Re: [cobirds] AOU, Changing bird names

[Van Rudd]

I’m all for names that relate to the birds, not the people who “discovered” them. My only suggestion for a new name:Stellar’s Jay should be called the Stellar Jay, because they are. Van RuddLouisville, COSent from my iPhoneOn Nov 2, 2023, at 23:04, Megan Miller  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 MillerPueblo, Co On Thu, Nov 2, 2023 at 10:08 PM Eric DeFonso  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 

Re: [cobirds] Sandhill cranes, northwest Fort Collins

[Van Rudd]

There was a small flock of about 40-50 over Waneka Lake in Lafayette about an 
hour ago. They circled for a bit and then reformed a V and headed south. 
Van Rudd
Louisville 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Oct 22, 2023, at 12:52, Libby Edwards  wrote:
> 
> At 11am this morning there was a big flock of sandhill cranes of about 200 
> in a long V, and then they regrouped into two Vs.  Wonderful!
> Libby Edwards
> Northwest Fort Collins
> Larimer county
> 
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[cobirds] Sandhill Cranes over Lafayette

[Van Rudd]

Flock of about 100 Sandhills just flew over Waneka Lake in Lafayette. Easily 
heard them. 
Good Birding! 
Van Rudd


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Re: [cobirds] Re: Extensive power expansion, anybody watching for impacts on birds

[Van Rudd]

Well said Rick. 
If we want to get off fossil fuels this is exactly the kind of project we need. 
We should make sure Xcel does this with as little impact as possible to 
sensitive prairie lands, but we definitely should not try and have it stopped. 
The impact of not doing this project will have a much worse impact on the birds 
we all love. 
Van Rudd
Louisville, CO

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 9, 2021, at 16:40, SeEttaM  wrote:
> 
> 
> Wow, I had to reread what I wrote but I cannot fathom how it was misconstrued 
> to include recommended that "...we harass the process of bringing in a 
> greater supply of electricity" and effectively costing taxpayers more 
> money!  Really, this is I what I asked, "..I hope many will take a look and 
> intervene as needed to try to protect the birds we still have. "
> 
> 
> While I don't know what to think about that I do disagree with Mr. Reeser's 
> statement, "Birds are more adaptable than some people give them credit for."  
> I'm not sure how many Colorado birders are aware of the very real of 
> extinction of Lesser Prairie Chickens from southeast Colorado which has been 
> identified as in part due to gas and oil activity: "The lesser 
> prairie-chicken population, which once numbered in the hundreds of thousands, 
> has dwindled across its historical range by an estimated 90%, “due largely to 
> habitat loss and fragmentation,” USFWS said, with oil and gas activity 
> contributing to the decline".  
> Some of the issues with gas and oil activity that have caused the decline of 
> these Lesser Prairie Chickens are similar to what expansion of electric 
> utility lines would bring.  I don't consider the risk of expiration of this 
> species to be a "small price to pay." 
> 
> I certainly hope that more level headed consideration be given to this issue. 
>  I am a strong supporter of accountability and that I believe that utilizing 
> companies need to be held accountable for their actions that might cause 
> serious damage to vital bird habitat. And that will only happen when those of 
> us who are serious about bird conservation intervene (fyi, before I get 
> misconstrued again that does not imply that this project has to be stopped or 
> that the company should be harassed.)
> 
> Just an addition piece of info, other interests such as the cultural 
> advocates are intervening to avoid this project being harmful to their 
> interests in Eastern Colorado.  
> 
> SeEtta Moss
> Canon City 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> On Thu, Dec 9, 2021, 9:09 AM Rick Reeser  wrote:
>> Cobirders: In response to the post about Xcel expanding their power network, 
>> I have several responses:
>> 
>> 1.   You can’t have your cake and eat it, too. You can’t be a consumer 
>> of significantly more electricity (in contrast to using fossil fuels for 
>> cars, furnace, etc.) without supporting the electrical supply chain. The 
>> electrical supply chain comes with some sacrifices, just like oil drilling 
>> comes with some negatives.
>> 
>> 2.If we harass the process of bringing in a greater supply of 
>> electricity, it comes with adding a significant cost to the end product.  
>> Remember, Xcel has to pass onto us the economic costs of this $2 billion 
>> project. Do we want it more than that?
>> 
>> 3.   Birds are far more adaptable than some people give them credit for. 
>>  It’s like when I fill my feeders. The birds leave for a short time, but 
>> they will be back where food can be found. Yes, construction is a short-term 
>> annoyance, but the long-term benefit makes it worth it. And, the actual loss 
>> of habitat is likely to be quite small.
>> 
>> 4.   The addition of more power lines in remote areas that are not known 
>> for their tourism potential seems like a small sacrifice to pay for getting 
>> the electricity we need.  California has had numerous fires and power 
>> outages due to demanding too high of electrical consumption before having 
>> the infrastructure to support it. Some of their fires were started by aging 
>> electrical systems and their power outages- that were almost daily when I 
>> was there this past year- were quite disruptive. We need the electrical 
>> infrastructure to move forward to prevent these types of things from 
>> happening.
>> 
>> 5.   Will these power stations and lines actually kill lots of birds or 
>> make them move permanently far away.  I doubt it. Our cars kill lots of 
>> birds, but we don’t propose eliminating cars because of that- we drive with 
>> greater caution instead.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> We need to

Re: [cobirds] Bird song at Lory Park

[Van Rudd]

I vote for a Grey Catbird based on the ones I’ve been hearing around Boulder. 
Seems like more of them than usual this year. 
Good birding!
Van Rudd

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 1, 2021, at 08:47, 'The Nunn Guy' via Colorado Birds 
>  wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi Jan
> 
> Have you uploaded here to see what it comes up with as identification? ==> 
> https://birdnet.cornell.edu/api/
> 
> Thanks, Gary Lefko, Nunn
> http://www.friendsofthepawneegrassland.org/
> https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/birds-and-more-of-the-pawnee-national-grassland
> 
> 
>> On Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 8:43:16 AM UTC-6 Ira Sanders wrote:
>> How about an Orchard Oriole? 
>> Ira Sanders 
>> 
>>> On Sun, May 30, 2021, 9:40 AM Sebastian Patti  
>>> wrote:
>>> How about Gray Catbird??
>>> 
>>> sebasti...@hotmail.com 
>>> Sebastian T. Patti 
>>> 770 S. Grand Avenue
>>> Unit 3088
>>> Los Angeles, CA 90017 
>>> CELL: 773/304-7488
>>> 
>>> From: cob...@googlegroups.com  on behalf of Jan 
>>> Tarr 
>>> Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2021 9:55 AM
>>> To: Colorado Birds 
>>> Subject: [cobirds] Bird song at Lory Park
>>>  
>>> Can anyone identify this beautiful birdsong I heard in the riparian 
>>> environment in the early morning  at Lory Park near Fort Collins?
>>>  Thanks, Jan
>>> 
>>> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sdaRHDJe-MUhNe1cNgEfky-7fTw2IuP3/view?usp=sharing
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Re: [cobirds] Re: Changing Common Names of birds; example, Steller’s Jay

[Van Rudd]

I can’t think of anything better than listing a Kwish-Kwishee Jay on my eBirds 
tally. 
Van Rudd

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 18, 2021, at 15:43, Emil Yappert  wrote:
> 
> +1
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
>>> On Apr 16, 2021, at 7:27 AM, Nathan Pieplow  wrote:
>>> 
>> 
>> Why should Steller get a jay named after him when he spent only a few hours 
>> with the species and learned virtually nothing about it? He just happened to 
>> be the first European person to shoot one. 
>> 
>> "The Makahs tell a story about how the bird we know as the Steller's Jay - 
>> the bird the Makahs call Kwish-kwishee - got its crest. The mink, Kwahtie, 
>> tried to shoot his mother, the jay, with an arrow but missed. Her crest is 
>> ruffled to this day."
>> 
>> https://www.birdnote.org/listen/shows/how-stellers-jay-got-its-crest
>> 
>> Doesn't the name "Kwish-kwishee" ring with more romance than "Steller's Jay"?
>> 
>> Nathan Pieplow
>> Boulder
>> 
>>> On Thu, Apr 15, 2021 at 4:09 PM Ira Sanders  wrote:
>>> Bob
>>> Maybe it will turn out that Steller  was a Confederate general and they 
>>> will change the name to Mountain Jay
>>> Ira Sanders 
>>> 
>>>> On Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 12:30 PM Robert Righter  
>>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Peter the Great,Tsar of all of Russia, invited Georg W. Steller, a German 
>>>> scientist to come to Russia and help explore and catalogue it’s natural 
>>>> history. In 1741 Steller joined the Vitus Bering Expedition in sailing 
>>>> east to discover what was out there. After several weeks   they bumped 
>>>> into new land now known as Alaska. Steller discovered a jay, now known as 
>>>> Steller’s Jay. The expedition sailed west exploring the Aleutians. Out of 
>>>> many of Steller’s new discoveries was a new eagle, now known as Steller’s 
>>>> Sea Eagle.
>>>> 
>>>> Doesn’t the eponymic name Steller’s Jay evoke more romance, interest, and 
>>>> wonder than if it was just called, for convenience, say “Mountain” Jay?
>>>> 
>>>> Bob Righter
>>>> Denver, CO  
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