Oxymoronic Names (1 Viewer)

[birdman]

As Surreybirder hints, what jars the English tongue might be perfectly reasonable elsewhere, but...

Might I suggest the following....?

Brazza's Martin
Buttikofer's Babbler
Ihering's Antwren
Olrog's Cinclodes (and Gull)
Snethlage's Tody-Tyrant
Xantus's Hummingbird

 

[birdman]

Oh... seeing as we are back to oxymorons, I'm gonna give you the best I have ever heard - although I am going to have to go off-order (I think that's correct) to do it.

There is, I understand, a family (or genus?) of Spiders, which share similar traits and are know as Wolf Spiders.

Within this family is a genus who have adapted large eyes, and they are known as Big-Eyed Wolf Spiders.

Within this genus, a cave-dwelling species has been discovered (and I think some of you can already see where this is leading!) that spends it's entire life in total darkness. It has thus adapted by losing its eyes, and is known, that's right, as the

No-Eyed Big-Eyed Wolf Spider.

Beat that!!!

 

[Surreybirder]

I've been interested in how bird names developed and changed from Roman, Anglo-saxon, Medieval times, etc.

Alan Hill

Check out:
The ornithology of Anglo-Saxon England
if you are interested in how the English avifauna has changed.
It gives a link to a list of names, which includes such gems as

kestrel--Mushafoc The Anglo-Saxon "mouse hawk".

:eat:

 

[simondix]

It was a bit tongue in cheek when I said I wish I hadn't started it. It seems to have taken on a life of of its' own though.

 

[Richard Cawsey]

Ground Woodpecker. . .

 

[Edward]

Female King Eiders are referred to as Queen Eiders in Icelandic which always makes sense I feel.

Talking of gulls it's not only scientific names that have become garbled. The gull referred to as sílamáfur in Icelandic, Heringsmöwe in German, sildemåge in Danish (and similar in Swedish and Norwegian), all of which literally mean Herring Gull is not in fact our Herring Gull but Lesser Black-backed Gull. The words in those languages for Herring Gull all translate as "Silver Gull" which of course is an Australian species. Confused?

Closely related languages can also have completey different bird names. Icelandic and Faroese are very closely related languages. Both have a bird called Óðinshani (meaning Odin's Cock - no s******ing at the back!). In Iceland this bird is Red-necked Phalarope, in the Faroe Islands it is Redwing!