Beach Thick-knee or Bush Stone-curlew (10 Viewers)

[Nutcracker]

absolutely Steve

the sooner we can arrive at a 'standard' world taxo the better

What, and put all the taxonomists out of a job? Unthinkable!

 

[RMD]

Another Classification Q

Thanks for everyone's replies, stoked to have it sorted so soon.

But having said that, let me throw another into the ring if I may.

I have in my two reference books, this Egret as Eastern Reef Egret (Dark/Grey Phase) Adea sacra.

It doesn't show in the BF database nor the SM Classification.

Richard

 

[Nutcracker]

Thanks for everyone's replies, stoked to have it sorted so soon.

But having said that, let me throw another into the ring if I may.

I have in my two reference books, this Egret as Eastern Reef Egret (Dark/Grey Phase) Adea sacra.

It doesn't show in the BF database nor the SM Classification.

Richard

Try Eastern Reef Egret Egretta sacra - that's what my books have it as, not in Ardea.

 

[RMD]

Yep, it does show up both here in the database and the 2003 SM Classification, thanks Peter.

Could an Admin now change the Adea to Egretta so that it sits proper in the database please?

Richard

 

[Larry Lade]

I just checked the database and it is now listed as Egretta sacra. Common name of Pacific or Eastern Reef-Egret.

 

[Larry Lade]

OK, Richard, I have just changed YOUR photo to Egretta.

 

[RMD]

Thanks Larry. ~ Richard

 

[pemburung]

Can't help but weigh in a little here. Common names are supposed to be that - common names. The name commonly applied to the animal. It's all very well to have official lists for birders, but let's take the Australian "jabiru" as an example. There are tens of thousands of Territorians and North Queenslanders, non-birders but who live where the bird does, and have for generations, who call it a jabiru. Then there's several dozen birders in the same area, who now call it a black-necked stork (despite its iridescent green neck!), as do visiting birders to the tune of a few hundred per year. It seems that the most common name for the bird, and the historical one, is jabiru. Sure, there's a "real" jabiru in South America. There's also a real bandicoot in India, and as Tim said, real sparrows and buntings in Europe. We're seeing more guides come out with true common names -the name the bird is called by the local indigenous population, who may be the only ones that ever see the thing apart from a few birders. Who should tell a local what to call the animal they've known for years, and generations? There's been this push over the last 20 years, due primarily to the rise in birding, to standardize common names, so we know exactly who they are, without confusion, and their relationships to other species elsewhere. Seems like the definition of scientific taxonomy to me. If that's what you want, fine, use the scientific names, that's what they're there for. If you want to ask a local what a bird is, or want to encourage people to take an interest, then use the common name familiar to them. Don't expect them to adopt a new "common taxonomy" to fit in with someone else's hobby. Or we get absurdities such as changing "nankeen kestrel" to rufous kestrel, and in one swoop destroying (thankfully only temporarily) the historical connection to Australia's early days. Or we suddenly get the appearance of a hobby in Australia, where none had flown before. Even worse are those "common" names constructed from the scientific, resulting in a common name reflecting an old and no longer relevant generic name. To say nothing of being a jawbreaker.

So that's my rant.

Cheers,

Pemburung

 

[Nutcracker]

I just checked the database and it is now listed as Egretta sacra. Common name of Pacific or Eastern Reef-Egret.

Hi Larry,

A small correction: Eastern Reef Egret, or Eastern Reef-egret . . . caps don't follow hyphems in the English language!

 

[Tannin]

The really funny thing about the Black-necked Stork (i.e., "Jabiru") is that many Australians call it a "Jabiru" in the belief that it is the original Aboriginal name for the creature. (Like so many other creatures: Numbats and Brolgas and so on.) It certainly sounds like an Aboriginal word - but it derives from South America, I believe. If "Jabiru" sounded more like a Spanish or Portugese word, Australians probably wouldn't use it.

 

[Edward]

The really funny thing about the Black-necked Stork (i.e., "Jabiru") is that many Australians call it a "Jabiru" in the belief that it is the original Aboriginal name for the creature. (Like so many other creatures: Numbats and Brolgas and so on.) It certainly sounds like an Aboriginal word - but it derives from South America, I believe. If "Jabiru" sounded more like a Spanish or Portugese word, Australians probably wouldn't use it.

A lot of people think Nullarbor is an Aboriginal name too.

E

 

[Dimitris]

The really funny thing about the Black-necked Stork (i.e., "Jabiru") is that many Australians call it a "Jabiru" in the belief that it is the original Aboriginal name for the creature. (Like so many other creatures: Numbats and Brolgas and so on.) It certainly sounds like an Aboriginal word - but it derives from South America, I believe. If "Jabiru" sounded more like a Spanish or Portugese word, Australians probably wouldn't use it.

I like Jabiru.