Understanding Bird Watching Terminology

Birding is one of the fastest growing recreational activities. As with any such thing, it has developed a language all its own. Here is a primer on some key phrases.

Abmigration is the movement of a bird from one breeding area to another by pairing in a flock with a bird from the new area. They then travel during the next season.

Orientation refers to the navigation ability of birds. Some can orient to a particular direction during migration while others seem to be effected by the length of the day. Surprisingly, little is understood about how this happens.

Anting is a bizarre bird ritual. Many species will allow ants to crawl through their wings. The ants effectively preen the wings as they eat and store anything they find.

Paddling is a term that carries a different meaning than you might think. It does not refer to peddling through the water. Instead, it refers to stamping the ground to motivate food such as worms to pop up where they can be eaten.

When a female lays eggs, the resulting eggs are known as a clutch. It has no relation to vehicles. The number of eggs in the clutch depends on the bird.

Photoperiodism refers to the reaction of birds as well as other animals and plants to the changing amounts of sunlight in a day during the year. Breeding periods and migration are believed to be triggered by it.

Bird designated as dabblers are ones that sit on the water and tip down to eat food, whether plants or animals, below the surface. Ducks are classic dabblers.

Dabbling is the act of a bird sitting on the water and feeding by moving its head below the water line to access plants, bugs, animals and whatever it happens to eat.

The speculum is a marketing area found on a duck. Many ducks have a patch of color on their wings. The color distinction and shape can be used for identification purposes.

A diurnal species refers to a bird that feeds and is active primarily during the day, the opposite of how most birds customarily act.

As with humans, bird drumming refers to a noise made by birds. It is typically done by males to attract females. The drums are often trees or other structure that produce a particular noise when knocked.

The act of foot-raking is distinct to a classification of birds that feed in the water. The term refers to their moving their feet about in the water to get animals to move so they can feed upon them.

The wattle is one of the easier markers on bird. It is the structure on the top of the head. It can be a comb, gathering of feathers or bone structure. Identify the wattle, and you are on your way to identifying the bird.

The important thing to understand about birding is the language is important, but not critical. Gaining an appreciation of our feathered friends through observation is the key.

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