Another easy way to get close to the species you want is to use a set of 20 Hot Keys which take you to major bird groups or families. The following keystrokes take you instantly to the families they describe (hold down the Ctrl key and press the indicated alpha key):
| Ctrl-A | Auks | Ctrl-J | Jays |
| Ctrl-B | Blackbirds | Ctrl-P | Pigeons, Doves |
| Ctrl-C | Chickadees, Tits | Ctrl-O | Owls |
| Ctrl-D | Ducks, geese | Ctrl-S | Shorebirds |
| Ctrl-F | Flycatchers | Ctrl-T | Thrushes |
| Ctrl-G | Gulls, terns | Ctrl-V | Vireos |
| Ctrl-H | Hawks,falcs,eagles | Ctrl-W | Warblers |
| Ctrl-I | fInches | Ctrl-N | wreNs |
| Ctrl-K | woodpecKers | Ctrl-R | spaRRows |
| Ctrl-L | swaLLows | Ctrl-U | hUmmingbirds |
Some users find Hot Keys very easy to remember and use. Others prefer the Find facility. Try Hot Keys for a while, at least for the major species groups, and see how you like them. If you don’t like arcane keystrokes, forget about them.
The Hot Keys for woodpeckers, swallows, wrens, finches, sparrows, and hummingbirds are not exactly mnemonic, but represent a decent compromise. (Sparrows are near the bottom of the checklist and can be reached just as easily with Ctrl-End and a couple Pg-Up’s. The ancient birds, taxonomically, such as Grebes and Albatrosses, are at the top of the checklist and are easily reached with Ctrl-Home.)