Identification articles

The below collection of links to online bird-identification material is intended as a fairly quick-and-dirty access to available online literature, not as a one-stop, everything-you-could-possibly-want shopping guide. Of necessity, it is a work in progress, and will be added to as available time and appropriate material is posted. It has its basis in two ongoing efforts, the In The Scope articles published in the quarterly Colorado Birds, and in Nathan Pieplow's excellent blog on sound ID, earbirding.com. However, we will be adding links to material from many other sources.

Non-passerines

Waterfowl (Anseriformes)

Cackling Goose -- 1) The definitive paper on the ID of Cackling Goose and Lesser Canada Goose; 2) Colorado perspective
Canada Goose (Lesser) -- see above
Eurasian Wigeon -- 1) ID of birds in female-type plumages; 2) ID of females (Colorado)
Mexican Duck -- ID and Colorado occurrence
Northern Shoveler -- Plumage progression of males
Greater Scaup -- ID using multiple head characters
Lesser Scaup -- ID using multiple head characters
Surf Scoter -- Confusion with White-winged
White-winged Scoter -- Confusion with Surf
Common Goldeneye -- Bill color in females
Barrow's Goldeneye -- Bill color in females

Grebes (Podicipediformes)

Horned Grebe -- Head shape and Colorado occurrence timing

Eared Grebe -- Head shape and Colorado occurrence timing

Cormorants (Suliformes: Phalacrocoracidae)

Neotropic Cormorant -- Confusion with Double-crested

Double-crested Cormorant -- Confusion with Neotropic

Pelicans, Herons, and Ibises (Pelecaniformes:  Pelecanidae, Ardeidae, and Threskiornithidae)

Glossy Ibis -- Confusion with hybrid ibis

Vultures, Kites, Eagles, and Hawks (Accipitriformes)

Red-shouldered Hawk -- Throat color in juveniles
Broad-winged Hawk -- Throat color in juveniles
Swainson's Hawk -- Confusion with adult male Rough-legged Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk -- Confusion with juvenile and immature Swainson's Hawk

Shorebirds (Charadriiformes:  Charadriidae, Recurvirostridae, and Scolopacidae)

Solitary Sandpiper -- Subspecies ID

Gulls and terns (Charadriiformes:  Laridae)

Gulls -- Scapular and tertial crescents
Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid -- ID and occurrence in interior North America

Woodpeckers (Piciformes)

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker -- Confusion with red-throated female Red-naped
Red-naped Sapsucker -- Confusion with male Yellow-bellied
Downy Woodpecker -- Subspecies ID
Hairy Woodpecker -- Subspecies ID

Non-passerines

New World flycatchers (Passeriformes:  Tyrannidae)

Least Flycatcher -- The "whit-beert" call part I and Part II
Hammond's Flycatcher -- Two-part calls
Dusky Flycatcher -- Two-part calls
Pacific-slope Flycatcher -- Differentiating vocalizations from Cordilleran (read comments)
Cordilleran Flycatcher -- Differentiating vocalizations from Pacific-slope (read comments)

Vireos (Passeriformes:  Vireonidae)

Warbling Vireo -- Differentiating subspecies (species?)

Jays, crows, ravens (Passeriformes:  Corvidae) 

Chihuahuan Raven -- Differentiating vocalizations of the two raven species
Common Raven -- Differentiating vocalizations of the two raven species

Swallows (Passeriformes:  Hirundinidae)

Cave Swallow -- ID of juveniles
Cliff Swallow -- ID of juveniles

Larks (Passeriformes:  Alaudidae)

Horned Lark -- Confusion of juvenile with pipits and other species

Nuthatches (Passeriformes:  Sittidae)

White-breasted Nuthatch -- Vocalizations of subspecies (species?) groups, part I; part II; part III

Creepers (Passeriformes:  Certhiidae)

Brown Creeper -- dawn song

Wrens (Passeriformes:  Troglodytidae)

Winter Wren -- Plumage and voice ID; vocal ID, part I; part II
Pacific Wren -- Plumage and voice ID; vocal ID, part I; part II
Marsh Wren -- ID of Eastern and Western (species?) groups; vocalizations of (species?) groups

Gnatcatchers (Passeriformes:  Polioptilidae)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher -- Differentiating subspecies (species?)

Thrushes (Passeriformes:  Turdidae)

Mountain Bluebird -- Warm-colored females
Gray-cheeked Thrush -- ID from a western perspective
Swainson's Thrush -- Differentiation of subspecies (species?); vocalizations of subspecies (species?)

Pipits (Passeriformes:  Motacillidae)

Sprague's Pipit -- Confusion with juvenile Horned Lark

Sparrows (Passeriformes:  Emberizidae)

Brewer's Sparrow -- Differentiating subspecies (species?)

Blackbirds (Passeriformes:  Icteridae)

Eastern Meadowlark -- ID of Lilian's Meadowlark; song differences in Eastern and Lilian's; 'bzert' call differences in Eastern and Lilian's

Finches (Passeriformes:  Fringillidae)

Brown-capped Rosy-Finch -- Gray-crowned-like males
Red Crossbill -- ID of southern Rockies types; call types: getting started; call types; vocal ID of call types, quiz; solution
Evening Grosbeak -- Distinguishing call types