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Why are birds named what they’re named?

In this mini episode of the Bird Name Game series from Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss explores the fascinating naming history behind two giant flightless birds that look like they walked straight out of the dinosaur era: cassowaries and emus.

Both birds are massive, powerful, and deeply tied to the evolutionary story of modern birds—but their names come from very different linguistic journeys.

Cassowaries, found in the tropical forests of New Guinea and northern Australia, are famous for their bright blue necks, dagger-like claws, and the mysterious helmet-like casque on their heads. Their name likely comes from Southeast Asian languages describing the bird’s distinctive “horned head.”

Emus, the shaggy runners of the Australian outback, inherited a name that originally referred to many large flightless birds—including ostriches and cassowaries. Early European explorers often confused these giant birds, and for a time emus were even called “New Holland cassowaries.”

In this episode we explore:

• Why cassowaries are sometimes called the most dangerous bird in the world
• What the mysterious cassowary casque might be used for
• How early explorers confused emus, ostriches, and cassowaries
• Why the word “emu” once referred to multiple species of giant birds
• How language, exploration, and first impressions shaped bird names

If you love birding, ornithology, wildlife science, or natural history, the Bird Name Game series reveals how the names of birds tell stories about exploration, language, and the way humans first encountered the natural world.

Subscribe for more episodes of Wildly Curious, where science, nature, and curiosity collide.

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Track a real wild animal. Support conservation. Feel slightly cooler than you did five seconds ago. Visit the Fahlo tracking bracelets website to get 20% off tracking bracelets with code WildlyKaty.

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Why do birds have the names they do?

In this episode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss kicks off a new mini-series called “Bird Name Game”, exploring the fascinating origins behind bird names. Each episode looks at two birds, their natural history, and the surprising linguistic stories behind what we call them.

This episode dives into two iconic seabirds: the albatross and the gull.

The albatross, one of the largest flying birds on Earth, can glide across the ocean for thousands of miles with barely a wingbeat. But its name didn’t start in English. It traveled through Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, and Latin, changing spelling and even switching which bird it referred to before becoming the name we know today.

Gulls, on the other hand, have a much simpler origin. Their name likely comes from ancient Celtic and Norse roots that imitate the bird’s loud, wailing call—the same cry that echoes across beaches, harbors, and parking lots everywhere.

Along the way, we explore:

• How albatrosses travel thousands of miles using ocean winds
• Why many albatross species form lifelong partnerships
• The surprising linguistic journey from “alcatraz” to “albatross”
• Why gulls were named after the sound they make
• How bird names reflect human language, culture, and first impressions

If you love birding, natural history, ornithology, or wildlife science, this mini-series reveals how the names of birds tell stories about exploration, language, and the people who first encountered them.

Subscribe for more episodes of Wildly Curious, where science, nature, and curiosity collide.

Support the show

🎉 Support us on Patreon to keep the episodes coming! 🪼🦤🧠 For more laughs, catch us on YouTube!

Track a real wild animal. Support conservation. Feel slightly cooler than you did five seconds ago. Visit the Fahlo tracking bracelets website to get 20% off tracking bracelets with code WildlyKaty.

Send a text

Subscribe and prepare to realize your cat has been training you this whole time.

In this Niche Scientists minisode of Wildly Curious, Katy Reiss and Laura Fawks Lapole dive into the fascinating research of Dr. Susanne Schötz, a phonetics professor at Lund University—and the scientist behind some of the most groundbreaking work on cat–human communication.

Her research explores how cats use meows, purrs, trills, and intonation to communicate with humans, how those sounds change based on emotion and context, and why domestic cats are far more vocal than their wild or feral relatives.

🐾 Why cats use short, high-pitched meows when happy or requesting
😾 Why vet-meows sound long, low, and dramatic (as they should)
🎵 How cats adjust melody and pitch specifically for their humans
🧠 What “solicitation purring” is—and why it mimics a human baby’s cry
🗣️ Why every cat–human pair develops its own unique dialect

The big takeaway? Cats aren’t just making noise. They’re fine-tuning a language to get what they want—and humans are surprisingly good at understanding it, especially if they’ve lived with cats before.

🎧 This episode is part of our Niche Scientists minisode series—short, weird, and full of research that makes you a better, more informed pet parent.

Support the show

🎉 Support us on Patreon to keep the episodes coming! 🪼🦤🧠 For more laughs, catch us on YouTube!

Track a real wild animal. Support conservation. Feel slightly cooler than you did five seconds ago. Visit the Fahlo tracking bracelets website to get 20% off tracking bracelets with code WildlyKaty.