This is Bird Note. The colorful feathers and loud songs of male songbirds often catch a bird's

attention first. Observing females often means birding more slowly, noticing subtle differences

in plumage and behavior, says Joanna Wu. She is part of a group called the Galbatrosses.

They're encouraging birders to spend more time identifying female birds.

It slows things down dramatically and all of us Galbatrosses have experienced taking 20 minutes to

identify a single bird. Many female warblers are shades of greenish yellow, making it tricky to

figure out which species they are. But Joanna says the bird's behavior can give her clues.

Now I try to go out and see if I can find its make, because oftentimes they're calling to each

other, and that will help me figure out who the bird is. I'll listen to her call notes that can

meet a distinguishing factor. Fellow Galbatross, Perbita Saha, says that watching for females can

help us understand birds on a deeper level. I would say it's made us see birds as individuals

rather than just species, so because we're looking at each bird's behavior or how they're communicating

with each other, you just realize that each bird, even among a flock, has different personalities.

Each bird is unique and each bird has something to teach us.

By listening and watching carefully,

birders can learn more about female birds, and they can share that knowledge with the Galbatrosses,

who are compiling people's notes on female bird ID.

Learn more on our website, birdnote.org. I'm Ariana Remmel.