So You Think You Know Your Bird Names
I love complicated and ridiculous bird names — Marbled Godwit, Ruddy Turnstone, and Flammulated Owl are a few of my favorites.
But when I am reading very old bird books, I sometimes come across names I’m not familiar with — grass finch, summer bird, poke. Sometimes these old names are much more evocative of the species’ appearance or behavior than the names we use now, and a lot of them are easier to remember, if you ask me. The guy who raises hay on our place calls Mississippi Kites, blue hawks — that is a nice concise name and I like knowing it.
I have recently come across a great resource for these old names, but before I share it, let’s take a little quiz, shall we?
Match the old name in Column 1 with the current name in Column 2. There are even photos to assist you! (Although on two species, the photo does not show the actual bird named, but a very close species. Extra points if you can figure out which two and tell me in the comments.)
Answers tomorrow!
Column I
old name |
Column 2
photo and current common name |
||
1 | burrion | A | |
2 | dabchick | B | |
3 | Bouchard’s summer finch | C | |
4 | fly-up-the-creek | D | |
5 | raincrow | E | |
6 | mudhen | F | |
7 | oxeye | G | |
8 | snakebird | H | |
9 | tell-tale | I | |
10 | twixt-hell-and-the-white-oak | J |
Here is an example that is not part of the quiz.

What we call a Black-necked Stilt was once known as a Lawyer bird. Photo By Everglades NPS from Homestead, Florida, United States (Black-necked Stilt, NPSphotos.jpg) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Unfortunately the report does not explain the old names or give the sources for most of the names, so we will just have to take author Richard C. Banks’ word for them.
My next post will give the answers!
You do know the oddest things! This is fun but I would be hopeless at the quiz!
Aren’t you a former professor? Just use your Spidey test sense! I have passed many many tests where I didn’t know the subject matter.
Just kidding, I am sure I would have a hard time with this myself, because bird names have changed a lot.
This could take all day. 😦
I think they are #3 with D and #7 with C.
Are there fabulous prizes if I’m correct?
Been a bird watcher for five years and I am completely hopeless at this stuff!
I really love the twixt-hell-and-the-white-oak!
Me too! When we sit out on the deck with the neighbors in the evening, we hear those and we always feel so smart to know what they are. Now we will feel even smarter to know their historical name! 🙂