Flight Shape
| Resources - Identification |
Bird identification often takes place in poor light conditions. Even in poor light, the silhouette of the bird can give cues by focusing in on size and shape. This is especially true with birds in flight. Some species are so distinct in their flight shape that they can be confidently identified. The following two charts are useful especially when viewing raptors in flight. Clicking on the link will open up in a new window. These files were created for the Hawk Ridge Nature Preserve annual Hawk Migration Weekend event. They are used with permission, and are in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format.
DOWNLOAD: FLIGHT SHAPE: RAPTORS
DOWNLOAD: FLIGHT SHAPE: OTHER BIRDS
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Resource Links
- Attracting Birds (4)
- Citizen Science (5)
- Identification (6)
- MN Bird Data (7)
- Internet Resources (6)
Birding Tips
| Wing Bars and Tail Shape |
| Look for details on the bird's body, wings, and tail. Keep an eye out for wing bars, color patches, and markings on the bird's body, and describe the tail shape in flight. |


