Backyard Bird Identification Checklist
The following checklist is available in a printer-friendly format meaning only the list itself is printed on one page it is printed in black and white.
- Size
- Tail
- smaller than a chickadee
- barred
- bigger than a chickadee
- forked
- smaller than a robin
- long
- bigger than a robin
- narrow
- smaller than a crow
- notched
- bigger than a crow
- pointed
- round
- Shape
- short
- compact plump sleek slim stocky
- square tipped
- stiff
- Posture
- tail color: __________
- horizontal standing vertical
- tip color: __________
- Head
- Legs & Feet
- crest - color: __________
- perching or grasping
- crown-stripe - color: __________
- strong with sharp, hooked claws
- eyebrow stripe - color: __________
- three forward toes & one hind toe
- eyeline - color: __________
- wide-spread (2 toes forward & 2 toes back)
- eyering - color: __________
- color: __________
- lore - color: __________
- Habitat
- Bill
- ground shrubs trees water
- slender, pointed
- conical
- Flight Patterns
- chisel-like
- circle straight line strong undulating
- spoon-shaped
- hooked
- Season
- colored: __________
- spring summer fall winter
- bicolored: __________
- Behavior
- Body
- Was it catching prey in the air?
- belly - color: __________
- Was it climbing the sides of trees?
- breast - color:: __________
- Was it looking for insects on foliage?
- mustachial stripe - color: __________
- Was it serious looking or gregarious?
- nape - color: __________
- Was it moving quickly through the foliage?
- rump - color: __________
- Was it secretive?
- throat patch - color: __________
- Was it walking or hopping?
- Was it flicking its tail?
- Wings
- Was it bobbing its tail?
- long short
- Was it fanning its tail?
- pointed rounded
- Was it flicking its wings?
- wing - color: __________
- Was it alone or with other birds?
- wingbars - how many ___ color: __________
- wing patches - color: __________
- Voice
- wing tips - extended to: __________
- Describe the call or song.