Most outdated bird name (1 Viewer)

[mb1848]

This thread opened with Kentish Plover and ends with Egyptian Plover both birds first noticed scientifically by the very troublesome F. Hasselquist.
1757 - Fredric Hasselquists ... Iter Palæstinum - Biodiversity Heritage Library .
1757 - Fredric Hasselquists ... Iter Palæstinum - Biodiversity Heritage Library .
In a 1766 English translation the bird is called Egyptian Dotterell.
Voyages and travels in the Levant in the years 1749, 50, 51, 52 - Biodiversity Heritage Library .

 

[Frenchy]

Except that we don’t. I like the name already and see no reason whatsoever to change anything unless it’s on a taxonomic level.

Please don’t speak for others in order to magnify your own opinions.

See that smiley thing at the end of my post...

 

[Trinovid]

See that smiley thing at the end of my post...

I know, I know...it's just that I don't see everyone as presenting a united front, but at least no arms have been brought to bear!

 

[jurek]

So far, the name Crocodile Bird is the most outdated bird name, based on a 2450 year old story from Herodotus (ca 430 BC).

Interestingly, unlike the similarly old and incorrect name goatsucker, the crocodile myth is still believed, the name is still in use, and there was no proposal to preserve the name Crocodile Bird for purely nostalgic quality.

By comparison, Barnacle Goose myth that the geese grow from barnacles is less than 900 years old.

 

[James Jobling]

Herodotus, The Histories, Book 2, chapter 68, wrote of the crocodile, “Whenever it spends time in the water, the inside of its mouth fills up completely with leeches. And although other birds and animals avoid it, the plover lives at peace with it, since the crocodile receives benefits from it. When the crocodile emerges from the water onto land and opens its jaws (and as a rule, it faces the west as it does this), the plover enters its mouth and devours the leeches, while the crocodile, seeming to enjoy this service, does no harm at all to the plover.” (Strassler (ed.) & Purvis (trans.), 2008, The Landmark Herodotus. The Histories). This story continued to be circulated by other ancient authors, and, more recently, the now discredited Meinertzhagen (1930, Nicolls Bird of Egypt) claimed to have seen both Egyptian Plover Pluvianus and Spur-winged Plover Vanellus/Hoplopterus picking the teeth of basking crocodiles. Arnott, 2007, Birds in the Ancient World, p. 248 (under Trochilos), believed the name could apply equally to both those species, and I think the Common Sandpiper Actitis and the Senegal Thicknee Burhinus are also contenders. In other words, the Crocodile Bird is now unidentifiable, and Egyptian Plover should be retained.

 

[opisska]

By the time taxonomists got to South America with all its avian diversity, they seem to have run out of ideas for bird names, as shown by: South American Tern, Roadside Hawk or--my favourite--Lake Duck. Apart from that, Cape Pigeon (not a pigeon and not restricted to SA) and Sandwich Tern (akin to Kentish Plover and Dartford Warbler) are other curious examples. Not sure if I'd be inclined to change these names, though.

Roadside Hawk is a perfectly descriptive name which actually corresponds with the behavior of the bird. To be fair it would also work for a out a hundred other species But this is a really iconic bird in a large area of South America.

On the other hand, Sandwich Tern just makes me hungry.

 

[jurek]

The town of Sandwich should erect some monument to the Sandwich Tern and to the sandwich food for popularizing it abroad...

 

[dantheman]

The Ham Sandwich Sign

A beautiful Kentish country intersection hosts a tasty little photo spot.

www.atlasobscura.com

For those both hungry and interested in visiting the birthplace of the name be wary ...

 

[jurek]

Herodotus, The Histories, Book 2, chapter 68, wrote of the crocodile,

Wikipedia has an interesting history of the myth itself and precise bird species associated with it. :

Trochilus (crocodile bird) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ironically, Water Thick-Knee could be rightly called The Crocodile Bird - it often nests near nests of Nile Crocodiles for protection. But it was never associated with the myth and never called this way.

 

[lgonz1008]

Wikipedia has an interesting history of the myth itself and precise bird species associated with it. :

Trochilus (crocodile bird) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ironically, Water Thick-Knee could be rightly called The Crocodile Bird - it often nests near nests of Nile Crocodiles for protection. But it was never associated with the myth and never called this way.

The biggest kicker for the myth is that nobody, not even Herodotus saw the bird doing this behavior (and I don't think it ever saw it alive either), he just went by the hearsay of the locals showing him the region.

 

[Xenospiza]

What we do know is that the Trochilus was not one of the Streamertails.
So calling the non-Egyptian non-Plover "Crocodile-bird" shouldn't be an issue either (a cool name for a cool bird and easy to remember for most European non-native speakers, except the irredeemable French).
Add your favourite smileys.

 

[DMW]

Wikipedia has an interesting history of the myth itself and precise bird species associated with it. :

Trochilus (crocodile bird) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ironically, Water Thick-Knee could be rightly called The Crocodile Bird - it often nests near nests of Nile Crocodiles for protection. But it was never associated with the myth and never called this way.

From the internet: "Jurek as a boy's name is of Greek origin, and the meaning of Jurek is "farmer"."
Unless you are a farmer, I guess you ought to fix your own outdated name before you start tinkering with bird names

 

[Kirk Roth]

From the internet: "Jurek as a boy's name is of Greek origin, and the meaning of Jurek is "farmer"."
Unless you are a farmer, I guess you ought to fix your own outdated name before you start tinkering with bird names

But certainly, four pages of discussion have been cultivated...

 

[pianoman]

Mind you one of the most recent UK reports of Kentish Plover is indeed in Kent