“And Haman answered the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest placed on its head.” (Esther 6:7-8 NKJV)
There are various Latin/scientific names for the “Crested” birds. The birds featured here use the term “christus” and we may check out more Crested birds in another article. Most are really gorgeous when the display that crest. What a Creator! Enjoy!
Here are the rest of these beautiful Avian Wonders “Crested” cristatus birds. They are in the order that the Birds of the World site lists them when you enter “crisstatus”:
In this post let’s investigate the name of “elegans.” Before I reveal what that means, let’s look at a few birds with “elegans” in its Scientific/Latin name.
“For You meet him with the blessings of goodness; You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.” (Psalms 21:3 NKJV)
Coronata is our Scientific/Latin word today. When I saw this name for birds, without looking up the word, I thought it had to have something to with a coronation, a king, or maybe a crown.
Crested Treeswift (Hemiprocne coronata)
Crested treeswift (Hemiprocne coronata) Male and Female Photographs by Shantanu Kuveskar – Wikipedia
This Myrtle Warbler seems to have the “crown” a little misplaced. Just an observation :)
I trust you are enjoying the Avian Wonders from the Lord from their Scientific/Latin names. We are just beginning. There are so many varieties of words that I doubt we will ever discover/introduce all of them. Also, the naming of birds keep changing from time to time. See The I.O.C World Bird List 14.1
Previous articles that have mentioned some of the birds:
As we start the new series about the bird’s Scientific/Latin names, a verse came to mind about His name. Of course, that is referring to God, but I like the “What is His name” part. So, for now (unless some suggest a different one) that will be the name of these articles.
“Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know?” (Proverbs 30:4 NKJV)
Varius means
If you go toBirds of the World – Species and the type the Scientific/Latin name, a list of those birds will show. “The specific epithet varius is the Latin word meaning “various”, “diverse” or “variegated” (Wikipedia)”. Here is the list of birds from “Birds of the World – with “varius“.
The IOC World Bird List 14.1 contains 11032 extant species (and 162 extinct species) classified in 44 Orders, 253 Families and 2,384 Genera. The list also includes 19,802 subspecies, their ranges and authors.
Before we can dig into these Latin/scientific names of birds, it is best to update the number of birds now listed by the I.O.C. Our last update here, which is out of date, was the List 9.2:
At the time those articles were written there were 10,758 living species. Now it contains 11,032. That doesn’t include all the subspecies. Not sure how much we will update this site, but I will refer to the new names and subspecies as we investigate the scientific/Latin names of birds.
Sumatran Laughingthrush (Garrulax bicolor) by Dan at Wing of Asia ZM
Here is a listing, with of all the current Birds of the World which is better than any list we could produce here.
The last few articles have been to lay the foundation for investigating some of these Scientific/Latin names for birds. Below are links to the experts in keeping track of the Avian Wonders:
While researching for a way to present birds from their Latin names, I checked out some of our previous posts that mentioned the naming of birds. There have been quite a few articles about this, and here is a fantastic one that William Wise wrote:
William said exactly what I was thinking “It’s all Greek to me!” He also explains about God’s Name. It NEVER changes.
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) eating by Jim Fenton
How Birds are Named explains the modern naming system that is used for birds.
“Birds have two kinds of names. One is a common, vernacular, or popular name; the other is a technical or scientific name. The first is usually given to the living bird by the people of the country it inhabits. The second is applied to specimens of birds by ornithologists who classify them.
Common names in their origin and use know no law. Technical names are bestowed under the system of nomenclature established by Linnæus and their formation and application are governed by certain definite, generally accepted rules. The Linnæan system, as it is now employed by most American ornithologists, provides that a bird, in addition to being grouped in a certain Class, Order, Family, etc., shall have a generic and specific name which, together, shall not be applied to any other animal.
Our Robin, therefore, is classified and named as follows:
The Genus and the Species names are the ones that will be emphasized in the new series, (name to be determined, any suggestions?). The recent articles and the list below are listed to acquaint you with how the Genus and Species are used in the bird names.
Stay tuned!
“I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine.”
(Psalms 50:11 NKJV)
On my last post, Our Loggerhead Shrike Again, I emphasized the Latin name for this bird. “In case you’re curious, the Latin name Lanius is Great Grey Shrike. The ludovicianus means “butcher” and laniare – “to tear to pieces.” They have been referred to at times a “butcher birds” because of what they do to their victims.”
While recently browsing through my many “dusty” bird books, I rediscovered my “Latin for Bird Lovers,” by Roger Lederer Carol Burr. It actually is quite interesting, even though I have never studied Latin or paid much attention to the scientific names of our beautiful birds we write about. We can all learn some new and interesting facts about these wonderful birds. Dr. Jim, (JJSJ) also agrees and is willing to adds some articles also. Maybe I can encourage some of our other contributors to join in.
As we all know, various birds migrate during parts of the year, and they do not have to carry passports or “flying licenses” to pass through different states or countries. Countries and even states have varying names for birds. Yet, we are all seeing the same avian wonder.
Latin for Bird Lovers by Roger Lederer & Carol Burr
Bird names also change over time, yet the Latin name or scientific name doesn’t (normally). I’ll be using this book, Latin for Bird Lovers by Roger Lederer & Carol Burr as one of the sources for some upcoming articles.
Here are some examples of how bird names have changed over the years. Imagine how hard it is today for the international groups like the I.O.C.’s World Bird List to report on the same bird’s names from various languages if it wasn’t for these Latin names.
Here are some examples of re-named birds (not from Latin) just here in our part of the world:
Stay-tuned as I, and others present some of our amazing Avian Wonders from their Creator. We’ll group them by their Latin naming. Or, by the current Scientific names. One thing is for sure, when Adam named the birds, he did not use Latin to help him. He most likely had the best assistance from their Creator.
“So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field…” (Genesis 2:20 NKJV)
Loggerhead Shrike on Bench outside our back patio door.
“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26 NKJV)
While eating our supper this evening, our friendly Loggerhead Shrike showed up again. He landed on his favorite perch, the hook out in the yard. (these are older photos, who keeps a camera at the table?)
Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) on hook – by Lee Closeup
He and the Mockingbird takes turns using that favorite spot to land and watch for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We see both of them quite often, especially this time of the year.
In case you’re curious, the Latin name Lanius is Great Grey Shrike. The ludovicianus means “butcher” and laniare – “to tear to pieces.” They have been referred to at times a “butcher birds” because of what they do to their victims.
We have featured quite a few articles about this beautiful bird, and here is one, written by JJSJ, “Dr. Jim”, that tells and shows the “butcher bird” at work:
Thankfully, we haven’t found any of these kinds of catches hanging around in our yard!
Just thought I’d share our latest visitor to the yard. I’m sure he will migrate north soon, but hopefully we will see him in the fall again. I still never cease to be amazed by the Lord’s designs in His Creation!
Check out some of the many articles about this beautiful bird that we have written about before:
We considered a series on the State Birds, but as I have searched more about this topic, there are already many great sites to visit. So, I’ve decided to share links to those great websites, and then find another bird series to investigate.
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have official birds. To become a state bird, it helped to be familiar, colorful, and have a punchy song. The Northern Cardinal perches as state bird in seven eastern states, the Western Meadowlark in six western states. Bluebirds – like this Western Bluebird – and goldfinches are mascots of another seven. The country’s most insistent songster, the Northern Mockingbird, holds down five states. And Washington, DC’s official bird? The shy Wood Thrush! Find out which bird is your state bird. Learn more about these state birds at Cornell’s All About Birds.
Oh, by the way, we are orginally from Indiana and the Northern Cardinal is their state bird.
“Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?” (Luke 12:24 NKJV)
Here’s an interesting video of a friendly crow in Denmark who has befriended a youngster. Trust you will enjoy watching the interactions between them.
“For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.” (James 3:7 NKJV)
I believe this is a Hooded Crow.
Hooded Crow. Warren Photographic
The Hooded Crow, also called the scald-crow or hoodie, is a Eurasian bird species in the genus Corvus. Widely distributed, it is found across Northern, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, as well as parts of the Middle East. It is an ashy grey bird with black head, throat, wings, tail, and thigh feathers, as well as a black bill, eyes, and feet. Like other corvids, it is an omnivorous and opportunistic forager and feeder. Wikipedia
Dr. “Jim” (James J. S. Johnson) shared this with me and asked me (Lee) to post it. He’s tied up in a conference.
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. (Genesis 1:22)
Winter is a welcome season for many birdwatchers, especially those of us who live south enough to see wintering migrants, such as the “winter Texans” who congregate in the Lone Star State where I currently reside.
SNOW GEESE as “winter Texans” (Moreno/Hagerman NWR photo credit)
Of course, some regions see southbound flocks, in transient stop-over mode, as pass-through migrants who refuel and rest and then resume their southbound migrations. However, another variant of the north-south migratory cycle is the migratory pattern often seen in waterfowl demographics—where waterfowl from to-be-frozen lakes and ponds migrate to warm-water estuaries, such as the never-frozen water of the Chesapeake Bay. It is this latter category of winter migration, to avoid iced-over lakes and ponds (and rivers), that naturalist Kathy Reshetiloff (of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) describes in her “Bay Naturalist” column:
Every fall, a great migration begins as thousands of ducks, geese and swans leave northern breeding grounds and begin to fly south for the winter. Waterfowl from the northernmost U.S. and Canada — even tundra swans and snow geese from the shores of the Arctic Ocean — seek the open water of the Chesapeake Bay, its rivers and wetlands for habitat and food critical to their survival. Roughly one-third of the waterfowl that winter along the Atlantic Coast do so on the [Chesapeake] Bay. Most people are familiar with mallard ducks and Canada geese but may not realize how many other seasonal visitors we get. Venture out this winter to a park along waterways or wetlands, or to a National Wildlife Refuge, and you’ll be surprised by the variety of waterfowl.
[ Quoting CHESAPEAKE BAY JOURNAL, 33(9):40 (December 2023), posted at www.BayJournal.com ]
SNOW GEESE flock in flight (Pottsboro Chamber of Commerce photo credit)
So, what kinds of waterfowl are phenologically (and providentially) programmed, by the Lord Jesus Christ, to winter in ice-free estuaries like the Chesapeake Bay? “Duck, duck, goose!”—and swans, just to name the obvious.
For example, swans—being huge birds—are easy to observe if they are afloat in waters of an estuarial (or lacustrine) habitat that you may be visiting.
TUNDRA SWANS (Audubon Field Guide photo credit)
Swans are the largest waterfowl, and the tundra swans travel the farthest, more than 4,000 miles in some cases. They winter primarily on the Delmarva Peninsula and the estuarine edges of North Carolina. These large white birds are easily recognized by their black bills and straight or nearly straight necks. Tundra swans often form flocks on shallow ponds.
[ Quoting CHESAPEAKE BAY JOURNAL, 33(9):40 (December 2023), posted at www.BayJournal.com ]
Next, consider the noisy geese that we see both inland, often on ponds or in nearby fields, and at coastal shorelines, such as Canada geese.
CANADA GEESE (Wikipedia photo credit0
Constant honking signals the arrival of the familiar Canada goose, with its black and white head, brown back and pale breast. A favorite quarry of hunters and bird watchers, Canada geese feed in wetlands and farm fields. But keep your eye out for a lesser-known visitor, the snow goose — another guest from the far, far north, easily distinguished by its white body, black wingtips and pink feet and bills.
[ Quoting CHESAPEAKE BAY JOURNAL, 33(9):40 (December 2023), posted at www.BayJournal.com ]
But, of course, the waterfowl most likely to be seen, statistically speaking, are DUCKS—both dabbler ducks and diving ducks.
The greatest variety of waterfowl, by far, is seen in duck species, which fall into two broad categories based on their feeding method: dabbling or diving.
[ Quoting CHESAPEAKE BAY JOURNAL, 33(9):40 (December 2023), posted at www.BayJournal.com ]
What about dabbler ducks?
MALLARD male & female (Wikipedia photo credit)
Dabbling ducks feed by straining food from the water’s surface or by submerging their heads while their tails remain out of the water. Male dabblers are usually brightly colored while females are drab. Plants make up most dabblers’ diets. Their method of taking flight is a sort of leap from the water’s surface. Look for them on rivers and close to shorelines. The most widely known dabbler duck is the mallard. The male has a dark green head while the female is dusky brown. Another dabbler species is the American black duck. Both male and female American black ducks look similar to mallard hens, only darker. Other dabblers include the American wigeon, green-winged teal, northern pintail (the male has long black tail feathers), and northern shoveler (named for its large, spatula-like bill).
[ Quoting CHESAPEAKE BAY JOURNAL, 33(9):40 (December 2023), posted at www.BayJournal.com ]
What about diving ducks?
Diving ducks have legs located near the rear of the body, which makes them more efficient swimmers and divers but not terribly graceful on terra firma [i.e., dry land]. Diving ducks pursue their food underwater, chasing fish and searching the bottom for small animals — or the roots and seeds of Bay grasses. They take flight by first running along the surface of the water. But the categorizing doesn’t stop there; diving ducks are further separated into bay, sea and river ducks.
[ Quoting CHESAPEAKE BAY JOURNAL, 33(9):40 (December 2023), posted at www.BayJournal.com ]
Of the Chesapeake Bay’s diving ducks, what about bay ducks?
CANVASBACK (Audubon Field Guide photo credit)
Bay ducks feed in shallow water, foraging for plants and animals. Males have contrasting head and body colors while females are dark or brown. One of the most striking bay ducks is the canvasback, with its sloping black bill, red eyes and head, and white back. Canvasbacks congregate on the water in large flocks known as rafts. Other bay ducks include the greater and lesser scaups.
[ Quoting CHESAPEAKE BAY JOURNAL, 33(9):40 (December 2023), posted at www.BayJournal.com ]
Of the Chesapeake Bay’s diving ducks, what about sea ducks?
BUFFLEHEADS (Craig Lemon / N.J. Division of Fish &Wildlife photo credit)
Sea ducks are commonly found in deeper, open waters of the Bay, feeding on crabs, clams and barnacles. The so-called long-tailed duck sports contrasting brown and white colors and, you guessed it, long tail feathers. The small black and white bufflehead duck also gets its name from a prominent physical feature of the male: it’s outsized head. The male’s head has a very prominent wedge-shaped patch of white on the sides of its head. The three species of scoters — white-winged, surf and black — can be identified by their sloping foreheads.
[ Quoting CHESAPEAKE BAY JOURNAL, 33(9):40 (December 2023), posted at www.BayJournal.com ]
Of the Chesapeake Bay area’s diving ducks, what about river ducks? River-waters are more turbulent adn fast-moving, compared to estuarial or lacustrine bodies of water, so it’s not surprising that some ducks prefer rivers and streams over bays and lakes, and vice versa.
COMMON MERGANSER male & female (Maryland Biodiversity Project photo credit)
The three species of river ducks are all mergansers. Mergansers prey on fish caught in fresh and brackish water. They are identified by long thin serrated bills and crested heads. The red-breasted, hooded, and common merganser overwinter in the Chesapeake area.
There you have it, at least what to expect if you visit the Chesapeake Bay area during winter.
So, thanks to Kathy Reshetiloff, we have an introductory summary of the waterfowl that winters in the Chesapeake Bay area. Of course, if you live elsewhere—as I do—the populations of waterfowl, both winter visitors and year-round residents, will be different. However, a lot of the information will be relevant, overlapping other regions, because migratory waterfowl often have huge migratory ranges.
SNOW GEESE resting at Hagerman NWR in Texas (Trent Ledbetter photo credit)
Meanwhile, whatever winter visitors you have, go see them while you can!
And don’t forget to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for making these beautiful flying creatures (on Day #4 of Creation Week); each and every one of them is a living exhibit of His wisdom, care, power, and glory!
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 