and
True, but you usually only refer to that species within that country until you come here on birdforum or similar that is. You see a coot on a reservoir in the uk and its a Coot!- nothing else it can be (excepting the very very rare
Fulica americana once in a blue moon!) And there's only one Wren over here, one Robin, and that's been the name they were called. Not really that confusing. I think most people won't worry about the fact that there are others in the family. If they get to travel/ bird abroad, they have the general intelligence to differentiate if they need to.
Like I'm getting used to people from your side referring to blackbirds, I first think of our 'Blackbird Thrush', but from the context I soon can tell what is meant.
People learn to differentiate a Coot from a Moorhen, surely having to learn European Coot is
more difficult. Conversely, it annoys me a little to hear people say Heron as a species, it's a Grey Heron!! (we have just the one regularly in the uk) Grey adds something to the name. Northern (or European) doesn't.
On the other hand, most people are now used to/ resigned to the Northern/European conundrum, that wasn't really the issue on this thread. It was the sometimes seemingly arbitrary way names have changed that annoys.
(and used to doesn't mean every time I'm in the field I tell everyone I'm seeing European Starling and Northern Fulmars everywhere from now on. . .)
I think that's quite enough of me wittering on for a while. . .