The other day, when we were working our way through a “whack” of Cedar Waxwings, Carol Jones, who is a fount of avian trivia, announced that a grouping of waxwings was called an “ear full” or “museum”. This set off a discussion on the derivation of these types of names – after 120 waxwings you need something to keep up interest. Peter Thoem, who also has a penchant for avian minutiae, was inspired by the discussion and went home, did some research, and came up with the following:
•Black-capped chickadee: “Banditry” or “dissimulation” of chickadees
•Dark-eyed junco: ”Crew,” “flutter,” “meinie,” “quarrel” or “ubiquity” of juncos
•Northern cardinal: “College,” “conclave,” “deck,” “radiance” or, my fave, “Vatican” of cardinals
•Downy woodpecker: “Descent,” “drumming” or “gatling” of woodpeckers
•Bald eagle: ”Aerie,” “convocation,” “jubilee,” “soar” or “tower” of eagles
•Northern mockingbird: ”Echo,” “exactness,” “plagiary” or “ridicule” of mockingbirds
•Snowy owl: “Bazaar,” “glaring,” “parliament,” “stooping” or “wisdom” of owls
•Yellow warbler: “Stream,” “sweetness” or “trepidation” of warblers
•White-breasted nuthatch: “Jar” of nuthatches
•Peregrine falcon: “Bazaar,” “eyrie,” “ringing,” stooping up” or “tower” of falcons
•Wood duck: “Brace,” “flush,” “paddling,” “raft” or “team” of ducks (applies to most ducks)
•Tufted titmouse: ”Banditry” or “dissimulation” of titmice (same as chickadee)
•Whooping crane: “Construction,” “dance,” “sedge,” “siege” or “swoop” of cranes
•Great blue heron: “Battery,” “hedge,” “pose,” “rookery” or “scattering” of herons
•Pileated woodpecker: ”Crown” of woodpeckers

Not to be outdone, Carol added to the list with these:
Missing from that list:
Kinglets – Castle or Court
Thrushes – Heritage
Grackles – Plague
Goldfinches – Charm, Treasury or Rush (as in gold charm, gold rush and gold treasury -makes sense)
Indigo Buntings – Decoration or Mural
Grosbeaks – Gross (I think it should be Pyranha myself)
Song Sparrows – Choir or Chorus
Orioles – Pitch or a Split
Bluejays – Party or Band

Today we had a group of young but very keen future ornithologists at the lab. They soaked up everything we gave them…and kept asking for more. Fortunately we were catching birds at a pace that maintained interest but didn’t overwhelm so we were able to spend lots of time teaching them. At one point we caught 4 Rusty Blackbirds – enough to make them all happy. So….what do you call a group of young banding acolytes holding a great bird? Why…a “party” of course!

You certainly got the feeling today that the migration is winding down: gone are the large flocks of robins; we saw only one Myrtle Warbler; for the first time in October we did NOT catch a Cedar Waxwing and I estimated that there were only about 40 around the site. I think a lot of birds moved further south on the tail of yesterday’s storm.

Banded 43:
1 Brown Creeper
2 Golden-crowned Kinglets
3 Ruby-crowned Kinglets
7 Hermit Thrushes
2 Chipping Sparrows
1 Field Sparrow
2 Song Sparrows
5 Swamp Sparrows
3 White-throated Sparrows
10 Dark-eyed Juncos
4 Rusty Blackbirds
3 American Goldfinches

ET’s: 33 spp.
Photo Gallery:

Rick