Petition to AOS Leadership on the Recent Decision to Change all Eponymous Bird Names (1 Viewer)

[rahopko]

I have created an online petition in rebuttal to the AOS leadership momentous decision to change all eponymous bird names & no matter your position on this issue, I hope that you will take a minute to read it and if so inclined to also sign it. We in the U.S. believe this is a world-wide birding matter.

A few notes before signing.

After you sign change.org takes you to a screen asking for a donation. Change.org is free and any donations received are not for this cause. I am not fundraising.

Instead, click on “No, I’ll Share Instead” which will take you to a page that gives you multiple ways to share the petition but most importantly also provides a comment box on the right side of the page. If you want to include a membership or organizational affiliation this is the place to put that information along with any other comments you may want to share.

If you get a verification email from change.org please make sure to respond, otherwise your signature won't count.

The link to the petition is here: Sign the Petition

 

[kb57]

Signed - thanks for posting the link. You do seem to get into a bit of a loop where it invites you to sign other petitions (Palestinian ceasefire - yes please; closure of Lidl in Byfleet, UK - really not that concerned!).
I'd also add it's important to respond to the verification email they send, otherwise your signature won't count.

 

[Mysticete]

Just to clarify...There is a list of people at the end of the proposal. Are these folks people who have all agreed to put there names on it or helped write it?

 

[rahopko]

Signed - thanks for posting the link. You do seem to get into a bit of a loop where it invites you to sign other petitions (Palestinian ceasefire - yes please; closure of Lidl in Byfleet, UK - really not that concerned!).
I'd also add it's important to respond to the verification email they send, otherwise your signature won't count.

Thanks very much. I will add that bit of info about the verification email. Appreciated!

 

[rahopko]

Just to clarify...There is a list of people at the end of the proposal. Are these folks people who have all agreed to put there names on it or helped write it?

These are people that agreed to put their names on the initial petition so that their agreement was more public. I wrote the petition with input from a couple of people but not those that are listed at the end of the petition. I can add some language that makes this more clear.

 

[Mysticete]

While I probably won't sign the petition. I am glad one was made. I do think the roll-out of this whole thing was not managed well, and general membership (e.g. paying members of the organization, not every random person on the street), should have voted for some of the associated changes brought by this.

 

[Mysticete]

These are people that agreed to put their names on the initial petition so that their agreement was more public. I wrote the petition with input from a a couple of people but not those that are listed at the end of the petition. I can add some language that makes this more clear.

Gotcha! I just wanted to be sure it wasn't being addressed to them or they had been consulted. Those are some heavy hitters in the birding/ornithological community!

 

[raymie]

After you sign change.org takes you to a screen asking for a donation. Change.org is free and any donations received are not for this cause. I am not fundraising.

These payments do make change.org show the petition essentially as an ad on the page of other petitions, however. I agree sharing is better. But these donations do do something.

 

[rahopko]

These payments do make change.org show the petition essentially as an ad on the page of other petitions, however. I agree sharing is better. But these donations do do something.

I agree. I just did want anyone to think they had to donate to sign. I donate to change.org all the time!

 

[raymie]

Since images drive engagement, perhaps you should add a photo to the petition? What's your favorite eponymous bird? I suggest a Blackburnian Warbler.

 

[rahopko]

Since images drive engagement, perhaps you should add a photo to the petition? What's your favorite eponymous bird? I suggest a Blackburnian Warbler.

Great idea & I probably have a photo! Thanks!

 

[jts1882]

The International Ornithological Union, which monitors taxonomic changes and maintains a global list of standard bird names, have already indicated they will not follow suit and remove eponyms.

Shouldn't that read "remove all eponyms" as the IOC will be doing so on a case-by-case basis as you advocate.

The IOC World Bird List is closely following the AOS discussion of patronymic English bird names. Our advisory team of experts will continue to review proposed changes from a global perspective, and on a case-by-case basis, as posted on this web site.

 

[Mysticete]

Shouldn't that read "remove all eponyms" as the IOC will be doing so on a case-by-case basis as you advocate.

IOC = International Ornithological Congress, which of course has the IOC bird checklist, while IOU is the International Ornithological Union, the latter of which is associated with the WGAC initiative. I assume the authors are referring to the latter. If some acronyms were mixed up (hardly difficult given the similar names!), it should be corrected.

Before this whole situation blew up, WGAC put forth a public statement that they will accept differences in common names between regions, and simply list all widely used and accepted names. I would interpret that the "new" names will be listed, but so will the old. So the statement as written may not be entirely accurate.

 

[rahopko]

Shouldn't that read "remove all eponyms" as the IOC will be doing so on a case-by-case basis as you advocate.

Yes, thank-you for this correction. Appreciated.

 

[Kirk Roth]

Great idea & I probably have

Since images drive engagement, perhaps you should add a photo to the petition? What's your favorite eponymous bird? I suggest a Blackburnian Warbler.

Serious question - is "Baltimore Oriole" on the chopping block? I know that "Lord Baltimore" is a title, not a name, but I believe also refers exclusively to the Calvert lineage of Barons... so is that an eponym or not?

Some eponymous (or otherwise "named after a person...") bird names have recognition and "cultural impact" beyond just birders and ornithologists - Cooper's Hawk, Anna's Hummingbird, and Baltimore Oriole are some of those, and I'd expect some of those will get a lot of attention.

 

[Fred Ruhe]

erious question - is "Baltimore Oriole" on the chopping block? I know that "Lord Baltimore" is a title, not a name, but I believe also refers exclusively to the Calvert lineage of Barons... so is that an eponym or not?

Some eponymous (or otherwise "named after a person...") bird names have recognition and "cultural impact" beyond just birders and ornithologists - Cooper's Hawk, Anna's Hummingbird, and Baltimore Oriole are some of those, and I'd expect some of those will get a lot of attention.

Baltimore oriole is also a nice song by George Harrison:

Fred

 

[Andy Adcock]

Serious question - is "Baltimore Oriole" on the chopping block? I know that "Lord Baltimore" is a title, not a name, but I believe also refers exclusively to the Calvert lineage of Barons... so is that an eponym or not?

Some eponymous (or otherwise "named after a person...") bird names have recognition and "cultural impact" beyond just birders and ornithologists - Cooper's Hawk, Anna's Hummingbird, and Baltimore Oriole are some of those, and I'd expect some of those will get a lot of attention.

Could you expand on how this manifests?

 

[Andy Adcock]

Signed.

 

[l_raty]

Serious question - is "Baltimore Oriole" on the chopping block? I know that "Lord Baltimore" is a title, not a name, but I believe also refers exclusively to the Calvert lineage of Barons... so is that an eponym or not?

Mark Catesby, in 1731 (cited by Linnaeus in the description of the bird), about "The Baltimore-Bird", v.1 (1729-1732) - The natural history of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands - Biodiversity Heritage Library :

It is said to have its Name from the Lord Baltimore's Coat of Arms, which are Paly of six Topaz and Diamond, a Bend, counterchang’d; his Lordship being a Proprietor in those Countries.

So, yes, it looks like it may well be. And also deeply linked to colonialism...

 

[Mysticete]

Serious question - is "Baltimore Oriole" on the chopping block? I know that "Lord Baltimore" is a title, not a name, but I believe also refers exclusively to the Calvert lineage of Barons... so is that an eponym or not?

Some eponymous (or otherwise "named after a person...") bird names have recognition and "cultural impact" beyond just birders and ornithologists - Cooper's Hawk, Anna's Hummingbird, and Baltimore Oriole are some of those, and I'd expect some of those will get a lot of attention.

I was told Baltimore Oriole refers to the color of the livelry of Baltimore's soldiers. In which case it might be closer to Cardinal. I've heard that Baltimore Oriole isn't on the chopping block, but part of the problem is that they should have gone ahead and actually provided a complete list of names they were changing. Rather than have folks speculate on species that are sort of in the gray area, like this species or Calliope Hummingbird.