Peterson Reference Guide To Birding By Impression: A Different Approach to Knowing and Identifying BirdsA highly visual guide to identifying birds in the field based on the important, unchanging features of size, shape, structure, and behavior Birding is an extremely rewarding and fun hobby, but some situations can be frustrating or unsuccessful because of a variety of challenging viewing conditions. This guide to identifying birds offers the holistic “birding by impression” method, which not only helps with these difficult conditions, but also develops an efficient mental identification process using left- and right-brain skills. It begins with a conscious assessment of a bird’s unchanging physical characteristics, including general size, body shape, structural features (bill, legs, neck, and wings), and behavior. Using this approach, birders can quickly assess all birds and distinguish new and uncommon species from familiar ones. They can then examine more detailed field marks to fine-tune the identification. Rather than a traditional field guide, this book presents an interactive how-to approach to a more complete identification process. |
Common terms and phrases
adult American Answers appearance appendix areas bars behavior bill birds Blue body shape breast breeding brown buff CHARACTERISTICS AND NON-BBI color Common compared COMPARISONS crown dark differences distinctive ducks Eastern Egret feathers feeding female field Figure flight Flycatcher flying foraging give gray grayish groups Gull habitats Hawk head heavier helpful identify immature IMPRESSION juvenile lacks larger legs length Lesser locations longer look lower male markings narrow neck NON-BBI DETAILS nonbreeding North Northern notes noticeably occur orange overall pale perched Plover plumage PLUMAGE PATTERNS pointed primaries QUIZ PHOTO range rear rounded seen separate share short shorter similar SIMILAR SPECIES slender slightly smaller songs Sparrow species streaks structural features SUPPLEMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS tail Tern typically UNCHANGING CHARACTERISTICS underparts upper upperparts variety versus VOCALIZATIONS Warbler Western wings winter Woodpecker yellow