OBIOL 4142ORNITHOLOGY LAB PRACTICE QUIZZES

Lab 2For each species:

• The first photo is one in which everything is covered except for a couple of key features. You should be able to ID the species just from this view.

• The second photo reveals the entire bird. Now, you definitely should be able to identify the species.

• The third photo adds the English name so that you know if … oops I mean … can confirm that you got the ID correct.

Whooping Crane; Gruidae; Gruiformes

If you could see the bill close up, the way you can in lab, you would be able to see that the nostrils are open holes (“perforate” is the technical term), unlike anything in Ardeidae or Threskiornithidae

Wilson’s Snipe; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes

Conspicuous head and back stripes; extremely long bill; strongly banded sides and flanks

Ruddy Turnstone; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes

Woodpecker-shaped or wedge-shaped bill, sharply pointed; messy, dark blotches on breast

Willet; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes

White patch near the base of the blackish primaries; overall gray plumage

PeregrineFalcon; Falconidae;

Falconiformes

Dark “sideburn” mark in face. Note, by the way, that you can even see the bony tubercule in the nostril that clinches this as Falconidae

Virginia Rail; Rallidae; Gruiformes

More extensively gray face and darker throat and breast than King or Clapper rails

American Golden Plover; Charadriidae; Charadriiformes

Conspicuous pale superciliary and browner plumage tones (vs. Black-bellied). If you could see its rump, how would it differ from Black-bellied? Note that the short bill, slightly swollen at tip, makes it a plover.

Sanderling; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes

Almost completely white below and in face; black legs; pale gray above

Semipalmated Plover; Charadriidae; Charadriiformes

Two-toned plover bill distinguished this from everything but Piping, which has a much paler face and crown.

Osprey; Pandionidae; Accipitriformes

Nothing else has that white crown and dark face

American Avocet; Recurvirostridae; Charadriiformes

Sandhill Crane; Gruidae; Gruiformes

American Woodcock; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes

Stripes on crown perpendicular to body axis; short legs, rufous belly. Note, by the way, the big eyes = nocturnal

Red-tailed Hawk; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes

That bright orange-brown tail with narrow brownish band at tip is diagnostic.

Wilson’s Phalarope; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes

Unique head pattern

Purple Gallinule; Rallidae; Gruiformes

All you really have to see is the blue-green wings and white undertail coverts

Slightly decurved bill, black legs, dark across breast (too much coloration on breast for Western Sandpiper)

Dunlin; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes

Snowy Plover; Charadriidae; Charadriiformes

All black, thin bill; incomplete breast band; very pale. Compare to Sanderling

Sora; Rallidae; Gruiformes

Distinctive face pattern; bill shape like a gallinule or coot

Broad-winged Hawk; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes

Two visible broad, white tail bands; no red on upperwing coverts

Pectoral Sandpiper; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes

Bill with pale base; legs pale; conspicuous streaks across breast. Least Sandpiper similarly marked but bill all-dark

Piping Plover; Charadriidae; Charadriiformes

Compare to similarly patterned Semipalmated Plover and note how much paler the face is.

Red-shouldered Hawk; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes

White bands on blackish tail; reddish tones in shoulder area

Bald Eagle; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes

Any other birds with all-white tails and big feet?

Cooper’s Hawk; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes

Tail has alternating dark grayish and paler grayish bands; outer rectrix shorter than inner rectrices, giving slightly rounded look to tail tipAlso note plain face; irregular reddish brown banding on underparts; long tail with

Northern Harrier; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes

White uppertail coverts on tail with dull banding is diagnostic. Beware that rest of plumage highly variable due to age and sex differences

King Rail; Rallidae; Gruiformes

Note reddish chestnut upperwing coverts; more reddish on breast than Clapper Rail. Face not as strongly marked as Virginia.

Black-necked Stilt; Recurvirostridae; Charadriiformes

American Coot; Rallidae; Gruiformes

Only species with mostly pale bill rising high on forehead

Bill will always show some remaining color (compared to whitish American Coot). Also note plumage differences.

Common Gallinule; Rallidae; Gruiformes

Sharp-shinned Hawk; Accipitridae; Accipitriformes

Very similar to Cooper’s Hawk, but outer rectrix as long as inner rectrices, giving square look to tail tip

Black-bellied Plover; Charadriidae; Charadriiformes

Plover bill; no breast bands; white rump distinguishes it from American Golden Plover (as does blackish axillars)

Very similar to Cooper’s Hawk, but outer rectrix as long as inner rectrices, giving square look to tail tip

Two breast bands …

Killdeer; Charadriidae; Charadriiformes

Marbled Godwit; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes

Long, slightly upturned, two-toned bill

Note olive tones in upper wing coverts and back – lacks reddish brown shades of King Rail; also less reddish on breast.

Clapper Rail; Rallidae; Gruiformes

Lesser Yellowlegs & Greater Yellowlegs; Scolopacidae; Charadriiformes

Both have long, yellow legs (which will retain some pale color in specimens) and thin bills. The best way to tell them in the hand is by absolute bill length, i.e. always under 2 inches in Lesser.