names

There are two kinds of bird names in this world. There are names assigned by a single person at a…

Alas for the naming of birds that it took place before anyone had the foresight to recognize that the Sharp-shinned…

A miserable little pile of secrets… no wait, that’s something else. But rails are commonly paired with the adjective “secretive.”…

Henry Philemon Attwater was born in Brighton, England and spent his early adult years in Canada, but the state of…

As you might have seen mentioned previously, last weekend the illustrious Corey Finger and I broke the Queens record with…

Northern Cardinals are known for their plumage. Bold red or subtle pink and brown, on a background of snow or…

It is now the month of love, and there are few birds I love more than the alcids. Thus, a…

Before we get started I’d like to congratulate the Whiskey Jack on becoming the National Bird of Canada! The Gray…

Long ago, before I became the bird-name rancoteur I am today, I had an idle question. Why, I asked myself,…

Blackbirds, as a family, often have those simple descriptive names that are easy to mock (Yellow-rumped Warbler, ugh) until a…