‘The bird Duo in Duolingo’s logo, e.g.’ NYT Mini Crossword clue answer and hints

Unless you’re familiar with the “bird Duo in Duolingo’s logo,” today’s NYT crossword clue might have felt challenging because there are over 9,000 bird species, which is a lot to filter through for today’s clue. But don’t worry, I won’t make you go through that. You’ll find the answer below.

‘The bird Duo in Duolingo’s logo, e.g.,’ Oct. 1 NYT Mini Crossword clue hints and answer

• Hint 1: It starts with an “O.”
• Hint 2: One of the most famous fictional ones is called Hedwig.
• Hint 3: They are often used as the symbol of intelligence.
• Hint 4: It’s nocturnal and has big eyes.

The answer to the “The bird Duo in Duolingo’s logo, e.g.,” clue from the Oct. 1 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle is “OWL.” The mascot for Duolingo, the language learning platform, is an owl called Duo.

Oct. 1 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle: All clues and answers

Across

• 1A One is officially called an “Academy Award of Merit” — OSCAR
• 6A Aquatic mammal whose closest terrestrial relative is the hippopotamus — WHALE
• 7A Charlie Brown’s friend with a blanket — LINUS
• 8A City founded by twin brothers, according to legend — ROME
• 9A Something to cram for — TEST

Down

• 1D The bird Duo in Duolingo’s logo, e.g. — OWL
• 2D Button-up or button-down — SHIRT
• 3D Olympic racing vessel since 1936 — CANOE
• 4D Class reunion attendees — ALUMS
• 5D Button you might need a paper clip to press on an electronic device — RESET

‘The bird Duo in Duolingo’s logo, e.g., ‘ NYT crossword clue difficulty

Although I’ve seen the Duolingo advertisements and knew that the company’s mascot was a bird, I never really thought about what kind of bird it was until today’s NYT crossword clue. Because there are so many types of birds, I wasn’t sure what the answer was, and I would have been quite stuck if I hadn’t already solved some of the crossword. While it was hard, at first, it wasn’t impossible to solve, so I’m giving it a difficulty rating of three out of five.

Puzzles to enjoy after today’s NYT crossword puzzle

If you enjoy puzzles, why not try these mini crosswords from the LA Times or the Washington Post or these fun, word-based games, Strands or Spelling Bee, from the NYT?