Feathers apart An introduction to bird topography
The early bird catches the worm Although many birds are markedly different, some can look very similar. In those cases, being able to tell apart the different parts of a bird’s topography can help identify the species. Looking at the feathers can also help estimate a bird’s age or gender. In this exercise, you’ll learn all about axillaries, primaries and more!
What you'll need • Pen and paper • Bird guide
Set-up 1. Using the guide below, make yourself familiar with the different parts of a bird’s anatomy. 2. Once you feel confident, try to identify the parts marked on the different birds on the final pages of the exercise. 3. Check your answers against the answer sheet – how did you do?
If you want to take it further You can easily take this exercise outside by trying to identify different anatomical parts on birds visiting your garden or out in the park. Once you feel confident, you can learn more about ageing birds using bird topography.
What does BTO do? BTO maintains the ringing scheme for birds in the UK and Ireland. Ringing aims to monitor survival rates of birds and collect information about their movements. This information provides vital support for conservation efforts as it helps to understand how these processes influence population sizes over time; identifying the mechanisms is the first step in reversing declines. To be able to correctly identify and age birds, ringers need to have an in-depth knowledge of a bird’s topography. To find out more about the ringing scheme, please visit www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/ringing. Feathers apart An introduction to bird topography
Blue Tit
crown
throat
breast tail
belly
supercillium eye-stripe
nape eye ring mantle
secondaries greater coverts primaries
tail legs undertail coverts feet Feathers apart An introduction to bird topography
underwing coverts
axillaries
breast
undertail coverts tail
secondaries
primaries primaries
upperwing coverts
crown rump
bill
tail
Red Kite Feathers apart An introduction to bird topography
Oystercatcher
coverts
bill trailing edge
secondaries
primaries
tertials upper mandible
lores undertail coverts lower mandible breast tibia belly tarsus Feathers apart An introduction to bird topography
1
7 6
5
4
2
13 3
9 10
11
12
8
White-tailed Eagle Feathers apart An introduction to bird topography
Siskin female 15 14 16
17
18 19
20 21
22
24 23
male
25
26 27 28 29 Feathers apart An introduction to bird topography
Herring Gull
30 31 32
33
34
35
juvenile 36
39 37 40 38 41
42
43 44
45 Feathers apart An introduction to bird topography
Answers
1.Primaries 24. Tertials 2.Tail 25. Secondaries 3.Feet 26. Primaries 4.Breast 27. Tail 5.Bill 28. Undertail coverts 6.Crown 29. Leg / tarsus 7.Upperwing coverts 30. Underwing coverts 8.Tail 31. Axillaries 9.Nape 32. Eye 10.Throat 33. Tail 11.Upperwing coverts 34. Secondaries 12.Tertials 35. Primaries 13.Eye 36. Eye ring 14.Supercillium 37. Upper mandible 15.Mantle 38. Lower mandible 16.Greater coverts 39. Nape 17.Upper mandible 40. Mantle 18.Lower mandible 41. Tertials 19.Throat 42. Primaries 20.Breast 43. Undertail coverts 21.Belly 44. Tibia 22.Crown 45. Tarsus 23.Lores