Starting with familiar names for groups of humans, such as clan (related), crowd, family (closely related), community, gang, mob, scrum, tribe, 3rd grade class, etc.
we move on to the animal and bird worlds with the well-known "flock" of birds, then on to
"gaggle" of geese,
then the slightly more exotic
"pride" of lions,
"parliament" of owls and
"murder" of crows.
BUT, my friends, only so much fun can be had tossing about quirky group names.
(by the way, a group of names is "a thesaurus"
and a group of sisters in a close-knit family of dead 19th-century English authors is a "Bronte-saurus."
You heard it here.
So what can we study after we have learned that:
a group of cheetahs is "a coalition,"
a group of apes is properly known as "a shrewdness,"
a group of airline workers is called "a stew of flight attendants,"
a group of colluding companies is called "a trust,"
and a group of politicians is "a mistrust?"
After a while, it becomes.......BORING!
This is the season for young birds, hatchlings, bird babies, clutches, youngsters, offspring, birds-of-the-year, nestlings and chicks to be found, be seen and be named!
Of course we know the names of adult birds - just open a field guide. But their offspring? Not so much.
Some are pretty straight-forward. For example, baby chickens are known as
"pullets" (females)
or "cockrells" (males).
Baby Mallards are called "ducklings."
And everyone is aware that Baby Eagles are called "Eaglets".
What you might not have realized, is that baby Egrets are properly known as
"Egretlets."
Such knowledge can be quite useful this time of year for those of us working on Atlas Blocks.
Here is a glossary of other useful names that might have escaped your attention:
Baby Wood Ducks are "chips."
Baby Shovelers are "scoops."
A baby Ruddy Duck is a "blush duckie."
Baby Bobwhites are "bobbies."
Baby Dusky Grouse are "off-white."
Baby Sooty Grouse are "duskies."
Baby Prairie-Chickens are delicious.
Baby Loons are "loonies." or "can't yodelers."
A baby Grebe is known as "grebette." (Not to be confused with "gribbet," which is what frogs say).
Baby Frigatebirds are "dinghy birds."
Baby Night-Herons are "twilighters."
Baby Eagles are "eaglets."
Baby Merlins are "murrelets."
Baby Rails are "sticks."
Baby Coots are, of course, "cooties."
Baby Killdeer are "Maimdeer."
Baby Ruddy Turnstones are "blushing pebble-tossers."
Baby Gulls are "gullets."
Baby Ancient Murrelets are "Getting-on-in-years Murrelet-lets."
Baby Snipe are "snippets."
Baby Roadrunners are "Alleywalkers."
Baby Owls are "owlets."
Baby Rock Doves are "pebble doves."
Baby Pewees are "pewees."
Baby Starlings are "starlets."
Baby Pyrrhuloxias are "pirouettes."
Baby Warblers are tiny.
Baby Juncos are "junkets."
Baby Sparrows are "chicks."
Baby Finches are "chicks."
Baby Buntings are "bye-byes."
Well, that's about enough from The College of Bird Knowledge for today.
Try using those names in the field, or casually drop them into conversation at work. For example,
while flirting at the water cooler, you might say, "I went out to the marsh on Sunday and got Mallards, adult Coots and cooties."
At the right time (and I know that some will say "It's never going to be the right time!")
I will send out yet more names of babies of birds, baby birds or birds' babies.
AND, let's hear from you! Please email me privately if you know the correct names of
the offspring of other species of birds, and I will post the best names.
Joe Roller,
now in Denver, but soon to be
run out of town.
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