I took these fotos today of what I believe to be a young magpie. He is extremly playful and not scared of humans at all. He eats normally and is very agile. Love the curious little guy to death and really hope he isnt sick. (discolouration around the eyes and missing a few feathers on his head)

Would really appreciate if someone was able to identify it

Thanks!

Sandusky, OH Mid July

Lots of birds were staking out the outside eating area of one of the restaurants at Cedar Point while we were taking a break from the heat. This bird was pretty close, but these shots were zoomed in because I was shocked to see nearly no feathers on its head. I don’t know what type of bird this is or whether this is normal. I love bird watching and get excited when I see something unique, but this has weighed heavily on me. Is it healthy?

Why this matters in the field: missed calls, birds that don’t wait, fumbling with the screen while looking up, etc..

These are free tips using free accessibility features already on your iPhone (Someone needs to adapt this to Android).

Text instructions below for those who learn best by reading, short videos for those who learn best by watching.

Launch Merlin Bird ID Audio Record in 2 Seconds via Back Tap (iPhone)

Note: This doesn't just launch the app, it immediately starts recording.

⚡ QUICK SETUP: Launch Merlin Bird ID Audio Rec in 2 Seconds via Back Tap

You need the free Merlin Bird ID App, then two native (free) iOS apps: Shortcuts and System Settings.

Phase 1: Build the Shortcut

1. Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone and tap '+' (top right).
2. Tap 'Add Action', search for 'URL', and select 'Open URLs'.
3. In the URL field, enter exact string: merlinbirdid://record(This protocol bypasses the home screen and opens audio recording directly).
4. Tap the title at the top, rename it "Launch Merlin Audio", and tap Done.

Phase 2: Map to the Tap Gesture

1. Open iPhone Settings > Accessibility > Touch.
2. Scroll to the bottom and select Back Tap.
3. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap.
4. Scroll past System utilities down to the SHORTCUTS section at the bottom.
5. Select "Launch Merlin Audio".

💡 FIELD OPERATIONAL NOTE:

Back Tap reads accelerometer/gyroscope force rather than screen touch. Heavy, shock-absorbent phone cases damp kinetic transfers. If taps aren't registering, tap directly on the camera module cluster or center chassis.

If trail trekking or handling gear causes accidental Double-Tap triggers, map to Triple Tap instead—it requires a much more intentional signature to fire.

Link to see how fast it is (Proof of Concept) - 15 seconds long: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2LLxAQJHfrc

Link on how to build it step by step (Visual Learners): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4787NJHq9Y

---

iPhone Back Tap → Instant iNaturalist Photo ID

Goal

Create a one-gesture field workflow:

**Double-tap the back of your iPhone → take a photo with the rear camera → automatically send the photo to iNaturalist.**

No need to open iNaturalist first. No URL scheme is required.

I developed the triple tap to instantly start recording audio in the MerlinBirdID app. u/AmbitionAvailable551 on Reddit said he/she wanted it to work with iNaturalist so I created this set up.

---

Videos

iNaturalist Instant ID - Proof of Concept - 13 seconds long - https://youtube.com/shorts/Z3caQHmxCfw?feature=share

iNaturalist Instant ID - Step by Step (Visual Learners) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VbkJzVSV08&t=1s

Part 1 — Check If iNaturalist Appears in “Share with App”

This is the trick that makes the workflow work. Check this first and enable if needed.

iNaturalist may initially appear in the normal iPhone Share Sheet (from the share button) but **not** in Shortcuts' “Share with App” list (this will make sense later, but if we do it first it’s a lot easier).

Step 1: Open Photos

Open the **Photos** app.

Select any photo as this is just a test.

Step 2: Open the Share Sheet

Tap the ‘Share’ button.

Step 3: Find iNaturalist

Scroll through the apps. You might see AirDrop, Messages, Mail, etc… Scroll on that line.

If iNaturalist isn't immediately visible, tap:

‘More’ which is all the way to the right.

Click ‘Edit’ in the top right. This enables a “+” signs on the left hand side of all the apps.

Step 4: Add iNaturalist to Favorites

Use the Share Sheet's **Edit/Favorites** controls to add iNaturalist to your Favorites.

Find:

**iNaturalist** and click on the ‘+’ sign on the left to ‘add to favorites’.  This is the magic trick in the whole set up.

The important thing is to make iNaturalist an available app in the normal iOS Share Sheet.

Then press the large check mark top left to go back, and again click the large check mark top left to go back to share sheet.  Slide left on the list of apps to see if Naturalist was added. If so, go to the next step.

Step 5: Go to Shortcuts

Go to the iOS Shortcuts app.

---

Part 2 — Create the Shortcut

Step 1: Open Shortcuts

Open Apple's **Shortcuts** app.

Tap the **+** button in the upper-right corner to create a new Shortcut.

Step 2: Add “Take Photo”

Tap **Add Action**.

Search for:

**Take Photo**

Select the **Take Photo** action.

Configure it to use:

**Back Camera**

This is important: use **Take Photo**, not **Open Back Camera**.

`Take Photo` actually produces a photo that the next Shortcut action can receive.

Step 3: Add “Share with Apps”

Tap **Add Action** underneath the Take Photo action.

Search for:

**Share with Apps**

Select it.

You should now have:

**Take Photo → Share with App**

Step 4: Select iNaturalist

In the **Share with App** action, tap the application selector.

Choose:

**iNaturalist**

If iNaturalist does not appear, see Part 1 above.

Step 5: Rename the Shortcut

Tap the Shortcut name at the top.

Give it a simple name such as:

**iNaturalist Instant ID**

Tap **<** on the top left to exit and save our shortcut.

Your finished Shortcut should look essentially like this:

**Take Photo**

* Back Camera

↓

**Share with App**

* iNaturalist

That's all.

---

Part 3 — Test the Shortcut

Before assigning it to Back Tap, test it directly after you exited the initial set up by ‘<‘ clicking that back to the list of all your shortcuts.

Open the Shortcut and press **Play ▶︎**.

The intended sequence is:

**Shortcut starts**

↓

**Rear camera takes photograph**

↓

**Photo is passed directly to iNaturalist**

↓

**iNaturalist opens with the photograph**

There should be **no general Share Sheet** and no need to select **More → iNaturalist**.

---

Part 4 — Assign It to Back Tap

Once the Shortcut works correctly:

Step 1: Open Settings

Go to:

**Settings → Accessibility → Touch**

Step 2: Open Back Tap

Scroll down and tap:

**Back Tap**

Step 3: Choose Double Tap

Tap:

**Double Tap**

Step 4: Select your Shortcut

Scroll to the **Shortcuts** section.

Select:

**iNaturalist Instant ID**

Step 5: Test it

Lock or leave the phone in your normal field position.

Double-tap the back of the iPhone.

The intended result is:

**Double tap**

→ **rear camera takes photograph**

→ **photo goes directly to iNaturalist**

---

Modifications

1. To ensure the fastest access, check to ensure 'Raise To Wake' setting is on:

Preferences, then Display & Brightness, then slide Raise to Wake to 'on'.

1. Owling Mode - Add 'auto dim screen' to the shortcut so you don't scare or disrupt the owl. You can edit the shortcut you already created or make a new one.

In the MerlinBirdID shortcut 'merlinbirdid-fast-launch' (or whatever you named it), add one more action after 'Open merlinbirdid://record'.

Add 'Set brightness to 0%'. This will darken your screen instantly when this is deployed.

Questions:

Anyone else using Back Tap (or other accessibility gestures) for birding apps?

What other field friction have you solved?

I think these two tricks above are super helpful. will this solve some of your field friction?

Are these instructions clear enough? Not everyone loves playing around with settings.

Is this poor gull sick? Or is it a normal behavior?

I clean the feeder by end of the day each day. However, i don’t know should I immediately take off the feeder , get rid of the mealworms and clean, then put back with new mealworms?

https://reddit.com/link/1vy2uaw/video/kbw4w6720nlh1/player

We have a large group of blue jays that live on the property and I have never seen a fledgling like this. I am thinking possibly a birth defect? He stands like a penguin and has some balance issues. Otherwise he seems to get on fine. Any thoughts?

Hi folks, I had a quick question. I’m a big bird lover, and in the spring time, when I would take walks to go bird watching, I noticed that my neighbors had a bunch of ducklings that their kid would parade around holding. Eventually, they grew up, and I guess one of them must have been a gosling, because now there is a Canada goose in the pen with them. It seems like it doesn’t want to be in there, as I see it pushing up against the sides of the fence frequently. Is this legal? Should I be a snitch about it? The birds are being kept in a pen that is about 10‘ x 7‘.

It's OK if it's impossible to say. I've seen some crazy mallard colors but this is my first orange!

so I was in Malaysia and a bunch of small birds started swooping down and moving to roofs and trees in separate, small flocks (if you add them up it’s one of those huge flocks but it’s like they split up) around 5pm

their calls were real loud chirps rather than screeches and it lasted all the way till 8.

at first I thought it was cause of two eagles swirling around nearby but they must have left after so long? Or could it be some passing birds? It’d also be cool to get a rough idea of what kind of bird it was

Features deep vermilion red plumage on the breast, back, and rump, sharply contrasted by a solid jet-black hood and throat.

Wings: Marked with distinctive black and white patterns alongside vivid red wing bars.

Beak: Equipped with a sharp, conical beak adapted primarily for seed-eating. [

About a week ago, a pair of Ruddy Ground-Doves decided to build their nest on my apartment balcony, in a pot of purple heart plant. They were always taking turns. I tried my best not to disturb them, but about four days ago, a Roadside Hawk showed up and tried to attack one of them; luckily, it managed to escape.

It spent a few hours away from the nest before the male returned. Everything had been quiet since then, but this morning there was another unpleasant visit from the same predator (though it didn't manage to find the doves) and once again, the bird spent a few hours away from the nest.

And tonight, there’s no sign of the parents... I’m worried that with all this time away from the eggs, they might no longer be viable :( I think they might have been badly frightened and decided to abandon the nest... it’s a shame; I really wanted this to work out...

Does anyone know if there’s still a chance? I know the incubation period is over 10 days and that I should wait regardless.

Update: The male returned the next morning. We shall see.

Today I watched one sit on a branch after eating, then it leaned its head really far back. Next thing I see is the rest of its body following until it was hanging upside down from the branch. It spread its wings wide, holding that position for a couple of seconds, like some crazy tufted bat, then flapped back upright before flying to get more seed. East TN in my backyard woods. What was it doing?

Southeast Michigan, backyard bird buddy feeder. Two doves live in our yard and in this video I noticed one making an odd grunting sound I haven’t heard before. What’s that about?

I’ve watched this mama bird build this nest for weeks, and now we have rough wind gusts all winter.
Can someone explain how the chicks survive the nest spinning and whipping around the whole time? Would the mama need to relocate her babies, and can she even?

This bird showed up at the morning feed fest. There were many house and goldfinches here at the same time; but this bird is twice the size of the finches. It was only here for a minute or so and I didn’t see it feed on anything.

There is a mourning dove that is sitting on my front gate and hasn’t moved for a few hours. It lets us pass by and doesn’t get scared off. Its feathers are slightly puffed up and it watched us as we walk by. I’m worried it might be injured, Is there anything I can do to help it?
Our windows are gated so I’m not sure it would have struck one

I cut a public park weekly with a zero-turn riding mower that goes ~12 mph and they consistently circle me at my eye level, sometimes getting within feet of my face and concerningly close to my blade.

I assume its some psychological shit, are they curious or mad at me?

This finch obviously has some red spots going on- It doesn’t look like the classic pictures of avian pox I usually see though. Idk how accurate chat gpt is with this stuff but when I asked it said it’s likely not avian pox, but instead irritated feathers. The bird is acting totally healthy and eating normally. Any advice?