Tutorials to help you learn how to estimate numbers, from eBird's website.
David Sibley's Bird Identification Quizzes
David Sibley has developed several short quizzes you can use to practice bird identification. Among other topics, individual quizzes cover:
- Estimating numbers - flocks in flight
- Dabbling ducks
- Warblers
- Western parts in part
- Backyard Birds
- Dark heron/egret
- Little Brown Bird Identification
- Head patterns
This helpful guide was published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and you can download it in PDF format. It shows both male and female ducks, geese, and swans, and displays flock patterns, silhouettes, and colors.
Anyone can download this helpful article from eBird's website (PDF format). They describe it as follows:
Ever been stumped by a streaky brown finch at your feeder? Or have trouble determining whether the "Purple" finch you're looking at is really a Purple Finch and not one of the other look-alike species? The trio of House Finch, Purple Finch, and Cassin's Finch provide one of the most challenging groups of birds to identify in North America. Despite these similarities, with good views you can usually identify the great majority of individuals. We have prepared a PDF that focuses on this identification issue and teaches you how location, size and shape, and color pattern can be combined to arrive at an accurate identification.Steve Hampton's Gull Identification Website
Excellent resource with many photos of each species. If you're brave enough to wade into this subject, go for it! Anyone up for First Cycle California Gulls? How about the adult gulls we're most likely to observe on Cheep Thrills? Here are photos of adult:
- Ring-billed Gulls (Note: this species was split in 2021 and ours are now called Short-billed Gulls)
- Mew Gulls
- Western Gulls
- California Gulls
