Bird Names Are A-Changing
“There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today.” - Colleen Handel AOS President
With spring right around the corner, many look forward to the return of song-filled skies here in the Pacific Northwest. “The American Goldfinch” will return to feeders and dot green pine trees with brilliant yellow plumage while “Cedar Waxwings” and their curious mohawk style will group up with other common birds like the “Black-capped Chickadee” and “Dark-eyed Junco.”
The spring migratory birds that use the Pacific Flyway (a path of migration soaring through Washington and nine other states) number in the millions. (Olson, 2021) Yet things may be different starting in 2024 when we try and identify our feathered neighbors. The American Ornithological Society announced back in November 2023 that all English bird names coined after people will undergo revaluation as they seek to address the exclusionary and harmful nature of many of the current documented names.
“As scientists, we work to eliminate bias in science. But there has been historic bias in how birds are named, and who might have a bird named in their honor. Exclusionary naming conventions developed in the 1800s, clouded by racism and misogyny, don’t work for us today, and the time has come for us to transform this process and redirect the focus to the birds, where it belongs,” said Judith Scarl, Ph.D., AOS Executive Director and CEO. “I am proud to be part of this new vision and am excited to work in partnership with a broad array of experts and bird lovers in creating an inclusive naming structure.” (AOS Leadership, 2023)
Scientists and volunteers are working hard to take down any barriers that exist to keep enthusiasts out of birding spaces. Since the 1970s there has been a recorded loss of around 3 billion birds, with some populations such as grassland birds showing a staggering statistic of a 53% decline rate. (Rosenberg et al., 2019) Scientists warn that without a concentrated effort, these numbers will continue in this direction of decline. With more people feeling they have access to the community scientists and bird enthusiasts alike hope to involve more in the effort to restore our skies and communities to the fully loaded bird scenes of the past.
Name changes have already been underway before the November announcement with birds such as the “Thick-billed Longspur.” It was previously named for Confederate General John P. McCown, an association no longer relevant in modern society and deemed as not informative as the bird was known first by many communities before it was noted by McCown. (AOS Leadership, 2023)
The AOS has broken down its steps to address these sorts of issues in the following way:
“The AOS commits to changing all English-language names of birds within its geographic jurisdiction that are named directly after people (eponyms), along with other names deemed offensive and exclusionary, focusing first on those species that occur primarily within the U.S. or Canada.”
“The AOS commits to establishing a new committee to oversee the assignment of all English common names for species within the AOS’s jurisdiction; this committee will broaden participation by including a diverse representation of individuals with expertise in the social sciences, communications, ornithology, and taxonomy.”
“The AOS commits to actively involving the public in the process of selecting new English bird names.” (AOS Leadership, 2023)
It is yet to be seen whether this new effort will bring in the help desired for the birds, but many in the community are excited to see the new names and the processes by which they will be chosen. Those interested in seeing how the pilot project proceeds are encouraged to follow the progress at www.americanornithology.org or the tag @AmOrnith across major social media platforms.
AOS Leadership. (2023, November 1). American Ornithological Society Will Change the English Names of Bird Species Named After People. American Ornithological Society. Retrieved January 23, 2024, from https://americanornithology.org/american-ornithological-society-will-change-the-english-names-of-bird-species-named-after-people/
Olson, S. M. (2021). Pacific Flyway Data Book 2021. Migratory Bird Abundance, Harvest, and Hunter Activity, 1-105. Retrieved 1 23, 2024, from https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pacific_flyway_databook_2021.pdf
Rosenberg, K. V., Dokter, A. M., Blancher, P. J., Sauer, J. R., Smith, A. C., Smith, P. A., Stanton, J. C., Panjabi, A., Helft, L., Parr, M., Marra, P. P., & Science AAAS. (2019). Decline of the North American Avifauna. Science AAAS, 1-67. Retrieved 1 23, 2024, from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/DECLINE-OF-NORTH-AMERICAN-AVIFAUNA-SCIENCE-2019.pdf
