Memorize these and you could recognize 33.8% of all Birds clues.
| # | Answer | Appearances | Sample Clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | the ostrich | 24 | Bird God called foolish because it lays its eggs on the ground where they can be stepped on |
| 2 | the cardinal | 24 | This "religious" red bird is the state bird of Ohio |
| 3 | To Kill a Mockingbird | 19 | This book says, "I thought Jem and I would get grown but there wasn't much else left for us to learn, except possibly algebra" |
| 4 | the hummingbird | 19 | The newly hatched young of the bee species of this smallest bird are no larger than honeybees |
| 5 | the eagle | 16 | On the Philippine coat of arms, this bird represents the United States |
| 6 | the albatross | 16 | This unlucky seabird was thought to be the repository of the souls of drowned seamen |
| 7 | a woodpecker | 15 | The brain of the red-headed species of this bird is subject to a force of 10 Gs when its beak hits a tree |
| 8 | a grouse | 14 | In New England, "a partridge in a pear tree" would actually refer to the ruffed species of this bird |
| 9 | the owl | 14 | One of the fiercest of all birds is "great horned" variety of this |
| 10 | the robin | 14 | In legend a drop of Jesus' blood turned this bird's breast red |
| 11 | the crow | 13 | Distances are measured "as" this bird "flies" |
| 12 | a duck | 12 | After 1875 the Labrador type of this bird was no longer feeling so daffy |
| 13 | the kiwi | 12 | The New Zealand government has passed laws to protect this national symbol & prevent its export |
| 14 | the whooping crane | 11 | Named for the sound it makes, this long-legged nearly extinct bird is now protected in a Texas reserve |
| 15 | The Roadrunner | 11 | Though its scientific name is Geococcyx californianus, it's the state bird of New Mexico |
| 16 | the penguin | 11 | The male of the Adelie species of this bird may lose 40% of his weight during mating & incubation |
| 17 | a parrot | 10 | Now endangered, New Zealand's kakapo is the only flightless & nocturnal species of this bird in the family Psittacidae |
| 18 | the pelican | 10 | The American white species of this bird drives fish into shallow water & scoops them up with its pouch |
| 19 | the dove | 10 | When Noah sent it out to see if the waters subsided, it came back with an olive branch |
| 20 | a hawk | 9 | An advocate of all-out war, or to sell products on the street by shouting |
| 21 | a quail | 9 | There are more than 100 species of this popular game bird |
| 22 | a turkey | 9 | Early 20th century dancers performed this bird's "trot" |
| 23 | the pheasant | 9 | The ring-necked species of this game bird is South Dakota's official state bird |
| 24 | a pigeon | 9 | The homing or carrier type of this bird has been used to carry messages for 2.000 years |
| 25 | owls | 8 | New species of this nocturnal predator are still being discovered at the rate of 1 every decade |
| 26 | the loon | 8 | This "crazy" bird appeared in the title of an E.L. Doctorow novel |
| 27 | the peacock | 8 | Since its tail feathers are adorned with eyes it could be the symbol of both NBC & CBS |
| 28 | a flamingo | 8 | This large, sometimes pinkish wading bird has black flight feathers |
| 29 | a goose | 8 | Hawaii's state bird, the rare nene, is a member of this family |
| 30 | the rhea | 8 | I'd pay to see a hare race this tall South American bird |
| 31 | the dodo | 8 | Now extinct, this native of Mauritius is a character in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" |
| 32 | feathers | 7 | Of beaks, flight, or feathers, the only feature exclusive to birds |
| 33 | penguins | 7 | Until 2010 this Metropolitan Division team played its NHL home games in an arena known as the Igloo |
| 34 | the emu | 7 | Several species of this large shaggy bird native to Australia were exterminated by settlers |
| 35 | a swallow | 7 | In Psalm 84 this bird finds "a nest for herself", perhaps in Capistrano |
| 36 | a canary | 6 | A sweet white wine from Spanish islands northwest of Africa, or a shade of yellow |
| 37 | hummingbirds | 6 | The most common species of these birds in the eastern U.S. is the ruby-throated |
| 38 | homing pigeons | 6 | On March 23, 1957, the army held public sale of their last of these outmoded means of communication |
| 39 | the myna bird | 6 | This "talking" bird is a species of starling |
| 40 | the ibis | 6 | Once considered sacred in Ancient Egypt, this wading bird is no longer found along the Nile |
| 41 | a swift | 6 | In 1713 this Irish author & pamphleteer was appointed dean of Dublin's St. Patrick's Cathedral |
| 42 | the Baltimore oriole | 5 | This bird was named for the resemblance of its colors to those of the Calvert family |
| 43 | swans | 5 | Some of these large birds are "trumpeters", & some are "whistling", but others are "mute" |
| 44 | emus | 5 | In Australia, these birds are considered pests because they eat crops & break down sheep fences |
| 45 | ducks | 5 | These birds are grouped by eating habits; pintails are dabblers & canvasbacks are divers |
| 46 | booby | 5 | From Spanish "bobo", meaning dunce, a clumsy bird or the prize it might win |
| 47 | blackbird | 5 | In "A Song of Sixpence" 1 of these pecked off the maid's nose |
| 48 | a stork | 5 | In myth, this real bird was believed to have access to the waters of creation, the source of all fertility |
| 49 | a falcon | 5 | The duck hawk, or peregrine type of this bird, is used in a game-hunting sport |
| 50 | California condor | 5 | Gymnogyps Californianus is the scientific name of this largest North American vulture |