Make careful notes about the bird. how big is it, what shape is it (robin, corvid, sparrow, finch, hawk, etc.), voice, behavior, habitat, and location. Try using a field guide (book or app) to ID the bird. If you’re still unsure, try to obtain a photograph of the bird (it doesn’t have to be a perfect photo) and post it on our Facebook page, RBABIRDS. Many members of RBA are willing to help newbies. Or existing subscribers to our local birding listserve may wish to post a link to the image there and ask for feedback.
Keep in mind that there is some etiquette in asking for help with a bird ID. Since some birders, Facebook pages, and listserves get inundated with ID requests, birders are more willing to help when it’s clear you’ve done some homework on your own.
As a volunteer organization, RBA does not have the resources to accept images for bird identification at this time.
