Bird Identification - Size/Shape

What does the size of a bird indicate about the bird? Well, can a bald eagle (wing span: 6.5 ft) soar through the canopy of a dense forest as well as a painted bunting (wing span: approx 8 inches)? Which one of those species is likely to need more space?

Sometimes, the most surprising thing about a bird is it's size. Take the whooping crane for example, this bird stands a little over 4 ft tall. The sandhill crane stands at 3 1/2 to 4 ft tall and is often confused with the great blue heron who is about 3 1/2 feet tall, as well, with the same greyish color from a distance.

Salt Plains Mgmt
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Moist-soil Mgmt.
Ralstin Island
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This is an example of where the importance of shape comes in. If you know that the cranes fly with their necks straight in front of their bodies

and that herons and egrets fly with their necks tucked in an "s" shape, then you can easily tell them apart in flight. On land, the heron will either tuck its neck in, as in the photo above, or keep it straight.

That's an easy one. It becomes more difficult when you try to distinguish between subtle differences in hawk wing shapes to identify who's flying above you.

Size and shape are both important tools in bird identification. Look at the birds below. The shape of the house wren is distinctly different than the barn swallow and the painted bunting. Wrens often have their tails uplifted, making their silhouette easy to identify. The long, deeply-forked tail of the barn swallow, along with the lack of a neck make them easily distinguishable from other birds in flight.

Wildlife WebCams
Osprey
Great Horned Owl
NY Bald Eagle
MA Bald Eagle
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Shape and posture are reliable marks - always look to see if the bird is slim or chunky, short-tailed or long-tailed, rounded tail or pointed tail, etc.

As you observe more bird species, you will pick up on things that make them easy to identify. Look at the birds scattered all over these pages, you will see a variety of species that have subtle or more obvious body variations.

Being able to distinguish between different wrens or sparrows or swallows, etc takes more knowledge of their color patterns and voice. But being able to identify the type of bird you're looking at makes it much easier to search through the bird book for the exact bird.

Go to: Bill Shape, Color, Legs/Feet, Bird ID Home.

More Bird ID!
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Birding.com - More Birding Info!
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