Friends of Whidbey State Parks
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Learn about our local birds and bird behavior!
Online Resources & Apps to identify birds on your Phone or Tablet
Whidbey Island Bird List ~ Includes seasons you are likely to see each bird
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
All About Birds ~ Online bird guide
Merlin ~ website Merlin Identification App * (free). More Online Resources
eBird ~ website & eBird App (scroll above to learn about eBird's features)
Hawk Watch International ~ website & Raptor ID App
Audubon App (free) Limited image variety; photos only. Recent nearby sightings tab.
* Highly recommended: The Merlin App was developed by Cornell Lab to help you identify an unknown bird by answering 5 questions. It can also identify a bird from your photo. When you have Merlin on your device, be sure to download the US: West Coast Bird Pack: Birds of California, Oregon, and Washington.
Merlin has Bird Packs for most parts of the world, and it links with eBird.
Bird Identification Books
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, David Allen Sibley
Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Western North America, Roger Tory Peterson
Field Guide to the Birds of North America, National Geographic Society
Books to Learn More About Birds
Peterson Guide to Bird Identification - in 12 Steps
~ Steve N.B. Howell and Brian Sullivan
The Birder’s Handbook - A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds, ~ Paul R. Ehrlich, David S. Dobkin and Darryl Wheye
In-Depth Field Guides
iBird Pro ~ $15 App. Available for Apple or Android devices. Illustrations, photos, and the most detailed habitat, feeding, and nesting information.
Sibley Birds, 2nd Edition ~ $20 book. Features Sibley’s paintings from Guide to Birds of North America. Covers the widest variety of plumages. You can use the split screen feature to compare similar birds.