I have always loved birds—those amazing creatures of flight and song. As a child, I kept a log in which I described in loopy handwriting the sight of a soaring red-tailed hawk and the flutelike song of the western meadowlark. Years later, when I took an ornithology course, I was certain I wanted to become a biologist. However, my interest waned immediately when I discovered that my textbook was not full of glossy pictures of beautiful birds but long lists of unfamiliar, scientific names. I half heartedly learned that one magnificent bird of prey is called Buteo jamaicensis, and the fluting trill that woke me on summer mornings belongs to the Sturnella neglecta. I almost closed the book on birds until I realized there was another fascinating level to the study of birds—the stories and humor hidden in their scientific names.