OK, at this point you should have gone through Lesson 1 and Lesson 2. Your back yard should have a few feeders to bring in birds, and you should understand the basic skills we're going to use to identify these birds. Hopefully at least a bird or two has appeared in your back yard for you to examine! Now it's time to start learning about them.
For each of these three birds - the robin, blue jay, and cardinal, look closely at the pictures and descriptions. What makes each bird different from each other? Yes, I've chosen birds that have obvious color differences. All three are largish, so their features will be easy to see. But how do their feet differ? How about their wing coloration? Their eyes? The shape of their beaks?
Now watch for these birds in your own back yard. Most yards should have at least two of the three, if not all three. How do the birds act? Are they cautious, arrogant? Do they watch from a branch, or go straight for their food? Do they waddle or strut? Do you hear them sing? All of these different observations help make it easier for you to pick them out the next time - even if it's semi-dark or they're in with other similar birds.
 | American Robin The robin is often the first bird a child can recognize. They're not very shy, hang out right in the middle of the lawn, and don't really need feeders or anything else. They love worms and bugs, which can be found in just about every lawn. They have a distinctive red breast and black head and wings. Look at the white ring around the eye, and the beak shape. |
 | Blue Jay Most lawns have blue jays in them, because blue jays will eat just about anything. If you throw your old bread and crackers in the back yard, they'll appear out of nowhere. They'll also eat just about any sort of food you put out. They have gorgeous blue feathers which are easy to recognize. How does it differ from the robin? |
 | Northern Cardinal The Cardinal is another bird easily recognized by its bright, colorful feathers. Cardinals love black oiled sunflower seeds and usually travel in pairs. You might only see them at certain times of the year, depending on where you live. How does the cardinal differ from the other two birds? |
Even if you don't have all three birds in your back yard, examine the descriptions of each bird and the photos. Compare the differences in the birds beaks, eyes, heads, wings. The better you become at spotting these differences, the easier it will be to identify birds out in your own yard.
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