This graphic designer reimagines the Orioles logo as owls and even blue jays
Spend a little time in the annals of Baseball Twitter, and you're sure to see the famed account, "Other Birds as the Orioles Logo." It's a simple enough idea -- take the amazing, smiling representation of the Orioles and ... turn it into other birds.
The explanation is in the name!
Kakapo, owl parrot // Strigops habroptila pic.twitter.com/8RRAd9paWx
— Other Birds as the Orioles Logo (@SmilingBirdLogo) May 1, 2018
It's not just the concept that makes it such an intriguing follow. Every day there's a new bird to see, with specific hints and colorings to make these ever-so-slightly educational.
Lesser sand plover // Charadrius mongolus pic.twitter.com/hkJeoGJDDV
— Other Birds as the Orioles Logo (@SmilingBirdLogo) April 4, 2018
However, some are just visual jokes:
Twitter // latin for twitter pic.twitter.com/1FqlCla7Kh
— Other Birds as the Orioles Logo (@SmilingBirdLogo) April 29, 2018
And others happen to be the mascot of another team:
Blue jay // Cyanocitta cristata pic.twitter.com/LgnNRSieFP
— Other Birds as the Orioles Logo (@SmilingBirdLogo) April 2, 2018
None of this was the plan for Michael Taylor, a Rays fan and graphic designer for the Women's Tennis Association (when he's not making new logos).
After making a joke on Twitter about using other birds in place of the Oriole Bird logo, Taylor began thinking during a road trip from Tennessee back to his home in Tampa about making a quick logo for his fictional video game franchise. "it just started to snowball when I was talking to a friend," he told MLB.com. "It became so absurd that I had to do it when I got home."
Common ostrich // Struthio camelus pic.twitter.com/qTNabUeKwa
— Other Birds as the Orioles Logo (@SmilingBirdLogo) April 5, 2018
The amusing, colorful images have been a bit of an escape for Orioles fans this year. While
"If I can somehow provide a bright spot," Taylor joked to MLB.com, "then that's pretty cool."
The Oriole Bird logo was also a great starting point.
"I think its just so recognizable," Taylor said. "Most teams have cap logos that are just letters, but the Orioles' is an illustration so that's pretty unique."
Common parakeet // Melopsittacus undulatus pic.twitter.com/NezvzXKN7f
— Other Birds as the Orioles Logo (@SmilingBirdLogo) April 4, 2018
You may even find yourself spotting new birds in your area simply by following the account.
"I'm not a bird guy or anything," he said. "I see birds every day like everyone else, and my apartment is full of them. I went to throw some stuff away and there was a blue heron by the dumpster. I don't think I would have recognized it if I hadn't done it a week ago."
Great blue heron // Ardea herodias pic.twitter.com/2eEos1E2tb
— Other Birds as the Orioles Logo (@SmilingBirdLogo) April 9, 2018
As for how he's able to differentiate the different the breeds, Taylor says, "It all starts with the beak. That's the first thing I do." From there, he says, it's a pretty quick process to color them. "If that's all it takes to run a 12,000-follower Twitter account, it's worth it."
For anyone worried about inspiration, they shouldn't. After all, there are some 20,000 birds out there. You can follow the action @SmilingBirdLogo and @MichaelDanger19.
