The question’s been asked so many times that I’ve got to answer
it in this space.
Every time I answer it the person making the query reacts the
same way
– with a head slap and a
”
you’re kidding, right?
”
The question’s been asked so many times that I’ve got to answer it in this space.
Every time I answer it the person making the query reacts the same way – with a head slap and a “you’re kidding, right?”
If I did not know it was already spring, I’d certainly know when someone approaches me and says something like, “y’know, I keep seeing these birds along roadside culverts – the little black birds with the red wings. What’re they called?”
“Uhhhhh, those would be male Red-winged Blackbirds,” is my reply. I almost wince knowing what’s about to happen next.
Some people have accused me of being a wise guy, but most are just embarrassed. They shouldn’t be. Because there are quite a few native birds whose names describe features we never see on our home turf.
Black-bellied Plovers are winter visitors, relatives of the Killdeer that can be found at local parks and ball fields. When they’re breeding in the far northern latitudes, they do sport dramatic black-and-white plumage. But when they’re here in the winter, they’re almost always dull and gray.
People frequently talk about “Screech Owls,” but they’re usually talking about Barn Owls, whose metallic screech is, indeed, screechy. Western Screech Owls give a rapid, accelerating series of “who’s” that are quite quiet and melodic, usually.
A tiny bird that bounces around trees and shrubs through the cooler months in our area is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, whose crown is seldom visible. A more apt name might be “nervous little olive-colored bird.”
“Blue Jay” is another one I frequently hear. But Blue Jays are strictly easterners. Several jays are native to California, but in our region, there are only two to tell apart. The Scrub Jay is most common. They’re brash, noisy birds with mostly blue heads and backs, and gray breasts. Steller’s Jay is usually found in more wooded areas, and it sports a sooty black head with a prominent crest.
The native hummingbird often described as the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is actually Anna’s Hummingbird, named – romantically – for a French noblewoman. The Ruby-throated is a migrant to the eastern states.
But names don’t always lead you astray. Several birds found in the West – Clark’s Nutcracker and Clark’s Grebe to name two – are named because William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition first named them 200 years ago.
I’ll leave it to you to guess who named the exotic local wildflower Elegant Clarkia or Lewis’ Woodpecker.
We have not even scratched at the scientific names of birds, but they can be pretty entertaining, too, in a nerdy way.
Back to those Red-winged Blackbirds. They belong to a group biologists call icterids. The group includes meadowlarks as well as a large assortment of blackbirds.
Especially in winter, the various blackbirds are prone to assembling in large flocks that locally include lots of Brewer’s, Red-winged, a smattering of Brown-headed Cowbirds and, perhaps, some Tricolored Blackbirds. It’s common to hear a besotted birder talk about “sorting through flocks of mixed ics.” Pronounced “ick,” the slang reference to the scientific name for the group conjures up other images to me.
My favorite scientific name is one that’s longer than its tiny owner. The Winter Wren is a mouse-sized, dark-brown bird found on old-growth coastal forests. To my ear, it has one of the most beautiful songs found in nature. It hides among the roots of old trees, or in undergrowth. It’s name? Troglodytes troglodytes,” which translates to “cave dweller-cave dweller. As long as that handle is, it just fits.
