Bird Watching Jargon For Enthusiasts

Bird watching is like an addiction. Once you are hooked, there is no getting away from it. Since doing so is hopeless, you need to understand the terminology you will here.

Abmigration is the movement of a bird from one breeding area to another by pairing in a flock with a bird from the new area. They then travel during the next season.

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.

A Field mark refers to distinctive characteristics used by a birder to identify particular birds in the wild. Field marks can be coloring, shapes, size and so on.

Birds are often cleaning themselves. This act is referred to as preening. Each species handles it differently, but a common characteristic is the use of the beak to clean wings and such. Not to be confused with anting.

The term Papilla refers to a colorful knob often found on the beak or mouth of a hatchling. It acts as a target for the parent to place food upon return to the nest.

The classification of bird species refers to their designation within a hierarchy. The hierarch is class, order, family, genus and species.

The rump of bird is an area often critical for identification purposes. It is the area just above the tail feathers. It is often distinctly colored and/or shaped, which helps with classification.

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.

Not all nesting is the same. Cavity nesting refers to birds that make their nests in the cavities of trees and other structures. The placement of the nest high or near the grown can be a field marker of sorts.

Moulting refers to the process whereby birds shed their feathers to be replaced by new ones. Most species moult once a year, but not all.

As with humans, bird drumming refers to a noise made by birds. It is typically done by males to attract females. The drums are often trees or other structure that produce a particular noise when knocked.

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.

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