Animal Identifier Blog

Field guides for identifying animals, birds, breeds and tracks — what to look for, and how to tell lookalikes apart.

Puss caterpillar asp on live oak bark in Texas showing its distinctive tan silky fur hiding venomous spines

August 17, 2026 • Insect Identification

Caterpillars in Texas: 9 Species and Which Ones Sting

Caterpillars in Texas: 161+ species, including the asp, the US's most venomous. Field marks and sting risk for 9 common species.

Saddleback caterpillar on a green leaf showing its distinctive bright green saddle and brown center marking

August 14, 2026 • Insect Identification

Caterpillars in Florida: 9 Species and Which Ones Sting

Florida has 155+ caterpillar species, including 4 that sting. This guide covers the most common ones with field marks, host plants, and sting risk.

Close-up of cream-white moth larvae on wool fabric with visible silk webbing

August 13, 2026 • Insect Identification

Moth Larvae Identification: What's Eating Your Clothes or Food

Learn to identify moth larvae by size, color, silk webbing, and feeding damage. Find out which species is in your closet, pantry, or garden.

A Red-tailed Hawk perched on a weathered wooden fence post with its distinctive rusty red tail visible

August 12, 2026 • Bird Identification

Hawk Identification: How to Tell Common Hawks Apart

Learn hawk identification using wing shape, tail pattern, and flight style. Covers Red-tailed, Cooper's, Sharp-shinned, and more North American species.

Close-up of a white fuzzy Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar with distinctive black hair tufts resting on a green leaf

August 11, 2026 • Insect Identification

White Fuzzy Caterpillars: Identification and Sting Risk

A field guide to white fuzzy caterpillars in North America: which species sting, which are harmless, and the key field marks that tell them apart.

Side-by-side comparison of a Red-tailed Hawk and Peregrine Falcon in flight, showing the broad rounded wings of the hawk versus the narrow pointed wings of the falcon

August 10, 2026 • Bird Identification

Hawk vs Falcon: How to Tell the Difference

Wing shape, beak structure, and flight style are the three field marks that separate hawks from falcons every time. Here's how to read each one.

Close-up of a spiky caterpillar with bright orange and black branched spines resting on a green leaf

August 7, 2026 • Insect Identification

Spiky Caterpillars: How to Identify and Avoid Stings

A spiky caterpillar can be harmless or a painful sting. Learn how to identify stinging species by spine type, color, and host plant.

A smartphone displaying a caterpillar identification app result next to a colorful caterpillar on a green leaf

August 6, 2026 • Insect Identification

Best Caterpillar Identification Apps in 2026

Find the best caterpillar identification app in 2026. Compare free tools like Seek, community ID via iNaturalist, and AI apps with follow-up chat.

Banded woolly bear caterpillar crossing a Michigan hiking trail in fall

August 5, 2026 • Insect Identification

Caterpillars in Michigan: 9 Common Species and How to Identify Them

Caterpillars in Michigan, identified. 9 common species with field marks, host plants and handling tips — from woolly bears to tent caterpillars to the ones that sting.

A male Spotted Towhee perched on a branch showing its black hood and white-spotted wings against a green background

August 4, 2026 • Bird Identification

Black Birds With White Wing Stripes: Identification Guide

A black bird with a white wing stripe can be a towhee, Lark Bunting, Bobolink, or Nighthawk. This guide covers 8 species and how to tell them apart.

A small pale buff-colored webbing clothes moth resting on white wool fabric with silky webbing visible on the surface

August 4, 2026 • Insect Identification

House Moth Identification: Which Moth Is in Your Home

Small moth in your closet or pantry? Learn to tell clothes moths from pantry moths by wing color, body size, and where you find them.

A Northern Gannet in flight showing its white body and solid black wing tips against a clear sky

July 31, 2026 • Bird Identification

White Birds With Black Wing Tips: Gulls, Gannets and More

Spot a white bird with black wing tips? Here's how to tell Ring-billed Gulls, Snow Geese, pelicans, gannets, cranes, and terns apart.

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