1. Easy Steps to Drawing a Drake Mallard
2. Mallard
3. Canvasback
4. American Wigeon
5. Gadwall
6. Northern Shoveler
7. Green-winged Teal
8. Wood Duck
9. Northern Pintail
10. Three Quick Steps to Drawing Ducks
11. Parts of a Duck
12. Parts of a Wing
13. Duck Drawings
14. Six Simple Tips for Quick Bird ID
15. References

Back to the Junior Duck Stamp Page

1. What is the bird’s relative size?
Compare the bird with other birds that are well known to you. Is it larger or smaller than a SPARROW? If larger, is it larger or smaller than a PIGEON? If larger, is it larger or smaller than a HAWK?

2. What is the shape and color of the bird’s beak?
The shape of its beak is a guide to what it eats, classifying the type of bird it is. Is the beak short and round like that of a songbird or powerful and hooked like that of a hawk? What color is its beak? Many birds have blackish beaks but some are brightly colored.

3. What length and color are the bird’s legs?
Does the bird have unusually long wading legs, short, perching legs, etc.? Are its legs a distinctive color?

4. What plumage colors or markings do you notice?
Bold markings, colors, or bars on the bird’s wings, tail, breast, or above the eyes should be noted. Also note that in some bird species the males are brightly colored and the females tend to be camouflaged.

5. In what habitat do you see the bird?
The habitat in which the bird is seen is another important clue to the kind of bird it is. Is it in a garden, in water, in grassland, in the forest, etc.?

6. What is the bird doing?
Is it walking, hopping, wading, or swimming? Does it peck at the ground, probe in mud, or feed in a tree? Try to detail its behavior as closely as possible.

Often the details of a bird’s structure, plumage, or behavior are soon forgotten, and the observer may spend much time trying to recall them. If these six points are remembered or noted at the time of the observation an analysis can be made later at leisure.