pronunciation?

[christie]

I've been birding for a few years but feel like a dummy when it comes to pronuciation of some birds. how is pileated, scaup, and scoter pronounced? I'm sure there are more but these are the ones I am mostly embarrassed about.
thanks,
christie

[Brian Bailey]

I think the correct pronunciation of "pileated" is with a long "i", a long "e", and a long "a", as in "pie-lee-ated", but it's much more commonly pronounced (in Ontario at least), with a short "i".

"Scaup" rhymes with "hop", and "scoter" rhymes with "boater".

There, now you can speak their names with confidence! :wink:

It doesn't help that so many bird names have obscure and/or archaic origins.  Pileated is actually a descriptive term meaning, "having a crest covering the pileum".  Not a term that comes up much in my day to day conversation!

BB

[GStuart]

I like the Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary for just this very reason; it comes with a clickable pronunciation of each word.

pileated

scaup

scoter

As for "pileated", I like the Online Etymological Dictionary...

1728, from L. pileatus "capped," from pileus "felt cap without a brim," from Gk. pilos. Applied in natural history to certain birds and sea urchins.

 Sea urchins?

[christie]

thanks, I was actually pronouncing them right but now I will shout it with confidence.  

[Axeman]

sssh...use your inside voice...thanks for bringing that up....scaup was one of my ummm....never pronounced in public birds...