It is Time to Right The Wrongs
It was announced by the American Ornithological Society (AOS) today that the organization is committed to changing all English-language names of birds within its geographic jurisdiction that are named directly after people. In addition, other names deemed offensive and exclusionary will also be changed, with a focus on those species that occur primarily within the U.S. or Canada.
Although this action may be considered controversial, I applaud it.
Personally, I am glad that the AOS has made this decision and that they plan to start implementing the name changes in 2024.
I believe that it will help birding, birdwatching, and bird photography communities to become more inclusive and it is simply the right thing to do because the history of English, honorary names, has been clouded by racism and misogyny since the 1800’s.
In addition to our history of men like explorers Lewis and Clark naming birds after each other or other men during that time period, the world also has a history of men taking credit for women’s finds and discoveries and of men subsuming their works and knowledge and passing it off as their own thereby shoving women’s contributions into the shadows. That still happens today.
That was and is wrong on so many levels. One only needs to think of Rosalind Franklin to know how wrong that is.
Who is alive to say that Sacagawea or other female or male Native American guides didn’t find and point out birds to Lewis and Clark or other early explorers, whom they later named after each other or some other man they knew, and also took credit for?
No one.
The images below are just some of the birds that will get new names. Click on the first image to start a slide show of larger photos.
I have long thought that birds should have suitable, descriptive, meaningful names, not the names of people.
The name “Cassin’s Finch” only tells me that the bird is most likely in the finch family but says absolutely nothing descriptive about the species. The same can be said for the 70-80 other bird names the AOS plans to change; their common names say little to nothing that describes the appearance of the actual birds.
It is not too late to right the wrongs. In fact, this is a great time to do so.
It will mean extra work on my site, but it is work that I fully and completely support.
I’m glad to be alive during this period of time and hope to see these wrongs righted.
Who knew I was going to be doing two posts on two consecutive days? This news was so hugely monumental I felt obliged to write a second post today.
Life is good. Now let’s get the wrongs righted.
Mia
Click here to see more of my bird photos in their galleries.
You know, there are so many revisions going on in society today it’s hard to keep up. I have never really given much thought to the ‘proper’ names people attach to birds. But after reading your explanation of the OAS’s reasoning behind committing to these changes, it makes sense. I don’t see this as political at all…it seems more a matter of ornithological accuracy. Nothing wrong with that. BTW this series of pics is absolutely wonderful . Thanks Mia…on both counts.
And I was hoping this wouldn’t get nasty
I may still use the older name of a bird, but not out of spite.
Thank you Mia for telling us about the changes
Stephen, I’ve already seen the nastiness on Facebook about the name changes.
It will take us some time to learn the new names but I am willing to embrace them.
It’s an uphill battle with todays climate, but I’m sure you’ll help us along the way. Thanks for your blog and your kindness
It will be nice to have (and hopefully easier to learn) names that are more descriptive of the bird. If there’s already a Western Grebe, wouldn’t it make sense to change Clark’s Grebe to a name that will help people distinguish between the two? I think that Clark’s could be renamed the “Tiny Hat Grebe” to distinguish its markings from the Western’s darker face/eye surround. 😉
Oh Marty, that made me laugh out loud. I do hope the new names will be descriptive, meaningful, and that they make sense.
Making them simple would certainly help me when people are asking for identifications.
If one of the objects is to have the name, help, remember the bird didn’t make sense for our two smallest hawks to go back to their former name, sparrow hawk and pigeon hawk. Those names were changed a number of years (decades?) ago.
Kay Curtis, both the American Kestrel and the Merlin are falcons, not hawks, which are different families.
Yes, I’m sorry for that mistake. Remembering the old names must tell you that I am very old.
No worries Kay Curtis! I’ve also heard both those birds called by the older, but not proper, names.
Good decision. Thanks Mia. I loved scrolling through the photos. There are so many! And no Carson!
Thanks Tim, I am glad you enjoyed the photos!
I’m happy for the changes too. My best friend inadvertently says Nelson’s Swipes instead of Wilson’s Snipes. It’s actually must easier to say. I’m going to miss that!
Liz, I am sure it is going to take us time to learn their new names!
wonder if Wilsons warbler will go back to pileated warbler? And will Kestrel and Merlin go back to sparrow hawk and pigeon hawk?
Curtis, I don’t know about the Wilson’s Warbler but American Kestrel and Merlin should stay the same because they don’t have honorary human names.
Much appreciated Mia.
My pleasure Burrdoo!
It’s a good exercise for birders– and the new names purportedly will have more meaning.
Mary, it will certainly exercise our minds!
Ah .. more woke bs. Sad to see such things from what I thought were once respectable institutions. Let the past be, they are all dead now.
Many years ago, a mountain was renamed to a name considered less offensive by mostly white people. Yet the locals still called it by it’s older name, and I still do to this day
Go ahead and feel self righteous if you want to. Most people don’t care and will continue to use the names they’ve known all their lives.
I know I will.
And the perpetually offended will become superficially indignant and have new opportunities to be self righteous when they say, “well actually, they changed the name to this because someone got woke”.
Hey John, or should I call you Perpetually Offended? Isn’t that why you felt you HAD to comment here? Because you are offended that someone dares to make this change?
The irony is not lost. And your self righteousness is on full display in your comment.
But have a great day