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Home , Black scoter, Duck, Grebe, Iceland gull, Pelagic cormorant

Identification Iceland (Thayer’s)

Northern Pintail (G. Sorenson)

American , female on right (G. Sorenson) TheWildernessAlternative (eBird)

Iceland

Challenging to ID, but IDs to species are important for trend data Take photos for help if you are unsure, especially for flocks

Heerman’s Gull can be found around Victoria and are quite distinct looking Gulls Bonaparte’s Gull

- Smallest gull - Dark bill and eye - Black spot in winter

- Large, heavy looking - Dark mantle - Black wing tips - Pink Legs Gulls Glaucous-winged Gull Herring Gull Iceland Gull (Thayer’s)

TheWildernessAlternative (eBird)

California Gull Ring-billed Gull Mew Gull Gulls Herring Gull Iceland Gull (Thayer’s)

TheWildernessAlternative (eBird) Less common, but still regular More common

Iceland Gulls October Distribution from eBird Iceland Gull (Thayer’s) Gulls October Distribution from eBird Herring Gull Gulls

California Gull Ring-billed Gull Mew Gull

Charlotte Morris (eBird) Gulls What is this gull? Dark wingtips and pink legs = Western or Herring or Iceland

Not dark grey mantle = Herring or Iceland

Dark eye, rounded head, bill appearing thin =

Iceland Gull

Liam Singh (eBird) Common Pacific Loon Red-throated Loon

• Common in winter on our • Form large flocks during migration • Less frequent on our coasts coasts • Smaller than • Found in bays, less in open • Winter dark gray • Bill, head size, body size above, white below • May show chin strap • Thin bill often tipped up • Partial collar • Darker colour around eye • Speckled back in winter • Large bill and head • General impression of slimmer • White neck and lower face compared to Pacific Loon than COLO, in flight and on water Western Red-necked Grebe

• Smaller than , • Most common wintering stockier grebe • Smaller than other common • Our largest grebe • Bigger than Horned Grebe with grebe species • Long neck with white throat larger bill • White face (more than Red- • Dark face surrounds red eye • Yellow-green bill necked) • Thin bill, appears curved up • Neck often reddish-brown • Dark eye (not red) • Small gray Double-crested Pelagic Brandt’s Cormorant Cormorant

Marc Hanneman (eBird) Kathryn Keith (eBird) • Similar color to Pelagic • Our largest cormorant • Thicker bill and neck • Face is yellow/ orange at all • Smallest cormorant in BC • Beige throat patch always times of the • Thin neck and beak present • Adults are all black, • Breeding adults have white patch • Found in large groups more juveniles (like image) have • Glossy black-green overall, than Pelagic paler throat and chest generally appear black • White plumes in summer on head Common Murre Pigeon Guillemot Marbled Murrelet

Ryan Shaw (eBird)

• Small alcid normally alone or • Bigger than guillemot and • Whiter overall in winter with pair murrelet than murres and murrelets • Fast, buzzy flight • Long, sharp bill, held at angle • Bright red feet • White on throat, belly, and • Dark brown above, white below • Thinned head and neck white line on back • Small pointy bill

Bigger Small Surf White-winged Scoter Black Scoter

• Adult male has white • White wing patches on males and • No white markings behind head, on forehead, females • Thinner bill, often with and on orange bill • More evenly sloped forehead yellow at base • Large bill • Bigger than other scoter species • Females have dark cap and • Pale eye on adult females pale cheeks • More round head shape Harlequin Barrow’s Goldeneye Common Goldeneye

Brian Hicks (eBird)

Kathryn Keith (eBird) Brian Hicks (eBird)

• Adult males are very • Less white on body and tear • Whiter body and round face distinct, even in winter shaped face patch patch • Females have two white • Female usually has mostly yellow • Female usually mostly black patches on face bill bill, overlap between species Long-tailed Duck

John Gordinier (eBird)

• Very distinct duck • Bold patterning, long tail • Pink in bill

• Breeding males are very distinct – mostly white • Females and non-breeding males have single white cheek patch • Very small size Gadwall

• Orange legs and feet • Orange beak with some dark (most orange) • Similar to Mallard but overall • Dark eye stripe smaller look • White on tail • Less orange on just edges of • Blueish speculum (colored bill feathers on wings during • Gray legs and feet • Yellow legs flight) • Slimmer, longer bird than Mallard • White speculum in flight • Plain face • Domed head shape • Dark gray beak American Wigeon Green-winged Teal

• Very numerous in • Smallest dabbler – recognizable • Large bill is distinct migration, and in winter by size • Similar look to Mallard • Head shape is distinct to • Green speculum visible except green speculum • Face similar to Mallard, but dark • Orange legs • Small round head, dark bray bill shadowing around eye • Small gray bill with black tip Dunlin Sanderling Western Sandpiper

• Larger and longer-legged • Distinctive running behavior • Black droopy bill than Western Sandpiper • Short and straight black bill • Black legs • Arrive later than most • Dark legs, pale body • Smaller than Dunlin peeps in the fall • Dark mark on folded wings (lesser • Uncommon in winter • Longer, droopy black bill wing coverts) visible in winter • Black legs

Breeding Dunlin (left) and Western Sandpiper Semipalmated Least Sandpiper Black-bellied Plover Sandpiper

• Larger than all mudflat • Darker and smaller than similar sandpiper species • Less common than other species • Thick dark bill and large eye sandpipers • Crouching behavior • Black armpits in flight • Gray-brown above, pale • Yellowish legs with streaks below • Short, droopy bill • Short black bill, nob at end • Black legs Western Sandpiper behind crouching Least Sandpiper Short-billed Long-billed Greater Yellowlegs Dowitcher Dowitcher

Lesser Yellowlegs

• Slightly shorter bill than • Relatively gray in non-breeding Long-billed plumage • When foraging, back • Very hunched appearance while appears flat foraging • Brownish-gray with barred flanks Black Turnstone Surfbird Black Oystercatcher

• Small, chunky bird • Larger gray shorebird with thick • Distinct large, black shorebird • Thin, short black bill yellow legs • Long, bright orange bill • White belly contrasting • Orange base to bill with dark body Counting Waterbirds

Herring spawn season in Baynes Sound. Photo: A.Martell Counting Waterbirds • Assess flock size & species composition:

– How many ? How many species? Look for any unusual or rare species. – Is the flock dense or well spaced out? – Are the birds actively diving, flying, is there a predator around spooking them (e.g., ) • Can you count them easily by individual bird? – If not, estimate using appropriate sub-group classes • If multiple species, estimate composition along transects Counting Waterbirds

Photo: M. Yip How many species? How many individuals? Counting Waterbirds

71 , 6 Long-tailed Duck, 1 Barrow’s Goldeneye, 1 Black Scoter 95% Surf Scoter, 4% Long-tailed Duck, 1% other Counting Waterbirds

There are 10 birds in the yellow box. How many birds are there in the flock?

Photo: R. Tizard Counting Waterbirds

68 Common Murre in this flock!

Photo: R. Tizard Counting Waterbirds

Note how the size of your count-estimate frame decreases with distance.

56 birds

Photo: M. Lemon

Estimating flocks of many 1,000s best done in sub-groups of 500-1,000. There’s probably ~2,000 birds in this picture. Estimate the species composition by counting the # of each species along transects through the flock.

Estimate of ~60 Dunlin to ~20 Westerns  ¾ Dunlin and ¼ Westerns  ~1,500 Dunlin and ~500 Westerns Further Counting Help

• Ebird – For bird counting tips and techniques for counting single-species flocks see Bird Counting 101 – For guidance for counting large numbers, moving flocks, and mixed species flocks see Bird Counting 201

R. Tizard • Practice with an experienced person, it gets easier! • Start with smaller, easier flocks and progress to larger groups. • Take photos to try to calibrate your eye. • Have fun!