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– Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Sub-Saharan Africa

– Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Sub-Saharan Africa. Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa – Training Course –. 2015.

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– Module 2 – How to describe a bird accurately Sub-Saharan Africa

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  1. – Module 2 – How to describe a bird accuratelySub-Saharan Africa Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa – Training Course – 2015

  2. This training course is one of the tools of : Hecker N., 2015. Identifying and Counting Waterbirds in Africa: A toolkit for trainers - Sub-Saharan Africa. ONCFS, Hirundo-FT2E. France Designed and written by Nathalie Heckernat.hecker@yahoo.fr Photographs Steve Garviewww.pbase.com/rainbirder Ian N. White www.flickr.com/photos/ian_white Derek Keats www.flickr.com/photos/dkeats Illustrations Cyril Girard girardcyril3335@neuf.fr, www.cyrilgirard.fr Translation Rachel Wakehammoosekeeper77@hotmail.com Richard Lansdownrlansdown@ardeola.demon.co.uk

  3. Presenting the Module • Technical explanations Indoor exercises

  4. 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.

  5. 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 • before the bird flies away • before looking at the field guide

  6. Shape Size • Compare size to that of a well-known bird • for example: “bigger than a turtle-dove but smaller than a whistling duck”

  7. 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.

  8. Shape Neck length • short: plovers • medium: ducks • long: Tringa sandpipers, herons, storks position in flight • extended: storks, Anatidae, flamingos • retracted: herons, pelicans

  9. Shape Shape of the bill • pointed and dagger-shaped for fish-eatingbirds: herons, kingfishers • flat: ducks, spoonbills • slender and long: birdsthatfeed over mud: waders - straight: snipes - downcurved : curlews - upturned: avocet • short: plovers, gulls, crakes

  10. Shape Length of the bill • Short or long • Compare with length of the head seen from the side Bill > head Bill = head Bill < head

  11. Shape • Toes … if they are visible • webbed: ducks, geese ... • not webbed: waders ... • very long: jacanas…

  12. 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. Not extending beyond the tail Legs in flight Extending beyond the tail tibia tarsus clearly visible Tibias hardly visible

  13. Shape Wings in flight length • long • short shape • broad: storks, herons, pelicans… • pointed: terns, Tringa sandpipers ... • rounded : rails...

  14. Shape • Tail • length • long: African Darter • short : teal, Little Grebe • shape • rounded: Common Snipe • forked, v-shaped: pratincoles, terns • pointed: Jack Snipe, Collared Pratincole

  15. Shape

  16. Shape

  17. Shape

  18. Shape

  19. Shape

  20. Shape

  21. Shape

  22. Shape

  23. Shape

  24. Shape

  25. Shape

  26. Shape

  27. Shape

  28. Shape

  29. Shape

  30. Bird topography crown back eyering face tibia wattle tarsus supercilium cheek scapulars rump breast flank

  31. Bird topography upper mandible lower mandible throat collar undertail coverts coverts wing bar primaries speculum secondaries

  32. Colour and contrast • Different shades of the same colour: • light grey ... dark grey speckled grey ... stripy grey

  33. Colour and contrast • Shades of mixed colours: • … grey-green … grey-brown … reddish-brown …

  34. Colour and contrast • Vague terms • whitish ... reddish ... greenish

  35. Colour and contrast • Colours will look different in different lights

  36. 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

  37. 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.

  38. Colour and contrast • Describe the plumage, legs and bill

  39. Colour and contrast • Describe the plumage, legs and bill

  40. Colour and contrast Describe the plumage, legs and bill

  41. Colour and contrast Describe the plumage, legs and bill

  42. Colour and contrast • Describe the plumage, legs and bill

  43. Colour and contrast • Describe the plumage, legs and bill

  44. Colour and contrast • Describe the plumage, legs and bill

  45. Colour and contrast • Describe the plumage, legs and bill

  46. Colour and contrast • Describe the plumage, legs and bill

  47. Colour and contrast • Describe the plumage, legs and bill

  48. Colour and contrast • Describe the plumage, legs and bill

  49. Colour and contrast • Describe the plumage, legs and bill

  50. Colour and contrast • Describe the plumage, legs and bill

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