Lists

Birds with terrible opinions

October 22, 2026 by Kai Pflug No Comments

Birds—we like them. Mostly. But every family has that one relative whose opinions make you quietly reconsider inviting them to dinner. Birds are no different. Here are a few species whose views are, frankly, indefensible.

Common Cuckoo: “Family planning is for others to worry about”.

European Starling: “Native species are overrated.”

Hoatzin: “Hygiene? What hygiene? We grew up without it and turned out well enough”

Herring Gull: “It shouldn’t be called stealing but rather wealth distribution”

Northern Mockingbird: “Plagiarism should win awards, not be called a crime”

Black Kite: “Waste management has become far too efficient”

Turkey Vulture: “Accident prevention is way overrated”

Red-billed Oxpecker: “Every problem deserves a follow-up wound”

Photo: Red-billed Oxpecker, Mhkuze, Nov 2018

Written by Kai Pflug
Kai has lived in Shanghai for 22 years. He only started birding after moving to China, so he is far more familiar with Chinese birds than the ones back in his native Germany. As a birder, he considers himself strictly average and tries to make up for it with photography, which he shares on a separate website. Alas, most of the photos are pretty average as well. He hopes that few clients of his consulting firm—focused on China’s chemical industry—ever find this blog, as it might raise questions about his professional priorities. Much of his time is spent either editing posts for 10,000 Birds or cleaning the litter boxes of his numerous indoor cats. He occasionally considers writing a piece comparing the two activities.