Bird Identification Guide

What bird is that? Consult our bird identification guide to ID mystery birds in the backyard and beyond. We have photos, song recordings, in-depth entries, and more to help bird watchers correctly identify the birds they spot.

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

› Greater Sage-Grouse

› 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

› Band-tailed 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

› Purple Gallinule

› Common Gallinule (Common Moorhen)

› American Coot

› Sandhill Crane

› Whooping Crane

› American Bittern

› 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

› Black-necked Stilt

› 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

› Franklin's 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

› California Condor

› Swallow-tailed Kite

› Mississippi Kite

› Northern Harrier

› Sharp-shinned Hawk

› Cooper's Hawk

› Red-shouldered Hawk

› Broad-winged Hawk

› Swainson's Hawk

› Red-tailed Hawk

› Rough-legged 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

› Lewis's Woodpecker

› Red-headed Woodpecker

› Acorn Woodpecker

› Red-bellied Woodpecker

› Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

› Downy Woodpecker

› Hairy Woodpecker

› Red-cockaded Woodpecker

› White-headed 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

› Clark's Nutcracker

› 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

› Pygmy 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

Waxwings & Phainopepla

Bird Identification Guide: Waxwings & Phainopepla

› Bohemian Waxwing

› Cedar Waxwing

› Phainopepla

Finches & Allies

Bird Identification Guide: Finches & Allies

› Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

› Pine Grosbeak

› 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

› Savannah 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!