| 100% | EMU | 3 | Ypsilanti sch. whose initials name a bird |
| 60% | EMU | 3 | Bird whose name is also the initials of a school in Ypsilanti |
| 59% | EMU | 3 | Bird whose name is a Midwest school's initials |
| 48% | TERN | 4 | Bird whose name sounds like a driving maneuver |
| 47% | NENE | 4 | Bird whose name sounds like a twenty-tens dance |
| 47% | GNU | 3 | Animal whose name has a silent initial |
| 46% | JAY | 3 | Bird whose name sounds like a letter of the alphabet |
| 46% | NENE | 4 | Bird whose name sounds like a hip-hop dance move |
| 46% | USC | 3 | Sch. whose mascot is a horse named Traveler |
| 45% | EMU | 3 | Sch. in Ypsilanti whose mascot is an eagle, not another large bird |
| 44% | CKONE | 5 | Unisex fragrance whose name starts with a fashion designer's initials |
| 44% | BARNOWL | 7 | Nocturnal bird of prey whose name suggests a farm: 2 wds. |
| 44% | FINCH | 5 | Bird whose name becomes a unit of length if you remove its first letter |
| 42% | HARRYSTRUMAN | 12 | 33rd US president whose middle initial doesn't stand for a particular name: 3 wds. |
| 41% | HAWKS | 5 | Waterloo ___, extinct NBA team from Iowa whose name is also a group of sharp-eyed birds |
| 40% | SEATTLESEAHAWKS | 15 | Pro team whose mascot is a blue bird named Blitz |
| 39% | DOVE | 4 | Brand of soap whose name is a bird |
| 39% | REN | 3 | Cartoon dog whose name sounds like a bird |
| 38% | FLAMINGO | 8 | A bird whose pink plumage depends on its diet |
| 38% | KITE | 4 | Toy named after a kind of bird |
| 38% | KINGFISHER | 10 | Indian beer named after a colorful bird |
| 38% | ORIOLE | 6 | Bird whose name means "golden" |
| 38% | ACRONYM | 7 | Initials representing a name, words |
| 38% | RHEA | 4 | Bird with a mythological name |
| 38% | DODO | 4 | Bird with a reduplicative name |
| 38% | NENE | 4 | Bird with a reduplicative name |
| 38% | LOON | 4 | Bird with a "wacky" name |
| 38% | LOON | 4 | Bird with a "crazy" name |
| 38% | ORU | 3 | Sch. named for a televangelist |
| 38% | RHEA | 4 | Bird named for a Titaness |