Reference: Many North American birds bear names with racist roots. That’s beginning to change (msn.com)
Check out the excerpts below:
Bird Names for Birds is a grassroots initiative aiming to change eponymous common names of birds, specifically in North America, arguing that many have been named after problematic people. . . .
Last year, supporters of bird name changes saw one victory when the American Ornithological Society renamed McCown’s longspur — after Confederate Gen. John Porter McCown — as the thick-billed longspur.
On Tuesday, there was another step forward. The AOS announced a new ad hoc committee that would make recommendations for guidelines on how to identify and change “harmful English bird names,” according to a statement by the organization. The committee is set to have specific recommendations by early 2022.
“We are excited to put this important task into the hands of our ad hoc committee, and look forward to receiving their recommendations on the process for reviewing and changing English bird names to ensure ornithology and birding are as inclusive as possible,” the AOS said in the statement.
Ultimately, Bird Names for Birds wants to make the system across the board more inclusive. While changing the name of McCown’s longspur to thick-billed longspur was great, it only represented the tip of the iceberg, Rutter said, noting that the AOS previously rejected the same proposal in 2018.
“Nothing about the process changed,” she said, adding that more can be done to amplify non-White birders’ perspectives. . . .