This is Bird Note.

The colorful feathers and loud songs of male songbirds

often catch a birder's attention first.

Observing females often means birding more slowly,

noticing subtle differences in plumage and behavior, says Joanna Wu.

She's 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 mate, because oftentimes they're calling to each other,

and then that will help me figure out who the bird is.

I'll listen to her call notes. That can be 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.

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