Species Identification

New to birding? Awesome! We’ve compiled a few resources to help you hone your birding superpower and learn how to identify some of California’s most common neighborhood birds.

Resources We Love

  • Merlin Bird ID is a must-have for beginner and expert birders alike. The app helps you identify birds you observe by sight or sound.

    • Spot a bird? Just answer five simple questions about the bird, and Merlin will generate a list of species that match your description.

    • Want to know which birds are calling or singing? Start recording, and Merlin will suggest species that match those vocalizations in real time.

    Merlin Bird ID isn’t perfect, but it’s a great resource to consult on the go and works very well for most common birds. To learn more, check out these demos of Merlin Bird ID and Merlin Sound ID.

  • All About Birds is our team’s favorite online bird guide. Look up any species and access detailed descriptions, distribution maps, and photos, videos, and recordings that could help you with identification. Our favorite feature is side-by-side comparisons of similar species.

  • If you prefer a field guide, we recommend The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America.

Build Your Birding Skills

  • Birders focus on four keys to bird identification: size and shape, color pattern, behavior, and habitat. Click on these links to learn more!

  • These four keys will help you narrow down a list of possible species, but you may need to assess more specific field marks (distinctive color traits) to make a definitive ID. To learn more, check out this guide to field marks.

  • Some birds are almost exclusively detected by sound. Just like any language, it is challenging to learn new bird songs, but learning one makes it easier to pick up another! Here are some ideas for how to get started with birding by ear.

Our Neighborhood Birds

Even with these resources, we know beginner birders might feel a bit overwhelmed jumping into Project Phoenix. That’s why we’ve created a list of 20 focal species. These are the species we will focus on in our analyses. If you get to know these birds, you will contribute valuable data to our research and be well on your way to becoming a birder extraordinaire!