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Wednesday 24th March 2004, 16:29
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#1 |
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Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 3,748
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Alternative names and nicknames for Birds
Is it possible this thread could become a "sticky", therefore alleviating the tedious task of searching through threads looking for a name of a bird when someone has called it by it's "other name" I'm not that well up on birdy nicknames etc, I have a hard time as it is with their "proper" names!
After delving into the archives, I stumbled upon the following post, written, I believe, by Mr Frankis. "A list of birder's bird name shorthand, and popular alternative names & nicknames? Most are pretty obvious, but not all; here's a selection of mainly UK ones for starters: Barwit - Bar-tailed Godwit BHG - Black-headed Gull Bimac - Bimaculated Lark Blackwit - Black-tailed Gotwit Bonxie - Great Skua Butterbutt - Yellow-rumped Warbler (US) Canarycrest - Canary Islands Goldcrest Curly Sand - Curlew Sandpiper Dartboard Warbler - Dartford Warbler (because that's what most spellcheckers turn it into!) Dickypit - Richard's Pipit Elsie ('LC') - Lesser Crested Tern Fudge Duck - Ferruginous Duck GBB - Great Black-backed Gull Great Spot! - Great Spotted Woodpecker Gropper - Grasshopper Warbler Guillie - Common Guillemot (Common Murre, US) Hoodie - Hooded Crow Hudwit - Hudsonian Godwit Icky - Icterine Warbler Lancy - Lanceolated Warbler LEO - Long-eared Owl Lesserpecker - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker LBB - Lesser Black-backed Gull Mipit - Meadow Pipit Oyk - Oystercatcher Pec - Pectoral Sandpiper P G Tips - Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler Phal - Phalarope Pie, (greek letter) pi - Magpie Pied Wag - Pied Wagtail Pom - Pomarine Skua Purps - Purple Sandpiper R B Flicker - Red-breasted Flycatcher (flicks its tail a lot) R B Merg - Red-breasted Merganser Ropit - Rock Pipit Sharpie - Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (UK, OZ), Sharp-shinned Hawk (US) Sibe - any species, rare in Britain, from Siberia Sibechat - Siberian Stonechat Skemmy - feral Rock Dove / street pigeon Spotshank - Spotted Redshank Spotty Fly - Spotted Flycatcher Spuggie - (House) Sparrow Tripit - Tree Pipit Tufty - Tufted Duck (UK), Tufted Titmouse (US) TV - Turkey Vulture (US) Tystie - Black Guillemot Wapit - Water Pipit Yank - any species, rare in Britain, from North America" Admin, it would be a huge help if you could do this for those of us less familiar with the above names. Thanks |
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Wednesday 24th March 2004, 16:35
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#2 |
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Grumpy Git
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Isle of Man
Posts: 4,619
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Stuck.
Please only post alternative names, in subsequent posts, in a similar format to Helen's if possible. Thanks, Chris |
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Wednesday 24th March 2004, 17:27
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#3 |
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Ford Focus Fanatic: mmmmmm... 3.1415926535.....
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: 100 Miles N of NYC
Posts: 1,762
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you forgot:
GBH -- Great Blue Heron Gthang
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To browse some of my photos: <Links will open in new window(s)/tab(s)> My BirdForum Gallery My Flickr Gallery Last 2007 year bird/lifer: Lapland Longspur (#51/136) Last 2008 lifer: Red-Headed Woodpecker (#137) |
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Thursday 25th March 2004, 03:10
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#4 |
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conehead
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Newcastle, Northumberland, European Union
Posts: 6,796
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Seems reasonable to me to add GBH, people do use it, and it is confusing for those not familiar with it . . . over here, GBH is a legal term "Grievous Bodily Harm" (which I gather is what a Great Blue Heron can do to anyone who tries to pick one up!)
Michael |
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Thursday 25th March 2004, 05:47
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#5 |
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Senior Moment
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Plymouth, Devon
Posts: 6,409
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Quite agree, Michael. I remember when I was young(er) having to ask what these meant:
LRP - Little Ringed Plover OBP - Olive-backed Pipit Some more: "Commic" Tern - a tern only identified imprecisely as either Common or Arctic Tern Hippo - any warbler of the genus hippolais Peewit - Lapwing (an old name, but still occasionally used) Ringo - Ring Ouzel "Willowchiff" - a warbler only identified imprecisely as either Willow Warbler or Chiffchaff Yaffle - Green Woodpecker (another old name still occasionally heard) Jason |
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Thursday 25th March 2004, 06:04
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#6 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 34
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This gets messy as different countries use the same codes:
LBB (or LBJ) - Little Brown Bird (or Jobbie) for anything small and hard to identify Sprog - House Sparrow BIFCUS - Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Butterbum - Yellow-rumped Thornbill Crested Pig - Crested Pigeon Wedgie - Wedge-tailed Eagle are all some I can think for Australia. Cheers, Peter
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I don't see you eating a talking bird Fat Mike - NOFX Last edited by Andrew Rowlands : Tuesday 14th June 2005 at 13:25. |
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Thursday 25th March 2004, 08:16
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#7 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Woodley, Berkshire
Posts: 3,049
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Hedge Spug ( Hedge Sparrow ) - Dunnock
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Alan Its not an optical illusion!. It just looks like it!. |
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Thursday 25th March 2004, 10:17
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#8 |
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Régisseur
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Yokohama, Japan
Posts: 2,308
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Some Americanisms, off the top of my head:
Buzzard - Vulture Butcherbird - Shrike Gobbler - Turkey Hoodie - Hooded Merganser Mudhen - Coot Oldsquaw - Long-tailed Duck(probably in the f.g.) Rain Crow - Cuckoo Redwing - Red-winged Blackbird Spotty - Spotted Sandpiper Whisky Jack - Gray Jay(via another thread, thank you) There seems to be an intellectual division between those who create diminutives for everything (Spotty, Hoodie, Semipalm, Pec)-- and those who adhere to the AOU alpha codes (SPSA, HOME, SPSA, PESA). (Not sure I got the latter right, I don`t use `em much anymore.)
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... al with-oute, the mewe is peynted grene, In which were peynted alle thise false foules, As beth thise tidifs, tercelets, and oules,... and pyes.... Kantorilode: Birds of Japan . Last edited by Charles Harper : Thursday 25th March 2004 at 13:48. |
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Thursday 25th March 2004, 13:38
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#9 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Victoria, Australia
Posts: 400
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Jeez, I thought we Aussies were the worst in the world for abrieviating everything but you Brits do a good job too!
OBP also stands for Orange-bellied Parrot. Fudge duck = trying to turn a Pacific Black Duck(common) into a Freckled Duck (rare)
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Nancy [but my real name is Val] ____________________________________________ The only time the world beats a path to my door is when I am in the bathroom Last edited by Andrew Rowlands : Tuesday 14th June 2005 at 13:26. |
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Thursday 25th March 2004, 13:59
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#10 |
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 0
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Black Headed Pratincoletern = white-eyed gull
 -This just appeared in another mystery gull thread. |
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Thursday 25th March 2004, 14:03
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#11 |
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Grumpy Git
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Isle of Man
Posts: 4,619
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Good to see you sticking to my request to only post alternative names and not go wandering off into the realms of fantasy.
Sorry Helen, I tried. I thought it was a good idea. |
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Thursday 25th March 2004, 15:04
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#12 | |
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It's OK to be a little blue........
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Cleveland Ohio USA
Posts: 1,883
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bird nicknames
Quote:
great blue heron-Old cranky and long john Pileated woodpecker- logcock and wood kate Am woodcock-timberdoodle Greg-great egret butterbutt-yellow rumped warbler honker-Canada goose Little brown job(LBJ) unidentified sparrow Poop see LBJ
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"The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists and other subversives.We intend to clean them out.Even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country." John Mitchell Attorney General 1969-1972 Last edited by Andrew Rowlands : Tuesday 14th June 2005 at 13:27. |
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Thursday 25th March 2004, 22:15
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#13 |
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That's a, I say that's a chicken, boy!
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: stevenage
Posts: 286
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Snatcher - Oystercatcher
Gropper - Grasshopper Warbler Chimney Swallow - old term for Swallow (unladen) Um... that's it for now
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Did you know? 99% of people get dressed in the nude? |
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Thursday 25th March 2004, 23:22
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#14 |
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Professor of Listening
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Sprosser - Thrush Nightingale (I think - not sure where it comes from)
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Friday 26th March 2004, 05:34
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#15 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 936
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Isn't this one of yours?
SPRAWK - Sparrowhawk Last edited by Andrew Rowlands : Tuesday 14th June 2005 at 13:28. |
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Friday 26th March 2004, 06:59
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#17 |
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Senior Moment
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Plymouth, Devon
Posts: 6,409
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Arctic Roll - Arctic (Hoary) Redpoll
Bearded Reedling - Bearded Tit Boney/Bonie - Bonaparte's Gull Dabchick - Little Grebe Gos - Goshawk GND - Great Northern Diver Hedge Sparrow - Dunnock Lesserlegs - Lesser Yellowlegs Lesser Spot - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker LSW - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Manxie - Manx Shearwater Med - Mediterranean Gull Parrotbill - Parrot Crossbill Sab - Sabine's Gull Semi-p - Semipalmated Sandpiper Stormie - Storm Petrel Throstle - Song Thrush |
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Friday 26th March 2004, 07:20
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#18 |
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bucketed :)
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: miles from Wisbech.
Posts: 1,849
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H,
I use these....so be warned! Barred Woodpecker - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Big Mavis - Mistle Thrush Starnol - Starling Mavis - Song Thrush.....1 singing on me roof now! Gee Cee Grebe - Great Crested Grebe Spatula - Shoveler Thingy - Any small brown bird I cannot i.d. Dave.
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div 
Last edited by Andrew Rowlands : Tuesday 14th June 2005 at 13:30. |
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Friday 26th March 2004, 07:35
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#19 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 0
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Quote:
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Friday 26th March 2004, 12:30
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#20 | |
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conehead
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Newcastle, Northumberland, European Union
Posts: 6,796
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Quote:
Michael |
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Friday 26th March 2004, 13:00
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#21 |
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conehead
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Newcastle, Northumberland, European Union
Posts: 6,796
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Black-headed Gull -> "Keddie"
Great Black-backed Gull -> GBB -> "Gubbie" Red-throated Diver -> R T Diver -> "Arty Diver" Great Northern Diver -> G N Diver -> "Gun Diver" Great Crested Grebe -> G C Grebe -> "Greasy Grebe" Yellow Wagtail -> Y Wag -> "Why wag?" Y-front Goose = White-fronted Goose (from a journalist's error in one of Britain's broadsheet newspapers!) Snog Thrush = Song Thrush (from another misprint) Sarnie Tern = Sandwich Tern Some spoonerisms that sometimes get used: Creetreeper = Treecreeper Flied Piecatcher = Pied Flycatcher Foetid Pink Goose = Pink-footed Goose Fuppin = Puffin Millygot = Guillemot Old and Geagle = Golden Eagle Rack Bledstart = Black Redstart Rotted Spedshank = Spotted Redshank (Lesser) Thritewoat = (Lesser) Whitethroat Wide Pagtail = Pied Wagtail Wixwang = Waxwing But DON'T spoonerise Corn Bunting or Ferruginous Duck! Michael Last edited by Michael Frankis : Friday 26th March 2004 at 13:05. |
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Friday 26th March 2004, 13:24
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#22 |
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Steve Campsall
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Leicestershire, UK
Posts: 6,272
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East Anglian / Lincs dialect, I think:
Mavis - song thrush Bumbarrel - long-tailed tit
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Steve "...when the cities lie at the monster’s feet there are left the mountains." Robinson Jeffers, "Shine, Perishing Republic"
Last edited by Andrew Rowlands : Tuesday 14th June 2005 at 13:31. |
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Friday 26th March 2004, 20:38
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#23 |
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conehead
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Newcastle, Northumberland, European Union
Posts: 6,796
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FYM = FarmYard Mallards. And also FarmYard Manure. The two go together, somehow
 Michael |
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Saturday 27th March 2004, 00:18
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#24 |
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Grumpy Git
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Isle of Man
Posts: 4,619
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I've deleted all the posts that added nothing.
This was meant to be a serious thread to help those beginners amongst us understand the often confusing names we use asabbreviations. I ask you again, please only post genuinely used alternative names. Thanks, Chris |
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Saturday 27th March 2004, 10:33
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#25 |
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Gloucestershire, UK
Posts: 620
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Not sure how often you'll here them used, but the following are alternative names in parts of Gloucestershire. The first one baffled me when my elderly neighbour said she's just spotted one on my peanut feeder - I thought she'd started on the G & T early !!
French Magpie - Great Spotted Woodpecker Queest (sp ??) - Woodpigeon |
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