Re: [cobirds] Re: Changing Common Names of birds; example, Steller’s Jay

Hey, all. 

As DWEM ornithologists go, Steller was actually a pretty righteous dude. Steller got in trouble with his patrons--in two countries!--for being overly sympathetic to indigenous peoples. 

Also, Steller is relatively well known.

But how about the person for whom the Ross's Goose was named? Thoughts on the matter here:

https://www.aba.org/how-to-know-the-birds-no-47-watching-geese-in-the-age-of-birdnamesforbirds/

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder County

 

On Thu, Apr 15, 2021 at 12:30 PM Robert Righter <rorighter@earthlink.net> 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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