Van, I love your new name as much as I love Stellar's Jays! Megan, Sunrise or Sunset would both be nice names! Eric, Since Townsend is a relative on mine, how about Town's End Warbler and Town's End Solitaire? After all, neither bird likes big cities šš And I thought it was hilarious what McCown had to say about the Confederates. Plus, he owned no slaves. And I didn't even know who he was until they changed the name of the bird.
Susan Brighton On Fri, Nov 3, 2023, 7:41 AM Van Rudd <[email protected]> wrote: > Iām all for names that relate to the birds, not the people who > ādiscoveredā them. > My only suggestion for a new name: > Stellarās Jay should be called the Stellar Jay, because they are. > > Van Rudd > Louisville, CO > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Nov 2, 2023, at 23:04, Megan Miller <[email protected]> > wrote: > > ļ»æ > I am a freshly minted 31 year old and I have been part of Colorados > birding community for around 20 years. I grew up here, found my passion for > birds and wildlife here, and built a career out of it. It was very > difficult and now that I am here the path forward doesnāt feel any easier. > We still have great challenges to overcome to create a better planet for > birds and people. > > A few years ago when discussion about changing bird names moved through > twitter and instagram I was also initially hesitant. I love Wilsonās > Warblers with all of my heart. But the more I learned about some (but not > all) of the men that described these species the more it seemed that they > were murderers first and avian hobbyists on the side. I think there are > plenty of platforms to remember the people who described and categorized > all these birds and itās time to move on to new naming conventions. > > I know for a lot of younger birders this feels important because we feel > we have so little power the change our world for the better. It feels like > a tiny step to building a community fitting to our and future generations. > I do think itās inevitable and it is only a small change considering the > changes that could face us in the coming years. > > I think Says Phoebe should be called Sunrise Phoebe. > > Megan Miller > Pueblo, Co > > > On Thu, Nov 2, 2023 at 10:08 PM Eric DeFonso <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I've just turned 56 and have now been birding for 30 years, but I am >> excited about the prospect of some significant name-changes. I too have had >> the opportunity to get to know a lot of young birders, and they get it, >> which delights me. >> >> Personally, yes, I cringed once I realized who John McCown was. That to >> me was an embarrassment, and now that I know who he was and what he fought >> for, there's no unlearning that. I'm glad to see that the common name for >> the bird no longer reflects the legacy of that really awful man. I can only >> imagine then what a letdown it was or would have been if I weren't a white >> person but wanted to get into birding. As we've seen, it was easy enough to >> change that common name out, and we now regularly refer to that bird as the >> Thick-billed Longspur. To me it's like taking down a statue of Robert E >> Lee. Doing so doesn't erase Lee (or McCown) from history, it only means we >> no longer celebrate what they did or represented. Similarly, I still look >> back in amazement at how long the former name of the Long-tailed Duck was >> retained. It was still in effect when I started birding and I remember >> being a bit surprised at its existence and use since it sounded so >> degrading to living people, so when it got switched, I felt better about >> referring to the bird. >> >> Moreover, I do look forward to the new names that we'll be finding for >> Townsend's Warbler, Solitaire, and Shearwater. It's a lot easier to >> advocate for the protection of birds (by us humans) when the very name of >> the birds you're seeking to protect aren't pointlessly offensive to other >> humans whose help and cooperation we need. It's all about respect. The next >> generation of birders needs to be larger and more diverse than we've been >> up until now, and the objective is to get lots more people to care about >> the long-term well-being of birds and their habitats. All hands on deck. >> I'm all for carrying out an easy reform that reflects a commitment to >> having as many people help out as can be. It's just a starting point to be >> sure, but why not. >> >> I agree that sometimes eponymic names seem preferable because unique and >> concise adjectival descriptors for some species can be difficult to come up >> with. (One can witness this firsthand upon reading the South American >> Classification Committee forum exchanges, where committee members routinely >> discuss necessary name changes for South American birds.) This will be >> especially true for so many tropical species, although the current >> initiative isn't really designed or aimed at those groups. I also know that >> not all eponyms derive from people who were awful. Some were at worst just >> mildly annoying or no more fallible or obnoxious than any of us. Some names >> have little or no connection to the people who actually first described the >> birds (William Swainson comes to mind on both counts.) Humboldt was >> practically exemplary of a great human being even by our modern standards, >> certainly way above his contemporaries. Many others, like Parker, lived >> concurrently with some of us and do seem worthy of commemoration. To that I >> would say, sure, although I also remember that the name changes we're >> discussing are only for the common names, and not the scientific names. >> That's because changing the Latinized species name is an essentially >> impossible process according to the longstanding and universal ICZN >> (International Code of Zoological Nomenclature) conventions. For that >> reason, even now the Thick-billed Longspur's scientific name is >> *Rhynchophanes >> mccownii*, and cannot be changed unless a major change in our >> understanding of its systematics arises (which in its case seems very >> unlikely now). >> >> Similarly, Townsend's name will persist in scientific names like that of >> the solitaire *(Myadestes townsendi*), etc. As will Parker's if it ever >> comes to that with the tropical Parker's Antbird >> *(Cercomacroides parkeri).* >> >> >> ------- >> Eric DeFonso >> Boulder County, CO >> >> >> On Thu, Nov 2, 2023 at 7:58āÆPM nic korte <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> As an old guy lucky enough to go birding now and then with some >>> 20-somethingsā¦they are very passionate about this. They are the future. >>> >>> (I agree with Kenn Kaufman, however, the loss of an honorific such as >>> Parkerās Antbird, would seem wrong. Besides, some of those families are so >>> similar that meaningful descriptive names are impossible.) >>> Nic Korte >>> >>> Sent from my iPad >>> >>> On Nov 2, 2023, at 7:47 PM, Susan Rosine <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> ļ»æ >>> Let's face it -- a lot of bird names are stupid in general. They are not >>> descriptive. >>> So, don't just get rid of white men's names ------ >>> Junco - Spanish for reed. ????? >>> Mallard -- old French/English for Drake ????? >>> Wren -- who knows? Haha >>> Loon -- they aren't crazy (haha) >>> Waterthrushes are Warblers. Fix that. >>> >>> ***WOMEN - how do you feel about Ruby-crowned Kinglet? The female is not >>> ruby-crowned! And what about: >>> Red-Winged Blackbird >>> Ring-necked Pheasant >>> Red Crossbill >>> Brown-headed Cowbird >>> Chestnut-collared Longspur >>> Purple Finch >>> Rose-breasted Grosbeak >>> American Redstart >>> Hooded Warbler >>> Black-throated Blue Warbler >>> And on, and on, and on. >>> >>> If AOS REALLY wants to be inclusive, and not offend anyone, how about we >>> stop offending half of the human population? >>> >>> Done with my rant. Probably. >>> Susan Rosine >>> Brighton >>> >>> >>> On Thu, Nov 2, 2023, 5:13 PM Bonnie Morgan <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> why aren't we worried about renaming birds named for women's body parts? >>>> >>>> On Thu, Nov 2, 2023, 6:28 PM Evan Wilder <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Robert, >>>>> >>>>> What if we instead consider this issue from the perspective of an >>>>> ever-evolving scientific community? We failed to acknowledge the >>>>> destructive effects of colonialism and racism in the past, but we have a >>>>> chance to improve upon that now. If we choose to āpauseā our evolution >>>>> now, >>>>> when might it be more prudent to resume? >>>>> >>>>> It's undeniable that America's history has been fraught with racism. >>>>> This effort by the AOS specifically shines a light on the colonial >>>>> disparities that saturated the 19th century. I will quote below a >>>>> paragraph >>>>> from the AOS's full report >>>>> <https://americanornithology.org/about/english-bird-names-project/english-bird-names-committee-recommendations/> >>>>> on the naming decision. >>>>> >>>>> "A disproportionate number of eponyms were coined in the American West >>>>> in the mid-1800s. One member of the committee found that, of the 78 >>>>> eponyms >>>>> in Tier 1 [the first wave of names being analyzed], 62% are from the West, >>>>> primarily the Southwest; 77% of these were named between 1825 and 1875. >>>>> Prior to that time and place, eponyms were relatively rare: Only 9 of the >>>>> potentially 78 eponyms in Tier 1 were named before 1825. The eponyms from >>>>> the American West largely honor and were conferred by āsoldier scientistsā >>>>> traveling with the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War and various >>>>> Indian wars." >>>>> >>>>> Since the American Ornithological Society published extensively about >>>>> its decisions, let me bring a few more of their points into the >>>>> conversation. Quoted segments are from the same report quoted above >>>>> <https://americanornithology.org/about/english-bird-names-project/english-bird-names-committee-recommendations/> >>>>> . >>>>> >>>>> - Eponymous names are poor descriptors. Names that describe the >>>>> bird (e.g., Spotted Sandpiper, Red-breasted Nuthatch), its habitat >>>>> (e.g., >>>>> Marsh Wren, Pinyon Jay), its range (e.g. Eastern Wood-Pewee, Mexican >>>>> Chickadee), or something else about the species (e.g., Fish Crow, >>>>> Northern >>>>> Mockingbird) convey more information. >>>>> - Alternative methods of naming nature that do not imply ownership >>>>> should be used. Eponyms, bestowed as honors and awards to specific >>>>> people, >>>>> not only ignore and conceal attributes of birds, they imply ownership >>>>> or >>>>> possession of an entire species by one human. >>>>> - We must also ask ourselves whose history we are commemorating >>>>> through this list of names. Equating these names with the history of >>>>> ornithology, or implying that ornithological history will be lost with >>>>> the >>>>> changing of these names, disregards the contributions and knowledge of >>>>> populations that are not represented. >>>>> - Instability from such accepted name changes is regularly >>>>> tolerated and expected across users of bird names.Name changes occur >>>>> annually, and dozens of name changes occurred in 1957 and 1973 >>>>> (American >>>>> Ornithologistsā Union 1957, Eisenmann et al. 1973). >>>>> >>>>> Many eponymous bird names came about by being the first white man to >>>>> "discover" the species and codify the name within standard scientific >>>>> taxonomy, which has historically been overseen by white men as well. The >>>>> natural history and scientific history of birds goes well beyond this >>>>> homogeneous approach, and maintaining our current naming system diminishes >>>>> the role of birds in America's pre-colonial past ā and the role of >>>>> indigenous peoples in caring for them and their habitats. >>>>> >>>>> Thank you for your time. >>>>> - Evan >>>>> >>>>> On Thu, Nov 2, 2023 at 3:28āÆPM Robert Righter <[email protected]> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Hi: >>>>>> >>>>>> I would hope the American Ornithological Union would pause before >>>>>> changing common names of birds that are named after historic >>>>>> ornithologists >>>>>> as that could be divisive . Currently we are living in a period of time >>>>>> where accusations of racism are rampant and consequently we are currently >>>>>> judging past historic figures based on our current definition of how >>>>>> racist >>>>>> they may have been. This is how history becomes distorted and historic >>>>>> individuals unfortunately become misjudged. Letās wait a decade or so and >>>>>> revisit the topic again when hopefully our lenses are clearer, less >>>>>> tainted. Why are we in such the rush to change the common names of birds >>>>>> that have been established for centuries. We all need to take a deep >>>>>> breath >>>>>> or two and wait to see what transpires. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Bob Righter >>>>>> >>>>>> Denver, CO >>>>>> >>>>>> >>> >>>>> -- >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >>> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. >>> Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >>> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CACPnx8XSorMyczDmSAYW5NKj0DzYiATdVYubU_fGQwNB8V3Rnw%40mail.gmail.com >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CACPnx8XSorMyczDmSAYW5NKj0DzYiATdVYubU_fGQwNB8V3Rnw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >>> -- >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >>> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. >>> Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >>> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/PH8P221MB0968A89B9102C3B0D9B8F986F7A5A%40PH8P221MB0968.NAMP221.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM >>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/PH8P221MB0968A89B9102C3B0D9B8F986F7A5A%40PH8P221MB0968.NAMP221.PROD.OUTLOOK.COM?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>> . >>> >> -- >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. >> Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado Birds" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAFjVA_YSFWoz8W5Y3xYaV8ZwErNzKGBqKAbsEUD37edgsn5%3DYg%40mail.gmail.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAFjVA_YSFWoz8W5Y3xYaV8ZwErNzKGBqKAbsEUD37edgsn5%3DYg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Colorado Birds" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. 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