How to Identify Songbirds

Songbirds belong to an order of birds categorized as passerines, otherwise known as perching birds. This order of birds is the largest and includes as many as 5,100 separate songbird species worldwide. Birdwatchers use a variety of ways to identify songbirds; these methods involve looking, listening and taking careful notes.

Things You'll Need

  • Notebook
  • Pencil
  • Binoculars
  • Bird identification guide
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Instructions

    • 1

      Study the songbird's silhouette. This a common practice among birders, because getting close enough to any bird to get an absolute idea of its type can be difficult. Observe from a distance birds that are on the tops of trees, telephone lines, fenceposts, chimneys, in flight and other places where you can get a good view of their outline. Many bird species--such as swallows, sparrows, jays and buntings--have distinctive silhouettes. Use your bird guide book, which invariably shows these silhouettes.

    • 2

      Pay close attention to the bird's behavior. Songbirds behave in ways particular to their species. For instance, swallows swoop and dive through the air as they capture insects on the wing. Birds such as the black-capped chickadee often are seen among the branches of coniferous trees such as pines.

    • 3

      Use computer programs that have extensive bird song recordings. For example, birdJam has more than 1000 bird songs and will enable you to identify birds when you hear them.

    • 4

      Take careful note of the field marks of any birds you are trying to identify. The field marks are the patterns, colors, markings and other features on a bird's body. Markings on areas such as the head, throat, wings and belly are particularly important. Refer to either your guide book or a website such as All About Birds to positively identify the specimen.