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  1. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Is there any update on this? Either response to the presentation of the petition or progress on any changes or use of changes to increase engagement? https://www.change.org/p/petition-to-aos-leadership-on-the-recent-decision-to-change-all-eponymous-bird-names All the best Paul
  2. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Mysticete You can tell from the contributions who is backed into a corner and will simply look to construct any argument to make a point. Your point is noted. It seems nonsensical to me. Changing 150+ names will undoubtedly have the negatives of increased difficulty and confusion. It seems...
  3. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Eponyms can be memorable. Change causes disruption and has negatives. That was the simple premise of my post. Your response appears to be to an alternative post albeit accepting the second point. All the best Paul
  4. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    A couple of recurring themes on here have been that changes of vernacular names are no big deal & eponyms are not memorable. Unprompted today, against both points, a Thai eBird reviewer told me that since the Brown Hornbills stopped being referred to as Austen's Brown Hornbill & Tickell's Brown...
  5. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    In the absence of towns, countries, states, buildings, mammals, reptiles, earwigs, fish, amphibians, moths, lakes, waterfalls, etc, etc, etc being named after people? Or on the basis of nothing ever being named after a person? Why would birds be any different? People decided to do it once. They...
  6. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    They are also very popular in other orders and in respect of other orders, changing and differing vernacular names (eg micromoths, dragonflies, ladybirds, etc) provide concrete examples of barriers to communication and recording that I have personally witnessed. In contrast, the names in the...
  7. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Your quote of ALL historic eponyms is self-evidently a daft sweeping generalisation regardless of its meaning. That is my only narrative. Any serious response would concede that. All the best Paul
  8. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    The first point rather illustrates why I have lost steam and any interest in this topic. It is a sweeping generalisation. I am not sure what it is intended to mean but I know any attempt properly to categorise the nature of the eponyms and their diversity would be wasted effort so I attach a...
  9. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Pice is stated as free and link takes you to Checkout at a price of 1 x ÂŖ0.00.
  10. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    It has started already....
  11. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    I suspect that in order to match the new world values & the end of the old inequalities which the eponyms reflect that the likes of Coca Cola, Esso, Disneyland, etc will be represented.... ☚ī¸
  12. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    And indeed the vast majority of those that object to a wholesale change in one part of the world understand why some eponyms are a problem and indeed, they would be happy to see them changed. I remain of the view that some new names being eponyms or otherwise representative of those minorities...
  13. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Thankfully even on this debate, the bizarre extremist voices are limited. 😀 And those voices mainly seem obsessed with paraphrasing inaccurately opposing viewpoints.
  14. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    In the past, exactly the type of people that used to have birds named after them.... 😀 On the main topic, the signatures have risen to in excess of 5,100 but the purpose of accumulating more seems opaque:-...
  15. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    And at a time when materials for free on the Internet have never been more available to learn about different orders and biodiversity...
  16. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Within the context of the study, the acceptance of such terms from undergraduates studying related degrees to do with nature is surprising. It is slightly different from discussions with occasional walkers or schoolchildren when we all engage at a suitable level to match their knowledge to...
  17. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    These are the new accessible names for Steller's Eider and Franklin's Gull. The future is bright. The future lacks eponyms. 😀
  18. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    All about getting the right role models & influences as well as ensuring access to nature & reducing any cost associated with that access either in travel or equipment. That said, barriers may be increasing & there are suggestions that this is not simply a diversity issue... This study looks at...
  19. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    I have read it. It has nothing to do with increasing diversity in birding. There are organisations doing positive things. I look forward to hearing from them about this topic. Their views would carry weight. The professor in question I suspect is not taking any steps to encourage diversity in...
  20. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    To be blunt, the fact that the AOS Committee did not turn round and say to the Sub-Committee - "hold on a minute. You intend to rename Zino's Petrel. You must be off your head." - shows their lack of knowledge of birds.... All the best Paul
  21. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    This is the element that most amuses me. Those who are exerting their authority in the removal of eponyms seem most in need of a mirror to consider their superior attitude.... All the best Paul
  22. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Interestingly, my naming convention in eBird gives me "Goosander (American)" for my Common Merganser sightings. I suppose that makes sense and does suggest a degree of pragmatism in naming to ensure accuracy of recording. (Our subspecies appears at subspecific level as "Goosander (Eurasian)"...
  23. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    That would be interesting on the Vireo. Of course, such a name would be challenging to visitors as would the transition of their lifelists to unfamiliar names rather than standard English names. Previously, the thrust had been towards harmonisation. Clearly, that would create a risk of...
  24. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    But presumably only if you use the English (United States) settings. BOU will not change their names. They are dictated by IOC and common British usage. "English names in other regions will continue to be determined in consultation with partner organizations in those regions. If you use one of...
  25. Paul Chapman

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    My Teal records appear as Eurasian/Green-winged Teal if I forget to specify to (sub)species under English (UK) usage in eBird. My fieldguide simply calls our Teal as "The Teal". Bizarrely, I do rather shiver recording subspecies on probability eg European Redwing in England whereas I frequently...
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