# Peanuts: What Kind of Bird Was Woodstock? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 6, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351 "2010-08-06T00:17:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/1 "2010-08-06T00:17:17Z")
Yesterday, **mudgirl** saw a TV commercial featuring Snoopy and Woodstock. She said “Mom, I know Snoopy’s a beagle; but what kind of bird is Woodstock supposed to be?” I tried looking it up on Wiki, and while Wiki was helpful in informing us that originally, Woodstock was a _female_ character (because (s)he was intended as Snoopy’s ‘secretary’), there was no note on what type of bird it was. Any ideas? Clues? Suggestion? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/2 "2010-08-06T00:34:08Z")
FWIW the Peanuts Wiki (Not the Wikipedia one, this is the Wiki that concentrates on Entertainment) reports that: > **[Woodstock](https://peanuts.fandom.com/wiki/Woodstock)** > [@](#): > > Species > > Snoopy has often wondered what type of bird Woodstock is. Snoopy attempts to identify him using his “Guide to Birds.” The birds which Snoopy suggests and Woodstock attempts to imitate are: crow, American bittern, Caroline wren, rufous-sided towhee, yellow-billed cuckoo, Canada goose, warbler, and a mourning warbler. Snoopy finally gives up trying to figure it out, and hurts Woodstock’s feelings by saying, “For all I know, you’re a duck”. Snoopy takes it back with a quick hug, at which point it becomes clear that it does not matter what type of bird Woodstock is; the only important fact is that he is Snoopy’s best friend. > > **Schulz never definitively answered the question of what type of bird Woodstock was supposed to be.** ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/3 "2010-08-06T00:41:34Z")
Since Woodstock is yellow, I always thought he was an canary that had gotten loose. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/4 "2010-08-06T00:47:24Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > FWIW the Peanuts Wiki (Not the Wikipedia one, this is the Wiki that concentrates on Entertainment) reports that: > > [Woodstock | Peanuts Wiki | Fandom](http://peanuts.wikia.com/wiki/Woodstock) > > > [@](#): > > > > Species > > > > Snoopy has often wondered what type of bird Woodstock is. Snoopy attempts to identify him using his “Guide to Birds.” The birds which Snoopy suggests and Woodstock attempts to imitate are: crow, American bittern, Caroline wren, rufous-sided towhee, yellow-billed cuckoo, Canada goose, warbler, and a mourning warbler. Snoopy finally gives up trying to figure it out, and hurts Woodstock’s feelings by saying, “For all I know, you’re a duck”. Snoopy takes it back with a quick hug, at which point it becomes clear that it does not matter what type of bird Woodstock is; the only important fact is that he is Snoopy’s best friend. > > > > **Schulz never definitively answered the question of what type of bird Woodstock was supposed to be.** Wow. Very helpful. Thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/5 "2010-08-06T00:48:28Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Since Woodstock is yellow, I always thought he was an canary that had gotten loose. **mudgirl** thought he was too “fluffy” to be a canary; she thought maybe some weird kind of baby ostrich. (Yeah, she’s quirky like that). ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/6 "2010-08-06T00:51:27Z")
I always though he was a Canary, like Big Bird and Tweetie Pie. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/7 "2010-08-06T01:04:21Z")
Woodstock always wanted to be an eagle and soar above the clouds majestically, but he washed out of eagle camp for getting too many beak-bleeds. It was quite sad! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/8 "2010-08-06T01:23:40Z")
Alright, alright, Mickey’s a mouse, Donald’s a duck, Pluto’s a dog. What’s Goofy? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/9 "2010-08-06T01:25:12Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Alright, alright, Mickey’s a mouse, Donald’s a duck, Pluto’s a dog. What’s Goofy? He’s also a dog. In fact, his original name was Dippy Dawg. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/10 "2010-08-06T01:47:24Z")
No, he’s a dawg, not a dog. The one that gets me is that Gadget Hackwrench (a mouse) is about the same size as Chip and Dale (chipmunks). Donald Duck has appeared in various comics with Chip and Dale, and is about a dozen times their height. And Mickey Mouse is about the same size as Donald. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/11 "2010-08-06T02:10:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > No, he’s a dawg, not a dog. > > The one that gets me is that Gadget Hackwrench (a mouse) is about the same size as Chip and Dale (chipmunks). Donald Duck has appeared in various comics with Chip and Dale, and is about a dozen times their height. And Mickey Mouse is about the same size as Donald. This is the kind of insanity we get when we try to analyze the classic 'toons too closely! 😉 I am going to try hard to convince my **mudgirl** not to be so literal! (Often, I’ll say something like “What am I going to do with you? I’ll have to sell you on eBay!” and she’ll furrow her brow and say “Really?” No, not really, you humorless geek-that-is-way-too-much-like-her-father!) Sheesh. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/12 "2010-08-06T13:43:11Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > I tried looking it up on Wiki, and while Wiki was helpful in informing us that originally, Woodstock was a _female_ character (because (s)he was intended as Snoopy’s ‘secretary’), there was no note on what type of bird it was. Because we all know there are no male secretaries?:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/13 "2010-08-06T13:49:49Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > > [@norinew](#): > > > > I tried looking it up on Wiki, and while Wiki was helpful in informing us that originally, Woodstock was a _female_ character (because (s)he was intended as Snoopy’s ‘secretary’), there was no note on what type of bird it was. > > Because we all know there are no male secretaries?:rolleyes: In the late 60s, when the character was introduced, pretty much no. ETA: [Secretary Bird](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretarybird) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/14 "2010-08-06T15:36:38Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Since Woodstock is yellow, I always thought he was an canary that had gotten loose. Actually, there was, originally, a whole flock of “woodstocks” that hung around the doghouse, until the one with the most individual character emerged and the flock kind of faded away after. So unless a whole bunch of canaries got loose, Woodstock’s probably not a canary. Also, in the middle to later years of the strip, Snoopy was the leader of a “Bird Scout” troop, all of which looked like Woodstock. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/15 "2010-08-06T15:44:14Z")
I always assumed he was "boid’. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/16 "2010-08-06T15:50:31Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I always though he was a Canary, like Big Bird and Tweetie Pie. What kind of messed up radioactive canary is Big Bird?! One that spent too much down in the mine? ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/17 "2010-08-06T15:56:32Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > > [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > > > I always though he was a Canary, like Big Bird and Tweetie Pie. > > What kind of messed up radioactive canary is Big Bird?! One that spent too much down in the mine? Exactly, which is why he scared the crap out of me when I was a tiny child. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/18 "2010-08-06T15:59:04Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > > [@Shagnasty](#): > > > > Alright, alright, Mickey’s a mouse, Donald’s a duck, Pluto’s a dog. What’s Goofy? > > He’s also a dog. In fact, his original name was Dippy Dawg. I see someone’s not seen _Stand by Me_. (The _Bangkok Post_ still runs _Peanuts_.) ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/19 "2010-08-06T16:04:26Z")
I always assumed he was a canary too. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351/20 "2010-08-06T16:08:00Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Actually, there was, originally, a whole flock of “woodstocks” that hung around the doghouse, until the one with the most individual character emerged and the flock kind of faded away after. So unless a whole bunch of canaries got loose, Woodstock’s probably not a canary. > > Also, in the middle to later years of the strip, Snoopy was the leader of a “Bird Scout” troop, all of which looked like Woodstock. The original flock of generic birds that hung around with Snoopy looked sort of like robins. Eventually Woodstock emerged as kind of a bird caricature of Snoopy himself. Woodstock doesn’t look much like any native North American bird. About the only species that would be so completely yellow is the Yellow Warbler, but he otherwise doesn’t look anything like one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peanuts-what-kind-of-bird-was-woodstock/549351.md?page=2)