Comparisons

[Melierax 805]

This was here before. Post a photo with both species of a similar type, like Greater and Lesser Scaup, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, etc.

Cooper's Hawk (left), and Sharp-shinned Hawk (right):

[The Bird Nuts 2,177]

Female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (left and right) and Purple Finch (middle).

Edited December 6, 2018 by The Bird Nuts

[lonestranger 370]

5 minutes ago, The Bird Nuts said:

Female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (left and right) and Purple Finch (middle).

 

I have always had a hard time distinguishing these two apart when I only get a quick glimpse of them. I'm often second guessing myself about the size of the bird and waffling back and forth on whether it was actually big enough for a grosbeak or small enough to be a finch. When we just get a quick glimpse, my sweetie will often hear me say, "That was a female Rose-breasted Grosbeak...I think." Then she has listen to me explain how hard it can be to judge size and my disclaimer that it might have actually been a female Purple Finch. 

[meghann 219]

Royal Tern in the front, Caspians in the back (and bonus Sandwich in the foreground.)

terns1 by midgetinvasion, on Flickr

[pictaker 1,561]

Female Common Merganser on the left, female or juvy male Red Breasted on the right

 

[Seattle 1,110]

Lesser and greater yellowlegs

 

[HamRHead 1,055]

Here's some not-so-confusing comparisons from today--Belted Kingfisher with a Green Heron, and a Little Blue Heron with a White Ibis.

[Bird Brain 690]

I had this one posted on the old site before the crash. Thought I'd put it here since I'm sure a lot of people have trouble with these two, and it's very rare to see them together. This is a once-in-a-lifetime shot!!! Hope it helps distinguish them for y'all who have been having trouble when you see one or the other and can't decide which it is.

Common Gallinule (foreground) and American Alligator

1-Fla Trip Nov 2013 096 by Wayne J Smith, on Flickr

[Seanbirds 33]

Here`s another pair that`s pretty hard to distinguish between.😄

[blackburnian 783]

Stumbled upon this picture I forgot I had. Coastal NC during winter of 2015. 

Trumpeter and Tundra Swans: 

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S30379781

Edited October 16, 2019 by blackburnian

[Melierax 805]

19 hours ago, blackburnian said:

Stumbled upon this picture I forgot I had. Coastal NC during winter of 2015. 

Trumpeter and Tundra Swans: 

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S30379781

Wow, that's an excellent shot!

[Melierax 805]

Cackling Goose in front of Canada Goose:

[chipperatl 156]

 

[Melierax 805]

Here's another Cackler with Canada Geese:

[HamRHead 1,055]

2 minutes ago, Melierax said:

Here's another Cackler with Canada Geese:

Just curious, can Cackling outpace Canadas?

[Melierax 805]

2 minutes ago, HamRHead said:

Just curious, can Cackling outpace Canadas?

Haha! I didn't notice any difference in speed, but they do flap faster. 

[Melierax 805]

Male and female Oregon Dark-eyed Juncos:

[Melierax 805]

Forester's Tern (right) and Sandwich Tern (left)

[chipperatl 156]

My Cackling versus Canada

 

My favorite as it looks like he has bodyguards

 

[RobinHood 381]

Mourning Dove versus White-crowned Sparrow.

By far the most obvious difference is in the vocalizations, after that it gets trickier.

[kevarc 240]

Juvenile Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle  from today

[AlexHenry 590]

Female wigeons. Eurasian Wigeon left (warm brown tones and shape of head, dark greater coverts with white fringing, less distinct scapular and mantle patterning); American Wigeon right (cold gray-brown head, black border around base of bill, gray inner secondary).

Here's an eagle shot - young Bald on left, 2 Goldens right.

Edited January 21 by AlexHenry

[akandula 1,273]

@AlexHenry, thanks for the comparison shot of the wigeons. However, when I first looked at the Eurasian, it struck me as a male, due to the rich rufous head, contrasting gray breast, peach-colored forehead, and grayish flanks. I think that male Eurasians are more easy to identify due their rich-colored head, more so than females.

Just my thoughts.

[AlexHenry 590]

9 hours ago, akandula said:

@AlexHenry, thanks for the comparison shot of the wigeons. However, when I first looked at the Eurasian, it struck me as a male, due to the rich rufous head, contrasting gray breast, peach-colored forehead, and grayish flanks. I think that male Eurasians are more easy to identify due their rich-colored head, more so than females.

Just my thoughts.

Thanks - good to know. So would that be a first winter male?

[akandula 1,273]

1 hour ago, AlexHenry said:

Thanks - good to know. So would that be a first winter male?

Sorry, I'm not good at aging them. Maybe this can help you:

https://web.archive.org/web/20121019060610/http://aba.org/birding/v37n2p156.pdf

Edited January 21 by akandula