a_j_steele
Well-known member
Its a bit like Dunnock with regionally differences, over here there common garden birds yet in parts of spain there more mountain birds
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Avian misnomers (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter alanc
- Start date
Surreybirder
Ken Noble
The name comes from the 'purring' sound they make - which is 'tur - tur', so I don't regard the name as inappropriate.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
So Stutturing Dove would be better, they don't say Turtle?
Farnboro John
Well-known member
I knew a bloke at school, his name was Neil, which became Nelly, then Smelly, then Whiffalot and ultimately and forever, Whiff. So from tur, tur to turtle seems entirely reasonable to me!So Stutturing Dove would be better, they don't say Turtle?
John
Jeff Hopkins
Just another...observer
Black-capped Chickadee...as opposed to four other chickadee species that breed in North America?
American Black Duck. It's brown.
Ancient Murrelet. It's not that old.
Hairy Woodpecker. They're feathers, not hair.
American Pipit.
American Black Duck. It's brown.
Ancient Murrelet. It's not that old.
Hairy Woodpecker. They're feathers, not hair.
American Pipit.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
I saw my first American Black Duck on ice next to Whooper Swans in flat light and at a distance: Black is accurate enough! Sooty would be even better....
Ancient Murrelet: look at the bushy, snowy eyebrows - could be a candidate for the White House! Completely accurate.
Speaking of Hairy, has Downy Woodpecker been mentioned? Only downy in early life....
What's wrong with American Pipit? Sooner or later someone will split japonicus. If you are going to nit-pick to that extent, then American Robin is not a Robin but a bad case of thrush!
John
Xenospiza
Distracted
Sardinian Warbler - Marmora's Warbler should be carrying that name.
Bearded Tit - the male is (impressively) moustached (it's flamboyant enough to go for "moustachioed"). I know it isn't a tit either, but neither is Long-tailed Tit or Scrubtit, so it does not bother me.
Marsh Warbler - not a great name, as its favourite locations seem to be nettles near ditches, brooks and rivers. (To be honest, the Dutch name "Wood Reed Warbler" is definitely worse!)
Bearded Tit - the male is (impressively) moustached (it's flamboyant enough to go for "moustachioed"). I know it isn't a tit either, but neither is Long-tailed Tit or Scrubtit, so it does not bother me.
Marsh Warbler - not a great name, as its favourite locations seem to be nettles near ditches, brooks and rivers. (To be honest, the Dutch name "Wood Reed Warbler" is definitely worse!)
MJB
Well-known member
In an attempt to steer this thread into a parallel track, The scientific name of of Black-headed Gull is Chroicocephalus ridibundus, which species name could translate as 'Laughing Gull', whose real-life namesake's scientific name is Leucophaeus atricilla, this species name translating as 'dark-hooded'. Re the comment that Black-headed Gull's head is brown, that takes us to Brown-headed Gull C. brunnicephalus, whose species name is the only one in this mish-mash that not a misnomer!
MJB
PS I omitted inclusion of Brown-hooded Gull C. maculipennis to avoid making brains hurt too much...
opisska
rabid twitcher
I think it's time for me to repeat my all-time favorite bird nomenclature anecdote.
Basically, knowing both Czech and English names of gulls will completely mess up with your head.
The Czech name for Lesser Black-Backed Gull translates to "yellow-legged gull",
the Czech name for Yellow-legged Gull translates to "mediterranean gull",
the Czech name for Mediterranean Gull translates to "black-headed gull",
the Czech name for Black-headed Gull translates to "laughing gull".
All the translations are straightforward and literal.
This is why I don't do gulls (or one of the reasons
)Th. Stegmann
Well-known member
Oh, in German you can do even better
The German name for Yellow-legged Gull translates also to "Mediterranean Gull",
the German name for Mediterranean Gull translates also to "Black-headed Gull",
the German name for Black-headed Gull translates also to "Laughing Gull",
the German name for Lesser Black-backed Gull on the other hand translates to "Herring Gull",
an finally the German name for Herring Gull translates to "Silver Gull" (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae).
Th. Stegmann
Well-known member
Otherwise I am still looking for the "buttons" on Buttonquails and the "boots" on Booted Warblers and haven't found them yet.
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
I was itching for years, to get that on my list.
Farnboro John
Well-known member
I know photographers who can see Booted Warblers. Also Booted Eagles, Booted Rock Thrushes, Booted Robins....
(To be strictly fair, I know ordinary birders (very ordinary birders) with similar skills.)
John
Welsh Peregrine
Well-known member
Possibly the ultimate misnamed bird; Barnacle Goose!
Such a beautiful bird
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