A thrift store note in a 1949 field guide bullied me into fixing my bird ID process

Somebody wrote 'STOP USING COLOR, LOOK AT THE BEAK' in the margin and now I check size and shape first, so has anyone else gotten better at something from a stranger's scribble in an old paperback?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryan_kim633d ago

The 'STOP USING COLOR' part really hit me because I always fall back on color too, especially with female birds where everything's brownish. Maybe it's just me but I started looking at feet too, like how some birds have totally different toe shapes that are way easier to spot than a beak from far away. Idk, seems like the margin note was onto something bigger than just beaks.

ninaw881d agoMost Upvoted

Wish I could help, but I'm the one holding binoculars upside down.