{"id":118391,"date":"2023-11-20T05:02:29","date_gmt":"2023-11-20T12:02:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=118391"},"modified":"2026-04-21T05:33:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T10:33:15","slug":"my-solitaire-common-name-change-recommendation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/11\/20\/my-solitaire-common-name-change-recommendation\/","title":{"rendered":"My Solitaire Common Name Change Recommendation"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2024, the common name for Townsend’s Solitaire might change, along with many other bird names. My recommendation would be to rename it the Juniper Solitaire.<\/p>\n

On November 1st, the American Ornithological Society (AOS) announced its intention to change all English-language names of birds<\/span><\/a> within its geographic jurisdiction that are directly named after people.<\/p>\n

\n
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Some people, primarily older white males based on my observations from social media, birding forums, and personal conversations, are opposed to the name changes. Please don’t shoot the messenger; I’m merely relaying my observations.<\/p>\n

Personally, I fully support the proposed name changes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"Townsend'sTownsend’s Solitaire perched on a snowy juniper \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 640, =1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

These solitaires, which are small gray thrushes, are are found in the western half of North America from as far north as Alaska to as far south as Mexico. They aren’t flashy birds, but for me, they are gorgeous and I think their songs and calls<\/span><\/a> are wonderful. I adore hearing these solitaires.<\/p>\n

\"AutumnAutumn Townsend’s Solitaire in a hackberry tree \u2013 Nikon D500, f7,1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, =0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I find these solitaires high in the mountains during the warmer months. In fall, as they move to lower elevations, I locate them in various locations, including desert ranchlands as low as the edges of the Great Salt Lake and in the foothills of sky island mountain ranges in the West Desert.<\/p>\n

\"RoadsideRoadside Townsend’s Solitaire in a Fragrant Sumac \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I usually hear these small, gray thrushes before I see them. Their songs and calls quite often help me locate them in the field.<\/p>\n

But I digress, to get to my point about renaming them Juniper Solitaires I want to address their diet and preferred habitats.<\/p>\n

\"FallFall Townsend’s Solitaire in the West Desert \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/500, ISO 800, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

These solitaires depend on juniper berries in their diet to get through hard, cold winters. Townsend’s Solitaires are known to eat between 42,000 and 84,000 juniper berries<\/span><\/a> to survive the winter. They almost exclusively feed on juniper berries during the nonbreeding season.<\/p>\n

The preferred habitats of this solitaire species include pines, firs, montane coniferous forests, and in winter open juniper forests.<\/p>\n

Yes, I find them in other habitats but the fact is that they need juniper berries and juniper forests in the winter to survive and thrive.\u00a0 It makes perfect sense to me, to rename them the Juniper Solitaire.<\/p>\n

Your opinion may vary, but I adore that name and it is easy to remember.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Townsend\u2019s Solitaire photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2024, the common name for Townsend’s Solitaire might change, along with many other bird names. My recommendation would be to rename it the Juniper Solitaire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":118381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27,1148,358,7832,26,1314],"tags":[4004,970,6605,6666,4008,9874,4098,4620,6767,10480,7837,3914,4674,2691,6583,7834,9873,4104,11852,6768,5300,6188,4018,4050,4328,7835,7836,7630,3844,4881,7833,4427,30,2690],"class_list":["post-118391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-box-elder-county-utah","category-tooele-county","category-townsends-solitaires","category-utah","category-west-desert-utah","tag-adult","tag-autumn","tag-berries","tag-berry","tag-box-elder-county","tag-celtis-reticulata","tag-desert","tag-fall","tag-fragrant-sumac","tag-hackberries","tag-hackberry","tag-juniper","tag-junipers","tag-juniperus-osteosperma","tag-leaves","tag-myadestes-townsendi","tag-netleaf-hackberry","tag-perched","tag-ranchlands","tag-rhus-aromatica","tag-roadside","tag-shrub","tag-sky","tag-snow","tag-snowy","tag-solitaire","tag-solitaires","tag-sumac","tag-thrush","tag-thrushes","tag-townsends-solitaire","tag-tree","tag-utah-2","tag-utah-juniper"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/townsends-solitaire-snow-juniper-mia-mcpherson-8383.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-uNx","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":60740,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/10\/09\/photographing-autumn-townsends-solitaires\/","url_meta":{"origin":118391,"position":0},"title":"Photographing Autumn Townsend’s Solitaires","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Last Friday as I looked for birds in a few West Desert canyons I was serenaded by the songs and calls of Townsend's Solitaires and while I loved hearing them it was frustrating because they were either too far away or hidden from my view.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Alert Townsend's Solitaire perched on top of a tree, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/townsends-solitaire-hackberry-perched-mia-mcpherson-4840.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/townsends-solitaire-hackberry-perched-mia-mcpherson-4840.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Bugs","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I was thrilled to listen to and photograph a singing Townsend's Solitaire as it perched on a juniper surrounded by tiny flying bugs.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Singing Townsend's Solitaire and tiny flying bugs, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/townsends-solitaire-bugs-juniper-mia-mcpherson-3525.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/townsends-solitaire-bugs-juniper-mia-mcpherson-3525.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/townsends-solitaire-bugs-juniper-mia-mcpherson-3525.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/townsends-solitaire-bugs-juniper-mia-mcpherson-3525.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":95839,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/10\/04\/autumn-townsends-solitaire-plus-snow-in-the-10-day-forecast\/","url_meta":{"origin":118391,"position":3},"title":"Autumn Townsend’s Solitaire Plus Snow In The 10 Day Forecast","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 4, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I found quite a few birds yesterday in far northern Utah and of all the photos I took this autumn Townsend's Solitaire was my favorite.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Autumn Townsend's Solitaire, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/townsends-solitaire-adult-sumac-fall-mia-mcpherson-8262.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/townsends-solitaire-adult-sumac-fall-mia-mcpherson-8262.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/townsends-solitaire-adult-sumac-fall-mia-mcpherson-8262.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/townsends-solitaire-adult-sumac-fall-mia-mcpherson-8262.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":74262,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/10\/02\/calls-and-songs-of-townsends-solitaires\/","url_meta":{"origin":118391,"position":4},"title":"Calls And Songs Of 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