By Filip Tkaczyk
Bird Tracks are an exciting aspect of naturalist studies andcan be found in many places. Withhundreds of species of birds found in North America, studyingtheir tracks can seem very daunting. Since tracks are made mostly by the feet of birds, one of the easiest ways tobreak down different tracks is according to foot type. The main groupings are: anisodactyl, game bird, palmate, totipalmate andzygodactyl.
It also helps to know that bird toes are numbered from the back toe (called "toe 1" or the "halix") to the outside. So the outer most toe is called "toe 4."
Anisodactyl Tracks
These "classic bird tracks" are made by birds with feet that are anisodactyl, which isdefined by a foot in which 3 toes are pointed forward and 1 is pointedbackward. Birds that have feet designedin this way include practically all songbirds, herons and egrets, eagles,hawks, falcons, vultures, doves, and moorhens. Kingfishers are often included in this group because they leave tracks that match this group, even though they have toes 3 and 2 on their foot fused for part oftheir length (syndactyl). An example of anisodactyl tracks are visible in the photo below, in this case from a great blue heron (Ardea herodias).
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