One of the most difficult
bird identification problems for me is not identify birds in the field, it is identifying birds others have seen in the field. In other words, I get, "Hey, there was this bird that had some blue on it … ". There was this bird that was at my feeder … " Some of the time I nail the ID right away, but as often as not, I just tell them I need more detail, then proceed to show them several likely possibilities in a bird guide. This demonstrates the need to know what to look for when identifying a bird, before you go out in the field and that only comes from experience and doing your homework with your favorite field guide, right at home. Remember, out in the field, a bird is not inclined to wait as you fumble through your field guide and do lengthy research. In fact, skill with a field guide is as important as skill with a
birding binocular when it comes to bird identification.
Birding field guides are not just for use in the field.