To be fair (at least to the humans that named them), I'm pretty sure the names of the birds predated the derisive usage of those words for other purposes.
and I didn't even get Tit (40% guessed- is that a real thing? Do they hang out with blue-footed boobies?), Tern, Loon or Auk... but I got Ibis, Lark and Kiwi.
They are very real and absolutely adorable. According to wiki, the use of the word "tit" has to do with these birds being very small - nothing to do with boobs.
Nothing to do with boobs, or breasts for that matter. For those of you with a sophisticated sense of humour, you will probably enjoy the fact that there is a variety called the 'bushtit.' It is impossibly tiny and just as adorable as all the other kinds of tit. Its beak is about the size of a rice grain. The bushtit is very social, living in groups of 10 or more birds, and peeps constantly to its friends as it flits happily around trees and shrubs, blissfully unaware of the snickers its name inspires.
Here (the Netherlands) it is one of the few birds that people actually see in their gardens (when not living in the wide open country) most seen birds are the sparrow, blackbird and great tit (followed by robin and small tit). Further away you might see doves, jackdaws, and gulls. Flying over or sitting on nearby rooftops/chimneys.
I think regardless of numbers of letters if I would ask people to name birds but no raptors, it would be one of the first 5. (Though we call it koolmees :) )
Maybe/most likely the difference between the USA and Europe. I think people from the US would think much sooner of jay for instance than people from around here.
can't believe i missed hawk, kiwi and swan. good one - stimulating, challenging and i learned a lot of new ones reading the final answers. i obviously don't know my birds! :) :)
This was tougher than I thought. I can't believe I missed lark and dove, but I got ibis and kiwi. With more time I could have thought of a few more, but I have to admit I've never heard of many of these.
A couple of suggested corrections: ERNE is not a general English bird name - it is a local name for a sea-eagle, but not included in most bird lists today. And L'IWI is incorrect. The spelling is IIWI in English, from I'IWI in Hawaiian. Some other 3/4 letter birds you might consider (all are in the World Checklists): RUBY (a species of Hummingbird); BAZA (a genus of raptors in Asia/Pacific); TODY (a middle American family); PIHA (Latin American -several species); MYZA, MAO (Pacific honeyeater species); JERY (Madagascar species); OMAO (Hawaiian species); FODY (Indian Ocean island weavers); MAMO (Hawaiian species), and WEKA (New Zealand rail species). Thanks!
and I didn't even get Tit (40% guessed- is that a real thing? Do they hang out with blue-footed boobies?), Tern, Loon or Auk... but I got Ibis, Lark and Kiwi.
I think regardless of numbers of letters if I would ask people to name birds but no raptors, it would be one of the first 5. (Though we call it koolmees :) )
Maybe/most likely the difference between the USA and Europe. I think people from the US would think much sooner of jay for instance than people from around here.
Fnarr :)