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Bird watching is like an addiction. Once you are hooked, there is no getting away from it. Since doing so is hopeless, you need to understand the terminology you will here.

Abmigration is the movement of a bird from one breeding area to another by pairing in a flock with a bird from the new area. They then travel during the next season.

Orientation refers to the navigation ability of birds. Some can orient to a particular direction during migration while others seem to be effected by the length of the day. Surprisingly, little is understood about how this happens.

Ornithosis is a nasty disease found in some birds. The symptoms are diarrhea and weight loss. It is often fatal. Found most prominently in parrot species and pigeons.

Plumage generally refers to the feathers on an adult bird. If the species molts only once a year, adults are considered to have basic plumage. Double molts is a sign of breeding and basic plumages.

The brood is somewhat of a catch all term meaning either the young birds hatched from a clutch of eggs or the act of incubating eggs in the nest. It can also refer as a verb to the act of keeping chick warm.

Photoperiodism refers to the reaction of birds as well as other animals and plants to the changing amounts of sunlight in a day during the year. Breeding periods and migration are believed to be triggered by it.

The act of probing refers to bird conduct during feeding sessions. Birds will probe areas such as dead bark, mud and what have you to find food. The type of probing is dependent upon the particular bird and is a crude method for identification.

Shearing is a flight specific activity to certain birds. It is the graceful act of dipping the edge of one wing into water and then slowly rotating to dipping the other tip while flying across the water.

Not all nesting is the same. Cavity nesting refers to birds that make their nests in the cavities of trees and other structures. The placement of the nest high or near the grown can be a field marker of sorts.

A diurnal species refers to a bird that feeds and is active primarily during the day, the opposite of how most birds customarily act.

As with humans, bird drumming refers to a noise made by birds. It is typically done by males to attract females. The drums are often trees or other structure that produce a particular noise when knocked.

The nape of a bird is another potential classification mechanism. It refers to the area between the crown of the head and neck. It often is an area of demarcation, making it helpful in identifying the bird you are seeing.

The act of gleaning refers to birds that pick their food off of upright structures such as trees. Some do it while hovering, but many may just land on the structure and whip their head back and forth to find food.

The most important thing about bird watching terms is to understand their place. They can help you understand what you are seeing, but should not divert you from the pure beauty of the sighting.

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