If you enjoy bird watching, you’ve probably come across some birds with weird names. Whether they sound like slang terms or just seem ridiculous, some bird names can be quite amusing! If you’ve ever wondered how their names came to be, this is the article for you. Let’s dive right into some of these birds with weird names and see if we can uncover their origins.
14 Birds with weird names
While the origins of some names started with lore from local peoples and are mostly lost in history, sometimes silly names are more simple. Often, the sound a bird makes or something unique about their plumage is the origin of their weird name.
1. Gray Go-away-bird
Scientific Name: Corythaixoides concolor
The grey go-away-bird is a medium-sized bird that lives in arid to moist habitats of the southern Afrotropics. They sometimes also go by the names grey lourie or kwêvoel, but their name “go-away birds” comes from one of the sounds they make. In fact there are more species of go-away birds in Africa such as the bare-faced go-away-bird and the white-bellied go-away-bird. These species are known for being noisy, especially their low, nasal call that sounds like “go-awaaaaay”.
These birds have smoky gray feathers with a long tail and head crest. They’re social birds that frequently gather in groups to forage in trees for leaves, flowers, fruit, buds, and occasionally small insects. They are also known to roll on the ground to take dust baths.
2. Bananaquit
Scientific Name: Coereba flaveola
Bananaquits are small birds with longer, down-curved bills. You may think they get their name from their banana yellow belly, but actually it comes from their fondness for very ripe bananas that have fallen to the ground. They often live near where bananas are planted, so they can get their favorite sugary fruits whenever they want.
There are some slight color variations based on location, but most have a dark back and head, a thick white stripe over their eyes, a pale throat, and yellow belly. Bananaquits can be found throughout much of the northern half of South America, Central America, the Yucatan and Caribbean Islands. Some may occasionally be spotted in southern Florida. These birds of open fields and rain forests consume fruits and nectars and will often hang upside down from a branch to feed on a flower.
3. Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah
