Colors and shapes of birds are variable, but the arrangement of feathers on a bird’s body is remarkably similar across all species. Familiarizing with the group feathers and a bird’s body parts is among the most important tool ornithologists and birders can have when trying to identify a bird by its appearance.
Learning a bird’s topography such as feathers and body parts will enable you to not only write a good description when you see a bird but also, will enable you to understand someone else’s written descriptions of a bird others see.
HEAD
Iris: Refers to the colored part of the eye surrounding the pupil, which is always black. In some birds the iris color change with age.
Culmen: Refer to the ridge along the top of the upper mandible.
Nostril: Equivalent to a channel of the nose of a bird.
Tomia: is the cutting edge of bill.
Gonydeal Angle: Shallow angle near the tip of the lower mandible. The gonys spot is found in some adult breeding birds and is the contrastingly colored spot that the chick pecks at when it is soliciting food.
Gape: Fleshy edges at corners or the base of the beak. In most birds the gape are obvious in young individuals.
Supraorbital Ridge: Is the boney protuberance above the eye socket; this ridge helps shade and protect the eye and gives raptors their fierce look.
Cere: Is the bare area surrounding the nostrils and can be different colos according to species, age and sex of the bird.
Chin: Is a very small area at the base of the lower mandible and can often be a good clue for the identification of certain birds.
Gorget: A patch of colored or iridescent feathers found on the throat or upper breast of some species of birds, particularly hummingbirds.
Post Ocular Spot: Feathered or skin spot found behind the eye .
Post Ocular Stripe: Stripe of feathers that project from the eye down bordering the throat or gorget in some species of hummingbird.
REST OF THE BODY
Eyeline: Stripe that extends from behind the eye towards the nape.
Eyering or Orbital feathers: Refers to the very small feathers circling the eye.
Mantle: Area below the nape. A distinctive group of feathers that cover the upper back and are flanked by the scapular feathers.
Scapulars: Feathers that cover the base of the wing. Scapulars flank the mantle and generally cover the bend of the wing.
Breast: Refers to the area surrounded by the bottom of the throat, the sides or bend of wing area, and the top of the belly.
Flanks: Refers to the side areas below the folded wing.
Rump: Refers to the area below the mantle down to the uppertail coverts. The mantle, rump, and uppertail coverts are loosely referred as back. The rump is generally under the folded wings of a perched bird.
Vent: Refers to the area between belly and undertail coverts.
Undertail Coverts: Feathers that overlap the bottom base of the tail.
Uppertail Coverts: Feathers that cover the upper base of the tail.
Supercilium: Refers to the feathers that generally run from the base of the bill, above the eye, and back to varying lengths. These feathers are also known as the eyebrow.
Auriculars or Ear-patch: Refers to the feathers that cover the ear area. This area is also known as cheecks.
Throat: Refers to the area below the lower mandible.
Malar: Refers to the area along the sides of lower mandible, between the throat and the Auricular Feathers. The malar area is also referred to as Mustachial Streak.
Belly: The area surrounded by the breast, the flanks, and the Vent.
Tibial Feathering: Feathers that cover tibia; above the tarsus.
Undertail Coverts: Feathers that overlap the bottom base of the tail.
Uppertail Coverts: Feathers that cover the upper base of the tail.
Lesser Coverts: Feathers near the leading edge of a wing that overlap the bases of the Median Coverts. These feathers are rarely visible in passerines, and are usually concealed by Scapular and Side Feathers when the wing is folded.
Median Coverts: Feathers that overlap the bases of the Greater Coverts. The colored tips of the Median Coverts make the upper wing-bars in some birds.
Greater Coverts: Overlap the bases of the Secondaries. Colored tips of the Greater Coverts often conform the lower wing bars in some birds.
Primaries: Long flight feathers growing from the hand of a wing. Primaries form the bottom of a folded wing. Most birds have ten primaries, but some sub-oscine passerines have nine.
Tail or Rectrices: Refers to the feathers that conform the tail. Tail feathers occur in even numbers with the central pair on top in the folded tail, and the outer pair positioned at the bottom of the pile.
Primary Coverts: Cover the base of the Primaries.
Lesser Underwing Coverts: Feathers near the leading edge of a wing that overlap the bases of the Median Underwing Coverts.
Median underwing coverts: Cover the base of the Greater underwing coverts.
Greater Underwing Coverts: Overlap the bases of the Secondaries.
Axilars: Feathers located in the bird’s arm pit. These feathers are basically the underwing version of the tertial feathers
Primary Underwing Coverts: Cover the base of the Primaries.
Tail Feathers and Shapes
The tail feathers are called rectrices (singular: rectrix), and occur in an even number on birds. The central pair of rectrices are on top in the folded tail, while the outer pair will be positioned at the bottom of the pile.
There are three basic tail shapes, square, forked, and rounded. Other tail shapes derive from these three types.
The tail feathers are called rectrices (singular: rectrix), and occur in an even number on birds. The central pair of rectrices are on top (towards the back of the bird) in the folded tail, while the outer pair will be positioned at the bottom of the pile.
There are three basic tail shapes, square, forked, and rounded. Other tail shapes derive from these three types.
Fork tailed: Outer tail feathers are longer than the middle pair. Feathers increase in length from the central pair to the outer pair.
Rounded Tail: Outer tail feathers are shorter than the middle pair. Feathers increase in length from the outer pair to the middle pair. See more about bird feathers.