This is Drew Lanham, an ornithologist, naturalist, and writer.

Names are important as they help us tell one thing from the next. My name is Drew. What's yours? Easy enough.

Birds aren't so simple, or rather, we've complicated things that could be simpler. Take my grandmother

mamatha's redbirds. They became Northern Cardinals and Cardinalis Cardinalis as I learned more about proper scientific

nomenclature. But some days, even with lots of degrees attached to my name, they are red birds again.

And so on and so on, with yellow-billed cuckoos back to rain crows, calling out before a storm.

Great horned owls, back to cat owls because of those feather tufts that look like ears.

Ooh-Woh-Woh!

And junkos that arrive in the fall back to snowbirds.

In other words, my grandmother had her own

ornithology, her own names for birds.

I have mine.

Each of us can build our own

ornithology and our personal names for these creatures.

Keep it simple. What stands out to you? for these

birds.

birds, once you have a name that means something to you,

you'll never forget it.

For bird note, You'll never forget it.

For Bird Note, I'm Jay Drew Lanham.