Parts of a Bird
The parts of a bird you need for a clear identification and description
Supercilium - the eyebrow zone of a bird.
Crown - the top of a birds head, which may have a crest in certain species.
Supralorals - the beginning of the supercilium, or the area above the lores.
Lores - the area of very small, short feathers in front of the eye, between the eye and the beak.
Bill - the mouth opening of a bird that varies in size, shape, weight, and use throughout species.
Auriculars - the area of varied feathers over the birds ear.
Malar - the area of feathers below the lores, adjacent to the throat.
Throat - the area of extensive feathers that is below the birds bill area, but above the breast.
Breast - the feathers that make up the front of a bird, resembling a chest. On some birds there is a breast band, which a band of different colored feathers that stretches form the left side of the breast to the right side.
Sides - the feathers below the curve of the wing, between the breast and the flanks.
Belly - the very underside of a bird.
Flanks - the area of long feathers that runs below the primary edge of the wing.
Toes - the metatarsus of a bird, shape and size varies depending on the species.
Tarsus - the area from the heel of a bird to their toes.
Tibial feathers - the feathers on the birds tibia, where the leg meets the belly.
Vent - the feather patch under the base of the tail. (marked incorrectly as undertail covers in the diagram)
Uppertail coverts - the patch of feathers on the top of the base of the tail.
Undertail coverts - the underside of the feathers of the tail (not marked on diagram)
Tail - The shaft of feathers that birds use to steer their flight.
Primaries - The outermost flight feathers on the wing.
Secondaries - the feathers that are in between the primary feathers and the tertiary feathers.
Tertials - the last three secondaries.
Primary coverts - the outermost covert on the wing. In sparrows it covers the Alula, which is small covert feather used for steering.
Greater coverts - the thin strip of feathers between the Primary and Median coverts.
Median coverts - the wing coverts underneath the Scapulars and above the Greater Coverts.
Scapulars - the base of the wing. More visible on birds of prey than sparrows. (Mislabeled as Mantle in the diagram)
Mantle - the upper back, between the Mantle and uppertail coverts is called the back. (Mislabeled as Scapulars in the diagram)
Nape - the bottom the neck wrapping around the back of the Auriculars.
Lores - the area of very small, short feathers in front of the eye that connect it to the beak.
Supraloral - the beginning of the supercilium or the area above the lores.
Malar - the area of feathers below the lores.
Throat - the area of extensive feathers that is below the birds bill area.
Auriculars - the area of varied feathers over the birds ear.
Orbital feathers - the small feathers around the eye.
Nape - the bottom the neck wrapping around the back of the Auriculars.
Supercilium (eyebrow stripe) - the eyebrow zone of a bird.
Crown - the top of a birds head, which may have a crest in certain species.
Lateral Crown-Stripe - the lateral stripes at the edges of the crown (left and right edges, not front and back).
Median Crown-Stripe - the lateral stripe in the middle of the crown. Sometimes concealed on birds by the Lateral Crown-Stripes.
Lores - the area of very small, short feathers in front of the eye that connect it to the beak.
Malar Stripe - the pattern the separates the Malar from the Throat.
Eye Line - the line that goes from the beak to behind the eye.
Eye-ring / Eye-arcs - the patterns that the orbital feathers create around the eye. Eye-arcs are formed when the eye-ring is separated by an eye line.
Supercilium (Eyebrow Stripe) - the eyebrow zone of a bird.
References:
Sibley, D. A. (2014). The Sibley Guide to Birds: Second Edition. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.