatches walking head first down a tree, the Carolina Wren singing during winter, a Chickadee's tame behavior, or the Cardinal’s tendency to eat on the ground, these are all clues and once you know these, bird identification becomes just a bit easier. 

References:  Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America, Copyright 2002

Linda Gangi is an avid birder, environmentalist, and nature lover. She belongs to the Southern Ocean Birding Group, Atlantic Audubon, and New Jersey Audubon. 

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