I would vote for Marsh Hawk, Sunrise Phoebe and Stellar Jay! I would also like Rufous-sided Towhee back. The ones in the Pacific Northwest aren't very spotted, and have more rufous than ones in Colorado. Susan Rosine Brighton
On Fri, Nov 3, 2023, 9:10 AM Peter Ruprecht <[email protected]> wrote: > Megan's suggestion for a wonderfully lyrical new name for our "dryland > phoebe" delights me. A descriptive name is an improvement over an eponym, > but a descriptive name that poetically celebrates the essence of the bird > is even better. "Thick-billed" certainly beats "McCown's", but does it > really do justice to a bird whose buoyant song-flight over an open prairie > at dawn is a true wonder of nature? Perhaps we can follow the example of > the odonates community who standardized the common names for dragonflies > with creative and mellifluous ones like "boghaunter" and "sundragon". > > If we think about naming a species for its habitat, let's keep in mind > that its breeding habitat or the area that we most associate with it might > not be where it lives for most of the year. In Colorado, Lincoln's Sparrow > could accurately be called Willow Sparrow, but that might be confusing to > people who see it in its nonbreeding range (where it spends the majority of > its time). Similarly with Baird's -> Tundra Sandpiper. > > We may also want to consider the current preferred names for parts of a > bird, particularly the upper front of the torso. These days, something like > "Crescent-chested" sounds better to a lot of people than "Buff-breasted". > > Finally, while we're at it, could we please consider reverting Northern > Harrier to Marsh Hawk? :) > > Peter Ruprecht > Superior > > On Thu, Nov 2, 2023 at 11:04 PM Megan Miller <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> 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 doesn’t 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 Wilson’s >> 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 it’s 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 it’s 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 >> >> >> -- > -- > 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/CAHPXVBaiHYV2b%3D-b0WsrPMpQdUh_ZZUrhHYEwtqaHAAHhwn%2BrQ%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAHPXVBaiHYV2b%3D-b0WsrPMpQdUh_ZZUrhHYEwtqaHAAHhwn%2BrQ%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/CACPnx8UFT48d62ju6zQjxPNNVPTvEK7-uCOXPBjUvyNYV1t%2B5A%40mail.gmail.com.
