An easy comparison of birds by shape would be a cardinal versus a mocking bird. The cardinal’s crest is a dead give away.

A Downy Woodpecker has the smaller beak compared to the Hairy Woodpecker, also I noticed it going up the tree looking for insects.

• Thanks to Merlin photo ID, I was able to find out this was a male Purple Finch  

Activity 1:  Hairy woodpecker & mountain chickadee - not hard to differentiate! Activity 2:  Mountain chickadee (gray, white & black with white eyebrow), black capped chickadee (gray, white & black with full black cap & bib), hairy woodpecker (white & black with spotting) Activity 3:  Crows (walking along fences/ground), mountain chickadee (flitting around aspen branches), black capped chickadee (flitting around aspen branches) Activity 4:  Hairy woodpecker (approximately smallish robin sized, spotted black & white, clinging to/picking at tree trunks, area with old growth aspens, pines, & spruces, single "peek" call)

<p style="text-align: left;">Activity 1: Look for two birds you can tell apart by shape.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Northern Cardinal. American Robin.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Activity 2: Look for three different birds that have the same colour but on different parts of their body. Red.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"> Back of the head. Male Downy Woodpecker. Complete body. Male Northern Cardinal. Chevron shaped red feathers on the nape of the neck. Northern Flicker.</p>   <p style="text-align: left;">Activity 3: Searching for food.</p> <p style="text-align: left;"> Chickadee. Takes a seed from the feeder then flies into the burning bush or forsythia to eat it completely before returning to the feeder for another seed. White-breasted Nuthatch. Comes to the feeder, takes a seed and flies over to the white oak or the red oak to store it or eat it. White-throated Sparrow forages under the feeder and double scratches through the seeds on the ground. It never flies up to perch and eat on the feeder.</p>   <p style="text-align: left;">Activity 4: Describe your favourite bird.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">The Northern Cardinal is too easy to identify, but it is a favourite to watch, especially when the male feeds the female. So I will describe a bird I found on a walk in the park that I had never seen before.The park is located on the shore of a lake. It was late in the day, about 5:30 and the sun was going down so the light wasn’t the best. A bird flew into a tree ahead. It had a long tail, a long pointy bill, 2 wing bars and some white patches on its wing. It was about the size of a Robin, but more slender in build. It did not sing. I took photographs of it in the waning light. I found it in my guide book. A Northern Mockingbird.</p>

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#2Belted Kingfisher, Tree Swallow,and Bluejay

Baltimore Oriole House Finch

Activity 4: I don't know if it's my favorite bird, but the bushtit is one bird I had a hard time identifying just by color/pattern.  They are very plain and gray.  It took several sightings in different places before I realized what they were.  Now I can recognize them mostly by sound, size, and behavior.  They make a high pitched almost constant chirping sound.  They are very small and kind of round.  They flit about very quickly from tree to tree or bush to bush.  They often hang upside down from branches.  They usually travel in groups and move from one side of the yard or park to the other, following each other.  I live near Sacramento, CA.

1. Tufted Titmouse—small, has tuft on top of its head Mourning Dove—small head relative to body 2. Downy Woodpecker—black stripes on head, black wings with white stripes; red spot/line on back of head; white belly Northern Flicker—black stripe on cheek, black half moon on chest, black dots on chest, small black lines on back/wings; red line across back of neck/head; whitish/brownish chest Pileated Woodpecker—black wings, chest, tail; black and white stripes on face; top of head entirely red 3. Carolina Chickadee—flies to feeder, picks up one seed, takes it to tree and eats it, returns to feeder Mourning Dove—searches ground underneath feeder for dropped seeds American Goldfinch—hangs upright or sideways on thistle seed feeder 4. Eastern Bluebird

• Blue head, wings, tail; reddish brown chest, white belly
• Size is slightly larger than a sparrow; full, rounded belly
• Not aggressive; politely waits for its turn at the feeder. Can be chased away by more aggressive birds.

#1 - Northern Cardinal and Black-capped Chickadee #2 - 3 birds with similar colour (black/white) but in different body areas - Black-capped Chickadee, White breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker #3 - Chickadees flit rapidly on and off feeder and chase each other off. Nuthatch moves quickly down tree trunk, head first and is head-down on the feeder. Woodpecker settles on suet block for 5 minutes or so at a time and feeds from multiple angles #4 - White breasted nuthatch - size and shape similar to chickadee, no black throat or eyestripe, head down on tree trunk or feeder

Activity 1:

• Cardinal - has crest, long tail, large thick bill
• Carolina Wren - small, round, stout, thin curved bill, long tail that is often pointing up

Activity 2:

• Downy Woodpecker - small red spot on back of head, white stripe down back, black wings with white spots, black and white stripes on face, white belly
• Red Headed Woodpecker - completely red head white belly, white and black patched wings and back
• Red Bellied Woodpecker - black and white striped back and wings, red neck stripe continues over head, white belly except for small slight red patch

Activity 3:

• White throated sparrow -  scratching ground for food
• Northern flicker - probing ground with bill
• Eastern Phoebe - sallying for insects from perch

Activity 4: White Breasted Nuthatch:

• Small bird, white breast, black capped, gray back/wings with black tips/highlights
• Moves along trunk and branches of tree probing bark for food
• Makes a squeaking almost honking type call; sounds kind of like a squeaker toy

Activity 1:

• Canada Goose
• Blue Heron

Activity 2:

• Mallard
• Bufflehead
• Northern Shoveler

Activity 3:

• American Crow: used their beaks to push away detritus
• Mallard: dipped heads under water and tail feathers in the air
• Bald Eagle: perched in tree with bare branches over water

Activity 4:

• Bufflehead: pair swimming together in a still stream in a wetland, black & white, smaller than a Mallard

1. Using the Cornell bird cam, I saw some Goldfinches identified by their bright yellow bodies, black wings with white stripes, and short necks and bills. I also saw a hairy woodpecker, with its much longer body, very long bill, red spot on its crown, and distinctive black and white stripes on the face. 2.  Red: California towhee - has a splash of rust red on its rump, housefinch - has brighter red on head and breast, red-winged blackbird- bright red stripe on wings 3. skipping for now as it's dark out 4. Favorite bird - the Oak Titmouse.  In the smallest size category. Grey almost all over. Has a very short bill and distinctive crest. Tends to dwell in oak woodlands. Short, raspy call.

• Activity 1: Blue Jay vs. Downy Woodpecker- the Woodpecker is much smaller in size, the Blue Jay has a crest and much larger beak and legs.
• Activity 2: Colors (black, grey, brown)1. Chickadee- black capped with white cheeks, black throat, brown belly, short stubby bill, large head 2. Red-breasted nuthatch- black head with white stripe above eye, white throat, brown/orange chest and belly 3. White-breasted nuthatch- White face black cap, blue-grey wings and back. Small spot of brown/orange on belly and undertail.
• Activity 3:1. Downy Woodpecker- Went to trees and suet cakes, flew back to tree, scaled and came back. They have interrupted flight with gliding. 2.  Male Northern Cardinal- Goes to the feeder for seeds or will go to the ground and will peck. Will stay on the branches near the feeder and will look for the opportunity to get on. 3. Junco – Generally come in groups. Some will be on the ground and others will go to the feeder.  They scratch with both feet but I have also seen them just peck a the ground. Will be very territorial on the feeder and chase other birds, including their own flock off.
• Activity 4: One of my favorites is a black-capped chickadee.- Size: larger than a finch, smaller than a robin - Shape: round body and head, short neck, very small beak - Color: black head with white cheeks and back of neck, brown chest and belly, grey and white back and wings - Habitat: northern united states, southern part of Canada through Alaska - Sounds: “chick a dee-dee-dee-dee” very high pitch squeaky voice, raspy at the end

• Activity 1:
  • Bluejay - Summer Tanager
• Activity 2:
  • House Finch - Northern Cardinal
  • Chickadee - Black and White Warbler
  • Pine Warbler - Goldfinch
• Activity 3:
  • Pine Warbler hopping from tree branch to tree branch
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker hopping from tree branch to tree branch
  • Bluejay took the easy way to find food by gathering nuts from the bird feeder
• Activity 4:
  • Belted Kingfisher
    • Habitat
    • Sound
    • Color pattern and markings

Activity 2: An Anhinga, a Neotropic Cormorant and a Double Crested Cormorant are all birds that have black, white and yellow. The neotropic cormorant is the smallest of the three. The neotropic and double crested cormorants both have hooked beaks and can be told apart by the size and also the details of the orange-yellow skin around the bill and chin. The double crested cormorant has some orange-yellow skin in front of the eye and above the upper bill that is prominent and mush easier to notice than the very small amount that the neotropic cormorant has. The neotropic cormorant has a thin white line around the orange-yellow skin around the chin that looks like a forward titled V. The double crested cormorant does not have this thin line of white feathers. Both the neotropic and the double crested cormorant have blueish eyes during the breeding season, both birds are low diving fish hunters. The Anhinga has a lot more white on the wings and a straight bill that it uses to skewer prey. It hunts by staying submerged in water with the neck out of the water. All of these birds stand with their wings spread out to dry after a dive in the water. Neotropic Cormorant.

Enjoyed watching the Ontario bird cam! So I'm a very new inexperienced birder....but I think this is a male pine grosbeak...?

It seemed bigger when I saw it close, but seemed to have a short bill, so I I.D.'d as a Downy. But, could it be a female Hairy?

Activity 4: Pick your favorite bird, and see if you can describe it using at least three of the bird ID strategies (size and shape, color pattern and markings, behavior, habitat and range, and sounds). Share your description in the discussion.   Thraupis episcopus (Blue gray Tanager), medium size range, blue grayish feathers on its wings, black eyes,  gray bill, undertail coverts are light gray

Activity 2: Look for three different birds that have the same color (e.g., black, white, or red), but on different parts of their bodies. Try to identify them using Merlin or a field guide. Share your findings in the discussion.     Birds with black color on different parts of their bodies. Using Merlin app, the IDs could be: Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) , Tropical Mocking bird (Mimus gilvus) Great Thrush (Turdus fuscater)

Activity 1: Look for two birds (either outside or on Bird Cams) that you can tell apart just by shape. Try to identify them using Merlin or a field guide. Share your findings in the discussion.   These two hummingbirds, located near Bogota Colombia (Observatorio de Colibríes), have similar colors (olive green, brown) but different shape.  The first one seems smaller, has a shorter bill, rounder belly, and shorter wings, I did my best but could not be sure of the species of each one of them 😅

Activity 1.  The Blue Jay is a large-crested bird with a rounded tail.  The House Wren is a small bird with a flat head, oval body, and short wings. Activity 2.  The White-Breasted Nuthatch has a short tail, bluish-gray back and wings, a black cap, and a white breast.  The Black-Capped Chickadee has a short tail, bluish-gray back and wings, a black cap and chin with white cheeks and breast.  The Red-Breasted Nuthatch has a bluish-gray back and wings, a cinnamon breast with a black stripe through the eyes, and a black crown. Activity 3.  As I observed the birds in my backyard, I noted that Robins do not visit the feeder.  They enjoy searching for earthworms, insects, and berries.  The Mourning Doves search for seeds on the ground.  The House Sparrows search for seeds on the feeder and on the ground. Activity 4.  The American Goldfinch is one of my favorite birds.  The American Goldfinch is a small North American bird in the finch family.  They go through a significant change in plumage as the seasons change.  The adult males in spring and summer are bright yellow with black tails and foreheads, and black wings with white markings.  The females in spring and summer are yellowish-green with brownish-black wings with white markings.  In fall and winter, both males and females are olive-brown with dark brown wings with white markings.   The American Goldfinches love thistle and sunflower seeds.  Goldfinches are found in open areas like yards, weedy fields, and orchards.

Noisy Miner  Manorima melanocephala 24 - 27 Cm. (Australia) -  Activity 1: Medium sized, Pale Greyish face with black crown extending down through eye to link; Distinctive rich yellow beak and legs; Underparts pale grey with darker scallops on breast; Dark  leading edge on wing with brown- reddish steak