The act of oiling refers pretty much to what it sounds like. It is the application of oil to the wings and feathers during preening or through water contact.

Air sacs are a section of a bird's respiratory system. They are attached to lungs and extend throughout the body cavity. Depending on the species, can temporarily store large amounts of air to cool the body and maximize oxygen intake.

A Field mark refers to distinctive characteristics used by a birder to identify particular birds in the wild. Field marks can be coloring, shapes, size and so on.

Paddling is a term that carries a different meaning than you might think. It does not refer to peddling through the water. Instead, it refers to stamping the ground to motivate food such as worms to pop up where they can be eaten.

The brood is somewhat of a catch all term meaning either the young birds hatched from a clutch of eggs or the act of incubating eggs in the nest. It can also refer as a verb to the act of keeping chick warm.

The classification of bird species refers to their designation within a hierarchy. The hierarch is class, order, family, genus and species.

The rump of bird is an area often critical for identification purposes. It is the area just above the tail feathers. It is often distinctly colored and/or shaped, which helps with classification.

Dabbling is the act of a bird sitting on the water and feeding by moving its head below the water line to access plants, bugs, animals and whatever it happens to eat.

When it comes to birds, their display is all about communication. The display involves positioning their body in such a way to convey meanings regarding territoriality, mating and such.

A diurnal species refers to a bird that feeds and is active primarily during the day, the opposite of how most birds customarily act.

Totipalmate is another way to identify a bird. The term refers to the webbing or lack thereof between the toes. Those birds with webbing have totipalmate. Non-totipalmate birds tend to have unconnected toes facing different directions.

Twitchers do not refer to birds, but those of us that watch them. If you get head over heals about it, you can get very excited and even nervous about a new sighting. This is known as twitching and you are a twitcher!

Nidifugous refers to a certain type of bird and the hatching process. Many chicks are born unable to take care of themselves. Nidifugous chicks are self-sufficient for the most part immediately after hatching.

Being able to speak Birdinese is important, but hardly the key to enjoying your time on sighting trips. If you feel overwhelmed by the terms, forget them and just enjoy yourself.