This post, originally published on Major League Baseball’s Opening Day 2019, features a fun gallery of photos of the birds commemorated by North American professional sports teams. It would be a pretty brief gallery if we stuck to baseball, since only three MLB teams qualify for this list. So we’re also recognizing teams from the NFL, NBA, and NHL — 11 species in all that inspired the names of 12 teams. The photos are from our Reader Galleries.
Of course, several minor-league baseball teams and a number of college sports programs are named for birds as well. If you’d like to see more galleries like this, let us know!
The name of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks doesn't have anything to do with the Ring-necked Duck or any other actual waterfowl species. But I selected this photo because Ring-necked Ducks can be seen in southern California in winter, and this is a great shot of a male and female. The team was named the Mighty Ducks by Disney, after its movie of the same name starring Emilio Estevez. In 2005, the new owners shortened the name simply to Ducks. Photo by David Mundy
Related: The home of the Milwaukee Bucks is the world’s first bird-friendly arena
Originally Published
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