– Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Sub-Saharan Africa Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa – Training Course –

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately 2 This training course is one of the tools of : Hecker N., Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa: A toolkit for trainers - Sub-Saharan Africa. ONCFS, Hirundo-FT2E. France Designed and written by Nathalie Hecker Photographs Steve Garvie Ian N. White Derek Keats Illustrations Cyril Girard Translation Rachel Wakeham Richard Lansdown

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Presenting the Module Technical explanations Indoor exercises 3

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately How to describe a bird accurately Objectives of the module At the end of this module you will be able to: name the different parts of a bird’s body; describe the shape of a bird; describe a bird’s plumage; describe a bird’s behaviour. 4

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately How to describe a bird accurately Approach Identifying a species = rigorous description Note all key elements needed for a description Describe the bird objectively Write down the description o before the bird flies away o before looking at the field guide 5

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Size Compare size to that of a well-known bird for example: “bigger than a turtle-dove but smaller than a whistling duck” 6

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Silhouette often characteristic of a family or genus Round: plovers Elongated or slim: stilt, Tringa sandpiper, egret Hunched or stocky: Squacco Heron at rest Remember that general shape can change with the bird’s posture. 7

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Neck length short: plovers medium: ducks long: Tringa sandpipers, herons, storks position in flight extended: storks, Anatidae, flamingos retracted: herons, pelicans 8

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Shape of the bill pointed and dagger-shaped for fish- eating birds: herons, kingfishers flat: ducks, spoonbills slender and long: birds that feed over mud: waders - straight: snipes - downcurved : curlews - upturned: avocet short: plovers, gulls, crakes 9

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Length of the bill Short or long Compare with length of the head seen from the side Bill > headBill = headBill < head 10

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Toes … if they are visible webbed: ducks, geese... not webbed: waders very long: jacanas…

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Legs long: extending beyond the tail when in flight, or clearly visible tibia when on the ground: large wading birds, Tringa sandpipers, Godwits, etc short : do not extend beyond the tail when in flight, or the tibia is hardly visible when on the ground: Anatidae, cormorants, grebes, Calidris sandpipers, etc. 12 Extending beyond the tail Not extending beyond the tail clearly visible Tibias hardly visible Legs in flight tibia tarsus

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Wings in flight length long short shape broad: storks, herons, pelicans… pointed: terns, Tringa sandpipers... rounded : rails... 13

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape Tail length long: African Darter short : teal, Little Grebe shape rounded: Common Snipe forked, v-shaped: pratincoles, terns pointed: Jack Snipe, Collared Pratincole 14

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape On the ground, walking On the ground, restingIn flight Sizemedium medium, but smaller than when walking medium Silhouetteslendersquat NeckLong, sinuous, thinnot visible “head in its shoulders”very thick, retracted Billmedium length (= width of head) dagger-shapeddifficult to see Legslong (clearly visible tibias)short to medium (tibias not visible)extending beyond the tail Wingsnot visiblebroad, rounded tips Tailshort 15

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 16

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 17

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 18

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 19

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 20

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 21

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 22

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 23

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 24

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 25

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 26

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 27

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 28

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Shape 29

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Bird topography 30 crown eyering wattle supercilium cheek breast flank scapulars rump face tibia tarsus back

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Bird topography 31 upper mandible lower mandible collar undertail coverts throat speculum wing bar coverts primaries secondaries

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Different shades of the same colour: light grey... dark grey 32 speckled grey... stripy grey

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Shades of mixed colours: … grey-green … grey-brown … reddish-brown … 33

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Vague terms whitish... reddish... greenish 34

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Colours will look different in different lights 35

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast How colour and size are perceived varies with the background against which they are seen Birds can seem smaller than they really are against a light background 36

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast To make a good description it is important to describe plumage: patterns, colours and contrasts of each part colour of the legs colour of the bill colour of the bare skin and wattle for some species, etc. 37

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Describe the plumage, legs and bill 38

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 39 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 40 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 41 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Describe the plumage, legs and bill 42

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast Describe the plumage, legs and bill 43

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 44 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 45 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 46 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 47 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 48 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 49 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 50 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 51 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 52 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Colour and contrast 53 Describe the plumage, legs and bill

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Behaviour, disposition, habitat A description should also include : Behaviour: sleeping, feeding, flying, perched, etc. Disposition: alone, in a pair, in a group, etc. Habitat: on water, in a forest, in bushes, etc. 54

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Behaviour Behaviour on the ground walking: cranes, storks, herons, etc. hopping: raptors on the ground running: thick-knees, plovers, etc. standing still: heron watching prey constantly moving: Sanderling Behaviour on water dives underwater: grebes, diving ducks dives partially: surface-feeding ducks 55

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Behaviour Flight behaviour Type of flight flapping: waders, ducks soaring: storks direct, without sharp changes in direction: ducks zigzag: Common Snipe hovering (followed by a dive): terns, Osprey, kingfishers Type of wingbeats rapid or slow regular or irregular 56

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Calls and song Why do we need to recognise bird calls? To detect species which are rarely seen or isolated or nocturnal To detect a species a long way away To tell two similar species apart A useful link: 57

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Dispersion & habitat On a wetland … Dispersion solitary: some herons such as Black-headed Heron in small or large flocks Habitat open water: ducks and grebes shoreline vegetation: herons floating vegetation: jacanas mudflats: waders 58

Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately 59 Thank you for your attention!