Bird Identification Guide

Every day, thousands of people identify mystery birds with our online guide. Our profiles feature photos, descriptions, and in many cases, sound files of hundreds of North American birds. We'll tell you what to look and listen for to identify them in the field.

Categories:

Ducks, Geese & Swans

Bird Identification Guide: Ducks, Geese & Swans

› Greater White-fronted Goose

› Canada Goose

› Tundra Swan

› American Wigeon

› American Black Duck

› Blue-winged Teal

› Cinnamon Teal

› Northern Shoveler

› Northern Pintail

› Green-winged Teal

› Ring-necked Duck

› Greater Scaup

› Lesser Scaup

› Hooded Merganser

Upland Game Birds

Bird Identification Guide: Upland Game Birds

› Northern Bobwhite

› California Quail

› Ring-necked Pheasant

› Lesser Prairie-Chicken

› Wild Turkey

Bird Identification Guide: Loons & Grebes

› Pied-billed Grebe

› Horned Grebe

› Eared Grebe

› Western Grebe

› Common Loon

Pigeons & Doves

Bird Identification Guide: Pigeons & Doves

› Rock Pigeon

› Eurasian Collared-Dove

› Common Ground-Dove

› White-winged Dove

› Mourning Dove

Cuckoos & Roadrunners

Bird Identification Guide: Cuckoos & Roadrunners

› Yellow-billed Cuckoo

› Mangrove Cuckoo

› Black-billed Cuckoo

› Greater Roadrunner

Bird Identification Guide: Nightjars

› Common Nighthawk

› Chuck-will's-widow

Bird Identification Guide: Swifts

› Chimney Swift

Bird Identification Guide: Hummingbirds

› Ruby-throated Hummingbird

› Black-chinned Hummingbird

› Anna's Hummingbird

› Costa's Hummingbird

› Broad-tailed Hummingbird

› Rufous Hummingbird

› Allen's Hummingbird

› Calliope Hummingbird

› Buff-bellied Hummingbird

Bird Identification Guide: Wading Birds

› Sora

› Common Gallinule (Common Moorhen)

› American Coot

› Sandhill Crane

› Whooping Crane

› Great Blue Heron

› Great Egret

› Snowy Egret

› Little Blue Heron

› Tricolored Heron

› Reddish Egret

› Cattle Egret

› Green Heron

› Roseate Spoonbill

Bird Identification Guide: Plovers

› Black-bellied Plover

› Snowy Plover

› Wilson's Plover

› Semipalmated Plover

› Piping Plover

Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies

Bird Identification Guide: Sandpipers, Phalaropes, and Allies

› American Avocet

› Ruddy Turnstone

› American Woodcock

› Spotted Sandpiper

› Solitary Sandpiper

› Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs

› Wilson's Phalarope

Alcids (Puffins, Guillemots, etc.)

Bird Identification Guide: Alcids (Puffins, Guillemots, etc.)

› Atlantic Puffin

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers

Bird Identification Guide: Gulls, Terns & Skimmers

› Bonaparte's Gull

› Laughing Gull

› Ring-billed Gull

› Western Gull

› Herring Gull

› Great Black-backed Gull

› Caspian Tern

› Common Tern

› Forster's Tern

› Black Skimmer

Pelicans & Cormorants

Bird Identification Guide: Pelicans & Cormorants

› Magnificent Frigatebird

› Double-crested Cormorant

› American White Pelican

› Brown Pelican

Vultures, Hawks & Eagles

Bird Identification Guide: Vultures, Hawks & Eagles

› Black Vulture

› Turkey Vulture

› Northern Harrier

› Sharp-shinned Hawk

› Cooper's Hawk

› Red-shouldered Hawk

› Broad-winged Hawk

› Swainson's Hawk

› Red-tailed Hawk

Bird Identification Guide: Owls

› Eastern Screech-Owl

› Great Horned Owl

› Burrowing Owl

› Spotted Owl

› Long-eared Owl

› Short-eared Owl

Trogons & Kingfishers

Bird Identification Guide: Trogons & Kingfishers

› Belted Kingfisher

Woodpeckers & Sapsuckers

Bird Identification Guide: Woodpeckers & Sapsuckers

› Red-headed Woodpecker

› Acorn Woodpecker

› Red-bellied Woodpecker

› Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

› Downy Woodpecker

› Hairy Woodpecker

› Red-cockaded Woodpecker

› Black-backed Woodpecker

› Northern Flicker

› Pileated Woodpecker

Bird Identification Guide: Falcons

› American Kestrel

› Peregrine Falcon

Parakeets, Macaws, and Parrots

Bird Identification Guide: Parakeets, Macaws, and Parrots

› Monk Parakeet

Bird Identification Guide: Flycatchers

› Acadian Flycatcher

› Eastern Phoebe

› Say's Phoebe

› Vermilion Flycatcher

› Great Crested Flycatcher

› Western Kingbird

› Eastern Kingbird

› Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Shrikes & Vireos

Bird Identification Guide: Shrikes & Vireos

› Loggerhead Shrike

› White-eyed Vireo

› Yellow-throated Vireo

› Blue-headed Vireo

› Philadelphia Vireo

› Warbling Vireo

› Red-eyed Vireo

Jays, Crows & Allies

Bird Identification Guide: Jays, Crows & Allies

› Florida Scrub-Jay

› California Scrub-Jay

› Black-billed Magpie

› American Crow

› Common Raven

Swallows & Martins

Bird Identification Guide: Swallows & Martins

› Purple Martin

› Tree Swallow

› Violet-green Swallow

› Northern Rough-winged Swallow

› Cliff Swallow

› Barn Swallow

Chickadees & Allies

Bird Identification Guide: Chickadees & Allies

› Carolina Chickadee

› Black-capped Chickadee

› Boreal Chickadee

› Tufted Titmouse

Nuthatches & Creepers

Bird Identification Guide: Nuthatches & Creepers

› Red-breasted Nuthatch

› White-breasted Nuthatch

› Brown-headed Nuthatch

Bird Identification Guide: Wrens

› Canyon Wren

› Winter Wren

› Carolina Wren

› Bewick's Wren

› Cactus Wren

Thrushes & Allies

Bird Identification Guide: Thrushes & Allies

› Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

› Golden-crowned Kinglet

› Ruby-crowned Kinglet

› Eastern Bluebird

› Western Bluebird

› Mountain Bluebird

› Townsend's Solitaire

› Gray-cheeked Thrush

› Swainson's Thrush

› Hermit Thrush

› Wood Thrush

› Clay-colored Thrush

› American Robin

› Varied Thrush

Mockingbirds & Thrashers

Bird Identification Guide: Mockingbirds & Thrashers

› Gray Catbird

› Brown Thrasher

› Northern Mockingbird

Bird Identification Guide: Starlings

› European Starling

Bird Identification Guide: Waxwings

› Bohemian Waxwing

› Cedar Waxwing

Finches & Allies

Bird Identification Guide: Finches & Allies

› Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

› House Finch

› Purple Finch

› Cassin's Finch

› Red Crossbill

› White-winged Crossbill

› Common Redpoll

› Pine Siskin

› Lesser Goldfinch

› Lawrence’s Goldfinch

› American Goldfinch

› Evening Grosbeak

› Lapland Longspur

› Snow Bunting

› Lark Bunting

› Rose-breasted Grosbeak

› Blue Grosbeak

› Lazuli Bunting

› Indigo Bunting

› Painted Bunting

Bird Identification Guide: Wood Warblers

› Worm-eating Warbler

› Louisiana Waterthrush

› Northern Waterthrush

› Golden-winged Warbler

› Blue-winged Warbler

› Black-and-white Warbler

› Prothonotary Warbler

› Swainson's Warbler

› Tennessee Warbler

› Orange-crowned Warbler

› Colima Warbler

› Lucy's Warbler

› Nashville Warbler

› Virginia's Warbler

› Connecticut Warbler

› MacGillivray’s Warbler

› Mourning Warbler

› Kentucky Warbler

› Common Yellowthroat

› Hooded Warbler

› American Redstart

› Kirtland's Warbler

› Cape May Warbler

› Cerulean Warbler

› Northern Parula

› Tropical Parula

› Magnolia Warbler

› Bay-breasted Warbler

› Blackburnian Warbler

› Yellow Warbler

› Chestnut-sided Warbler

› Blackpoll Warbler

› Black-throated Blue Warbler

› Palm Warbler

› Pine Warbler

› Yellow-rumped Warbler

› Yellow-throated Warbler

› Prairie Warbler

› Grace's Warbler

› Black-throated Gray Warbler

› Townsend's Warbler

› Hermit Warbler

› Golden-cheeked Warbler

› Black-throated Green Warbler

› Golden-crowned Warbler

› Canada Warbler

› Wilson's Warbler

› Red-faced Warbler

› Painted Redstart

› Yellow-breasted Chat

Sparrows & Allies

Bird Identification Guide: Sparrows & Allies

› House Sparrow

› Spotted Towhee

› Eastern Towhee

› Canyon Towhee

› California Towhee

› Chipping Sparrow

› Song Sparrow

› Clay-colored Sparrow

› Field Sparrow

› Lark Sparrow

› Fox Sparrow

› Lincoln's Sparrow

› White-throated Sparrow

› Harris's Sparrow

› White-crowned Sparrow

› Golden-crowned Sparrow

› Dark-eyed Junco

Bird Identification Guide: Tanagers

› Summer Tanager

› Scarlet Tanager

Cardinals & Allies

Bird Identification Guide: Cardinals & Allies

› Northern Cardinal

› Pyrrhuloxia

Blackbirds, Orioles, & Allies

Bird Identification Guide: Blackbirds, Orioles, & Allies

› Red-winged Blackbird

› Eastern Meadowlark

› Yellow-headed Blackbird

› Rusty Blackbird

› Brewer's Blackbird

› Common Grackle

› Boat-tailed Grackle

› Great-tailed Grackle

› Brown-headed Cowbird

› Orchard Oriole

› Hooded Oriole

› Bullock's Oriole

› Baltimore Oriole

Subscribe & Save!

ONE YEAR (6 ISSUES) of Bird Watcher's Digest magazine

GET FREE AND INSTANT ACCESS to our digital edition

SAVE 33% off newsstand prices

PAY ONE LOW PRICE of $19.99!

Please sign me up for BirdWire, your FREE e-newsletter