[Tweeters] Historical Perspective on Re-naming Birds

[J Christian Kessler]

Ludlow Griscom’s article is interesting, and makes some good points, but it
essentially boils down to two thoughts:

Perfection is impossible as we don’t – and probably will never  - know a
comprehensive and accurate taxonomy of birds.  Both scientific
understanding and common naming are so muddled as to be beyond repair.

Birders can learn Linnean binomials as well as they can learn English
“common names.”



As to the first, I totally agree.  One thing biology has proven over the
past century is that a “correct” taxonomy of Aves – or any class – is a
constantly shifting target.  Any class is a tree with many tangles, or
worse.  Olympic Gull is but one example.  Even a species like Chat is in
some respects anomalous.  “Best current judgement” is a useful criterion –
“perfect” is not.



As to whether birders can or should learn and use Linnean binomials, common
English language names are for more than avocationally intense birders.  A
much wider audience is involved here.  For example, I frequently hear
“backyard birders” and others refer to our local jay as a “blue jay” rather
than Steller’s Jay.  They never heard of Georg Steller, don’t care, and
just know the jay had a blue body.  But Black-headed Jay would be a name
they are more likely to remember and use.  Cyanocitta stelleri is gibberish
and tells them nothing.  And it doesn’t tell us serious birders much either
– it’s just the same name with more syllables for "jay".



Many people, including most birders, I suspect, are always going to use
English language names for birds. Many of us started as kids finding birds
interesting; “Mom, I saw a jay” versus “Mom, I saw a Cyanocitta.”   We can
make common bird names more friendly, and sometimes more enlightening,
while understanding that “always getting it right” is aspirational.


Chris Kessler,

Seattle


On Tue, Nov 21, 2023 at 2:38 PM Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney <
festuca at comcast.net> wrote:


> Bob Righter from Denver posted this on the Colorado birding chat group.  I

> thought it might be an interesting read for those of us who are 'anxiously'

> awaiting action from the AOS on revising the Common Names of birds that are

> named after People.

>

> "From chatter on the internet emerges an interesting article by Ludlow

> Griscom written in 1947 “Common Sense in Common names.” Griscom, was a

> power house in the early 1900s and greatly influenced Roger Tory Peterson.

> The full article can be accessed through Google. I’ve taken the liberty of

> just featuring the last paragraph which I thought was the most poignant to

> our conversation on Bird Names:

>

> "NO “simple and logical principles” for vernacular nomenclature can be

> formulated.  There are far too many birds; their variations, relationships,

> and ranges are not simple or logical. Their habits and habitats change from

> season to season, from one section of the continent to another, from

> century to century. Which season, which habitat, which section of the

> country is to be the basis for the “appropriate or associative” name?"

>

> The article can be read at

> https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/wilson/v059n03/p0131-p0138.pdf

>

> Enjoy!

>  - Jon. Anderson

>  Olympia

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>



-- 
"moderation in everything, including moderation"
Rustin Thompson
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