Goldfinch Male vs Female: How to Tell Them Apart All Year
In summer the difference jumps out: a lemon-yellow male with a black cap beside an olive-yellow female. In winter it comes down to the wings. What to check in every season.
5 min read
Field guide · Topic
Bird Identification
Most backyard birds can be identified from a few clues: size, shape, color pattern, behavior and sound. These guides take the common US feeder birds one question at a time. You will find male and female comparisons, look-alike pairs such as house finch and purple finch or downy and hairy woodpecker, quick guides to yellow, red and black birds, and help with songs and calls. Nest and egg guides explain what you are seeing, and why nests, eggs and feathers of native birds should be left undisturbed.
Bird Identification guides
Goldfinch Winter Plumage: Why They Turn Drab
Those plain olive-brown birds at the nyjer feeder are probably your summer goldfinches. How the molt works, month by month, and how to recognize them in winter.
5 min read
Blue Jay Male vs Female: Can You Tell the Difference?
Male and female Blue Jays look exactly alike. Here are the courtship and nesting behaviors that reveal who is who, and the easy way to spot a juvenile.
5 min read
Common Backyard Birds: Feeder Regulars Across the US
A photo-free ID guide to the birds most likely to visit a US backyard feeder, with the one field mark that sets each apart and where they live.
6 min read
Male vs Female Cardinal: How to Tell Them Apart
Males are red with a black mask; females are tan-brown with red accents. Here is how to tell them apart, and how to spot juveniles and molting young males.
5 min read
Downy vs Hairy Woodpecker: The Bill-Length Test
Two black-and-white woodpeckers that look nearly identical. The bill-to-head test sorts most of them in seconds, and size, tail feathers and calls settle the rest.
5 min read