Bird Classification and Identification Classification Taxonomic classification groups organisms by similar characters moving from less to more specific characteristics Kingdom o Phylum Class Order o Family Genus Species Bird Classification o Birds are in the Class Aves Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata o Class Aves 29 orders of birds Each name for an order ends in formes 187 families Over 2000 genera Over 9600 species Biological Species Concept Of sexually reproducing organisms one or more natural populations in which individuals are interbreeding and are reproductively isolated from other such groups Population group of interbreeding organisms of the same species occupying the same area o The distinguishing features of genera plural of genus families and orders reflect the evolutionary adaptations of birds anatomical physiological ecological and behavioral o Approximately 300 billion birds in about 10 000 species now inhabit the earth Very diverse Habitats Ocean desert divers arboreal Size 2g Hummingbird to 100 000g Ostrich Food preference Nectar insects fish carion vertebrates Identifying Birds o Why do we identify birds It s fun We like to know what we re looking at By identifying an organism you examine its various characteristics shape color size etc These characteristics are often the product of adaptations to the organism s environment By knowing the adaptations we can know something about how the organism lives Organisms that share a taxonomic grouping often share a common mode of existence or occupy a similar niche in their environment Example Woodpeckers Order Piciformes o Whether you see a woodpecker in Oregon South Carolina or Louisiana you know that it lives by drilling holes in trees o Use of Latin names vs Common names The scientific name of an organism has two parts and is always italicized Genus species o Ex Homo sapiens Scientific names are unique to that species Common names are the names that people in a given area call an organism Common names are not species specific and using common names can therefore be confusing Example The Goldfinch Common names yellow bird thistle bird wild canary and beet bird Scientific name Carduelis tristis o How to Identify Birds Field marks A bird s physical aspects that are used to identify it Plumage bird s overall feathering Body shape Shape of body parts Markings such as bars bands spots and rings Watch the bird while you can Don t start looking in the book before you ve identified the important characteristics The bird may fly away before you can identify it You can t always identify a bird or anything else for that matter o Bird parts Shape Most birds have a shape and stance characteristics to their species or family Can change with environmental conditions o Colder more feathers bigger o Warmer less feathers smaller Head Shape Markings o Example Lark Sparrow Median crown stripe pale or white Lateral crown strip dark Eyebrow supercilium a line running from the base of the bill up and over the eye Lores area between bill and eye Supraloral area area in front of the eye Iris may be colored Orbital ring around eye if feathered eye ring Eye crescents interrupted eye rings Postocular stripe extends back from the eye Eye line postocular stripe extended through the eye Ear patch auricular Submoustachial stripe below ear patch Malar stripe below submoustachial stripe Bill shape Narrow blunt elongated etc Gulls have a ridge on the lower mandible called the gonys which forms a distinct angle Culmen top of the bill In raptors the patch of bare skin covering the upper mandible is the cere Pelicans and cormorants have a fold of loose skin a gular pouch hanging from the throat Wings Long strong flight feathers covered by protective shorter coverts The outer nine or ten are the primaries Followed by the secondaries The three most inner feathers are the tertials Scapulars short protective feather that join wing and body From leading edge to trailing edge of the wing are the marginal lesser median and greater wing coverts On long winged species sucha s the albatross and other set of feathers the humerals is well developed The overall plumage of the back extending to the scapulars and upperwing coverts is called the mantle Wings bars In some species the white tips of the greater and median coverts above the secondaries form wing bars Under the wing The short dense feathers of the wing linings often contrast with the rest of the underwing as may the axillaries the bird s armpit Primary tip projection How far the primaries extend past the secondaries and longest tertials Tail Most birds have twelve tail feathers called rectrices When the bird is sitting o From above usually only one or two central tail feathers show and from below only the outermost tail feather on each side In flight o Can see the true shape of the tail better Molt regular renewal of plumage Depending upon the season a bird s colors and size may vary Often the molt occurs before the birds migrate Late winter early spring birds undergo a partial molt usually involving the head body and some wing coverts This makes identification more difficult Sexual Dimorphism Males and females of the same species often have different colors Males tend to be more colorful than females o Ex Peacocks vs Peahens Song Often species specific Good when you can t see the bird A given species has a varied of calls o Contact or Flight Calls used when birds are traveling if flocks o Alarm Calls more urgent tone Behavior How the bird flies o Soaring flapping gliding etc How the bird eats o Forage on the ground in trees in mud etc