Four flightless piping plover chicks on Lake Michigan—born to Imani and Searocket—were named Buddy, Frankie, Mavis and Tweedy after Buddy Guy, Frankie Knuckles, Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy as a city conservation team tracks their growth.
On Lake Michigan, two weeks can feel like a lifetime for a piping plover chick. For Imani and Searocket’s four fuzzy hatchlings, those days have already brought something bigger than new feathers: names and bands chosen with care, and a promise of a milestone weeks ahead.
The Chicago Piping Plovers group said the chicks—currently flightless—were named Buddy. Frankie. Mavis and Tweedy after Buddy Guy. Frankie Knuckles. Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy. The names were intended to be more than a nod to famous Chicago artists; the group also tied them to the bird’s science and sound. The scientific name of the piping plover is Charadrius melodus. referring to their “melodious singing. ” the group said in a statement.
To get to the final quartet, the group received more than 456 submissions and more than 1,500 unique names. A seven-person panel drew from representatives from local city and conservation groups to narrow the list down before selecting the musicians.
It isn’t the first time the chicks’ singing has shaped names. The group noted that Nagamo’s name was an Ojibwe phrase meaning “they sing.”
Beyond the music in the nicknames, there’s a practical reason the birds are being tracked with bands. Members of the Great Lakes Piping Plover Conservation Team, the Chicago Park District, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Chicago Piping Plovers helped put the bands on the hatchlings to monitor their growth. The Chicago quartet have stars instead of the colored dots typically used on Great Lakes plovers to match the city’s flag.
The group said the effort is part of a 100-year-old U.S. Geological Survey program to track birds.
Each chick will carry a specific set of bands so they can be identified later. The birds will have a metal band on the upper left leg. an orange band on the lower left leg. and a violet band on the lower right leg. The orange band includes distinct markers: Buddy bears a blue star. Frankie a red one. Mavis has yellow. and Tweedy has green.
The next major checkpoint will come around July 8, when the group considers the hatchlings fully fledged—whether or not they have actually begun to fly.
piping plover chicks Lake Michigan Chicago Piping Plovers Buddy Guy Frankie Knuckles Mavis Staples Jeff Tweedy bird conservation U.S. Geological Survey Chicago Park District
Buddy?? Like Buddy Guy? That’s kinda cool but why are they naming birds like people.
So they’re flightless right now and they’re like “Buddy, Frankie…” lol. I’m surprised there were 456 submissions though. People really out here naming birds better than their own pets.
Wait I thought Jeff Tweedy is on the birds like… for real? Also the violet band on the lower right leg?? Sounds like a coding thing not a real conservation thing. And July 8 “fully fledged” sounds like they’re gonna decide if they’re allowed to fly based on a calendar or something.
I saw this and was like ok Lake Michigan doing the most. 100-year-old program?? That’s insane. Imani and Searocket sounds like a couple names, not birds. Also “melodious singing” like… are they sure it’s not just the wind over the sand? Either way I hope Buddy makes it.