1. Size
Make a choice in the size category only if you are absolutely sure which one to make.
Not Selected Smaller than a house sparrow (<6") House sparrow size (6") Cactus wren size (8") Mourning dove size (12") Pigeon size (13") Great-tailed grackle size (17") Raven size (24") Larger than a raven (>24")

2. Bill Color
Not Selected Yellow Beige Black Red Gray Orange

3. Bill Characteristics
Not Selected Straight, average to small Straight, extremely long and thin Extremely heavy, wide and short (conical, parrot-like) Downcurved Large, hooked (raptors, roadrunners) Small, hooked Long, heavy, unhooked Average size, heavy

4. Head Features
Not Selected Crest Stripes on top of head Stripes by eyes or side of head (eyebrows, etc.) Red or reddish crown Yellow head (rest of bird not yellow) Eye ring naked head white, black, or colored facial mask black crown yellow crown plume from forehead

5. Breast/belly Features
Not Selected Streaking Crosswise bars Black or dark patch Spots

6. Throat Color
Not Selected Same as breast/belly Red (if different from breast/belly) Black (if different from breast/belly) White (if different from breast/belly) Yellow (if different from breast/belly) Violet/purple (if different from breast/belly) gray blue Tan or buff

7. Wing Features
Not Selected Prominent white bars Light or dark spots Barring (many, usually white and dark bars) White outer wing feathers or patches Colored spots or patches

8. Feeding Behavior
Not Selected Digs for insects with bill Picks seeds and/or insects off ground or from feeders Gleans insects in bushes Flies after insects from a perch Flies for extended periods catching insects Gets nectar from flowers Feeds from hummingbird feeders Feeds from suet feeders Feeds from thistle feeders Runs after and catches small animals (including birds) on the ground Flies down and catches small animals (including birds) on the ground Catches birds in mid-air "Hop and scratch" for seed Eats parts of flowers, buds Eats carrion and sometimes garbage pecks holes in trees for insects and/or sap Eats berries and fruit Catches fish

9. Tail Features
Not Selected Often cocked upright, often flicks Barred white or yellow rump visible in flight White or yellow band on end of tail More or less rounded end Squared at end Pointed end Wedge-shaped tail

10. Overall Color
Not Selected Overall breast/belly color same as wings/tail (answer 11, skip 12 and 13) Overall breast/belly color different from wings and tail (answer 12 & 13, skip 11)

11. Color if the Bird is mostly the same color
Not Selected Black Blue Brown Olive Gray Tan Red

12. Color of Wings and Tail if Different From the Body
Not Selected Brown Gray Green Black Blue Olive White Dark blue/green

13. Color of Breast/Belly if Different from Wings and Tail
Not Selected White Tan/buff Brown Red Gray Yellow Yellow/orange Green

14. Overall head Color
Not Selected Same as breast/belly Different from breast/belly

15. Families
Not Selected New World Vultures (Cathartidae) Hawks (Accipitridae) Falcons and Caracaras (Falconidae) New World Quail (Odontophoridae) Killdeer and Plovers (Charadriidae) Sandpipers (Scolopacidae) Pigeons and Doves (Columbidae) Cuckoos and Roadrunners (Cuculidae) Barn owls (Tytonidae) Typical owls (Strigidae) Nighthawks and Nightjars (Caprimulgidae) Hummingbirds (Trochilidae) Woodpeckers (Picidae) Tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) Shrikes (Lamiidae) Vireos (Vireonidae) Crows, jays, ravens (Corvidae) Larks (Alaudidae) Swallows and Martins (Hirundinidae) Verdins (Remizidae) Wrens (Troglodytidae) Kinglets (Regulidae) Gnatcatchers (Sylviidae) Thrushes (Turdidae) Mockingbirds and Thrashers (Mimidae) Starlings (Sturnidae) Pipits (Motacillidae) Waxwings (Bombycillidae) Silky-flycatchers (Ptilogonatidae) Wood-warblers (Parulidae) New World sparrows (Emberizidae) Cardinals (Cardinalidae) Blackbirds, orioles, and allies (Icteridae) Finches and allies (Fringillidae) Old World sparrows (Passeridae) Pandionidae