Dozens of well-known bird species will lose their common names in the coming months and years as part of a nationwide effort to eliminate “racist” names and to diversify birdwatching.
The American Ornithological Society, which is responsible for standardizing English bird names across the Americas, announced plans on Wednesday to scrap any classification of birds derived from a person’s name, instead identifying them by physical characteristics or their habitat.
While not all birds named after people are associated with unpleasant histories, the effort is primarily aimed at clearing names associated with racism, racism and genocide, the AOS said.
Birds with names “considered offensive and exclusionary” will also be rechristened.
“As scientists, we strive to eliminate bias in science. But there are historic biases in how birds are named, and who might have a bird named in their honor,” AOS Executive Director and CEO Judith Scarl, Ph.D., said in a statement.
“The exclusive naming conventions developed in the 1800s, shrouded in racism and misogyny, are not working for us today, and the time has come for us to change this process and shift the focus to the birds, where they belong.”
The naming cleanup will likely affect up to 80 different species in the US and Canada, although the process is only in its early stages.
The American Ornithological Society announced it plans to rename a revered bird species after a person.AOS
The AOS decision comes after years of mounting pressure from the bird-watching, or bird-hunting, community to de-recognise the racist historical figure named after the bird.
This means that Audubon’s shearwater, a seabird native to the southeastern United States, will no longer be associated with John James Audubon, the founder of the birding community and the eponymous abolitionist New York slave owner.
The Audubon organization itself voted in March to drop the name of its troubled founder, citing his legacy of white supremacy.
The Thick-Billed Longspur was once named after a Confederate soldier known for his racial heritage.Getty Images
The organization’s Golden State branch followed suit just a month later.
Audubon’s new shearwater name will likely reflect its coastal habitat or its identifiable rounded wings — much like how the Blue Footed Booby was named for its iconic and unique teal fins.
Some birds have already undergone changes.
The Thick-billed Longspur, a small ground-eating bird native to North America, was renamed in 2020 after nearly three centuries of being named for Captain John P. McCown, a Confederate soldier who is “regarded today by many as a symbol of slavery and racism, ” said AOS.
The Audubon shearwater is named after John James Audubon, a famous birder with a legacy of white supremacy. Getty Images
A pilot renaming project will begin in 2024, with an initial group of between 70 and 80 birds being reclassified in the US and Canada.
The initiative will continue for “months and years,” the AOS said, with up to 260 birds to be checked across the Americas and associated islands.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
