First (& very common) bird I looked up seems to be the exception?
Fantail / pīwakawaka
Known for its friendly ‘cheet cheet’ call and energetic flying antics, the fantail is one of the most common and widely distributed native birds on the New Zealand mainland.
Pretty much every native NZ bird is named after the sound it makes.
First (& very common) bird I looked up seems to be the exception?
Fantail / pīwakawaka Known for its friendly ‘cheet cheet’ call and energetic flying antics, the fantail is one of the most common and widely distributed native birds on the New Zealand mainland.
Yeah but they have a tail which looks like a fan. Not the same but also quite a descriptive name.
I think the majority of animals have descriptive names. However the discussion isn’t even in the vicinity of whether the names are descriptive.
Even the Puteketeke, New Zealand’s Bird of The Century?