On Tue, 4 Apr 1995, Stuart MacKay wrote:

> The discussion on bird identification brings up an interesting point. How do
> birders identify birds ? In my experience non-birders, describing a species
> concentrate on a completely different set of criteria which makes it hard for
> birders to picture the species and try to make an assessment of what it might
> be. In my experience its only after "intensive interrogation" that the
> expected characterisitics can be discovered. The only species I have no
> trouble in identifying from third parties (mainly farmers) have been Avocet
> (black and white with curved beak) , Red-backed Shrike (black face mask) and
> Hoopoe (black and white and pink !!!!). Any thoughts or anecdotes ??

The difference between birders and non-birders, I think, lies in having a
series of categories in mind that every bird sighting fits into. Your
non-birders focus on colors; that's what they see immediately, and they
naively think that colors will identify birds. Birders see shapes
combined with movements and habitats. A birder would immediately think,
"shorebird," or "passerine" or "hawk," and the more experienced the
birder, the narrower the first category that comes to mind. An
experienced hawk-watcher will immediately think, "buteo" or "falcon," and
some will go directly to species at a glance. I think what most of us
are trying to do is refine our mental categories so we can go as quickly
and accurately as possible from the thought "gull" to the thought
"first-year Western Gull." And then to be able to hold our own in a
discussion with the guy who is insisting, "third-year Slaty-backed gull."

Burt Guttman guttmanb at elwha.evergreen.edu
The Evergreen State College Voice: 360-866-6000, x. 6755
Olympia, WA 98505 FAX: 360-866-6794