How to Identify Large Mid-Atlantic Birds

The Canada goose is a common large bird in the mid-Atlantic region

The mid-Atlantic region of the United States boasts a high diversity of bird species. There is no shortage of large, eye-catching species to be seen there, and even if you are a casual birder they are often relatively easy to identify as they can be quite conspicuous. While trips to the seashore will greatly increase your tally of large bird sightings, you can spot a number of large birds inland, sometimes even in big cities.

Things You'll Need

• Bird field guide to the Eastern United States
• Binoculars (8x or higher power)
• Spotting scope (optional)

Instructions

1. Familiarize yourself with the large birds of the mid-Atlantic region by browsing a field guide. Most leading bird field guides put the large bird species (such as shorebirds, ducks and birds of prey) toward the beginning of the book, so you should take care to browse the first part of the book especially well.

2. Observe large birds using binoculars and a spotting scope if you have one. A spotting scope, a small portable telescope, is especially useful for identifying birds that might be too far away to be seen clearly with binoculars.

3. Acquaint yourself with distinguishing features of large birds, such as shape and relative size. For instance, a gull has a very different outline from a duck or a cormorant, even though all of these might be present on the same body of water. Learning identifying features takes practice, but if you persist, it will become second nature.

4. Pay attention to subtle differences in coloration, bill size and shape, distinguishing patterns on the bodies of these large birds, and other characteristic features. This will help you distinguish between similar species. Although it can be quite challenging to recognize subtle differences, as with any skill, practice makes perfect.

5. Learn the calls of common large birds in the mid-Atlantic region. There are CDs and websites of bird calls which can help reinforce your bird call identification skills. Knowing the calls will greatly help you in identifying birds when you cannot see them or get only a fleeting or distant glimpse of them.

6. Visit habitats frequented by lots of large birds. These would include the mid-Atlantic seashore as well as inland rivers, streams and wetlands. Seeing many large birds at once will help you practice your birding skills and allow you to observe differences among similar species, which will greatly improve your ability to identify these birds.

References

• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Building Skills
• "The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America"; David Allan Sibley; 2003