Bewick’s Wren. Forster’s Tern. Gambel’s Quail. Henslow’s Sparrow. Say’s Phoebe. Wilson’s Phalarope. What do these birds have in frequent? They’re all named for folks—for now.
As we discover in a characteristic story in our Summer season concern, there’s rising assist within the birding group from hobbyists to skilled ornithologists alike to rename these six species and the roughly 145 different birds that bear honorifics. One argument for renaming is that honorific names do not present any details about the birds themselves or their pure historical past, and so they don’t seem to be useful for identification. There are additionally moral and inclusivity points: Many birds carry the names of long-dead males, a few of whom weren’t even ornithologists and others who had been enslavers, supremacists, or grave robbers.
Immediately the English Chook Names Committee of the American Ornithological Society (AOS), which formally determines the frequent names utilized by thousands and thousands of birders and scientists throughout North and Central America, is within the means of crafting tips for outlining dangerous names. The committee will even decide priorities for deciding on new monikers; issues might embrace bestowing descriptive names that spotlight distinctive avian attributes, restoring misplaced names, or referencing Latin names.
Whereas AOS is simply getting began, we thought it’d be enjoyable and informative to ask our readers to dream up new names for the six species listed above. We’ve offered some information about every of the birds, pulled partly from our area information, and we provide these naming tips:
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Take inspiration from the chook’s habits, music, bodily traits (although keep away from male-only traits), habitat, scientific title, or cultural significance.
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Examine eBird to ensure there isn’t a chook elsewhere on the earth that already has the title you’re proposing.
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We urge you to not use “frequent” to explain the chook (e.g., no “Widespread Sparrow”) or geographic reference (“Indiana Sparrow”).