Online bird identification guide and ID query

[Paul_B]

After putting up garden feeders (peanuts, mixes seeds and fat ball for variety) and a fat ball on a suitable ground based site for the Blackbirds and ground feeders we have started to get some birds visiting. This has led to me doubting my ID skills. It doesn't help that I have misplaced my ancient Bird Id book ( a hefty A5 brick of European bird species (might include north american species too I can't recall). Is there a good online ID guide?

Also, what do you do with a bird that can look like another? How to choose which is right? In our garden there looked to be a marsh tit and a willow tit. According to my bird book that I could find (not a great one as it is collins paperback) they look remarkably similar and the habitat for both kind of crosses over and is pretty much all around here anyway. So size, colouring and habitat does not help IDing them. I think Marsh Tit is possibly more likely in a garden but we live in a part of the country that is bucking the diversity trend in that it is one of the richest habitat mix and biodiversity is high. As you would expect from a National Landscape!!!

Another looked like a great tit but with an almost pinkish hue to the underbelly. Seriously the birds visiting me are dressing up in each others feathers as they don't match any of my bird guides!!!! Not fully at least.

So far it is not a spectacular list compared to a few years ago. BLue tit, black bird. wood pidgeon, great tit, willow or marsh tit, surprisingly no sparrows (had loads in the summer without feeding). Past years yellow hammer, gold crest (possibly firecrest), wren, thrushes possibly of two types, Plus a few more forest types you don't usually see in gardens but there are so many woods round here of all kinds there can be a lot more variety in gardens where we are. Just not this year.

Does anyone else notice a smaller range of birds visiting their gardens this winter? Also, they are usually here in the morning and as it is heading to darkness like now at 3pm but not in the middle of the day. Anyone notice that too?

And what on earth does "jizz" mean?? I mean in bird watching terms. I read about a bird having the same jizz as another in one of my bird guides bought about 6 years ago.

 

[Pattree]

Is your pink bluetit a linnet?



I’m not a birder but those who are, use this RSPB. I’m told it’s particularly good for discriminating between LBJ’s - Little brown jobs.

I’ve only taken a quick look. You might need to dig a bit.

 

[Broch]

Experts have difficulty telling a marsh tit from a willow tit and the county recorders won't accept a sighting of Willow tit without expert assessment; they are much more rare than Marsh tits (estimated 3,500 pairs compared with 40,000 pairs). They are most easily distinguished by their call.

Jizz is just a way of describing the 'attitude' of a species - you get to the point where you recognise a species just because of its Jizz (which may be just a fleeting glance) instead of having to see all the characteristics of it. As an example, a sparrow hawk has a distinctive "Jizz" about it that means you recognise it even if it's just a glimpse from the corner of your eye.

Both the BTO and RSPB have reasonable ID sections on their websites.

 

[Pattree]

Jizz is short for “Just is”. No one thing tells you what the bird is. A fleeting glance transmits all sorts of information.

It helps to know what might be around in a particular location and at the current time of year but you need an open mind. You also need quite a lot of experience.

 

[Paul_B]

Is your pink bluetit a linnet?

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I’m not a birder but those who are, use this RSPB. I’m told it’s particularly good for discriminating between LBJ’s - Little brown jobs.

I’ve only taken a quick look. You might need to dig a bit.

When i say a little pink I mean a reall little bit, like it is more a kind of hint of something softer to the brown.

I agree that if there are two similar bird species and you do not know which it is with no differentiation such as size, habitat, habit, etc. Well then you assune it is the more common one. That was why i said it was probable more likely to be the Marsh Tit. Not acgtually a marsh dweller so how did it get the name?

BTW What is the difference between firecrest and gol;dcrest? AIUI most people thin the wren is smallestr UIK bird but IIRC Firecrest is smaller but I don't think there is much in it. The firecrest and goldcrest are reeally nice birds IMHO. What I do not know is the range of the firecrest. Is it still southern England only? The reason I ask is that I have seen a goldcrest like bird with white under a black and darker yellow centre to the crest. AIUI the goldcrest is more yellow on black without the white under the black. I live in south
Cumbria so it is unlikely to see firecrests. I have seen one in my late grandads garden (as well as a Hoopoe which is an uncommon visitor). He lived on the south coast.

 

[Paul_B]

My best few sightings are Hen Harrier in Forest of Bowland hunting. and the other was a marsh harrier near Silverdale area. I wound a mate up about that one. Saw it bottom I drove by. My mate had lived up this way and has spent hours and days tryuing to see one with no luck. He is such a twitcher travelling to see rare sightings if they are in the area. I think I laid it on thick when I said it was an amazing bird that I will never forget seeing. LOL! I loved winding him up!!

There are some good sites for seeing birds round north Lancashire / South Cumbria. Overall a good area to live if you are into nature.

 

[Broch]

There are firecrests recorded in your area but they are still less common than goldcrests. If you get something like the Chirp app you can play bird song, the goldcrests arrive within a minute if they are around because they are so territorial. It is a good way of telling if a species is around but not to be used too often so you don't waste the bird's energy.

 

[Paul_B]

I just read a bird organisation saying firecrest is southern england only but I was sure when I looked a few years back after seeing goldcrest type of birds that were different to each other in the space of a few minutes that there were some up in north lancashire,south cumbria border area. After looking at it online before posting I started to doubt myself. So there are some up here too now??

In my mind the firecrest has a slightly darker yellow or orange top crest and there is a white strip under the crest with black between the yeellwo / orange top and the white to the side and below. Fireecreest seem to be a more interesting mix of markings than the slightly more plain goldcrest.

 

[daveO]

And what on earth does "jizz" mean?? I mean in bird watching terms. I read about a bird having the same jizz as another in one of my bird guides bought about 6 years ago.

Apparently it came from an old military term GISS, General Impression of Size and Shape, used for identifying aircraft. With birds it's a bit more complicated as behaviour counts for a lot. Experienced birders can often ID birds from a distance just based on movement and behaviour. Or sometimes the lack of recognition is what helps you find the rare birds.

 

[Broch]

This is the winter distribution map for Firecrests as published by the British Trust for Ornithology. It's treated as a summer visitor as the numbers go up in summer but it appears to have wider distribution in winter. This map is only up to 2011 and BTO says the species is expanding. The BTO site gives a great deal of detail about most species and there's specifically a section on telling goldcrest and firecrest apart.