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We’ve all been there. The conversation goes something like this: 

Person 1: “Oh, oh, oh! Tanager!” 

Person 2: “Where!?” 

Person 1: “Up there in that tree!”

Person 2: “Which one?”

Person 1: “The really green one!”

Person 2: “They’re all really green!” 

Person 1: “No, the tall one! Right where I’m pointing. See?” 

Bird flies off. 

It doesn’t have to be this way. With time, birders learn tips and tricks to help get others on birds fast, and with some practice, you, too, can sharpen these valuable skills for the field. It’s all about specificity and providing useful guides and references. Next time you’re out and someone needs help spotting the bird, keep these handy pointers in mind.

1) Start Low 

In the excitement that comes with spotting a Very Good Bird™, the urge is to immediately tell people where you are looking. But when the bird is high up in a leafy tree that is surrounded by other leafy trees amid a mesh of criss-crossing branches, often the best place to start is down low, where everyone can easily identify which tree they should key in on. Trace the trunk down to its starting point, and then describe it with detail. An example: “The one with the knob two feet up on the right and a slight left bend before it splits. Follow that one up and stay right when it forks.” 

2) Use the Clock Approach  

Once folks are on the correct tree, you can then tell them approximately how high up the bird is. Again, specificity is key here. Your halfway up isn’t always someone else’s halfway up, so try to use distinctive bark marks on the trunk or notable branches to get everyone in the right area. Once there, use the tried-and-true clock method. Describe the general area of the tree as you would a clock face, using the trunk as noon and six and the other times to pinpoint where exactly the bird is located. Remember to also think in 3D and provide distance as a clue: “It’s on the far side of the big branch between 1 and 2 o’clock and moving back toward us.”

3) Get Super Specific 

Now it’s time to give the folks still having trouble getting eyes on the bird every clue possible. Is there a slightly more yellow leaf near the bird? Does the limb it’s sitting on bend at a weird angle? Is the bird at the tip of that one branch that sticks out from the canopy against the bright blue sky? Is there another marker like a caterpillar tent or squirrel nest to reference? Use whatever nature provides to get folks closer and closer to the bird. Eventually, they’ll find it. Unless, of course, it’s a Black-throated Green Warbler that has decided to post up behind a clump of leaves to sing for the next hour. Then you’re out of luck and all is lost. It’s time to move on. But hey, at least you tried.