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. First try using a guide book 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 able and willing to help newbies. Or existing subscribers our local birding listserve may wish to post a link to the image there and ask for feedback.
Keep in mind 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.
