I have been a bird watcher for several years. I can now identify most birds that come to my neighborhood. But, it hasn’t always been that way. In the beginning, I had to look up almost every bird!
Some birds, both sexes look alike, but other birds look totally different. It can become confusing. A bright red bird in your yard is a Northern Cardinal. A few seconds later, a bird flies into your yard that is brown, but it’s also a Northern Cardinal. The Cardinals are one species that the sexes look differently. The red cardinal is the male and the female is brown. The Summer Tanager is the same way - the red one is the male and the brown one is the female.
There are also birds that have subtle differences in their appearance, such as a Downy Woodpecker. The male has a red dot on the back of his head, but the female has no red dot. And within the same woodpecker family - You must get your tape measurer out in order to determine which is the Downy and which is the Hairy Woodpecker.. They have the same feather colors and patterns, but the Hairy Woodpecker is a few inches longer than the Downy.
Other woodpeckers that can be confusing are the Red-headed Woodpecker and the Red-bellied Woodpecker. They both have red heads, but with the Red-headed Woodpecke rthe entire head is a deep rich red color. The Red-belliedWoodpecker also has a red head, but it’s feathers are orangey red and its front and side neck portions are white.
The size of the Pileated Woodpecker is what makes him really different from other woodpeckers. Even though his feather colors are black, white and red like his brother woodpeckers, he is 16 1/2” long and has a 29” wingspan!
The male is the one that has a ruby throat in the Ruby-throated Hummingbird species. The female has a beautiful green back, but her throat feathers are white, even though she is also called a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
Indigo buntings and American Goldfinch are two of the birds that visit our area in the spring and early summer. The males are very brightly colored and really excite people when they see them alone or in flocks! But, their female mates are very unnoticeable in shades of light brown. But, God in His wisdom made them that way so that they could sit unnoticed on their nests. It helps their species to survive.
The Tufted Titmouse Both male and female Tufted Titmouse look the same. But, the Carolina Chickadee for all appearances look the same, but to those who really know their birds, they can identify their Chickadee sex by their “cloacal protuberance.” I laughed when I read their caption on The Zen Birdfeeder that said, “Sexing a Chickadee (It’s not what you think.)”
According to Wild Birds Unlimited, “The cloacal protuberance is based on the degree of enlargement, to be able to identify it as a male.” “In passerines, the male carries a storage of sperm....that causes the cloaca to become enlarged, forming the “cloacal protuberance” (CP). The size of the CP may be used for sex determination.” bioone.org.
Sometimes I still get stumped when identifying birds. I have books on hand, Google, and several apps that help with identification. But, one of my favorites is a Facebook Bird Site called “The Bird Identification Group of the World.”
Recently I placed a couple of birds on the site and within moments the administrators identified my birds. What I love about the site is that they are Ornithologists and their identifications are so scientifically given. The length of the tail, the circle around the eye...everything down to the T to give you the correct ID.
I’m glad that Jesus tells us to “Look at the birds of the air...” Matthew 6:26. I have learned so much since I did. I hope you have, too.
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