Generally, wild birds are ones which are not domesticated. They are generally specific to the region you spot them in – if you live in North America and see an African Grey Parrot in your back yard, then the likelihood is that is someone’s lost pet.

The key to wild bird identification is knowledge, and there are many sources for this. books, articles, and web sources can help. Of the simplest and most common are any publications on the state or region you live in. Most of these give, at least, a small amount of information on its state bird. Most also have a picture, and even a written description.

There are many bird characteristics that can be used in wild bird identification, such as size, color, location, sound, flight patterns, and habits. Some birds even offer clues in their eggs. For instance, robins have pale blue eggs. This is not foolproof, as there are other birds, such as the catbird, which also have the same color eggs.

Another factor which can help in identifying wild birds is their habitat. Different birds have different breeding habits, thus use different materials and methods of building their nests. They also have different ways of protecting these nests.

Color is a good indicator, especially for certain breeds - like cardinals and blue jays - but it can be a little more challenging to use this method with female bird species, as males tend to have brighter, more vivid colors.

Sometimes, just knowing which foods the wild birds in your yard tend to eat can help in the identification process. There are some birds who love fruits and vegetables more than nuts. A word of caution, though, since some birds also like to eat small animals, so be careful if you have any small pets.

It is advisable to obtain sources for identifying wild birds which have checklists or other quick ways to narrow down the possibilities. Half the fun of spotting wild birds for the bird lover is knowing what breed of bird they are actually seeing do, like anything, do your homework.