OBIOL 4142ORNITHOLOGY LAB PRACTICE QUIZZES
Lab 2For each species:
• The first photo is one in which everything is covered except for a couple of key features. You should be able to ID the species just from this view.
• The second photo reveals the entire bird. Now, you definitely should be able to identify the species.
• The third photo adds the English name so that you know if … oops I mean … can confirm that you got the ID correct.
Whooping Crane; Gruidae; Gruiformes
If you could see the bill close up, the way you can in lab, you would be able to see that the nostrils are open holes (“perforate” is the technical term), unlike anything in Ardeidae or Threskiornithidae
Wilson’s Snipe; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes
Conspicuous head and back stripes; extremely long bill; strongly banded sides and flanks
Ruddy Turnstone; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes
Woodpecker-shaped or wedge-shaped bill, sharply pointed; messy, dark blotches on breast
Willet; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes
White patch near the base of the blackish primaries; overall gray plumage
PeregrineFalcon; Falconidae;
Falconiformes
Dark “sideburn” mark in face. Note, by the way, that you can even see the bony tubercle in the nostril that clinches this as Falconidae
Virginia Rail; Rallidae; Gruiformes
More extensively gray face and darker throat and breast than King or Clapper rails
American Golden Plover; Charadriidae; Charadriiformes
Conspicuous pale superciliary and browner plumage tones (vs. Black-bellied). If you could see its rump, how would it differ from Black-bellied? Note that the short bill, slightly swollen at tip, makes it a plover.
Sanderling; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes
Almost completely white below and in face; black legs; pale gray above
Semipalmated Plover; Charadriidae; Charadriiformes
Two-toned plover bill distinguished this from everything but Piping, which has a much paler face and crown.
Osprey; Pandionidae; Accipitriformes
Nothing else has that white crown and dark face
American Avocet; Recurvirostridae; Charadriiformes
Sandhill Crane; Gruidae; Gruiformes
American Woodcock; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes
Stripes on crown perpendicular to body axis; short legs, rufous belly. Note, by the way, the big eyes = nocturnal
Red-tailed Hawk; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes
That bright orange-brown tail with narrow brownish band at tip is diagnostic.
Wilson’s Phalarope; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes
Unique head pattern
Purple Gallinule; Rallidae; Gruiformes
All you really have to see is the blue-green wings and white undertail coverts
Slightly decurved bill, black legs, dark across breast (too much coloration on breast for Western Sandpiper)
Dunlin; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes
Snowy Plover; Charadriidae; Charadriiformes
All black, thin bill; incomplete breast band; very pale. Compare to Sanderling
Sora; Rallidae; Gruiformes
Distinctive face pattern; bill shape like a gallinule or coot
Broad-winged Hawk; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes
Two visible broad, white tail bands; no red on upperwing coverts
Pectoral Sandpiper; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes
Bill with pale base; legs pale; conspicuous streaks across breast. Least Sandpiper similarly marked but bill all-dark
Piping Plover; Charadriidae; Charadriiformes
Compare to similarly patterned Semipalmated Plover and note how much paler the face is.
Red-shouldered Hawk; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes
White bands on blackish tail; reddish tones in shoulder area
Bald Eagle; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes
Any other birds with all-white tails and big feet?
Cooper’s Hawk; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes
Tail has alternating dark grayish and paler grayish bands; outer rectrix shorter than inner rectrices, giving slightly rounded look to tail tipAlso note plain face; irregular reddish brown banding on underparts; long tail with
Northern Harrier; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes
White uppertail coverts on tail with dull banding is diagnostic. Beware that rest of plumage highly variable due to age and sex differences
King Rail; Rallidae; Gruiformes
Note reddish chestnut upperwing coverts; more reddish on breast than Clapper Rail. Face not as strongly marked as Virginia.
Black-necked Stilt; Recurvirostridae; Charadriiformes
American Coot; Rallidae; Gruiformes
Only species with mostly pale bill rising high on forehead
Bill will always show some remaining color (compared to whitish American Coot). Also note plumage differences.
Common Gallinule; Rallidae; Gruiformes
Sharp-shinned Hawk; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes
Very similar to Cooper’s Hawk, but outer rectrix as long as inner rectrices, giving square look to tail tip
Black-bellied Plover; Charadriidae; Charadriiformes
Plover bill; no breast bands; white rump distinguishes it from American Golden Plover (as does blackish axillars)
Very similar to Cooper’s Hawk, but outer rectrix as long as inner rectrices, giving square look to tail tip
Two breast bands …
Killdeer; Charadriidae; Charadriiformes
Marbled Godwit; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes
Long, slightly upturned, two-toned bill
Note olive tones in upper wing coverts and back – lacks reddish brown shades of King Rail; also less reddish on breast.
Clapper Rail; Rallidae; Gruiformes
Lesser Yellowlegs & Greater Yellowlegs; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes
Both have long, yellow legs (which will retain some pale color in specimens) and thin bills. The best way to tell them in the hand is by absolute bill length, i.e. always under 2 inches in Lesser.