How to Identify Baby Birds With Big Beaks

Observing birds is a peaceful activity the entire family can enjoy. Watching baby birds as they begin to emerge from their nests is something that can be done for hours on end. The thrill of seeing these various species is being able to accurately identify which bird is which. Some baby birds will have spotting on their feathers, while others may only have fuzz left over from birth. Some birds will have bold colors and some might be gray or brown.

Things You'll Need

  • Guide to bird species (see references)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Examine the feathers for variations in color. Chicks can be difficult to classify because their feathers differ from their parents because they have not yet molted. For example, the common tern chick has a fuzzy fluff of feathers that are brown down the back and white on the chest. The parent common tern has a gray chest and is black down the back. The osprey chick has long, black feathers with white tips and a white chest. The osprey parent is quite similar, only the black feathers do not end in white tips.

    • 2

      Evaluate the beaks of the birds for size and color characteristics. The Amer oystercatcher chick has a slender, long beak that is orange near the face. When the chick is older, the beak will be completely orange, but during adolescence it is brown at the tip. The sanderling has a sharp, lengthy beak that is solid black up to the area just before the face.

    • 3

      Determine the name of the baby chick by its overall size. The baby black skimmer is a relatively small bird, the height of a blade of wild grass. The chick will eventually grow to be the size of a common crow. The piping plover chick, however, is one fourth of the size of its parents at just 2 days of age. By molting time after its first winter, the piping plover will become the size of a common finch.