Bird Nicknames / Abbreviations (1 Viewer)

[bartooon]

Following on from comments on the Pronunciation thread.....

Many years ago, when I first started twitching and visiting Scilly, I was occasionally confused by the nicknames / abbreviations applied to birds.

Some are quite clever - "PG Tips" for example (Pallas's Grasshoppper Warbler). The "PG" obvioulsly relating to Pallas's Grasshopper and the "Tips" referring the whitish tips to the tail feathers (which help to separate it from a Gropper - sorry Grasshopper Warbler). For non-UK birders - PG Tips is one of the leading brands of tea over here.

I also quite like "RB Flicker" for Red-breasted Flycatcher. I never really took to "Mipit" for Meadow Pipit though.

Anyone else got any favourires - or hates?

 

[Vectis Birder]

Well, I will admit to a dislike of one wildlife abbreviation in particular. It's not actually a bird one though and that's 'herps' for reptiles. I'm most likely in a minority of one, but I think 'herps' is the most appalling sounding abbreviation there is and sounds more like a disease than a fascinating group of animals!

 

[gyrfalcon]

I could do without all abbreviations to be honest.. just makes birders look even more nerdy and anoraky. Also distances us from beginners who are overwhelmed enough without having to learn a new language, and slang phrases for virtually every species.

So no abbreviations for me imho!

 

[Xenospiza]

You might want to check this thread (with almost the same name) which dealt with it all before!
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=14263

 

[bartooon]

Whoops - sorry. Have to say I'm impressed with your memory though!

 

[gyrfalcon]

No need to apologise Bartooon. No law against the same topic being talked about twice in 2 years!
The one I really detest, and it took a few weeks to realise what people were going on about! is "Gyppos" for Egyptian Geese ( I think! either that or I missed two Egyptian Vultures going over my local patch!)

I think bar-wit and black-wit are ok, the long names are a bit of a mouthful!

 

[Xenospiza]

Whoops - sorry. Have to say I'm impressed with your memory though!

No need to apologise (I mean who's gonna look through all those threads before posting a new one?), but I think it's good to dig them up if someone's interested! I wouldn't have found it if I hadn't contributed myself...

 

[pete woodall]

One of the more widespread and common ones in Australia is "Bifcus" for Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

 

[Tranquility Base]

I think the main motivation for using abbreviated names is speed when calling out: particularly sea-watching: hence Sabs, LEO, Slav, Bonxie etc. Plus, of course, there is a huge element of the 'restricted vs elaborated code' clique thing! As in my story about the bloke answering the phone at Nancy's who'd never heard the abbreviation 'Hippo'! He certainly was made to feel a bit daft!

 

[mattie]

my fave gotta be wappit.......... water pipit lol

 

[Amarillo]

I could do without all abbreviations to be honest.. just makes birders look even more nerdy and anoraky.

Couldn't agree more. Birders have a geeky enough reputation as it is, so the last thing we need is to enhance it!

my particular hates are mipit, gropper and sprawk

very irritating...

 

[Tranquility Base]

No: birders don't have a geeky reputation! Nerds who go birding have a geeky reputation! I don't think anyone thinks Ron Johns, Steve Gantlett et al are geeky! And it's no more nerdy saying 'sprosser' or 'sprawk' than it is to spout on about the off-side rule or call two shots under par an Eagle!
I think the problem is that some people feel left out 'cos they don't know the lingo! Same in any mass-interest pursuit! Fishing is full of it:
"Yeah: couldn't get a touch on a running link, so I went with the method: single corn on a gilt size 10. Picked up a big slab first chuck! 'Course, I was really after a tinca!"
Good fun, eh? LOL!

 

[David FG]

I think the main motivation for using abbreviated names is speed when calling out: particularly sea-watching: hence Sabs, LEO, Slav, Bonxie etc. Plus, of course, there is a huge element of the 'restricted vs elaborated code' clique thing! As in my story about the bloke answering the phone at Nancy's who'd never heard the abbreviation 'Hippo'! He certainly was made to feel a bit daft!

As I have said before, 'Bonxie' is precious in anyone who isn't a Shetlander - and precisely how much time does it save to say 'Bonxie' rather than 'Great Skua'?

As for 'He certainly was made to feel a bit daft!' So it is OK to make someone feel foolish for not knowing your rather juvenile slang is it?

He must now have a terrific impression of birders.

Thanks.

 

[Tranquility Base]

So it is OK to make someone feel foolish for not knowing your rather juvenile slang is it?
He must now have a terrific impression of birders.
Thanks.

Well, as a matter of fact 'he' went on to become one of the UK's top listers! And he uses the abbreviation 'hippo' all the time: as do 'we' all!
It is not 'slang', it is the verbal shorthand of a great number of very good birders. And 'bonxie', in case you hadn't noticed, is two syllables, while 'Great Skua' is three! 'Sabs' is one, 'Cory's' is two, while 'Sabine's Gull' is three and 'Cory's Shearwater' is five. And of course 'Hippo' is two, while 'Hippolais Warbler' is six! 'Nough said?

 

[luke]

came up with an interesting one a few weeks ago with my uncle whilst birding up on the local mores. the only birds we were seeing were corvids, as they were distant could decide wether they were carrion crows or ravens (which there are plenty of in the area). so we decided to call them johns (craven).
please dont throw anything at me,lol.

 

[matt green]

Recently had to ask what a dovekie was,of course all you lot know what one is?

Matt

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Hey Amarillo, funny how tastes vary, I love Mippit and Gropper but have to cringe with you on Sprawk.

also give me some Rockits or Rickits any day over Roppits or Dickspit.

How about a tentative Dippo for Olive-tree Warbler?

Had lots of fun calling Yellow-rumped Warblers Yumps for a while with some California birders too.

 

[Tranquility Base]

That'll be a Little Auk, then!

 

[postcardcv]

No: birders don't have a geeky reputation! Nerds who go birding have a geeky reputation! I don't think anyone thinks Ron Johns, Steve Gantlett et al are geeky! And it's no more nerdy saying 'sprosser' or 'sprawk' than it is to spout on about the off-side rule or call two shots under par an Eagle!

I think that outside the birding world birders do have a rather geeky/nerdy reputation - but who cares what others think doesn't matter anyway.

As for birding slang I personally like it, mainly because I am basically a lazy person so a shorter name to call out or write in my notes appeals to me. I really like mipits, ripits, tripits and wipits, and shortern the majority of waders. Who wants to write little ringed plover when you can write lrp or spotted redshank when spotshank will do?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Be-bop (Parula)