In our last lesson, Lesson 3, we learned some basic birding techniques on nice, big birds. Now we're going to try to apply these same techniques to birds that are smaller - the chickadee, titmouse, and wren. These birds are different looking from each other, but with their smaller size, you have to pay closer attention to catch the differences.

Again, watch for these birds in your own back yard. Do they travel alone? In small groups? Are they mostly at one of the feeders? Do they eat the seed at the feeder, or do they bring it back to a branch to break open? How do they fly?

Chickadee Chickadees are amazingly friendly, so just about any time you put up a feeder, they'll be visiting it before you get inside. They love regular seed and black oiled sunflower seeds. They'll hang out in little groups, flying back and forth to the feeder, taking turns.

Titmouse The titmouse is the grey cousin of the chickadee - anywhere you're likely to see a chickadee, there are probably titmice hanging around as well. They're most fond of sunflower seeds but also enjoy suet at times.

Wren The wren is the shy one in this group, coming out when it's quiet, blending into the background. They're more likely to be found in ones or twos, but enjoy the same seed as the other two.

You should be able to easily lure at least two of these birds into your back yard, but if not, practice with the pictures, learning what is different about each and how these smaller differences can help you tell them apart.

Online Birding Course Homepage