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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.

Hawking is a form of food gathering. As the name suggest, the bird will wait at a high point and inspect below for food. When it sights said food, it swoops down and snatches it.

The act of bill sweeping is often associated with nesting. Both parents will sweep their bills over the nest as part of a feeding ritual for chicks. The bills usually contain food for the chicks.

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.

The brood is somewhat of a catch all term meaning either the young birds hatched from a clutch of eggs or the act of incubating eggs in the nest. It can also refer as a verb to the act of keeping chick warm.

The act of mobbing is very interesting amongst birds. It refers to the little guys standing up to a big predator. Many smaller birds will unite to attack and drive away a larger predator. This act is particularly prevalent during nesting periods.

The act of probing refers to bird conduct during feeding sessions. Birds will probe areas such as dead bark, mud and what have you to find food. The type of probing is dependent upon the particular bird and is a crude method for identification.

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.

When it comes to birds, their display is all about communication. The display involves positioning their body in such a way to convey meanings regarding territoriality, mating and such.

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

Totipalmate is another way to identify a bird. The term refers to the webbing or lack thereof between the toes. Those birds with webbing have totipalmate. Non-totipalmate birds tend to have unconnected toes facing different directions.

Twitchers do not refer to birds, but those of us that watch them. If you get head over heals about it, you can get very excited and even nervous about a new sighting. This is known as twitching and you are a twitcher!

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.