# How to distinguish warblers/vireos/flycatchers?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-distinguish-warblers-vireos-flycatchers/784438>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 14, 2017, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-distinguish-warblers-vireos-flycatchers/784438 "2017-04-14T12:29:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2017, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-distinguish-warblers-vireos-flycatchers/784438/21 "2017-04-17T21:10:24Z")

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> [@barbitu8](#):
>
> I find quite useful is the iBird Pro app for iPhone. It plays the various variations of the songs and calls of the birds but also gives much useful additional info. AudubonBirds is another app. Sibley has an app too, but I downloaded Sibley Lite because it is free, and useless. It doesn’t even have many common birds.

I’ve had good success with the free [Merlin app](http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/), distributed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Apparently the latest versions allow you to ID the bird from a picture on your phone (no 12-step technological, password-intensive process needed); but my phone is too old to take advantage of this feature, so I can’t speak to its efficacy.

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**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-distinguish-warblers-vireos-flycatchers/784438/22 "2017-04-18T00:00:06Z")

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> [@MikeS](#):
>
> I’ve had good success with the free [Merlin app](http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/), distributed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Apparently the latest versions allow you to ID the bird from a picture on your phone (no 12-step technological, password-intensive process needed); but my phone is too old to take advantage of this feature, so I can’t speak to its efficacy.

I tried that. It’s more or less a quiz app and the questions are easy.

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**Author:** ![BuckChongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@BuckChongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckChongo)\
**Post date:** [April 18, 2017, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-distinguish-warblers-vireos-flycatchers/784438/23 "2017-04-18T01:08:02Z")

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Above all the best way to learn to identify birds is to go out with experienced bird watchers, Audubon society field trips, classes at community colleges, check out some resources. There are all kinds of behavioral cues you can learn from people who know them, just a bit of coaching and you’ll know at 1st glance if you’re seeing a warbler, vireo, flycatcher or (like me in my backyard yesterday) crested caracara.

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