The eBirdr field guide

Bird Advisor

Describe what you saw. We’ll narrow the field together.

Question 7 7 possible birds

What type of environment was the bird seen in?

Choose the answer that comes closest to what you observed.

Urban or residential area or at a feeder Open area: field, prairie, meadow, farmland, tundra Desert, arid grassland, shrubs, cactus, mesquite Thickets or shrubs Deciduous forest Coniferous forest Mixed forest Mountainous Terrain Wooded freshwater habitat Freshwater marsh or wetland Freshwater shoreline Open body of freshwater Saltwater marsh or wetland Flat saltwater shore; beach Rocky saltwater shore; cliff Open ocean; beyond sight of land Only or mostly in flight over freshwater Only or mostly in flight over land Only or mostly in flight over saltwater

Not completely sure? Choose Unknown when it is available—a careful “I don’t know” is more useful than a guess.

Your observation 6 answers recorded · open to review or change
  1. 1
    What TYPE of bird was seen ? Songbird (ground or perching bird)
    Change
  2. 2
    What colour was the BREAST ? Unknown
    Change
  3. 3
    What colour was the BELLY ? White, or pale (grayish-white)
    Change
  4. 4
    What FACIAL or HEAD features were noted if any ? Dark area behind, under, through or around the eye
    Change
  5. 5
    How BIG was the bird ? Smaller than a sparrow
    Change
  6. 6
    What colour was the BACK ? Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored)
    Change

Leading possibilities

7 possibilities remain

  1. 1

    Reed Bunting

    Matching variants: Female, Male, Nonbreeding Male

    Why this matches 4 supporting observations
    • What TYPE of bird was seen ? Songbird (ground or perching bird)
    • What colour was the BELLY ? White, or pale (grayish-white)
    • How BIG was the bird ? Smaller than a sparrow
    • What colour was the BACK ? Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored)
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  2. 2

    Rustic Bunting

    Matching variants: Female, Male

    Why this matches 4 supporting observations
    • What TYPE of bird was seen ? Songbird (ground or perching bird)
    • What colour was the BELLY ? White, or pale (grayish-white)
    • How BIG was the bird ? Smaller than a sparrow
    • What colour was the BACK ? Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored)
    View profile
  3. 3

    Chestnut-collared Longspur

    Matching variants: Female, Male, Nonbreeding Male

    Why this matches 3 supporting observations
    • What TYPE of bird was seen ? Songbird (ground or perching bird)
    • What colour was the BELLY ? White, or pale (grayish-white)
    • How BIG was the bird ? Smaller than a sparrow
    View profile
  4. 4

    Lapland Longspur

    Matching variants: Female, Male, Nonbreeding Male

    Why this matches 3 supporting observations
    • What TYPE of bird was seen ? Songbird (ground or perching bird)
    • What colour was the BELLY ? White, or pale (grayish-white)
    • How BIG was the bird ? Smaller than a sparrow
    View profile
  5. 5

    McCown's Longspur

    Matching variants: Female, Male, Nonbreeding Male

    Why this matches 3 supporting observations
    • What TYPE of bird was seen ? Songbird (ground or perching bird)
    • What colour was the BELLY ? White, or pale (grayish-white)
    • How BIG was the bird ? Smaller than a sparrow
    View profile

Showing the strongest matches so far. Keep answering—the order may change.

Comparing your observations with 658 species in the Advisor knowledge base.

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