Say What? Six Inappropriate Sounding MN Bird Names

As we gear up for warmer weather ahead, it's natural to spend more time outdoors. If you are like me and are always listening to the trees, you might notice some different birds beginning to sing. It's only natural to want to know what type of bird you are seeing or hearing. Sometimes that results in bird names that sound more inappropriate than they really are. Here are 6 inappropriate-sounding birds that call Minnesota, or at least parts of it, home.

Real Birds With Funny Sounding Names

I'll admit it, I have juvenile humor. Some of these real bird names bring me more juvenile joy than others, but they are all real bird names, and all of them either reside in Minnesota or are found here briefly during the spring and summer months.

American Woodcock - Sounds made up by a middle-schooler, but it’s a real migratory bird common in Minnesota forests and wetlands.

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker - Legit Minnesota woodpecker species. Also sounds like a deeply personal insult someone would yell at you during a Packers-Vikings game.

Common Yellowthroat - A completely innocent warbler name… until you say it too fast. A common sight in Minnesota marshes.

Brown-Headed Cowbird - The bird's name sounds less like a bird and more like a rejected rodeo nickname. Minnesota has tons of them.

Dickcissel -  While not very common in Minnesota, they do appear sometimes in prairie regions. Birders still laugh every single time they hear it. The name comes from its call.

Gray Catbird - Sounds harmless until someone hears “catbird” out of context. Minnesota yards are full of them in summer.

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What other Minnesota birds have strange or funny names?

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