Species Identification

During aerial surveys, observers are presented with a "bird's-eye" view, often fleeting, of the waterfowl beneath them. Correctly identifying species during these low-level flights is extremely challenging and requires adequate training. Species identification errors can be a serious source of bias and can compromise data quality.

This section highlights characteristics of waterfowl that can be useful in species identification from the top-down perspective of an aerial observer. Here, you will find videos that describe how to identify each species of North American waterfowl (plus some non-waterfowl species), as well as how to distinguish species from similar-looking species.