Scientific Names
Referring to its color, this bird's epithet is Cardinalis cardinalis. (two-word common name required)
What is the Northern Cardinal?
This term is used to describe a bird that someone is seeing for the first time ever.
What is a lifer?
This ratite is the largest bird in the world.
What is a (Common) Ostrich?
This is the only group of birds that is capable of flying backwards.
This warbler is often affectionately referred to as a "butterbutt."
What is a Yellow-rumped Warbler?
This species of streaky, long-tailed passerellid is very vocal, and is aptly named Melospiza melodia.
What is the Song Sparrow?
A birder might be attempting this when trying to see as many species as possible within a 365-day period.
What is a big year?
These birds have the largest egg:body ratio in the world!
What are Kiwi?
This native woodpecker would rather spend its time eating ants and worms on the ground than drilling holes in trees.
What is the Northern Flicker?
This common migrant is sometimes known as the 'Halloween warbler' due to its color scheme.
What is an American Redstart? (would also accept Blackburnian Warbler)
This bird's binomial scientific name is Agelaius phoeniceus, referring to their flocking tendency and prominence of a certain color.
What is the Red-winged Blackbird?
If a birder tells you that they saw a flock of peeps, they are probably referring to this group of birds rather than the Easter candy.
What are (Calidris) sandpipers?
This giant seabird was hunted to extinction in the mid-1800's.
What is the Great Auk?
Due to a lack of hydrophobic oils on their feathers, these birds must air-dry their feathers by perching under the sun and spreading their wings.
What are cormorants and/or Anhingas?
Despite not being part of the family Turdidae, these warblers are named for their resemblance to the clade containing robins and bluebirds.
What are waterthrushes?
This genus contains many of the large-winged, short-tailed hawks. (Red-tailed, Rough-legged, Broad-winged, etc.)
What is Buteo?
This medical condition describes soreness after watching small, canopy-dwelling birds.
What is warbler neck?
Out of the 18 species of penguins, 17 of them live in the Southern Hemisphere. This species is the only one found north of the equator.
What is the Galápagos Penguin?
This species of southwestern raptor is known for its tendency to nest and hunt in groups.
What is the Harris's Hawk?
This colorful, vocal bird was once considered to be a New World warbler, but is now in its own unique family (Icteriidae).
What is the Yellow-breasted Chat?
This latin species name, within the genus Melanerpes, accurately describes a major characteristic of the Red-headed Woodpecker. (Melanerpes ___________)
what is erythrocephalus?
a phenomenon that occurs when one rare bird draws a bevy of birders to an area, resulting in more interesting species being discovered in the same locale.
What is the Patagonia Picnic Table Effect?
This rail species, endemic to an island that is practically inaccessible, is the smallest flightless bird in the world.
What is the Inaccessible Island Rail?
These African birds have been documented leading people to an insect-made edible resource.
What are honeyguides?
This relative of Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers is thought to be the only songbird to go extinct recently in North America.
What is the Bachman's Warbler?