Yardbird or Yard Bird is slang for chicken.
The term originated in the South where chickens often ran around the yard.
Yardbird was the nickname of the famous jazz sax player Charlie Parker. He got the name because he loved eating chicken. The nickname was eventually shortened to just Bird which is what most people remember. And, Charlie was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri so he probably knew a thing or two about BBQ too!
Yardbird is also an excellent BBQ rub from Plowboys that we highly recommend. And don’t let the name fool you… it’s good on pork as well as chicken.