Bird Tracks and Sign

Bird tracks and sign are commonly encountered yet often overlooked by beginner trackers. Bird footprints are actually simpler to identify than some other groups of animals because of their relatively simple foot structure. Bird tracks can easily be classified into 5 categories: Classic, Game Bird, Webbed, Totipalmate, and Zygodactyl. Learn about these categories by clicking on the “Identifying Bird Tracks” tab. Use the filter buttons below to view tracks of each type.

Acorn Woodpecker Tree
Acorn Woodpecker Tree
Acorn Woodpecker Tree
Acorn Woodpecker Tree
American Coot Track
American Coot Tracks
American Coot Tracks
Avocet Tracks
Bald Eagle Tracks
Bald Eagle Tracks
Band-tailed Pigeon Scat
Band-tailed Pigeon Scat
Barn Swallow Nest
Black Vulture Tracks
Black Vulture Tracks
Black-bellied Plover and Willet. The plover is above.
Black-bellied Plover Tracks
Black-bellied Plover Tracks
Black-billed Magpie Tracks
Black-billed Magpie Tracks
Black-billed Magpie Tracks
Brewer's Blackbird Tracks
Brewer's Blackbird Tracks
Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owl Burrow
Burrowing Owl Burrow
Burrowing Owl Pellets
Burrowing Owl Pellets
Burrowing Owl Tracks (South America)
Burrowing Owl Tracks
Burrowing Owl Tracks
Burrowing Owl Tracks
Burrowing Owl Tracks
Burrowing Owl Tracks
Burrowing Owl Tracks
California Quail
California Quail Tracks
California Quail Tracks
Canada Goose
Canada Goose
Canada Goose Landing
Cattle Egret
Cave Swallow Nests
Chachalaca Tracks
Cliff Swallow Nest
Cliff Swallow Nests
Cliff Swallow Nests
Cliff Swallow Nests
Crested Caracara Tracks
Crested Caracara Tracks
Crested Caracara Tracks
Crow Tracks
Crow Tracks
Crow Tracks
Crow Tracks
Crow Tracks
Crow Tracks
Crow Tracks
Crow Tracks
Crow Tracks and Scat
Dove Scat
Dove Scat
Dove Tracks
Dove Tracks
Dove Tracks
Downy Woodpecker Sign
Duck Tracks
Duck Tracks
Duck Tracks
Duck Tracks
Eurasian Collared Dove Tracks
Flicker Scat
Flicker Tracks
Flicker Tracks
Flicker Tracks
Flicker Tracks
Flicker Tracks and Tail Feathers
Golden Eagle Tracks
Goose Scat
Goose Scat
Grackle moving from left to right.
Grackle Tracks
Great Blue Heron Track
Great Blue Heron Track
Great Blue Heron Tracks
Great Blue Heron Tracks
Great Blue Heron Tracks
Great Blue Heron Tracks
Great Blue Heron Tracks
Great Blue Heron Tracks
Great Blue Heron Tracks
Great Egret Tracks
Great Horned Owl Tracks
Great Horned Owl Tracks
Great Horned Owl Tracks
Great Horned Owl Tracks
Great Horned Owl Tracks
Great Horned Owl Tracks
Great Horned Owl Tracks
Great Horned Owl Tracks
Great Horned Owl Tracks
Great Horned Owl Tracks
Great Horned Owl Tracks
Great Horned Owl Tracks
Great-tailed Grackle Tracks
Great-tailed Grackle Tracks
Great-tailed Grackle Tracks
Great-tailed Grackle Tracks
Great-tailed Grackle Tracks
Green Heron Track
Green Heron Track
Ground Dove Tracks
Ground Dove Tracks
Ground Dove Tracks
Ground Dove Tracks
Ground Dove Tracks
Grouse Droppings
Grouse Droppings
Grouse Tracks
Grouse Tracks
Grouse Tracks
Hawk (Harrier) Tracks
Hawk (Harrier) Tracks
Hawk (Harrier) Tracks
Hawk Tracks
Heron and Killdeer Tracks
Jay Tracks
Jay Tracks
Jay Tracks
Jay Tracks
Jay Tracks
Killdeer Tracks
Killdeer Tracks
Killdeer Tracks
Killdeer Tracks
Killdeer Tracks
Ladder-backed Woodpecker Hole
Lark Sparrow Tracks
Laughing Gull Tracks
Laughing Gull Tracks
Least Tern Eggs
Long-billed Curlew Tracks
Long-billed Curlew Tracks
Long-billed Curlew Tracks
Magpie Tracks
Montezuma Quail Tracks
Montezuma Quail Tracks
Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove Tracks
Mourning Dove Tracks
Mourning Dove Tracks
Northern Flicker Tracks
Northern Flicker Tracks
Owl Roost
Owl Tracks
Owl Tracks
Pelican Tracks
Pelican Tracks
Pelican Tracks
Pelican Tracks
Pileated Woodpecker Sign
Poorwill Tracks
Quail Scat
Quail Scat
Quail Scat
Quail Tracks
Quail Tracks
Quail Tracks
Quail Tracks
Quail Tracks
Quail Tracks
Raven Nest
Raven Scat & Pellets
Raven Tracks
Raven Tracks
Raven Tracks
Raven Tracks
Raven Tracks
Raven Tracks
Raven Tracks
Rea Tracks (South America)
Red-cockaded Woodpecker Sign
Red-tailed Hawk Tracks
Red-winged Blackbird Tracks?
Roadrunner Scat
Roadrunner Scat
Roadrunner Scat
Roadrunner Scat
Roadrunner Scat
Roadrunner scat and praying mantis egg sack
Roadrunner Tracks
Roadrunner Tracks
Roadrunner Tracks
Roadrunner Tracks
Roadrunner Tracks
Roadrunner Tracks
Roadrunner Tracks
Robin Track
Robin Track
Rock Dove Tracks
Royal Tern Tracks
Ruffed Grouse Tracks
Sage Grouse Tracks
Sage Grouse Tracks
Sanderling Cough Pellets
Sandhill Crane Tracks
Sandhill Crane Tracks
Sapsucker Holes
Sapsucker Holes
Scaled Quail Tracks
Screech Owl Tracks
Screech Owl Tracks
Scrub Jay Tracks
Small Duck Tracks
Snipe Probing
Snipe Tracks
Snipe Tracks
Snipe Tracks
Snipe Tracks
Snipe Tracks
Sparrow Feeding Sign
Sparrow Foraging Sign
Spotted Sandpiper
Spotted Sandpiper Tracks
Spotted Sandpiper Tracks
Spotted Sandpiper Tracks
Spotted Sandpiper Tracks
Swallow Digs
Swallow Digs and Mud Dauber Digs
Swallow Tracks
Swallow Tracks
Towhee Tracks
Trumpeter Swan Tracks
Trumpeter Swan Tracks
Turkey Eggs
Turkey Eggs
Turkey Scat
Turkey Scat
Turkey Scat
Turkey Scratch
Turkey Tracks
Turkey Tracks
Turkey Tracks
Turkey Tracks
Turkey Tracks
Turkey Tracks
Turkey Tracks (Male Displaying)
Turkey Tracks (Male Displaying)
Turkey Tracks Female
Turkey Vulture Eating Fish Tracks
Turkey Vulture Eating Fish Tracks
Turkey Vulture Tracks
Turkey Vulture Tracks
Turkey Vulture Tracks
Turkey Vulture Tracks
Turkey Vulture Tracks
Turkey Wing Drags
Turkey Wing Drags
Vulture Cough Pellets
Vulture Tracks
Vulture Tracks
Vulture Tracks
Willet Scat & Cough Pellets
Wood Duck Tracks
Woodpecker Sign
Woodpecker Tracks

Bird Tracks Gallery Full Species List

Acorn Woodpecker Tree
American Coot Tracks
Avocet Tracks
Bald Eagle Tracks
Band-tailed Pigeon Scat
Barn Swallow Nest
Black Vulture Tracks
Black-bellied Plover Tracks
Black-billed Magpie Tracks
Brewer’s Blackbird Tracks
Burrowing Owl
Burrowing Owl Burrow
Burrowing Owl Pellets
Burrowing Owl Tracks
California Quail Tracks
Canada Goose Tracks
Cattle Egret Tracks
Cave Swallow Nests
Chachalaca Tracks
Cliff Swallow Nests
Cliff Swallow Tracks
Crested Caracara Tracks
Crow Tracks
Dove Scat
Dove Tracks
Downy Woodpecker Sign
Duck Tracks
Eurasian Collared Dove Tracks
Flicker Scat
Flicker Tracks
Flicker Tracks and Tail Feathers
Golden Eagle Tracks
Goose Scat
Grackle and Quail Tracks
Grackle Tracks
Great Blue Heron Track
Great Blue Heron Tracks
Great Egret Tracks
Great-horned Owl Tracks
Great-tailed Grackle Tracks
Green Heron Track
Ground Dove Tracks
Grouse Droppings
Grouse Tracks
Harrier Tracks
Hawk Tracks
Heron and Killdeer Tracks
Heron Scat
Horned Lark Tracks
House Sparrow Tracks
Hummingbird Nest
Jay Tracks
Killdeer Tracks
Ladder-backed Woodpecker Hole
Lark Sparrow Tracks
Laughing Gull Tracks
Least Tern Eggs
Long-billed Curlew Tracks

Magpie Tracks
Montezuma Quail Tracks
Mourning Dove
Mourning Dove Tracks
Northern Flicker Tracks
Owl Roost
Owl Tracks
Pelican Tracks
Pileated Woodpecker Sign
Poorwill Tracks
Quail Scat
Quail Tracks
Raven Nest
Raven Scat & Pellets
Raven Tracks
Rea Tracks
Red-cockaded Woodpecker Sign
Red-tailed Hawk Tracks
Red-winged Blackbird Tracks
Roadrunner Scat
Roadrunner Tracks
Robin Track
Robin Tracks
Rock Dove Tracks
Royal Tern Tracks
Ruffed Grouse Tracks
Sage Grouse Tracks
Sanderling Cough Pellets
Sandhill Crane Tracks
Sapsucker Holes
Scaled Quail Tracks
Screech Owl Tracks
Scrub Jay Tracks
Small Duck Tracks
Snipe Probing
Snipe Tracks
Sparrow Feeding Sign
Sparrow Foraging
Spotted Sandpiper Tracks
Swallow Digs
Swallow Digs and Mud Dauber Digs
Swallow Tracks
Towhee Tracks
Trumpeter Swan Tracks
Turkey Eggs
Turkey Scat
Turkey Scratch
Turkey Tracks
Turkey Tracks Male Displaying
Turkey Vulture Tracks
Turkey Wing Drags
Vulture Cough Pellets
Vulture Tracks
Willet Scat & Cough Pellets
Wood Duck Tracks
Woodpecker Sign
Woodpecker Tracks

Bird tracks can easily be classified into 5 categories: Classic, Game Bird, Webbed, Totipalmate, and Zygodactyl. While there are technically more types of bird feet, this system is convenient for identifying tracks. Identifying bird tracks is actually much easier than many people think. Once the track is assigned a category, it can be quickly narrowed down by measuring the length and using the quick references in Bird Tracks and Sign by Mark Elbroch. Click on the “Resources” tab to read more about this and other books for identifying bird tracks.

Classic (anisodactyl) Tracks

Classic Tracks (also called anisodactyl) have 3 toes pointing forward and one long toe pointing backward. This is common in perching birds, doves, hawks, ravens, herons, egrets, and many others.

Game Bird Tracks

Game Bird Tracks are similar to classic tracks, except the toe in the back is much smaller or absent altogether. This group includes quail, turkey, plovers, sand pipers, cranes, and others.

Webbed (palmate) Tracks

Webbed Tracks are similar to game bird tracks, except the forward facing toes are webbed. Also, the outer toes in webbed tracks curve slightly inward. This group includes ducks, geese, gulls, terns, and more.

Totipalmate Tracks

Totipalmate Tracks have webbing between all 4 toes. This group contains pelicans and cormorants and some other ocean dwelling species.

Zygodactyl Tracks

Zygodactyl Tracks have 2 toes pointing forward and 2 pointing backward. This includes roadrunners, cuckoo’s, woodpeckers, and owls.

The following images are the recent bird track observations from the North American Animal Tracks Database. This is an iNaturalist project where trackers share observations and help each other learn about animal tracks, all while contributing to scientific research.

medium
Owl pellets? Took a picture of trees above where they were found
Grey Partridge
Size 7 women's boot for scale
Typical Owls
Owl Pellet.
Common Raven
Tracks in the snow at the edge of the ballfields near the Bronx Kill, a location where the resident ravens are often seen foraging and caching food. As pointed out to me by knowledgeable naturalists, proximity of the second and third toes is diagnostic for Corvus. Tracks too large for American or Fish Crows at slightly more than 4 inches in length, measured in comparison to a foot of known size
medium
Owls
ecoEXPLORE Username: bilbobaggins
Typical Owls
Seems like the remains of an owl pellet. Bones from at least two species present. A winter bone pile Lying near a tree’s bottom Owl pellet, maybe
Great Horned Owl
medium
Typical Eagle-Owls and Horned Owls
medium
Owls
Owl pellet with some sort of rodent jaw in it. Likely from the CSUS great horned owl residents
Owls
Pellet with gopher bones.
Oiseaux
medium
Large owl pellet with rodent bones inside
medium
Wild Turkey
medium
Owls
medium
Burrowing Owl
Large burrow located. About 6 inches wide. Some whitewash present at entrance. No pellets observed.
Canada Goose
medium
Columba livia domestica
medium
Great horned owl pellet
Birds
medium
Wild Turkey
medium
Western Burrowing Owl
Adult flushed during aquatic surveys, multiple pellets and wash at burrow.
Greater Sage-Grouse
medium
Gray Partridge
Witnessed
Eastern Screech-Owl
medium
Greater Roadrunner
Tracks in dust at gap in fence.
Owls
MNWR ~ Owl Pellet
Waterfowl
medium

The guides below are my absolute favorites for identifying bird tracks. If you decide to purchase any of these guides, using the links below to Amazon will help support future developments to this website.

Bird Tracks and Sign is the only guide solely dedicated to identifying bird tracks in North America. If you’re at all interested in bird track identification, this book is an absolute must. Bird track identification is actually much easier than many people think. This guide simply divides bird tracks into 5 categories. To identify a track, determine the category, measure the length, and then compare it with the quick reference tables on the front and back covers to determine species that overlap in size. While I highly recommend this book, I really wish it contained a section of life-sized drawings.

Animal Tracks and Scat of California is a regional guide, but many of the species are found throughout North America. This guide includes mammals, birds, and even some reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. It is a great general tracking guide (full disclaimer: I am a co-author of this guide) and is a great bet if you want a single guide that covers more than just mammals. This book also has some helpful sections not found in Bird Tracks and Sign including a quick reference to life sized bird tracks.

Bird Feathers is a wonderful example of how much more there is to tracking than footprints. This guide to bird feather identification is written by two excellent trackers: Dave Scott and Casey McFarland. Dave runs the Earth Native Wilderness School in Austin Texas and is a Track and Sign Specialist. Casey is a Track and Sign Evaluator with CyberTracker Conservation and is one of the best trackers in the country. In Bird Feathers, Dave and Casey painstakingly collected and photographed the feathers of 397 birds. They also explain how to “read” a feather to know the not just the part of wing it came from, but also the type of wing. I highly recommend this book for birders and trackers.

Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest is a regional guide written by my friend and excellent tracker David Moskowitz. While this book primarily focuses on the Northwest, a lot of information applies nationwide. This tracking guide includes mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. It dedicates an entire 32 pages specifically to birds. The guide also contains excellent original artwork by Dave and some incredible photography.

Tracks & Signs of the Birds of Britain & Europe is the most comprehensive guide to bird tracks for Europe. It is currently out-of-print, but there are still lots of used copies floating around. Be sure to get the 2003 version if you can. There is also an eBook version that is available for download.