Lookup
Duck and Raptor Identification
Pick the bird. Each page lists the marks that separate it from the species it is mixed up with, and the pairs that trip everyone up (Cooper's vs Sharp-shinned, Greater vs Lesser Scaup, Turkey vs Black Vulture) get their own comparison. Photograph side-on in good light; the app names the likely species and these pages confirm it.
How to narrow it down
- Ducks: start with whether it dives or tips up, then head color, bill color and the wing patch; identify the male first and match the female to him.
- Hawks: shape in flight beats color; note tail length, wing shape and how it flaps and glides.
- Size is unreliable at a distance; compare with a known bird nearby.
- Season and place rule out many species before you look at plumage.
Dabbling ducks
- How to Identify a Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
- How to Identify an American Black Duck (Anas rubripes)
- How to Identify a Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
- How to Identify a Gadwall (Mareca strepera)
- How to Identify an American Wigeon (Mareca americana)
- How to Identify a Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata)
- How to Identify a Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors)
- How to Identify a Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca)
- How to Identify a Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera)
- How to Identify a Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
Diving ducks and mergansers
- How to Identify a Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)
- How to Identify a Redhead (Aythya americana)
- How to Identify a Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris)
- How to Identify a Greater Scaup (Aythya marila)
- How to Identify a Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
- How to Identify a Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
- How to Identify a Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
- How to Identify a Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
- How to Identify a Common Merganser (Mergus merganser)
- How to Identify a Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)
- How to Identify a Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
Geese and domestic ducks
Hawks, eagles and harriers
- Cooper's Hawk Identification: Size, Eyes, Tail, Look-alikes
- How to Identify a Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)
- How to Identify a Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
- Red-shouldered Hawk Identification: Adult, Juvenile, Call
- How to Identify a Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)
- How to Identify a Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)
- How to Identify a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
- Golden Eagle Identification: Adult, Juvenile, vs Bald Eagle
- How to Identify an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Falcons
Vultures and owls
FAQ
Is it a Cooper's Hawk or a Sharp-shinned Hawk?
Look at the tail tip and head: Cooper's has a rounded tail with a wide white band and a large head that projects well past the wings in flight; Sharp-shinned has a squared tail with a thin white band and a small head. Open either page for the full list.
What duck is this? It has a green head.
A green head with a yellow bill and a white neck ring is a male Mallard. Green head with a white crescent before the eye is a Blue-winged Teal; green only on the head sides with a chestnut crown is a Green-winged Teal; green head with a very large bill is a Northern Shoveler.
Can the app identify a bird from a photo?
It names the likely species from a clear photo. Distant flight shots are the hardest; use the shape and pattern notes on each page to confirm.