As many books have been written on bird identification this list is very limited but hopefully will provide a possible path that might lead to an identification. The bird is soaring, has broad wings and spread tail. Third, I look at the tail and note it is reddish in color with no barring. Then we could both note that it has no black cap, no grayish head, no eye ring, no eye stripe and no wing bars. Occasionally I'm lucky enough to see it in the cottonwood tree, confirm my expectations and identify it as a Yellow Warbler.
Bird songs can be an excellent means of identifying an elusive species.
My problem is that my old ears have lost their ability to pick up low volume and high frequency sounds. However, even a non-hearing experience provides hints to bird identification. Songs are often a powerful clue as to the group of species the observation belongs to. In this scenario she describes the song as a wheeze and a series of insect-like buzzes. I immediately start looking for a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher as her song description eliminated many warblers and sparrows.