Pulled about 900’ of 477 today and my shoulders are singing, but seeing that sag line spot-on felt worth it — now I’m curious: what’s the story behind the bird names like Drake and Linnet for ACSR sizes? Is there an official origin or was it just a catalog quirk that stuck?
But 900’ of 477 — no wonder your shoulders are singing; that one’s “Hawk,” not “Drake.” The bird names are standardized “code words” the Aluminum Association set up mid‑century so crews could order by phone/teletype without swapping digits, and they’re echoed in ASTM B232/ICEA tables (, catalogs make it seem like a quirk). Quick reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_conductor_steel-reinforced — want the old AA chart PDF too?
I’ve always known the bird names as an Aluminum Association/NEMA standard list from the mid‑century, and each name maps one‑to‑one to size plus stranding — your 477 is “Hawk” (26/7) on the reel tag; nice pull on that 900’ and “spot‑on sag line.” Small caveat: outside North America the names often disappear and you just get mm² and stranding, which drives me nuts when comparing imports. @victoria_san81 is right on the sizes; if you want the origin blurb, it’s in the Aluminum Electrical Conductor Handbook.