OneWordBirds

Welcome to OneWordBirds.

Way back in 2017 I started a blog called OneWordBirds.com. I felt it was my solemn duty to bring the beauty of one-word-birds to the world. Nobody read it. Undeterred, I have created this new space as the internet’s number one (and only) source for information on these special creatures. Here’s what you need to know:

There are nearly 11,000 species of birds in the world, and all of them have been assigned names in the English language¹. Because there are so many, each name must be long and detailed enough to separate its owner from the rest. Logically then, very few species have names comprised of only a single word. Just 145, to be exact.

It stands to reason that these species might be interesting or unusual, earning their one-word names through unique physical characteristics, life histories, or behaviours. Maybe there’s something that can be learned from closer examination. Maybe they just deserve a little love and attention.

This resource aims to shed a little light on these select few, and in doing so perhaps find a little meaning in the apparently meaningless. It may be that there are great truths about life hidden deep within these pages, or it may not. Maybe OneWordBirds is what you make of it. Your mileage may vary.

Below you will find the definitive list of the world’s one-word-birds². Links within the list will take you to my ramblings about the species, some of which were posted on that original blog and others of which have arisen since (more to come). They are about 10% factual and 90% nonsense. Best of luck.

The List:

Bonus Birds:

• Archaeopteryx

• Lammergeier

¹ I presume they have names in other languages too, which does make me wonder about one-word-birds in those languages. If you want to start oiseaux d’un seul mot or pájaros de una sola palabra or some other incarnation, you let me know.

² Painstakingly mined from the Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2023 Edition