Apr 20, 2009 · Judge size against birds you know well. Size is trickier to judge than shape. You never know how far away a bird is or how big that nearby rock or tree limb really is. Throw in fluffed-up or hunkered-down birds and it’s easy to get fooled. But with a few tricks, you can still use size as an ID key. Compare your mystery bird to a bird you know ...

Browse North American birds by shape—helpful if you don’t know exactly which type of bird you’ve seen.

How closely and carefully do you need to look at a bird to identify it? Having a live bird in hand would be ideal, but you can learn a lot even from a distance. Is the bird about the size of a crow, or closer to the size of a sparrow? How large is the bill in relation to the rest of the head?

Apr 20, 2009 · Size & Shape: Tiny bird with large head, plump body, narrow tail, and short bill. Color Pattern: Shiny black cap and throat against white cheeks. Buffy sides; wings and back soft gray. Behavior: Busy, acrobatic, and often in feeding flocks of several species

Detailed information for more than 600 North American bird species, including ID help, browse by shape and taxonomy, and deeper articles.

Get familiar with ways that size cues can help in bird identification—including the handy “bird yardstick” tool.

Identify the birds you see or hear with Merlin Bird ID. Free global bird guide with photos, sounds, maps, and more.

Size & Shape The Eastern Bluebird is a small thrush with a big, rounded head, large eye, plump body, and alert posture. The wings are long, but the tail and legs are fairly short.

Feb 18, 2012 · Size & Shape Merlins are small falcons with a powerful build that is broader and stockier than the slightly smaller American Kestrel. Merlins have sharply pointed wings, a broad chest, and a medium length tail.

Four key strategies for identifying birds are looking at size, shape, color, and pattern. In the following examples, pay close attention to differences between the images and find consistent differences you can quickly rely on to make your ID.