Bird names sow discord

If you go to the United States, you may be lucky enough to see a Sabine's gull circling the beach, a Lewis's woodpecker clinging to a tree trunk, or a McCown's woodpecker in the Rockies. The common denominator between all these birds – in addition to their registration on the American continent – is that they bear their name, meaning that their name refers to the name of a person who is keen to leave a mark in history by the name “the bird.” “discoverer” type or to honor a “hero,” explorer, relative, or patron. These figures, still well-known today or completely forgotten, sometimes have a reprehensible history. For example, John Porter McCown was a Confederate general who died in 1879 and was It is considered a symbol of slavery.

Because these bird names in particular could offend certain communities or evoke feelings of exclusion, especially African Americans and indigenous people, the American Ornithological Society (AOS) decided last November Rename all noun types Three indefinite names are considered offensive. Goodbye Sabine's Gull, Lewis's Woodpecker, McCown's Longbird but also Pale-footed Sheep, Eskimo Curlew and Inca Dove. In all, this relates to 266 birds, or about 5.5% of the English names of species found on the continent.