Re: [cobirds] AOU, Changing bird names

Serious question -- are there people who actually cringe? I have African and American Indian ancestors, and I've never cringed. I've also never looked up these men and read all about them. Just some dude named Wilson or Steller or McCown or Townsend. Oh wait, I am related to Townsend, so I do know a bit about him. (yeah yeah he wasn't perfect, I know).

I care more about the birds, and saving them (we've lost BILLIONS since I was a little girl) than getting their name changed to be acceptable to humans. It just seems like there are way, way more important things than a bird's name. 

What if they changed Wilson's Warbler to Black-capped Warbler? Hardly fair to the female. Shouldn't that make me cringe as a woman?

Susan Rosine

Brighton 

On Thu, Nov 2, 2023, 4:27 PM T. Luke George <t.luke.george@gmail.com> wrote:

I don't think the definitions of how racist some of these ornithologists may have been will change now that they have exposed. Best to rip off the bandaid and move on. Below are Sibley's thoughts.

"As I've learned more about eponymous bird names over the last year, it's become clear that these names carry a lot of baggage," Sibley said. "If we cringe a little bit when we say or hear a bird's name, that's a barrier to communication. … It's different from the free and uncomplicated flow of information that we can have when we talk about the Surf Scoter, or Warbling Vireo or Yellow Warbler."

Sibley said that implementing a raft of name changes in field guides and other birding references will require a lot of time and adjustment, but it's eminently doable: "The hardest part will probably be convincing the birding community that this is worth the trouble. Education will be key to that. It's a small step in the big landscape of racial and social injustice, but I think it's important and definitely worth doing."

Luke George

On Thu, Nov 2, 2023 at 3:28 PM Robert Righter <rorighter@earthlink.net> wrote:

Hi:

I would hope the American Ornithological Union would pause before changing common names of birds that are named after historic ornithologists as that could be divisive . Currently we are living in a period of time where accusations of racism are rampant and consequently we are currently judging past historic figures based on our current definition of how racist they may have been. This is how history becomes distorted and historic individuals unfortunately become misjudged. Let's wait a decade or so and revisit the topic again when hopefully our lenses are clearer, less tainted. Why are we in such the rush to change the common names of birds that have been established for centuries. We all need to take a deep breath or two and wait to see what transpires.

Bob Righter

Denver, CO

--

​T. Luke George, PhD

Master Instructor, ​Colorado ​State University

Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology

Wagar 110

970-491-3311 (o)

P​rofessor Emeritus, Humboldt State University

707-499-4053 (c)

t.luke.george@gmail.com

"what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" Mary Oliver

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