– Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Sahel West Africa
Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa – Training Course –
1
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
2
Authors
Designed and written byNathalie Hecker [email protected]
Photographs Steve Garvie [email protected], www.pbase.com/rainbirder
IllustrationsCyril Girard [email protected], www.cyrilgirard.fr
TranslationRachel Wakeham [email protected]
This training course is one of the tools of : Hecker N., 2012. Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa – A toolkit for trainers. ONCFS, Hirundo-FT2E. France
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Presenting the ModuleTechnical
explanations
Indoor exercises
3
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
How to describe a bird accurately
Objectives of the moduleAt the end of this module you will be able to: •name the different parts of a bird’s body;•describe the shape of a bird;•describe a bird’s plumage;•describe a bird’s behaviour.
4
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
How to describe a bird accurately
ApproachIdentifying a species = rigorous description•Note all key elements needed for a description •Describe the bird objectively •Write down the description-before the bird flies away -before looking at the field guide
5
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Shape
Size•Compare size to that of a well-known bird•for example: “bigger than a turtle-dove but smaller than a whistling duck”
6
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Shape
Silhouetteoften characteristic of a family or genus•Round: plovers•Elongated or slim: stilt, Tringa sandpiper, egret•Hunched or stocky: Squacco Heron at rest
Remember that general shape can change with the bird’s posture.
7
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
ShapeNecklength •short: plovers•medium: ducks•long: Tringa sandpipers, herons, storks
position in flight •extended: storks, Anatidae, flamingos•retracted: herons, pelicans
8
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
ShapeShape of the bill•pointed and dagger-shaped for fish-eating birds: herons, kingfishers•flat: ducks, spoonbills•slender and long: birds that feed over mud: waders - straight: snipes
- downcurved : curlews- upturned: avocet
•short: plovers, gulls, crakes
9
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Shape
Length of the bill•Short or long •Compare with length of the head seen from the side
Bill > head Bill = head Bill < head10
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
ShapeToes … if they are visible• webbed: ducks, geese ...• not webbed: waders ...
11
• very long: jacanas…
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
ShapeLegslong: extending beyond the tail when in flight, or clearly visible tibia when on the ground: large wading birds, Tringa sandpipers, Godwits, etc
short : do not extend beyond the tail when in flight, or the tibia is hardly visible when on the ground: Anatidae, cormorants, grebes, Calidris sandpipers, etc. 12
Extending beyond the tail
Not extending beyond the tail
clearly visible Tibias hardly visible
Legs in flighttibia
tarsus
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
ShapeWings in flightlength •long•short
shape •broad: storks, herons, pelicans…•pointed: terns, Tringa sandpipers ...•rounded : rails...
13
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
ShapeTaillength•long: African Darter•short : teal, Little Grebeshape•rounded: Common Snipe•forked, v-shaped: pratincoles, terns•pointed: Jack Snipe, Collared Pratincole
14
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
ShapeOn the ground,
walking On the ground, resting In flight
Size medium medium, but smaller than when walking medium
Silhouette slender squat
Neck Long, sinuous, thin not visible “head in its shoulders” very thick, retracted
Bill medium length (= width of head) dagger-shaped difficult to see
Legs long (clearly visible tibias) short to medium (tibias not visible) extending beyond the tail
Wings not visible broad, rounded tips
Tail short
15
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Shape
16
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Shape
17
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Shape
18
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Shape
19
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Shape
20
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Shape
21
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Shape
22
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Shape
23
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Shape
24
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Bird topography
25
crowneyering
wattle
supercilium
cheek
breast
flank
scapularsrump
face
tibia
tarsus
back
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Bird topography
26
upper mandible
lower mandible
collarundertail coverts
throat
speculum
wing bar
coverts
primaries
secondaries
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrastDescribing colours poses a real problem for most beginners
27
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
Different shades of the same colour: light grey ... dark grey
28
speckled grey ... stripy grey
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
Shades of mixed colours: … grey-green … grey-brown … reddish-brown …
29
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
Vague termswhitish ... reddish ... greenish
30
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
Colours will look different in different lights
31
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
How colour and size are perceived varies with the background against which they are seen
Birds can seem smaller than they really are against a light background
32
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
To make a good description it is important to describe• plumage: patterns, colours and contrasts of each part• colour of the legs• colour of the bill
• colour of the bare skin and wattle for some species, etc.
33
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
Describe the plumage, legs and bill
34
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour contrast
35
Describe the plumage, legs and bill
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
36
Describe the plumage, legs and bill
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
Describe the plumage, legs and bill
37
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
38
Describe the plumage, legs and bill
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
Describe the plumage, legs and bill
39
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
Describe the plumage, legs and bill
40
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
41
Describe the plumage, legs and bill
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Colour and contrast
42
Describe the plumage, legs and bill
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Behaviour, disposition, habitat
A description should also include :•Behaviour: sleeping, feeding, flying, perched, etc.•Disposition: alone, in a pair, in a group, etc.•Habitat: on water, in a forest, in bushes, etc.
43
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
BehaviourBehaviour on the ground•walking: cranes, storks, herons, etc.•hopping: raptors on the ground•running: thick-knees, plovers, etc.•standing still: heron watching prey•constantly moving: Sanderling, Kentish Plover
Behaviour on water• dives underwater: grebes, diving ducks• dives partially: surface-feeding ducks
44
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Behaviour
45
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Calls and song
Why do we need to recognise bird calls?•To detect species which are rarely seen or isolated or nocturnal•To detect a species a long way away•To tell two similar species apart
46
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
Dispersion & habitat
On a wetland …
Dispersion• solitary: some herons such as Black-headed Heron• in small or large flocks
Habitat• open water: ducks and grebes• shoreline vegetation: herons• floating vegetation: jacanas• mudflats: waders
47
Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately
48
Thanks for your attention!