What Kind Of Bird Is On The Pontiac Firebird? The History Behind The Iconic Hood Decal

Some might be quick to argue that automobile decals and graphics are not just unnecessary, but outright eyesores. There are also plenty of auto enthusiasts who'd argue just the opposite. Whichever side of that dialogue you reside on, we can all agree that few automotive decals are as unique or recognizable as the winged bird adorning the hoods of many Pontiac Firebirds and Trans Ams in the 1970s and 1980s. Many believe it's one of the coolest decals applied to a Pontiac. 

Opinions vary on that particular matter as well, and there are no doubt fans of the sub-muscle Pontiac Firebird that would prefer the now-defunct American automaker had never developed the shamelessly garish hood adornment. Nonetheless, the decal made its Firebird debut in the 1973 model year, adding an extra $55.00 to the price of the vehicle.

Not surprisingly, the image — depicting a fire breathing bird with spread wings set aflame — was inspired by the name bestowed upon the Pontiac's beloved but oft redesigned pony car. However, it was not initially made clear what breed of bird the image was based on, and Pontiac has never officially confirmed it one way or another, reportedly referring to the option merely as "the available giant Firebird decal." 

Theories abound, of course, with some believing it to be anything from an Eagle to a rising Phoenix. However, the nickname most commonly bestowed upon the decal is the "Screaming Chicken."

It's been posited that the "Screaming Chicken" nickname given to the Pontiac Firebird decal was likely not conjured as a term of endearment. Of course, it's highly unlikely that the decal is actually a chicken, with Pontiac's design team almost certainly intending the image to add a touch of toughness to the already muscled-up build. 

Automotive designer Bill Porter reportedly had the idea to put a flaming bird decal on the hood of the Firebird. He did so after he was put in charge of the Pontiac Firebird design team, reportedly first sketching the image out on a cocktail napkin in 1970. Porter then passed the concept along to Norm Inouye, the member of Pontiac's graphic design department who created the Firebird image we know today. Interestingly enough, the first Firebird hood decal was apparently applied to a 1970 1/2 Trans Am that never left the design floor, in no small part because GM's design guru Bill Mitchell didn't like the look or size of the bird.

As Hagerty reported, Inouye made that claim in the 1979 book "The Fabulous Firebird," confirming the hood decal concept was put on hold for a couple of years after Mitchell gave it the kibosh. Pontiac bosses remained iffy on the prospect of the "Screaming Chicken" decal until famed GM designer John Schinella took over the Firebird project in 1971 and championed the idea. 

Schinella would prove the concept had wings by driving a birded-up vehicle in public places. Hagerty noted he claimed in the 1982 book "Firebird: America's Premiere Performance Car" that, "people went berserk" when they saw it. 

John Schinella and his Firebird team continued to develop their "Screaming Chicken" concept, and reportedly pitched the version that debuted on the 1983 build to Pontiac's big bosses sometime in 1972. While it seems few were impressed by the design, then General Manager Jim McDonald gave the project a thumbs up anyway — and the rest, as they say, is history.

Given the decal's dodgy path to the hood of the Firebird, you can probably guess it still wasn't a given that the "Screaming Chicken" would end up on the hood of so many vehicles. In fact, the decal was only offered as an option on the '73 model, leaving Pontiac an easy out if the public hated it. Turns out, the decal was not only an option many Firebird buyers desired, but also a cheap and easy way to distinguish the Pontiac build from competitors developed by Chevrolet, Ford, and others. 

The Firebird hood decal would remain a popular option for fans over ensuing years. However, the popularity of the "Screaming Chicken" would shoot through the proverbial roof in May of 1977, round about the time Burt Reynolds piloted his iconic gold bird on black paint Firebird through the American south in the blockbuster comic adventure, "Smokey and the Bandit." 

That film undoubtedly helped earn the "Screaming Chicken" legit icon status, not to mention a permanent place in the pop culture zeitgeist. Some might even say it helped sway the term "Screaming Chicken" from a straight diss to an outright term of affection. Nonetheless, it remains all but certain that the bird on the decal is not actually a chicken.