AOS to discard patronyms in English names (2 Viewers)

[Mysticete]

I've not heard/seen anything to the contrary.



What really matters in this day and age is what eBird and IOC do, and to a lesser degree what gets published in field guides. WGAC is already handily the biggest challenge to NACC and SACC and their authority. I don't think affiliation or lack of affiliation with AOS actually will matter the slightest but perhaps I'm wrong here?

Affiliation wise I was considering the journal's AOS publishes. IIRC, you are required to use the most recent taxonomy. Granted this just consists of Ornithology and Ornithological Applications (and speaking of names, boy do those also suck). But still its an influence. Neotropical bird guides however have never felt strongly obligated to follow checklist committees, so I suppose for SACC this really won't mean much.

But yes WGAC is probably the biggest challenge going forward. Which sort of makes the current common name decision...poorly timed to say the least

 

[Mysticete]

Also, as I'm not sure if I've seen it mentioned here yet: I saw that NACC will no longer be responsible for English names in North America. Not sure if there will be a new committee at AOS for this or exactly what will happen. There were ruffled feathers over this within NACC as I heard it (not surprisingly) but on the whole I am not sure it's a bad thing. There is frequently a disconnect between what a group of lifelong ornithologists and taxonomists think makes for a good name and what more pragmatic people and/or the english speaking and bird discussing community think makes a good name. Whatever new system for English names comes into place, they don't have a big hurdle to clear to do better than Short-billed Gull and Thick-billed Longspur.

I want to say this was announced well before the common name decision, although perhaps obliquely. My understanding was that the English Bird Names Committee was going to become permanent and also deal with further name changes. This actually may be a positive, because as you say its not like some of the new common names they have come up with have been great. Evaluating science and creating memorable and interesting common names are not necessarily shared skill sets,

The big potential problem is that this will produce an extra layer of bureaucracy for future taxonomic splits and lumps, since they will have to go through TWO committees rather than just one. It wouldn't surprise me if this doesn't slow work down even more, which is definitely an issue if NACC continues to be as conservative as it already is on that front. But hey, maybe this means we can get a second chance to bring Mew Gull back, or get Ring-billed Duck and Whitestarts as official names?

 

[jts1882]

If the scientific decision on splitting species and selecting an English name are made by the same committee.. there's a better chance of names related to the distinguishing characteristics. It also means there will be a period where there is no English vernacular name.

You also have to wonder what the qualifications for the naming committee will be. They won't require scientific expertise.

 

[Mendobirder]

"Rather than have another argument about the merits of removing patronyms or not (let's save that for one of the many threads on the topic). Why not let us have some fun and come up with/predict some of the new names that we will have to become familiar with."

Well it was a good idea and a nice try, but it didn't take long for the reactionary self-righteousness to overwhelm this thread as it has everywhere else the topic has been addressed. I'd hoped for better from birders and scientists. I could only get through a few screens before giving up.
Which frankly is true for most of BirdForum. Why are so many of you so vitriolic? Seems like thread after thread dissolves into a pissing match.

I guess this is just the way everything goes now.

 

[Mysticete]

If the scientific decision on splitting species and selecting an English name are made by the same committee.. there's a better chance of names related to the distinguishing characteristics. It also means there will be a period where there is no English vernacular name.

You also have to wonder what the qualifications for the naming committee will be. They won't require scientific expertise.

AOS updates once a year, and we don't usually know the decisions completely until the update. So there should be time to go through both committees before the annual checklist update, which means any new split/lump would come with a "new name" ready to go. But it does potentially mean a slight slow down in some areas, although the NACC does a lot more than split or lump taxa and that would be able to continue as normal.

 

[Mysticete]

"Rather than have another argument about the merits of removing patronyms or not (let's save that for one of the many threads on the topic). Why not let us have some fun and come up with/predict some of the new names that we will have to become familiar with."

Well it was a good idea and a nice try, but it didn't take long for the reactionary self-righteousness to overwhelm this thread as it has everywhere else the topic has been addressed. I'd hoped for better from birders and scientists. I could only get through a few screens before giving up.
Which frankly is true for most of BirdForum. Why are so many of you so vitriolic? Seems like thread after thread dissolves into a pissing match.

I guess this is just the way everything goes now.

I actually made a go at what the OP wanted this weekend. Maybe I will post my name options tonight to add back some fun

 

[Xenospiza]

"Rather than have another argument about the merits of removing patronyms or not (let's save that for one of the many threads on the topic). Why not let us have some fun and come up with/predict some of the new names that we will have to become familiar with."

Well it was a good idea and a nice try, but it didn't take long for the reactionary self-righteousness to overwhelm this thread as it has everywhere else the topic has been addressed. I'd hoped for better from birders and scientists. I could only get through a few screens before giving up.
Which frankly is true for most of BirdForum. Why are so many of you so vitriolic? Seems like thread after thread dissolves into a pissing match.

I guess this is just the way everything goes now.

I put an entire list into this thread. Share your thoughts on that or add your own list to contribute in a positive way!

 

[Mendobirder]

Looking at the Google sheet it would appear the OP has given up on this thread as well. But just in case he hasn't and is still collecting suggestions, here are a few:
Ross's Goose - Lesser Snowy-goose
Barrow's Goldeneye - Northern Goldeneye but I also rather like Iceland Goldeneye
Vaux's Swift - Western Swift
Anna's Hummingbird - Ruby-crowned was my first thought, since there is already the Ruby-throated. But Pacific or Garden Hummingbird sound better to me.
Allen's Hummingbird - California Copper
(aside: Anna's and Allen's have needed renaming for quite some time IMO. Here on the NorCal coast we get both at the same time and having similar names, neither of which convey anything about the bird, is endlessly confusing.)
Cassin's Auklet - Krillbird
Sabine's Gull - Splendid Sea-gull, Pelagic Gull
Buller's Shearwater - Elegant Shearwater
Brandt's Cormorant - Pacific Cormorant, Blue-throated Cormorant (Note: I like the name "Kelp Cormorant" as a replacement for the very-badly-named Pelagic Cormorant, which is rarely found more than a few hundred yards from a kelp bed and is entirely sedentary. Brandt's by contrast are often found far many miles offshore.)
Say's Phoebe - Cinnamon Phoebe (not my idea, saw it somewhere else, but love it)
Swainson's Thrush - Flute Thrush
Wilsons Warbler - Capped Warbler

 

[Mendobirder]

Looking at the Google sheet it would appear the OP has given up on this thread as well. But just in case he hasn't and is still collecting suggestions, here are a few:
Ross's Goose - Lesser Snowy-goose
Barrow's Goldeneye - Northern Goldeneye but I also rather like Iceland Goldeneye
Vaux's Swift - Western Swift
Anna's Hummingbird - Ruby-crowned was my first thought, since there is already the Ruby-throated. But Pacific or Garden Hummingbird sound better to me.
Allen's Hummingbird - California Copper
(aside: Anna's and Allen's have needed renaming for quite some time IMO. Here on the NorCal coast we get both at the same time and having similar names, neither of which convey anything about the bird, is endlessly confusing.)
Cassin's Auklet - Krillbird
Sabine's Gull - Splendid Sea-gull, Pelagic Gull
Buller's Shearwater - Elegant Shearwater
Brandt's Cormorant - Pacific Cormorant, Blue-throated Cormorant (Note: I like the name "Kelp Cormorant" as a replacement for the very-badly-named Pelagic Cormorant, which is rarely found more than a few hundred yards from a kelp bed and is entirely sedentary. Brandt's by contrast are often found far many miles offshore.)
Say's Phoebe - Cinnamon Phoebe (not my idea, saw it somewhere else, but love it)
Swainson's Thrush - Flute Thrush
Wilsons Warbler - Capped Warbler

Bewick's Wren - Buzzing Wren
Wilson's Phalarope - White-rumped Phalarope
Hutton's Vireo – Kinglet Vireo (not mine but I like it)
Cassin's Vireo – Pacific Vireo
Steller's Jay – Stellar Jay, Redwood Jay
Clark's Nutcracker – Conifer Crow, Pine Crow

 

[Mono]

You were warned to keep it civil.