Over 80 bird species names with racist origins will be renamed.
OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
4:35 PM – Thursday, November 2, 2023
The American Ornithological Society (AOS) has made an exciting announcement that they will be renaming certain bird species that were named after individuals with controversial backgrounds.
According to a statement released by the AOS on Wednesday, they will be removing nearly 80 names of North American birds.
The organization believes that these names, such as Lewis’s Woodpecker, Townsend’s Warbler, and Anna’s Hummingbird, are exclusionary and will be replaced with names that reflect the birds’ geographic region.
“There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today. We need a much more inclusive and engaging scientific process that focuses attention on the unique features and beauty of the birds themselves,” said AOS President Colleen Handel. “Everyone who loves and cares about birds should be able to enjoy and study them freely — and birds need our help now more than ever.”
The AOS, established in 1883, plans to implement these changes starting in 2024. They will be working on creating new names for approximately 80 bird species in North America and Canada.
The organization has also made several commitments to change their operations and involve the public in the naming process.
- The AOS will change all English-language names of birds named after people, as well as other offensive and exclusionary names, focusing first on species primarily found in the U.S. or Canada.
- A new committee will be established to oversee the assignment of English common names, including individuals with expertise in social sciences, communications, ornithology, and taxonomy.
- The public will be actively involved in selecting new English bird names.
This decision comes in response to pressure from the birding community to address the use of names associated with racist historical figures.
The AOS expects this initiative to continue for months and years, with up to 260 birds being examined throughout the Americas and related islands.
“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.”
“To reverse these alarming bird population declines, we need as many people as possible to get excited about birds and unite to protect them,” Scarl added.
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To spark discussions and debates within the birding community and beyond
The American Ornithological Society (AOS) has recently announced their decision to rename certain bird species that were previously named after individuals with controversial backgrounds. In a statement released on Wednesday, the AOS revealed that they will be removing nearly 80 names of North American birds. The organization believes that these names, such as Lewis’s Woodpecker, Townsend’s Warbler, and Anna’s Hummingbird, are exclusionary and will be replaced with names that reflect the birds’ geographic region.
AOS President Colleen Handel stated, “There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today. We need a much more inclusive and engaging scientific process that focuses attention on the unique features and beauty of the birds themselves. Everyone who loves and cares about birds should be able to enjoy and study them freely — and birds need our help now more than ever.”
The AOS, which was established in 1883, plans to implement these changes starting in 2024. They will be working on creating new names for approximately 80 bird species in North America and Canada. Additionally, the organization has made several commitments to change their operations and involve the public in the naming process.
Some of these commitments include changing all English-language names of birds named after people, as well as other offensive and exclusionary names, focusing first on species primarily found in the U.S. or Canada. A new committee will also be established to oversee the assignment of English common names, including individuals with expertise in social sciences, communications, ornithology, and taxonomy. Furthermore, the public will be actively involved in selecting new English bird names.
This decision comes in response to pressure from the birding community to address the use of names associated with racist historical figures. The AOS expects this initiative
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