This should be fun: what's a "ditch parrot?"

Scott Linden · Post by **Scott Linden** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 9:45 am

Every region has it’s quirky names for critters. Time to compile the ultimate list of those we shoot at as they fly away. What do they call a ringneck pheasant in Montana? Is a timberdoodle in Vermont a bogsucker in New Brunswick? And what the heck is a mudbat?

Offer up your upland and waterfowl colloquialisms … and if you can’t come up with a “real” one, feel free to make one up. I'll be compiling all the suggestions at my blog ... so put 'em here, or there, and enjoy!

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 7:31 pm

Chukar:
red legged devil
rock bandits

Quail:
whippers

Pheasants:
ditch parrot (only one I know)

Mallard:
quacker
greeny

Scott Linden · Post by **Scott Linden** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 7:46 pm

Benny wrote:Chukar:
red legged devil
rock bandits

Quail:
whippers

Pheasants:
ditch parrot (only one I know)

Mallard:
quacker
greeny

Hey Benny, where'd you find "whippers?" That is a good one I've never heard/seen?

Ruffshooter · Post by **Ruffshooter** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:36 pm

Rough Grouse: Ruffs, Pahtrij Ayha, Road chickens, ROTTEN SON OF A BLEEPITY BLEEPIN, @#$$%%^^$@@.

I can send my ditch pigs in for your ditch parrots.

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 9:01 pm

Scott Linden wrote: Hey Benny, where'd you find "whippers?" That is a good one I've never heard/seen?

My buddy and I call them whippersnappers. They act more like a schoolyard of kids the way they covey up in plain sight sometimes. Plus they've got tons of energy.

vikings269 · Post by **vikings269** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:07 am

Some dude from texas (nothing against anyone from texas) was visiting minnesota and when he saw a rooster pheasant he called it a roadrunner, to this day I dont know if he was dumb or thats just what they called them. He wasnt a hunter or the outdoors type so I never thought much about it till I saw this thread.

Big Dave · Post by **Big Dave** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:45 am

brown bombers = bobwhite quail.

sky carp = geese

birdhunter2424 · Post by **birdhunter2424** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 8:30 am

pheasant - ditch chickens

wood cock - tree bombers

the wood cock is a funny story. My buddy was hunting them in MI and he kicked one up it flew 10 ft and slammed into a tree. It fell to the ground shock its head looked around saw him walking closer and flushed up flew 10 ft and slammed into another tree. The bird did this 3 times. After that he had to walk away from to bird he couldn't bring himself to shoot such a dumb bird.

Benny · Post by **Benny** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 3:29 pm

birdhunter2424 wrote:pheasant - ditch chickens

wood cock - tree bombers

the wood cock is a funny story. My buddy was hunting them in MI and he kicked one up it flew 10 ft and slammed into a tree. It fell to the ground shock its head looked around saw him walking closer and flushed up flew 10 ft and slammed into another tree. The bird did this 3 times. After that he had to walk away from to bird he couldn't bring himself to shoot such a dumb bird.

I think he should have made the shot purely for the culling process

Squirrel_Hunter_Gray · Post by **Squirrel_Hunter_Gray** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 11:11 pm

In addition to "ditch parrot" I have heard pheasants referred to as "Chinese Chickens". Also some Vermonters I went to college with in Maine called Ruffed Grouse "Chickens".

-Marc

phermes1 · Post by **phermes1** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 6:13 am

When I was hunting in Maine, they referred to the grouse as paahhhtridge.

Not 'Partridge'

'Paahhhtridege'

zzweims · Post by **zzweims** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 1:23 pm

QUAIL:

Birds
Little Gentlemen
Gentleman Bob
Bob

WOOD DUCK:

Woodies

HOODED MERGANSERS

Hoodies

birddog1968 · Post by **birddog1968** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:21 pm

common and red breasted mergs are called

Hairy heads around here or lawn darts.

If your down Virginia shore the call em Hory heeds

fishvik · Post by **fishvik** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:18 am

ruff grouse=brush pheasants
spruce and Blue grouse=fool hens
sage grouse=bombers(mostly the males)
valley quail=top knots
coot=greater ivory bill or mud hens
sharp tails=sharpies

BigShooter · Post by **BigShooter** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:10 am

snow geese - flying rats
pheasants - chinese invaders
cormorants - cornbread
bluebills - whistlers
ruffed grouse - thunderheads
sand hill cranes - pencil-necks

KY Grouse Hunter · Post by **KY Grouse Hunter** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 11:14 am

I am laying claim to this one because I came up with it and I think it is the best.

Woodcock = Swamp Dart

Gordon Guy · Post by **Gordon Guy** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 7:10 am

I lived in Montana for a while and while there I've heard the locals use a few terms

Sharptails - Big Chickens
Huns - Little Chickens
Pheasants - Chinks

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:03 am

Ducks = flying livers

Sharptail grouse = sharpies

Scott Linden · Post by **Scott Linden** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 10:06 pm

birdhunter2424 wrote:pheasant - ditch chickens

wood cock - tree bombers

the wood cock is a funny story. My buddy was hunting them in MI and he kicked one up it flew 10 ft and slammed into a tree. It fell to the ground shock its head looked around saw him walking closer and flushed up flew 10 ft and slammed into another tree. The bird did this 3 times. After that he had to walk away from to bird he couldn't bring himself to shoot such a dumb bird.

Shoulda took it outta the gene pool. Obviously from the shallow end.

Ruffshooter · Post by **Ruffshooter** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 5:53 am

This one is not a game bird, although Kansans probably would shoot them

. (Shooting Sand Cranes)
Great Blue Heron = $$hit poke. Don't be under one when they dump.

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 12:16 am

Bob white quail: Little rockets

charlie young · Post by **charlie young** » Sun Mar 15, 2009 11:44 am

I have lived in Montana all my life, and until I joined this forum, I have never heard of pheasants being called anything but pheasant of ringnecks. Think the ditch parrot moniker was imported from some out of stater............

charlie

greyghost61 · Post by **greyghost61** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 5:47 am

Bobwhite Quail = Partridge, Birds, Mr. Bob

Wood Cock = Mud Partridge

GsPJustin · Post by **GsPJustin** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 12:00 am

Big Dave wrote: sky carp = geese

I am kind of wondering if I was the only one that got that!?

I have heard a lot of different types of birds called a lot of different things. Not of them really type specific.

Ricky Ticky Shorthairs · Post by **Ricky Ticky Shorthairs** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:24 am

Pheasants-Rudy

Sharptails-Chickens

Prarie Chickens-Chickens

It's kind of funny, at the ranch I hunt in the Sandhills, all of the ranchers call 'em chickens no matter what they are. (Grouse or Prarie Chickens)

Maybe they don't know the difference.

Any pen raised bird no matter what it is-Chickens. This one is because they run around like barnyard chickens.

(Anybody who has worked at a game farm or raised pen birds knows what I mean

)

Doug

prairiefirepointers · Post by **prairiefirepointers** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:38 pm

PHEASANTS: Ditch Parrots, Feznuts, Big bird, Thunder Chickens.

QUAIL: Bobs, Fast little B*stards!

MEADOW LARKS: Practice Quail

BLUE HERONS: Water Turkeys, Watersaurs (My brother and I made this term up) They look creepy, prehistoric and make a wretched sound.

Scott Linden · Post by **Scott Linden** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 8:14 pm

"Practice quail ..." priceless! And probably based (as in my case at least) on personal experience.

Birdie Britt · Post by **Birdie Britt** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:46 am

Bobwhites:
Little Brown Rockets, Pocket Rockets, Little "bleep"... on a bad shooting day.

Pheasants:
Cockbirds

Mallards:
Greenheads.

Specklebelly Geese:
Flying Filet Mignon.

Teal:
"What the heck was that that just buzzed by????"

Canvasbacks:
"Don't Shoot!"

OHIO VIZSLA · Post by **OHIO VIZSLA** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 5:35 am

Woodcock - Tweeties

LEGLIFTER · Post by **LEGLIFTER** » Tue May 05, 2009 5:01 pm

Shoveler = Hollywood Mallards

Chukar = Ghosts

Ibis = Bagel Biters or Iraqis
All other non-game birds are called $chitt birds.

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