This will help you to see what I am describing. It will not be necessary for you to memorize all those body parts. Now that you have looked over the illustration, it s time to find out which parts are the most important. The rest will come later, with more practice and experience. Field marks are characteristics, often unique to a particular species that can aid with identification.
Field marks are usually anatomical locators, and can often lead to a positive identification.
I will describe some of the anatomical areas where these markings usually occur. A glance at a bird s head can give you valuable identification information. The presence or absence of an eye-ring can be an important field mark. It is composed of tiny feathers, or in some cases, bare skin. When observing birds, be sure to look at the head and try to locate these markings.