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 (in mp3 format) containing the songs and calls of the birds listed.

Loons & Grebes

American white pelican

brown pelican

anhinga

double-crested cormorant

Diurnal (Daytime) Raptors

lesser prairie-chicken

greater/lesser yellowlegs

ruddy turnstone

sanderling

willet

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers

great black-backed gull

herring gull

Alcids (puffins, guillemots, etc.)

Cuckoos & Roadrunners

black-chinned hummingbird

broad-tailed hummingbird

buff-bellied hummingbird

calliope hummingbird

costas hummingbird

ruby-throated hummingbird

rufous hummingbird

Trogons & Kingfishers

Return to Top

belted kingfisher

Woodpeckers & Sapsuckers

Return to Top

black-backed woodpecker

red-bellied woodpecker

downy woodpecker

hairy woodpecker

pileated woodpecker

red-headed woodpecker

northern flicker

Flycatchers, Kingbirds, Phoebes, etc.

Return to Top

scissor-tailed flycatcher

yellow-throated vireo

black-capped chickadee

carolina chickadee

tufted titmouse

Nuthatches & Creepers

Return to Top

red-breasted nuthatch

white-breasted nuthatch

golden-crowned kinglet

ruby-crowned kinglet

blue-gray gnatcatcher

black-throated gray warbler

hooded warbler

kirtland's warbler

yellow warbler

yellow-rumped warbler

common yellowthroat

ovenbird

Tanagers, Cardinals & Allies

Return to Top

blue grosbeak

rose-breasted grosbeak

white-throated sparrow

white-crowned sparrow

Blackbirds, Orioles, & Allies

yellow-headed blackbird

Adspace 300x250

Popular Features on BWD

Explore: Current Festivals

Check Out the BWD Festival Finder!

Why attend a birding festival? The birds are spectacular and the people are great. Use BWD's Birding and Nature Festival Finder to help you select from events all over the USA and beyond.

Start your search »

Current and Upcoming Festivals

Huron Fringe Birding Festival - May 24 to June 2, 2013, Port Elgin, Ontario (Canada) »

Leelanau Peninsula Birding Festival - May 29-June 2, 2013, Omena, Michigan »

Leelanau Peninsula Birding Festival - May 29 - June 2, 2013, Suttons Bay, Michigan »

Acadia Birding Festival - May 30 - June 2, 2013, Bar Harbor, Maine »

Yakutat Tern Festival - May 30-June 2 2013, Yakutat, Alaska »

Search for other festivals »

Explore: Optics Recommendations

Best 8x42 Binoculars Below $600

Want to move up to better binoculars but can't afford the high-end optics? Need a second pair for your significant other? Or maybe you're a world-class grandparent trying to get a child a life-changing present. This review is for you.

Highgest rated: Vanguard Endeavor ED 8x42 »

Read reviews for other 8x24 binoculars »

Read the full article online »

Explore: Birding Hotspots

Featured Birding Hotspots: Louisiana

Despite its recent history, Louisiana's coastal zone remains one of the most ecologically dynamic places in the world.

List of birding hotspots »

Habitats and ecology »

North American Hotspots

Birding Nebraska: More Than Plains and Crains »

Birding Montana: A Bird Loop From Curlews to Loons »

Birding Texas: Hotspots In the Lone Star State »

Birding New York: Birding the Adirondacks »

International Hotspots

Honduras: Verdant and Mysterious »

Trinidad & Tobago: Introduction to the Neotropics »

Western Australia: Spring in the Land Down Under »

More in our travel section »

Learn: Bird Feeding

What Foods for What Birds?

The experts at Bird Watcher's Digest have compiled an informative food and seed chart to help you attract the birds that you want to your feeders.

Oranges and berries for orioles »

Great Bird Feeding Resources

Feeding Hummingbirds: Flowers, feeders, and more »

Feeding Bluebirds: Tips and pitfalls »

Feeding Sparrows: Attracting, feeding, and ID tips »

The Squirrel War: Can you beat the furry menace? »

More in our bird feeding section »

BWD Nature Shop

Books: Identifying and Feeding Birds - only $14.95 »

Booklets: Enjoying Bird Feeding More - only $4.99 »

Feeders: Thistle Sock Bird Feeder - only $5.00 »

More from our store »

Learn: Hummingbirds

Hummingbird Feeding Tips

Attract hummingbirds to your yard by giving them what they need and want! Find tips on flowers, feeders, discouraging bullies, and more.

Advice on bullies »

More to Learn

Resources: Hummingbird Identification Guide

Tips: Gardening/Planting for Hummingbirds

Quiz: Test Your Hummingbird Knowledge

Video: Hummingbird Video Gallery

More in our hummingbird section »

BWD Nature Shop

Books: Hummingbirds and Butterflies - only $14.95 »

Booklets: Enjoying Hummingbirds More - only $4.99 »

DVDs: Hooked on Hummingbirds - only $22.99 »

More from our store »

Solve: Frequently Asked Questions

Common Bird Myths

Is it true that a baby bird touched by a human will be abandoned by its parents? Can an owl spin its head completely around? Do goatsuckers really suck goat milk?

Find out the truth »

Additional Features

Myths: Bird-watching myths explained »

Common Questions: How do I foil squirrels? »

Trivia: Do swans mate for life? »

Baffling Behavior: Pileated woodpeckers creating holes in siding »

More in our FAQ section »

From Our Store

Books: Backyard Birding - only $14.95 »

Booklets: The Backyard Bird Watcher's Answer Guide - only $4.99 »

More from our store »

Small Navigation

Bird Identification

BWD Bird Identification Guide

Categories:

Adspace 300x250

Popular Features on BWD