Some Thoughts on Bird ID

There are a variety of Facebook pages with countless posts asking the question “What is this bird?” with an accompanying picture that ranges in quality from a close up, crystal clear image to a distant, completely out of focus image. This seems like a totally innocuous question, but it can stir up a bit of controversy.

For some reason, we feel that if we know the name of something, we then really KNOW it. This of course is a complete fallacy, but is the impetus behind the question. As an example, if you show me a picture of a Brown-headed Cowbird, I can certainly provide you with a name. But you will not learn about the most intriguing aspect of this species. Brown-headed Cowbirds are brood parasites. They build no nests of their own, but lay eggs in the nests of other species, letting those birds act as foster parents to the Cowbird hatchlings.

The controversial issue surrounding a “What is this bird?” post is that experienced birders will help answer the question, but usually won’t answer it directly. They will provide clues, such as, “look at the white eye-ring and pink bill” or “what color are its legs?” This frustrates the person posing the question because they just want the ID. The experienced birder is trying to provide some education so that it is possible for the person to ID the bird in the future. Many experienced birders (myself included) began birding well before the internet existed and they had no other option but to spend time pouring through field guides and comparing “field marks” to identify a bird. This was time consuming and hard work. But they learned how to ID birds. They are trying to share their knowledge. So if someone asks the “What is this bird?” question, without making any effort to ID on their own first, they will likely get a little perturbed. However, if instead of asking “What is this bird?” you say, “I’m thinking this might be a Field Sparrow because of the color of the bill, but I’m not sure. Any thoughts or guidance would be appreciated.” you will likely receive a more timely and helpful response.”

And here is a mind blowing concept for some people, sometimes it is not possible to identify a bird. Things that make for difficult ID’s; bad lighting, objects such as twigs and leaves blocking key field marks or the bird is part of family of birds that can only be separated to species by song.

The key here is make an attempt at identifying the bird. You will learn in the process and more experienced birders are more likely to provide assistance. And the most important thing to remember is this, every birder has mis-identified birds at some point. I remember posting a photograph to a birding web site of an “American Golden Plover.” I was very proud of this picture, but the problem - it was a Black-bellied Plover. Several people gently pointed out the error. After getting over my embarrassment, I actually learned the difference between the two species and during a recent birding excursion I was able to confidently identify a Black-bellied Plover for some other birders.

Here is my "American Golden Plover" photo. Even with this poor quality photo

one can see the field marks that make it a Black-bellied Plover. Oops.

If you want to learn how to ID birds, get out in the field with some experienced birders. When they identify a bird, ask them what led them to that conclusion. You will usually get a detailed and well thought out response.

Keep in mind that no matter your experience level, you will occasionally mis-identify a bird in the field. This happens in the heat of the moment, often at your first, very quick glimpse of a bird and your immediate impression is wrong because you didn’t have enough information to identify the bird initially. It happens. Don’t let that bother you.

And if I see you post a “What is this bird?” query, I will do my best not to be rude. I will simply say, “It is not a Lilac-breasted Roller.”

My Patch

The Joys of Kingston Lake

There is nothing extraordinary about Kingston Lake Park in Johnson County, Kansas. Yes, it is an eBird hotspot, but species diversity is low, only 80 species have been recorded there. It is nothing more than a suburban backyard with a lake in the middle.  A handful of bald cypress can be found along the shore and there is a conglomeration of trees and shrubs on the fence line at the eastern edge. There are two benches, a small shelter, a playground area and several randomly placed picnic tables. There are no restrooms and U.S. Highway 69 runs along its eastern border. However, it is a mile from my house and I have submitted 62 checklists for Kingston Lake so far this year. It is one of my favorite birding locations. A species list can be found here.

What's the attraction?

If Kingston Lake is famous for anything, it would be ducks. Not large rafts of ducks, but handfuls of a variety of ducks that are approachable and can be studied without needing a spotting scope. And very often they will come close to shore which is something appreciated by local photographers. And should the lake freeze, there is usually an open patch of water directly in front of the western fishing dock where the ducks will congregate. The birds are frequently close enough that you can actually see the "ring" on the Ring-necked Ducks.

The subtle beauty of a Gadwall

Kingston Lake Park, Johnson County, Kansas

January 24, 2014

Another advantage of having a small group of approachable ducks is that it provides the opportunity to study the females. I have spent a great deal of time sitting on the bench at the south end of the lake looking at female widgeons, scaup, pintails, and ring-necked ducks. It has been very helpful.

What else?

While it may sound counter-intuitive, the lack of species diversity is another attraction. Right now, the ducks are gone and it is time to focus on migrants and summer residents. With only a handful of species there at a time, there are no distractions. I'm not jumping from one species to the next to build up a big list. I can focus on what is there. And there are few if any Tufted Titmice drowning out the calls of other birds. Recently, the trees were filled with Yellow-rumped Warblers. I could calmly watch them, but more importantly I could listen to them. I'm a nearly 60 year old man who was too fond of fireworks and rock music in his youth. Being able to listen to their quiet and high-pitched song was wonderful. I have had the opportunity to listen to (and observe) Chipping Sparrows as well. If you are at Kingston Lake at the right time of year, you can watch a variety of swallows cruising and swooping, which is not only enjoyable, but they fly close enough for you to see field marks and study tail shapes. But the real attraction is the same as with all birding efforts, you never know what you are going to see.

Courtship display of a Common Goldeneye

Kingston Lake, Park, Johnson County, KS

March 7, 2014

Patch birding

My trips to Kingston Lake started with my frustration at not being able to get out to bird on a regular basis. Since it is so close to my house I figured I could stop there to or from work, the grocery store, etc. I figured birding there was better than not birding at all. It has since become my local "patch." I'm  there from 5-7 times a week, with visits ranging from fifteen minutes to an hour. I pay close attention to new arrivals and recent departures. I have begun to notice other critters such as a muskrat chowing down right next the concrete sidewalk and the host of sunning turtles that show up out of nowhere when the weather is right. I'm hoping to learn to identify some of the trees and shrubs before the summer is over. Do you have a favorite "patch" to bird? It doesn't have to be a famous hotspot, it can simply be a place you find yourself visiting on a regular basis. It can be fun, although I have offended a few people by saying out loud, "What are you doing here?" when I spot an unexpected species. If you are not familiar with "patch" birding, you can learn more here.

Birds and Beyond: The Prints of Maurice R. Bebb

This fall approximately 80 works from our collection will be on loan to the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery in Lindsborg, Kansas for a retrospective exhibition of Oklahoma artist Maurice R. Bebb (1891-1986). The exhibition will run from August 6 - October 23, 2016.

Known primarily for his color prints of the birds he found in Oklahoma and Minnesota, his works also included landscapes, flowers and architectural subjects. His extended trips to Europe in 1956 and 1958 led to the creation of some of his finest works.

Blackburnian Warbler, 1954

4 plate color aquatint and softground etching

His background is rather unique. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1913 with a BS in Floriculture. After graduation, he moved back to Muskogee, OK to work in his father's flower shop. While he experimented with printmaking in the 1930's and 1940's, he didn't become a full time printmaker until he retired in 1951. He created more than 220 prints in his career and created gift prints for The Chicago Society of Etchers, The Print Makers Society of California and The Prairie Print Makers.

Village Street, Carennac, 1963

2 plate color aqautint and softground etching

In conjunction with the exhibition, I co-authored a catalog raissoné of Maurice Bebb's works. This book is currently available for pre-sale on Amazon.

The Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery is located at 401 North First Street, in Lindsborg, KS on the campus of Bethany College. For additional information you can contact the gallery at (785)227-2220 or fineart@sandzen.org.

  White-throated Sparrow, 1957

4 plate color aquatint and softground etching

Notes From a Lower Rio Grande Birding Trip

I just got back from a birding trip to the Lower Rio Grande Valley with fellow Kansans, Rodney Wright and Robert Trenton Reed. Our Facebook posts generated numerous inquiries about our itinerary and I thought making it into a blog post might be the best resource for other birders.

Note/Disclaimer: This itinerary was created with the following thoughts in mind:

• Find Lodging in a LRGV city as close to Kansas City as possible - minimizing the drive to/from the area. Harlingen seemed to fit the bill, so that was our "base camp."
• We only had three full days to bird, so the sites visited had to be within one hour of Harlingen, to maximize birding time.
• The number of "hotspots" in the area is mind numbing, but since we had limited time, we had to narrow our choices. The spots picked were based on eBird records, information provided on the Rio Grande Valley Birding Facebook page, posts to the "texbirds" listserv and "A Birder's Guide to the Lower Rio Grande Valley" by Mark W. Lockwood et al. A list of resources will be provided at the end of this post.

Day 1 - Sunrise at the South Padre Island Convention Center

The Convention Center is a great spot for shore birds and in the spring provides wonderful views of  migrating songbirds. This spot provided the greatest diversity of the trip. Highlights include, Black-throated Green, Parula, Nashville, Tennessee and Black-and-White Warblers within arms reach. The flats behind the CC provided Sandwich, Caspian and Royal Terns, Reddish Egrets, Black Skimmers and Tri-colored Herons - among others. The boardwalk provided great views of Clapper Rails - with one walking directly beneath us!

Valley Land Fund Migratory Bird Sanctuary - This area consists of six wooded lots that have been improved for migratory songbirds. Located south of the Convention Center on W. Sheepshead, it is easy to find because of the cars lining the streets. We found Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, Parula, Worm-eating, and Black-and-White Warblers here, along with Northern Waterthrush, Blue Grosbeak, Gray Catbird and Long-billed Thrasher.
 
Sabal Palm Audubon Sanctuary - late morning to mid afternoon. This provided us the first opportunity to view Lower Rio Grande Specialties - Olive Sparrow, Green Jay, Plain Chachalaca, Green Kingfisher, Great Kiskadee, Bronze Cowbird and Buff Bellied Hummingbird.
  
Harlingen Arroyo Colorado Birding Center / Hugh Ramsey Nature Park - This area was located fairly close to our hotel in Harlingen and seemed like a nice way to end the day. Not particularly birdy, but we had Olive Sparrows, Lesser Goldfinch, Green Kingfisher and Brown-crested Flycatchers here.

Click on Image for Larger View

Day 2 - Sunrise at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge 

We went here with great expectations and the vast amount of birds calling in the parking lot really raised our expectations. It was cool and foggy most of the time we were here. We had Swainson's, Broad Winged and Harris's Hawks here, and a kettle of 60+ Mississippi Kites flying directly above us while standing on the observation tower. This was the least productive spot on the trip.

Estero Llano Grande State Park - We were told that this was a "don't miss" spot and it certainly did not disappoint. Common Pauraque, Clay-colored Thrush, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Cinnamon Teal, Fulvous Whistling Duck, Long-billed Dowitcher, Black-necked Stilt, Purple Martin and Green Kingfisher were some of the highlights. Red-crowned Parrots were nesting here, but we did not see them.

Frontera Audobon - Less than ten minutes from Estero Llano, we headed here in hopes of seeing the Blue Bunting and Crimson-collared Grosbeak that had been seen there during the week. While we dipped on those two birds we had great views of a Clay-colored Thrush singing directly above our heads. Other birds of note include Worm-eating and Nashville Warblers and a Blue-headed Vireo.

Joe & Tony Oliveira Park - 104 El Paso Rd, Brownsville, Texas, 78520 – this was a wonderful spot to view a large number of parrots coming into roost for the night. Arrive about an hour before sunset – and wait. Eventually you will see (and hear) parrots coming into roost. Watch them closely to determine what tree(s) they have selected for the night. You may have to do a little walking to make this determination. We were able to see Red-crowned, Red-lored, White-fronted, and Golden Crowned Parrots, and several Green Parakeets (only the Red-crowned Parrots and Green Parakeets have established breeding populations and are therefore the only ones “countable” – at this time). A big "Thank You" to Gavin Bieber of WINGS who helped us track down and identify the parrots.

Altamira Oriole, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

April 16, 2016

Day 3 - Sunrise - Drive to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

During the drive to Laguna Atascosa NWR we heard Botteri's Sparrow and saw Crested Caracara, Swainson's Hawk and Aplomado Falcon. One of the best spots at the refuge were the Potato Trees growing behind the visitor center. A large variety of birds were feeding on the fruits. We saw Orchard, Altimira and Baltimore Orioles, Pyrrhuloxia, Golden-front Woodpecker, Painted-Bunting, Indigo Bunting, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Long-billed Thrasher and an ABA Code 4 Crimson-collard Grosbeak. Osprey Overlook provided us with "up close and personal" views of a perched Green Kingfisher.

Return to Sabal Palm Audubon Sanctuary - We had nothing planned for the afternoon of our last day - leaving it open to chase birds we might have missed. One bird we were hoping to see was the Ringed Kingfisher - which is substantially larger than the Belted Kingfishers we see in Kansas. We headed back to Sabal Palm and headed to a blind, where we watched and waited for 45 minutes. And then we heard the distinctive call of the bird in question. We hoped for a good view as it flew by the blind, but instead the bird decided to perch in a snag directly in front of the blind - where he stayed for a full 15 minutes. Stunning. A great way to end the trip.

Ringed Kinfisher - Sabal Palm Audubon Sanctuary

April 16, 2016

Resources

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has created the Great Texas Wildlife Trails and the one for the Lower Texas Coast - Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail is very helpful and can be found here - Lower Texas Coast Birding Trail

“ABirder’s Guide to the Rio Grande Valley” by Mark W. Lockwood, William B.McKinney, James N. Patton and Barry R. Zimmer

You can sign up for the TEXBIRDS listserv here - TEXBIRDS

RioGrande Valley Birding Facebook Page  

Lower Rio Grande Valley Birding Hotline 

LagunaAtascosa National Wildlife Refuge Bird List  

SantaAna National Wildlife Refuge Bird List  

Bird Guides – in many of the locations listed on this post, you will notice guides leading groups of birders. You will likely overhear some great information from these guides. We were very lucky in that all of the guides we met were very happy to share ideas and suggestions on different birding locations. But be careful, do not intrude on the “tour” the guides are providing. Many of their clients paid a great deal of money to participate in the tour and may not be happy if the attention of the guide is diverted by some overzealous “free loaders.”

Yes, this really happened!

But They're Just Birds!?!

While I was visiting a friend in Florida, I mentioned that I had to get up early so I could go birding (potential warbler fallout at Ft. DeSoto). His significant other blurted out, "Why go to all the trouble, they're just birds?" I was speechless. I'm never speechless. Really. My brain simply could not process this statement, "...but they're just birds." I have seen an American Dipper in Oregon, a Cactus Wren in Arizona, a Vermillion Flycatcher in Texas, an Ivory Gull in Illinois (yes, Illinois), a Lesser Prairie Chickens in Kansas, and a Key West Quail Dove in Florida. All of these birds are beautiful, amazing and interesting. They are so far beyond "just birds."

Alight. If you have only been exposed to European Starlings, House Sparrows and Rock Pigeons, you might think "they're just birds." But if you really take the time to look, even these birds can be intriguing. Starlings are great mimics and their vocalizations can be quite varied. Mozart kept one as a pet for three years. And a murmuration of starlings can be quite mesmerizing, as can be seen here:

House Sparrows have their own interesting aspects as well. The British Trust for Ornithology page, "Whose the Daddy?" states; "Research shows that female House Sparrows can be attracted to several males in a neighbourhood, with 20% of nests containing one or more chicks that are unrelated to provisioning male."

The Rock Pigeon has amazing plumage variations which have led to research into the genetics behind the variation. This photo is from "Birds of a Different Color - Three Major Genes Set Feather Hue in Pigeons."

So, one is actually hard pressed to call even our most common birds "just birds." (Note: Yes, I am aware that these three species are widespread and are not protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The aggressive nature of Starlings and House Sparrows in particular make them successful competitors with our native species. But their behavior -including the reasons behind their success, make them interesting birds.)

In addition to the birds that I mentioned above, the list of intriguing birds and their behavior is long and varied - Sage Grouse displaying on a lek, Reddish Egrets "dancing," mating behavior of Western Grebes, huge flocks of migrating Sandhill Cranes and "booming" of Common Nighthawks are just some of the things that "quicken the pulse" of birders across the country.

And if you go outside the borders of the United States, the "wowness" factor can increase significantly. Perhaps the kings of beauty and intrigue are the Birds-of-Paradise. Not only are these birds beautiful, but their courtship dances are complex and approach the level of bizarre. To see these birds in action visit the "Birds-of-Paradise Project."

Wilson's Bird of Paradise*

As I write this, I'm still flabbergasted. How could anyone describe the enormous variety of birds as "just birds?" Have they ever been outside? Watched a nature special on television? Opened their eyes?  Are they aware of the millions of people that describe birdwatching their primary hobby? 

I think all birders have a responsibility to introduce people to birds. This doesn't mean they should be converted to avid birders, but they should be made more aware of the world around them. No one should ever go through life thinking of them as "just birds."

*"Wilson's Bird of Paradise" by Doug Janson - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wilson%27s_Bird_of_Paradise.jpg#/media/File:Wilson%27s_Bird_of_Paradise.jpg

Some Thoughts on Trip Planning

I recently took a trip to Florida, to reconnect with old friends, watch our daughter compete in the NAIA National Dance Championship and to do a little birding. I lived in Florida for roughly eight years and did some birding during that time, but all records of my sightings have long since disappeared. Because I had limited time in which to bird, I wanted to maximize my chances of seeing some specific species. I did some significant planning for the trip and based on conversations I have had with several birders it seemed it might be worth sharing my experiences. There are certainly other options but this is what worked for me. I was able to see 116 species during my trip, 30 of them were lifers. The numbers would have been much lower without prior planning.

Select Some Target Species

According to eBird, a total of 569 species have been recorded in Florida. I knew that even some casual birding would allow me to find some interesting birds, but I wanted to focus on birds that normally don't occur in my home state of Kansas (although Wood Stork, Brown Pelican and Roseate Spoonbill were recorded in Kansas in 2014). By selecting specific species, like Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Bachman's Sparrow, Purple Gallinule, Limpkin, American Oystercatcher, Crested Caracara, etc. I was in a better position to plan my route through the state. I could select areas where I was most likely to see these species, I could restrict my research to the habits and habitats of these birds, and I had a more manageable amount of bird calls to learn.

Surf the Internet

Surf the internet using regional search terms - ones I used were things like, "birding Volusia County," "Red-cockaded Woodpecker Florida," "Florida birding," etc.I was able to find blog posts of birders who had recently visited Florida, publications of local Audubon Societies, like  "Greater Daytona Birdwatching Guide," and "Birding Sites in Hernando County," and various species accounts. Keep in mind that many internet posts/sites are not always updated on a regular basis. Any information should be verified.

Use eBird

eBird is an incredibly valuable tool for birders, and is a great resource for trip planning. In fact, I have spoken to birders who claim that they only use eBird to plan a trip. The "Explore Data" option allows you to explore specific regions such as states and counties, "Hotspots" and "Species Maps" which allows you focus on the specific locations (and dates) a target species has been seen. For me, my top target species was Red-cockaded Woodpecker (In my youth, this bird was considered to be on the verge of extinction). eBird allowed me to find areas that the bird had been most recently sighted.

Portion of the Species Map for Red-Cockaded Woodpecker

"Pins" show locations where Red-cockaded Woodpeckers have been seen.

Red "Pins" indicate recent sightings.

While eBird is a great resource, I didn't restrict my planning to this one tool. Not all birders use eBird, it does not provide information on habits and often birders will record sightings for a specific region, such as a wildlife refuge, as opposed to a more specific location within that region. 

Subscribe to Regional Listservs

A 'listserv" is a topic specific email system configured so that when an email is sent to the listserv, all members (subscribers) will receive a copy of the email. People post recent sightings, locations of "zooties" (rare birds), updates on specific areas, discussions on ID's, population trends, notifications of field trips, etc. The American Birding Association keeps a list of U.S. and some foreign listservs here. While there are five listservs for Florida, I subscribed to Birdbrains (for Kansas birders KSBIRDS-L is awesome). This was extremely helpful. I learned about new hotspots, what birds to look for in places I had planned to visit and most importantly it allowed me to connect with local birders. I posted an inquiry asking about birding in Volusia County (where the NAIA Championships were being held). I received numerous, detailed responses - which included directions, best times of days to visit, birds most likely to encounter, etc. The string of communications resulted in an offer to take me around Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge - which I accepted.

Connect with Local Birders

In my experience, birders are some of the most generous, helpful people I have ever encountered and they are more than willing to provide tips and information. Your chances of having a great birding adventure will increase significantly if you connect with local birders. Simply sharing my itinerary and target species list resulted in meeting a couple in Hernando County who have birded there for 29 years, and monitored Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, three days a week for fifteen years! In addition to giving me great views of the RCW's, they knew their life histories, had personal anecdotes - in short it was wonderful. They also asked me what other Florida birds I was hoping to see - and they took me to places where I was likely to see them - without them, finding Bachman's Sparrow, Limpkin, and Burrowing Owl might have proved more challenging. Another Florida birder, who had birded Merritt Island NWR for decades, joined me for a day of birding - showing me his favorite and most productive spots. It was a stellar day. When I asked him why he was willing to spend the day with a complete stranger (who could potentially be mentally unbalanced), he said he felt it was his responsibility to share his knowledge with other birders. In addition to expressing my gratitude to those who helped me, I reward them with bottles of Kansas City Bar-B-Que sauce.

Learn Bird Calls of Target Species

Prior to my trip, I purchased Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Eastern Region. One of the disks in this set contains MP3 files of the bird calls which allowed me to copy specific calls to my iPhone. I had plenty of time to listen to them on my drive to Florida. Because of this I was able to recognize the call of the Bachman's Sparrow the first time I heard it.

Go Old School

In this day and age, people are beginning to rely exclusively on technology. I learned that when birding in remote areas, our technology may not be 100% dependable. I would recommend purchasing a Delorme Atlas for whichever state you are visiting. These Atlases provide detailed maps of many back roads that can help you get out of a jam when your technology lets you down. They can also be used to create personal itineraries in a more "granular" fashion than online mapping tools.

 Gull-billed Tern, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

April 8, 2015

eBird – The Birder’s Swiss Army Knife

When I got back into birding in 2014 after a 20-year hiatus, the first thing that caused some serious head spinning was how technology has impacted the birding world. In my early days of birding a birder would keep track of his sightings by a collection of checklists or by adding notes to his faithful field guide. This image shows some of my early warbler documentation (Mill Grove was John James Audubon's home in Pennsylvania, Hawk Mountain is the famous raptor viewing site, and Hardwood Island is a 200 acre island in Blue Hill Bay, Maine).

A page from "A Field Guide to the Birds: Eastern Land and Water Birds" 

by Roger Tory Peterson, copyright 1947, 40th printing

But now there is an online tool that not only allows you to track your sightings, but it provides tools that allow you to plan your next outing and will notify you of birds missing from your state, county and life lists. eBird from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is described as a set of "Global tools for birders, critical data for science." It is a free tool (although I would encourage everyone to donate so it will never go away) and once you register you can track your sightings on your computer or from your phone via Bird Log North America.

Having an easily accessible database for tracking your bird sightings is spectacular. But eBird does not stop there. You can sign up for "rare bird alerts" that will notify you of sightings of uncommon birds in a specific area, as well as "needs alerts" that will notify you of birds sighted in a specific area that are missing from you own lists.

eBird Subscription forms for "Rare Bird Alerts" 

and "Needs Alerts"

This is a far cry from my early birding days. I remember being in the Everglades when a Key West Quail Dove was sighted. I believe I stumbled across a note on a cork board which said it was found on a certain trail. I hiked that trail and came upon a small cairn. I scanned the woods at that point and sure enough spotted the bird. Now the alerts provide you the opportunity to see exactly where a bird has been seen - including longitude and latitude! In the case of the recent sightings of Key West Quail Dove on Long Key in Florida, I can find the co-ordinates in eBird, plug them into Google Maps on my iPhone and drive to the location - without having to rely on a small pile of rocks.

Which leads to another great feature of eBird, "Trip Planning" - you can peruse sightings by Region, HotSpot or Species and plan your trip accordingly. I am currently planning a trip to Florida and I have utilized eBird to help maximize the possibility of seeing some of my target species such as Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Snail Kite and Short-tailed Hawk.

These are just a few of the tools provided by eBird. If you have used eBird, I would strongly encourage you to give it a try. If you are currently using eBird, I would strongly suggest you make sure you are taking advantage of all it has to offer.