LoreHow to identify birds: a practical starting point
Learn to identify birds by shape, behaviour and plumage. Start with birds around you and practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise birds of the NetherlandsExplore the Netherlands regional guideLook at the whole bird first
Before guessing a name, look at size, posture, head-to-body proportions and bill shape. Is the bird upright, walking on the ground or moving through branches? These observations help narrow down the possible species.
Combine several clues
Colour changes with shade and backlighting. Combine it with head markings, a wing bar or shape. The Blue Tit and Great Tit below both have yellow plumage, but their heads offer a useful difference. Read the separate comparison for details.
Start with a small collection
Choose birds from your own area. Look through a short introductory set, then practise. Use different photographs of a species: memorising one picture is different from recognising the bird in a new pose.
Take the practice outdoors
Record what you actually see and where the bird is. Photo quizzes practise visual recognition; identifying a bird outside also involves movement, sound and viewing conditions. It is fine to leave an uncertain sighting unidentified.
Photo © Dmitry P. · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist
Photo © William Stephens · CC BY · iNaturalist