Bird Watcher's Digest: Home Bird Watcher's Digest Magazine The Backyard Birds Newsletter The Bird Watcher's Digest App Bird Watcher's Digest Nature Shop

Bird Identification

BWD Bird Identification Guide

Welcome to our bird identification section. Every day, thousands of birders identify mystery birds with our online guide. Our profiles also feature the songs and calls of profiled birds. Click on the hyperlinks below to select the bird you wish to learn more about. This section features sound files containing the songs and calls of the birds listed. Note that you will need RealPlayer to open the audio files provided on this site.

Loons & Grebes
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Loons & Grebes
eared grebe
horned grebe
Pelicans, Cormorants
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Pelicans, Cormorants
American white pelican
brown pelican
anhinga
Wading Birds
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Wading Birds
sandhill crane
whooping crane
great blue heron
great egret
roseate spoonbill
Swans, Geese & Ducks
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Swans, Geese & Ducks
blue-winged teal
cinnamon teal
green-winged teal
Canada goose
snow goose
greater scaup
lesser scaup
mallard
northern pintail
ring-necked duck
wood duck
Diurnal (Daytime) Raptors
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Diurnal (Daytime) Raptors
American kestrel
bald eagle
Cooper's hawk
red-tailed hawk
turkey vulture
Upland Game Birds
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Upland Game Birds
California quail
wild turkey
lesser prairie-chicken
Shorebirds
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Shorebirds
American woodcock
killdeer
piping plover
semipalmated plover
snowy plover
Wilson's plover
Gulls, Terns & Skimmers
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Gulls, Terns & Skimmers
black skimmer
common tern
Caspian tern
Forster's tern
laughing gull
ring-billed gull
Alcids (puffins, guillemots, etc.)
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Alcids (puffins, guillemots, etc.)
Atlantic puffin
Pigeons & Doves
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Pigeons & Doves
Eurasian collar-dove
mourning dove
rock dove
white-winged dove
Cuckoos & Roadrunners
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Cuckoos & Roadrunners
black-billed cuckoo
mangrove cuckoo
yellow-billed cuckoo
greater roadrunner
Owls
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Owls
great horned owl
long-eared owl
short-eared owl
spotted owl
barn owl
barred owl
Goatsuckers & Swifts
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Goatsuckers & Swifts
chimney swift
Hummingbirds
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Hummingbirds
Allen's hummingbird
Anna's hummingbird
black-chinned hummingbird
broad-tailed hummingbird
buff-bellied hummingbird
calliope hummingbird
costas hummingbird
ruby-throated hummingbird
rufous hummingbird
Trogons & Kingfishers
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Trogons & Kingfishers
belted kingfisher
Woodpeckers & Sapsuckers
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Woodpeckers & Sapsuckers
black-backed woodpecker
red-bellied woodpecker
downy woodpecker
hairy woodpecker
pileated woodpecker
northern flicker
Flycatchers, Kingbirds, Phoebes, etc.
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Flycatchers
scissor-tailed flycatcher
eastern phoebe
eastern kingbird
Shrikes & Vireos
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Shrikes & Vireos
blue-headed vireo
Philadelphia vireo
red-eyed vireo
warbling vireo
white-eyed vireo
yellow-throated vireo
Jays, Crows & Allies
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Jays, Crows & Allies
Black-billed magpie
common raven
American crow
blue jay
fish crow
Swallows & Martins
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Swallows & Martins
tree swallow
violet green swallow
barn swallow
purple martin
Chickadees & Allies
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Chickadees & Allies
black-capped chickadee
carolina chickadee
tufted titmouse
Nuthatches & Creepers
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Nuthatches & Creepers
red-breasted nuthatch
white-breasted nuthatch
Wrens
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Wrens
house wren
winter wren
carolina wren
Thrushes & Allies
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Thrushes & Allies
golden-crowned kinglet
ruby-crowned kinglet
blue-gray gnatcatcher
eastern bluebird
western bluebird
mountain bluebird
American robin
hermit thrush
wood thrush
Starlings
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Starlings
european starling
Waxwings
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Waxwings
Bohemian waxwing
cedar waxwing
Wood Warblers
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Wood Warblers
American redstart
blackburnian warbler
black-throated gray warbler
hooded warbler
kirtland's warbler
yellow warbler
yellow-rumped warbler
Tanagers, Cardinals & Allies
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Tanagers, Cardinals & Allies
blue grosbeak
rose-breasted grosbeak
indigo bunting
lazuli bunting
painted bunting
northern cardinal
scarlet tanager
Sparrows & Allies
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Sparrows & Allies
white-throated sparrow
song sparrow
fox sparrow
house sparrow
dark-eyed junco
Blackbirds, Orioles, & Allies
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Blackbirds, Orioles, & Allies
brown-headed cowbird
common grackle
eastern meadowlark
Brewer's blackbird
red-winged blackbird
rusty blackbird
yellow-headed blackbird
Baltimore oriole (female)
orchard oriole (female)
Finches & Allies
Return to Top
Bird Identification Guide: Finches & Allies
American goldfinch
Cassin's finch
house finch
purple finch
common redpoll
red crossbill
pine siskin

Original Birdhouse Book

About Bird Watcher's Digest

Bird Watcher's Digest: Subscribe today! Get 1 year, 6 issues for only $19.99!

More On Our Site



Swans, Geese & Ducks

Keep In Touch with BWD!

SHOP LANDING - CONNECT

What's Hot

more tags

BWD Website Ads and Offers

Register to Win

More On Our Website

Upland Game Birds

Advertisements