Why Lammergeier?
I have just returned from a trip to the Italian Alps searching - among other species - for Gypaetus barbatus (to use a neutral name). Well, I had my new Collins along, as there is no German version out yet. And looking up some things, I realized that this new Collins still uses the name Lammergeier for what should be better called Bearded Vulture. For the English language it would seem pretty odd that the species is called by an old German name if Lammergeier is used.
Firstly, I wonder how this has come about?
But most importantly, the German name Lämmergeier means the lamb eating/hunting vulture. I.e. the vulture that goes after the lambs (and not the dead ones at that). And that mistaken bad reputation has contributed a lot to the original extermination of the species in the Alps. It is thus of utmost importance for the present reintroduction programme that the species is no longer connected in any way with the former false accusations. The present German name of the species is thus a descriptive one, Bartgeier. And the same name exists in English, the Bearded Vulture. And it's a true English name, unlike the Kindergarten like German adoption. The name Bearded Vulture is used in HBW, but for reasons unknown to me not in the new Collins, and neither in many other British publications.
And as German speaking folks often know English as well, there is a very unfortunate perpetuation of former accusations that need to first be clarified if someone asks. But all too often, no one asks and those reputations just stick.
Just an example: In the National Parks of the Alps, there are often explanations in a number of languages for visitors. Thus, the name Lammergeier suddenly is spotted by German visitors who pick up a folder in their language that sits next to the English version. And if the name Beared Vulture is used in the English version of that information, those who want to look it up in their British book then don't find it because it runs under a different name.
At any rate, I think it is a very unfortunate situation that the name Lammergeier is still in widespread use, and perpetuated by a internationally used FG like the Collins.