Task 2 Dendroica: Bird Identification

This task will have you set up an account with the USGS Dendroica website. This will allow you access to all their bird identification resources and actually allow you to construct your own bird identification lists and quizzes.

PART A – REGISTRATION

1. Go to the Dendroica website (http://www.natureinstruct.org/dendroica/).

2. You will need to register first. You only need to give the your name and an email. This is needed only for the registration process. Since you will use this to help with eBird Checklisting, you’ll check that box to show what you’re using the site for.

3. After you submit this, they will send you an email. Go to that email, and click on the link. This will complete the registration, and they will then email you a login plus the password you gave them when you registered.

4. You are now ready to use the site and will be able to save lists and quizzes on it.

PART B – CREATING A LIST – Night Birds

1. Create a Night Bird list for these night birds:

- Whip-poor-will

- Chuck-will’s-widow

- Common Nighthawk

- Great Horned Owl

- Barred Owl

- Eastern Screech-owl

- Barn Owl

(Tell Mr. R what word is mispelled.)

2. To do this, click on the “Change Lists” button.

3. Under “List Filters”, set you filter to Maryland by setting “Geopolitical” to “Maryland”.

3. Click on “Modify/Create My Lists”.

4. Define a New List as “Night Birds”, and click on “Next”..

5. Move the species you want from the Excluded side to the Included side by selecting on right and moving with the arrows.

6. You can move a few birds at a time by selecting a few and then hitting the arrow. To select several birds, hold the Control key (ctrl) down while you select all that you want.

PART C – TAKING A QUIZ  – Night Birds

1. Go to “Change Lists” .

2. Under “List Filters”, set you filter to Night Birds by setting “My Lists” to “Night Birds”.

3. Click “Save and Exit”.

4. Clicking the “Quiz” button will launch a quiz.

5. The “Preferences” button will allow you to control what you see and hear in a quiz as well as what order the names will appear (Alphabetical or AOU, which is the order you find them in a field guide).

6. In quiz mode, under “options”, you can select whether to see the photo, hear the sound, or both. Which you do depends on what you are trying to learn. If specifically learning songs, unclick photos unless the songs are new to you; then seeing the bird will help you learn the call.

PART D – CREATING A LIST – Breeding Birds

Repeat the above process to create a list and quiz for local breeding birds

Create a Breeding Bird list for these local breeders:

BOBWHITE

KILLDEER

DOVE, Mourning

CUCKOO, Yellow-billed

SWIFT, Chimney

HUMMINGBIRD, Ruby-throat

WOODPECKER, Red-bellied

WOODPECKER, Downy

WOODPECKER, Hairy

FLICKER, Northern

WOODPECKER, Pileated

WOOD-PEWEE, Eastern

PHOEBE, Eastern

FLYCATCHER, Great Crest

KINGBIRD, Eastern

VIREO, Red-eyed

JAY, Blue

CROW, American

CROW, Fish

LARK, Horned

MARTIN, Purple

SWALLOW, Barn

SWALLOW, Tree

CHICKADEE, Carolina

TITMOUSE, Tufted

NUTHATCH, Brown-headed

NUTHATCH, White-breasted

WREN, Carolina

WREN, House

GNATCATCHER, Blue-gray

BLUEBIRD, Eastern

THRUSH, Wood

ROBIN, American

CATBIRD, Gray

MOCKINGBIRD, Northern

THRASHER, Brown

STARLING, European

WAXWING, Cedar

WARBLER, Pine

WARBLER, Yellow

WARBLER, Worm-eating

OVENBIRD

YELLOWTHROAT, Common

TANAGER, Summer

TANAGER, Scarlet

TOWHEE, Eastern

SPARROW, Chipping

SPARROW, Field

SPARROW, Grasshopper

SPARROW, Song

CARDINAL, Northern

GROSBEAK, Blue

BUNTING, Indigo

MEADOWLARK, Eastern

BLACKBIRD, Red-winged

GRACKLE, Common

COWBIRD, Brown-headed

ORIOLE, Baltimore

ORIOLE, Orchard

FINCH, House

GOLDFINCH, American

SPARROW, House