Animal Identifier Blog

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

Stinging Caterpillars: How to Identify the Spiky Ones That Hurt

Not every spiky caterpillar stings. Identify stinging caterpillars by spine type, color and host plant — and tell them from the harmless bristly lookalikes.

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: Identification and Poisonous Species

Which caterpillars in Michigan are poisonous and which are harmless? Identify the stinging species by color, hair and spines — with photos and field marks.

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.

A large dark ground beetle on concrete, commonly mistaken for a cockroach

July 30, 2026 • Insect Identification

Bugs That Look Like Roaches: What You're Actually Seeing

Ground beetles, June bugs, and giant water bugs all get mistaken for cockroaches. Here's how to tell them apart using a few reliable field marks.

Collage of 10 small black birds found in North America, including European Starling, Red-winged Blackbird, and Common Grackle

July 29, 2026 • Bird Identification

Small Black Birds: 10 Species You're Most Likely Seeing

Spotted a small black bird in your yard? This guide covers 10 common North American species and the field marks that separate them.

Scissor-tailed flycatcher perched on a fence post with its dramatically long forked tail displayed against open grassland

July 28, 2026 • Bird Identification

Birds With Long Tails: How to Tell Them Apart

Spotted a bird with a long tail? This guide covers 9 common long-tailed birds in North America, from scissor-tailed flycatchers to grackles and magpies.

A Song Sparrow perched on a wooden fence post in morning light, showing its streaked brown plumage and central breast spot

July 27, 2026 • Bird Identification

Small Brown Birds: The Complete Identification Guide

Learn to identify small brown birds by bill shape, breast pattern, and tail posture. Field guide to sparrows, wrens, and lookalikes in North America.

A male American Goldfinch perched on a dry thistle stem, its lemon-yellow body and jet-black wings sharp against a clean pale sky

July 24, 2026 • Bird Identification

Small Yellow Birds: Goldfinches, Warblers & Lookalikes

Identify small yellow birds by size, bill shape, and plumage. American Goldfinch, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and more.

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