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Identifying birds in the field is often challenging especially when you only get a glimpse of the bird.
Learning to estimate a bird's size and noting its shape as well as the details of its plumage provides essential information needed to identify the bird. Yogi Berra reminded us that "you can observe a lot by just watching" .
This week's focus is on the external characteristics of the bird with special emphasis on the head and neck.
Practice identifying the field marks (defining characteristics) of birds in pictures. Look at the bird's silhouette and then focus on the details of the bird's head especially its face. When you recognize a bird in the field think about the characteristics that you used to make the identification.