Visual Key for Bird Identification

Start | Waterfowl | Predatory | Upland | Perching | Song

What silhouette best fits the bird you want to identify?
Song Birds
Flycatchers, Kingbirds, Pheobes & Wood-peewees	Thrushes, Bluebirds, Veeries, Robins & Solitaires
Chickadees, Titmice, Bushtits	Nuthatches & Creepers
Wrens & Dippers	Larks
Kinglets & Gnatcatchers	Thrashers, Catbirds, Mockingbirds
Pipits	Waxwings
Shrikes	Starlings
Vireos	Warblers, Waterthrushs, Yellowthroats, Chats & Redstarts
Tanagers	Sparrows, Towhees & Juncos
(Fringillids) Finchs, Crossbills, Siskins, Grosbeaks & Sparrows	(Icterids) Bobolinks, Meadowlarks, Blackbird, Grackles, Cowbirds & Orioles
Grosbeaks & Buntings	Swallows
(Corvids) Crows, Nutcrackers, Ravens, Jays & Magpies

Note:
Since birds are not usually in hand when identifying, our identification key are based on visual cues. Often birds are seen with binoculars or with the naked eye, and only a fleeting glimpse is available. Using this key will give you some practice in using visual cues to identify birds, but may give a false sense of security in the ability to identify birds.