As I meet people who read this column, the question I often hear is, “How can I learn to identify birds?”
Let’s take an imaginary walk, and I’ll try to answer that question. We’ll practice bird identification on the common wrens of Thurston County.
But first, some basics: You will need a good bird book and pair of binoculars. It’s not necessary to haul the book along but you might want to do a little advance homework.
A brief reference to your bird book tells us that wrens are small brownish birds with thin bills and upturned tails, and that males and females look alike. It also tells us that the different wren species each have a distinctive song, and that song might help with identification. You’ll also want to bring binoculars, even if you have to borrow them.
The first step in bird identification is actually not the bird — it’s the habitat. Different bird species have different habitat preferences and knowing this helps with identification.
The second step is what the bird looks like. Look for color, size and shape, and also look at the bird’s bill. Seed eating birds have thick, blunt bills; insect catching birds have thin, pointed ones. Finally, and perhaps most important: What is it doing?
A third identification feature is what the bird sounds like. In “olden days” this was a challenge because we used words to describe sounds, and different people might describe the same song very differently.
Now we have the Merlin app on our smartphones to assist with sound identification. That’s great! But, as you get better at listening and learning songs, perhaps you will develop your ear well enough that you won’t have to depend on that smartphone every time.
Even moderately experienced birders can identify a new bird by a combination of habitats, physical features, calls and behaviors — the bird’s overall pattern. I will illustrate using this approach in the wren accounts that follow.
It's early morning and we’re at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. We start going east from the parking lot, following the trail leading toward the Nisqually River.
Soon we’re walking through woodlands of huge cottonwoods and alders, with some undergrowth and a few conifers. Almost immediately we hear a really cool song, a long series of tumbling, staccato notes lasting maybe 10 seconds, and the song is coming from somewhere near the ground.
A Pacific wren.
Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT News
It hops up on a log and we see it’s a Pacific wren, a very small, plump brown bird with an upturned tail. We identify it by its location (woodland and near the ground), song, and appearance. There likely will be other Pacific wrens nearby, and they tell of their presence with a “tic tic” locator note.
As we continue, we come to a different habitat, a thick growth small trees on the edge of an open area. There are raspy, fussy scolding notes from deep inside the tangle.
A Bewick's wren.
Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT News
“Pishing” sometimes brings a curious bird out to take a look, and it works this time. This bird also has an upturned tail and a thin bill (hey, we didn’t even take note of the bill for that last wren species). This is a very active bird and it’s not staying close to the ground. It is uniformly light brown and it has a bold and obvious white stripe over its eye. It’s a Bewick’s wren.
This wren is much larger than the Pacific wren, nearly sparrow-sized, and it prefers a variety of edge habitats. It’s not shy and to check on us. This species will nest near humans. It nests in cavities, and many years I have a pair nesting in a birdbox near my house.
Now we leave the wooded area and walk toward a different habitat type. Along this gravel dike trail there are wetlands and ponds on both sides, and occasional patches of cattail marsh habitat.
Soon we’re hearing a different wren-like song; it also has fussy, burry trill, but it’s "different." This song goes on and on, 20 seconds or more, but we can’t seem to locate the singer — he’s singing from a hidden location in the reeds.
A marsh wren.
Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT News
Eventually, with patience and good luck, we catch sight of this male marsh wren — that small thin bill and upturned tail gives it away. He is rusty brown with a light belly and his back is black with white flecks, but before we get a long look he hiding again. If we get to the marshy cattail habitat early enough, we likely will hear numerous marsh wren males singing their characteristic song.
These are a year-round common birds on the refuge, but not easily spotted because of their retiring nature. Sometimes in winter you can find the remains of the “cavity” the male creates for nesting, a 7-inch-tall woven construction of reeds and grasses with a small round opening. Males create these structures to attract females and may build several, hoping to attract multiple breeding partners.
On our quick imaginary walk we have visited different habitat types and been able to identify three of our resident wren species using the combination of habitat, appearance, sound and general behavior. Give this approach a try on your next walk. You’ll be surprised at how good you will become at identifying our avian neighbors.
A mountain bluebird.
Liam Hutcheson | For The JOLT News
Recently a flock of six or more mountain bluebirds has been seen at the Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve west of Littlerock. It’s worth a trip and you might see early season wildflowers as well. These birds hunt insects from perches in open areas. Males are a beautiful sky blue and females are dull gray with some light blue coloration. Western bluebirds might be there also; those males have an orangish breast and are darker blue.
George Walter is environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department; he also has a 45+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com
Photos for this column are provided by Liam Hutcheson, a 17-year-old Olympia area birder and avid photographer.
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