Tell them apart
The birds people mix up most, side by side. Most pairs come down to one feature, if you know where to look
Most looked up
Kestrel
SparrowhawkKestrel or Sparrowhawk? Watch how it huntsDecisiveA Kestrel hovers over open ground; a Sparrowhawk dashes low along hedges and never hoversThe full comparison
Common Raven
Carrion CrowRaven or Crow? Look at the tailDecisiveWedge-shaped on a Raven in flight, square-ended on a CrowThe full comparison
Blue Tit
Great TitBlue Tit or Great Tit? Look at the headDecisiveA blue cap on a Blue Tit; a glossy black head and white cheeks on a Great TitThe full comparison
Bald Eagle
Golden EagleBald Eagle or Golden Eagle? Look at the headDecisiveAdult Bald Eagles have a white head; Golden Eagles are brown with a golden napeThe full comparison
Birds of prey
5- Kestrel or Sparrowhawk?Watch how it hunts: a Kestrel hovers over open ground; a Sparrowhawk dashes low along hedges and never hovers
- Raven or Crow?Look at the tail: wedge-shaped on a Raven in flight, square-ended on a Crow
- Bald Eagle or Golden Eagle?Look at the head: adult Bald Eagles have a white head; Golden Eagles are brown with a golden nape
- Buzzard or Red Kite?Look at the tail: a Red Kite’s tail is deeply forked; a Buzzard’s is short and fanned
- Red-tailed or Red-shouldered Hawk?Look at the tail: plain rusty red on an adult Red-tail; banded black and white on a Red-shouldered
Garden birds
7- Blue Tit or Great Tit?Look at the head: a blue cap on a Blue Tit; a glossy black head and white cheeks on a Great Tit
- Coal Tit or Great Tit?Look at the back of the head: a white patch on the nape of a Coal Tit; a Great Tit is yellow below with a black stripe
- Bullfinch or Chaffinch?Look at the cap: black on a Bullfinch, blue-grey on a male Chaffinch
- Goldcrest or Firecrest?Look at the face: a bold white eyebrow and dark eye-stripe on a Firecrest; a Goldcrest’s face is plain
- Dunnock or House Sparrow?Look at the bill: a thin, pointed dark bill on a Dunnock; a short, chunky bill on a House Sparrow
- Siskin or Greenfinch?Look for streaks: a Siskin is small and streaked; a Greenfinch is bigger and plain
- Mistle Thrush or Song Thrush?Look under the wing in flight: white underwings on a Mistle Thrush, warm orange-buff on a Song Thrush
Water and wetland
2In the air
1American birds
6- Northern Flicker or Red-bellied Woodpecker?Look at the chest: a black crescent and bold spots on a Flicker; a plain pale chest on a Red-bellied
- Bohemian or Cedar Waxwing?Look under the tail: rusty under the tail on a Bohemian, white on a Cedar
- American Robin or European Robin?Look at the head: a blackish head, white eye crescents and a yellow bill on an American Robin; an orange-red face edged with blue-gray on a European Robin
- House Sparrow or House Finch?Look at the breast: a male House Finch is red with streaked flanks, a male House Sparrow has a black bib; a female House Finch is streaked below, a female House Sparrow is plain
- Junco or Chickadee?Look at the face and bill: a chickadee has white cheeks between a black cap and bib, and a black bill; a junco has a plain hood and a pink bill
- Song Sparrow or House Sparrow?Look at the breast: heavy streaks running into a central spot on a Song Sparrow; a plain breast on a House Sparrow, with a black bib on the male