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It’s in your nature: Bird field marks and anatomy

Published February 23. 2019 07:24AM

You pick up a bird field guide to identify what sparrow species you just observed on one of your nature hikes. The text directs you to look for a white eye stripe, striped crown and yellow lores. Now what do you do? What are lores? What is an eye line?

My hope with today’s column was to show you some species displaying common field marks used in bird guides. Maybe some of the sparrows you have been observing aren’t chipping sparrows but were field sparrows. Who knows, your annual bird list may grow from 80 species to 120 knowing how better to identify what you have been seeing all along.

I do know that if you are an ardent birder (or intend to be) warblers will be a challenge to identify. With dozens of species possible in our area you will need to know particular differences in their field marks to make positive identifications. Wing bars are commonly used as descriptors or rump colors as well. Obviously, yellow-rumped warblers have a yellow rump, but surprisingly flickers, harriers and many others have distinctive rump feathers, too. The rump is actually the patch of feathers just above the bird’s tail on the back (dorsal) side of the bird.

The lore, by the way, is the space between the eye and bill in a bird.

The field mark of which most of you are familiar is a bird’s crest. Common local crested birds are the cardinal, blue jay and tufted titmouse. Crests aren’t always obvious though since the crest is only raised when a bird is agitated, aggressive or trying to impress a mate. I hope some of my photos will help you understand the “bird lingo” so you can enjoy even more the variety of bird species all around us here in the Times News area or where ever your nature snooping takes you.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: The ____was the dominant tree in our region circa 1900. A. white oak, B. white pine, C. American chestnut, D. American elm.

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: Beavers and porcupines, even though rather large, are rodents. The very small short-tailed shrew is not.

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.

A Carolina wren displays a white eyebrow stripe, not an eye line. BARRY REED/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
White-throated sparrows display a white throat, yellow lores — lores are found on each side of the head between the beak and eye — and head stripes.
Look low for the white-crowned sparrow. It feeds on the ground scratching for food or eating the ripening dandelion seeds. Don’t “blink” because they may only pass through our area for about two weeks. BARRY REED/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS
The cedar waxwing has the characteristic “Lone Ranger” mask and a crest. Here one perches near a crabapple still clinging to the now-bare branches.
A northern flicker displays a bright red patch on its nape. It and red-bellied woodpeckers also display a “ladder back” feather pattern.
The spotted sandpiper displays a distinct eye line and white eye ring.
The black-throated green warbler is one of the 25 warbler species I generally observe each year. Look for them in the same habitats as the grosbeak.
The killdeer is the only plover species that nests in this region.
A laughing gull displays an eye ring and complete black head (another notable field mark, especially with gulls or terns).
A rose-breasted grosbeak displays wing bars and bright breast patch. Breast patches are other identifiable field marks. PHOTOS BY BARRY REED.