Many birds, perhaps most, and especially the commoner species, have acquired more than one vernacular name. Some species have accumulated quite a few, and no doubt there is at least one book that lists all the regional and archaic names that have more or less fallen into disuse. This page attempts something slightly different, namely to collect the names that birders themselves apply, affectionately or otherwise, to their quarry. Whilst some of these have passed into fairly widespread usage among birders in the UK, many of them have not. Some derive from local birding groups or individual birders, used privately as well as publically, and indeed some may have been used on only one occasion. Nevertheless, I feel their inclusion is warranted, since the names that birders use can say something about the bird, birding as a hobby, and birders themselves.
I have omitted examples that reduce a bird's name to its adjectival component (eg; 'white-rumped' for White-rumped Sandpiper, 'melodious' for Melodious Warbler, etc). I have, however, included reductions of these particle components, such as 'sand' as a generic reference to sandpipers.
On the whole, these names show a striking lack of imagination, reflecting instead a terseness and brevity which can variously betray familiarity, disinterest, disdain or even contempt. I think it's significant that nearly all of these birders names are contractions or abbreviations and, perhaps more significantly, almost entirely applied to common species, implying that they are too common to warrant giving the full name (and perhaps also some embarrassment at having to mention such a common bird at all). Vowel-changes or letter transpositions are also common (eg 'skeeter' and 'glodfinch'). A few show a little more creativity, such as Grouch or Bongo, whilst a handful - IMO anyway - are perfectly acceptable alternative names. I would single out 'Barwit' as my own personal favourite, though no doubt there are birders out there who venomously loathe it. There are additionally some names that show an admirable functionality, such as the use of 'commic' as shorthand for 'Common or Arctic Terns'.
A lot of these names will seem pointlessly self-evident, especially such common terms as 'blackback' or 'pinkfoot', so it is perhaps worth remembering that they are unofficial names, not listed in any bird book.
Bill Oddie, in his Little Black Bird Book (Eyre Methuen 1980), explored the ambiguities in the practice of shortening 'official' vernacular names ("'Have you seen the Long-tailed?' He'll assume Skua or possibly Duck. It's actually Tit or Fieldmouse."), but birders largely steer clear of such potential misunderstandings. Indeed, a lack of ambiguity would seem to be very important. Kittiwake, for example, can be safely shortened to just 'Kitt' without any scope for confusion (except with those who have never heard of Kittiwakes, but such people won't be birders). And that, I suspect, is partly why so many alternative names have arisen. They become a cant for those in the know, a badge of recognition and an acknowledgement of shared expertise. Simply being able to communicate through neologisms coined on the spot separates the birdwise from the unwashed masses who have never even heard of a Pectoral Sandpiper and won't have a clue what a 'Pec' might be.
I think it's also significant that some of these names are derived from the scientific nomenclature (in terms like 'acro' and 'phyllosc'). Using such terms puts a (rather shallow) erudite gloss on what is basically a nerdy pastime, and implies a depth of knowledge and learning which, though largely illusory in most cases, nevertheless marks out the serious birder. Such use of scientific names nearly always refers to the generic part of the binomial, usually truncated in some form (eg 'hippo' for Hippolais), and I can think offhand of only one case where the specific name was modified, with Sylvia borin (Garden Warbler) being turned - and not inappropriately - into Sylvia boring.
Additions to this list are more than welcome. If you know of any birders names (as opposed to folk or historical names) for British birds, feel free to email me and I'll include them on the next update of this page.
Terms that I believe to be in widespread use are listed in italics. The rest are extremely limited in usage and might well be one-offs invented during a dull seawatch. Non-existent species (which also have a habit of evolving during a dull seawatch) are omitted, though some recognition is surely due to such unattainable ticks as the Sea Ostrich and the Great-Throated Diver (Gavia lovelacii).
Lastly, a few terms included here are slightly risque, so be warned. They just go to show that birders can be as crude-minded as the rest of the population.
Thanks to Paul White, Simon Booton-Mander and Marianne Taylor for their contributions. More welcome!
Acro - Generic term for warblers of the genus Acrocephalus. Usually refers to Sedge and/or Reed Warblers (A. schoenobaenus/scirpaceus), or an unidentified bird of this type. See also 'hippo', phyllosc'.
Alba Wag - Either a Pied or White Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii/M. a. alba), not always easy to separate and especially not when they're calling overhead. See also 'flava wag', 'wag'.
Barwit - Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica), and unlike most birders names sounds like a good proper name for a bird. Black-tailed godwits (L. limosa) are likewise known as 'Blackwits', and if Hudsonian Godwits crossed the Atlantic often enough they'd doubtless come to be known as 'Hudwits' (unless, of course, they are already called that...).
Blackback - Either of the Greater or Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus marinus/fuscus), usually qualified with a specifier (eg "Lots of Lesser Blackbacks moving today") since these two aren't exactly hard to separate in the field.
Burger - Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus), an attempt to make a pronouncible acronym out of B.H.G.
Bustard - Any uncooperative bird (as in "Gerroutathatbush, ya bustard!"). Some birders names tend to crudify the birds (cf 'screwer', 'phallus'), but this one goes in the opposite direction.
Bongo - Great Skua (Stercorarius skua). From the northern folk name 'bonxie', but that is far too quaint and rustic for a modern, hip, trendy urban birder, hence the mildly derogatory corruption to 'bongo'.
Capper - Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus).
Casp - Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia), though these days it might also refer to Caspian Gull.
Chillow - Either Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus collybita/trochilus), in the same vein as 'commic' but these two aren't that hard to separate most of the time. See also 'phyllosc'.
Commic - Either Common or Arctic Tern (Sterna hirundo/paradisaea). An admirably functional splicing of the names of two species that are often impossible to separate in the field. See also 'razormot', 'chillow', 'millow'.
C**tish - Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus).
Flava Wag - any race of the Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava). Only males in breeding plumage can be readily ascribed to subspecies, all the rest are just 'flava wags' (and most, of course, are plain old Yellow Wagtails M. f. flavissima). See also 'alba wag', 'wag'.
Fly - Flycatcher, almost invariably qualified as eg Pied Fly, Spotted Fly. Sometimes also given as 'flicka'.
Glauc - Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus).
Glodfinch - Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), one of those rather silly little letter transpositions that birders occasionally indulge in.
Goat Screwer - Great Skua (Stercorarius skua). A crudifying homophone (see also 'phallus').
Gozzie - Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis).
Grape - From 'grape lover', ie; Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
Great Crusted - Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus).
Greatspot - Greater Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major). See also 'lesser spot', 'wood'.
Gropper - Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia).
Groucho/Grouch - Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis). One of the more inventive birders names, derived from Groucho Marx whose eyebrows and cigar are evoked in the shaggy crest and black bill of the bird.
Guillie - Guillemot (Uria aalge).
Hippo - Any warbler of the genus Hippolais, which aren't always easy to identify. I've also heard the term 'hippopotamus' used in this context, an unusual case of a birders name actually being longer than the proper name. The relative rarity of these birds perhaps justifies such elongation.
Hirundot - Any swallow or martin, ie a member of the Hirundinidae.
Icky - Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina). I have also heard of this species being called a 'nectarine warbler', but that came about through a non-birder taking a message over the phone.
Kez - Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).
Kitt - Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla).
Lapp - Lapland Bunting (Calcarius lapponicus).
LEO - Long-eared Owl (Asio otus). Oddly, pronounced as the three letters (ell-ee-oh) rather than 'leo'. Perhaps because a roosting Long-eared looks more like an overfed tabby than anything truly leonine.
Lesser Spot - Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus minor). Despite the witty general public's tendency to pounce on 'lesser spotted' as a generic adjective for any fictional bird, this is the only Lesser Spotted species found in Britain. And there's only one other (Eagle) in the whole of Europe. See also 'wood', 'greatspot'.
Med - Mediterranean Gull (Larus melanocephalus).
Merg - Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator). Often used in conjunction with 'redhead' (qv).
Mickey-Ringo - Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius).
Millow - Either Marsh or Willow Tit (Parus palustris/montanus), especially when silent.
Mippit - Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis), a dull name for a dull bird. Trippit and Rippit don't seem to have taken off for its equally boring kindred (but see 'rocket').
Oyc or Oik - Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus).
Pakareet - Ring-necked Parakeet (Psittacula krameri).
Pec - Pectoral Sandpiper (Charadrius melanotos). Quite a rare bird to be so radically truncated, but not all that rare that it seems disrespectful. Sometimes also called a Pec Sand - see 'sand'.
Pecker - Woodpecker. See also 'wood'.
Pelican - Generic term for all species within the Pelecaniformes, which includes gannets and cormorants as well as pelicans proper (which you don't see too often in Britain).
P G Tips - Pallas' Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella certhiola). A rare - perhaps unique - case of a trademarked name being pressed into service.
Phallus - Any phalarope (Phalaropus sp). A Wilsons Phalarope, however, will most likely be called simply a 'Wilsons', since there isn't a Wilson's anything-else.
Phyllosc - Any warbler of the genus Phylloscopus. Sometimes abbreviated further to 'flosk'.
Pinkfoot - Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus). Often used in the plural, as Pinkfeet.
Pom - Pomarine Skua (Stercorarius pomarinus).
Pullover - Any plover. An example of rather pointless exploitation of phonic similarity.
Purp - Purple. Usually Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima), but can also in context mean Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea). If a birder tells you there are twenty purps on the beach, expect the former, but if s/he says a purp just flew over the reedbed then it's probably the latter.
P-wing - Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), an amalgamation of Lapwing and Peewit.
Ravenous - Raven (Corvus corax). Pronounced with a long 'a' (ie; raven uss). On the face of it, a pun, but the two words apparently share the same etymological root.
Razormot - Unidentified auk, either Guillemot (Uria aalge) or Razorbill (Alca torda). Strikingly different close up, but virtually inseparable when beetling past at any distance out to sea. See also 'commic'.
Redhead - Any duck of the genus Mergus, and also Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), other than a male in breeding plumage. In other words, females, immatures, and eclipse drakes, who all have reddish-brown heads. Often used independently after the species has been cited (eg; "Six Goldeneye on the lake, all redheads") or adjectivally in conjunction with the species name ("Is the redhead Smew still around?").
Redthroat - Red-throated Diver (Gavia stellata). May possibly, in context, also refer to Red-throated Pipit, but they tend to be shortened simply to Red-throated. Also, being rare, their name is usually given in full. Red-throated Divers are far too common to warrant such respect.
Ringo - Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula). See also 'mickey-ringo'.
Ringtail - A female or immature Hen or Montagu's Harrier (Circus cyaneus/pygargus). Used either to separate males from females ("Had four Hen Harriers, three of them ringtails") or to refer to an unidentified individual.
Rocket - Rock Pipit (Anthus petrosus). Not an inappropriate name for a bird so dull it deserves to be sent into orbit.
Roughleg - Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus).
Rouzel - Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus).
Sab - Sabine's Gull (Larus sabini).
Sand - Sandpiper, usually used in conjunction with something to specify the species (eg Green Sand, Common Sand, Curlew Sand etc). See also 'pec'.
Screwer - Any skua (Stercorarius sp). See also 'bongo'.
Scron - Scoter, usually Common Scoter (Melanitta nigra). See also 'skeeter'.
Skeeter - Scoter. See also 'scron'.
Snard - Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis). See also 'Groucho'.
Sprawk - Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus). Possibly a contraction of 'Sprog Hawk' - see 'Sprog'.
Sprog - Sparrow, usually House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). See also 'trog'.
Treep - Treecreeper (Certhia sp).
Trog - Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus), a further contraction of 'Tree Sprog'.
Turt - Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur).
Wag - Any wagtail, usually qualified as in eg Grey Wag, Yellow Wag. See also 'alba wag', 'flava wag'.
Whitefront - White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons).
Wood - Woodpecker, usually qualified with specific name (eg Green Wood). See also Pecker, Greatspot, Lesser Spot.