Field-friendly bird sequenceBlackbird-like Songbirds

Brown-headed Cowbird, Hines, Oregon, May 24, 2009 by Greg Gillson.

The 13 categories of North American birds listed in the Field-friendly bird sequence: Part II are:

Swimming Waterbirds
Flying Waterbirds
Wading Waterbirds
Chicken-like Birds
Raptors
Miscellaneous Landbirds
Aerial Landbirds
Flycatcher-like Birds
Thrush-like Songbirds
Chickadee and Wren-like Songbirds
Warbler-like Songbirds
Sparrow and Finch-like Songbirds
Blackbird-like Songbirds

A beginner should be able to quickly place a bird they see into one of these categories.

Smaller than crows, blackbirds, starlings, and cowbirds are primarily black in color.

 Red-winged Blackbird, Sherwood, Oregon, May 9, 2009 by Greg Gillson.

 Great-tailed Grackle, Hines, Oregon, May 23, 2009 by Greg Gillson.

European Starling, Forest Grove, Oregon, April 11, 2009 by Greg Gillson.