Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names? (3 Viewers)

[Bewick]

As Birdforum may be considered a broad representation of the birding community, this poll is to gauge the level of support for the AOS decision to abandon ALL eponymous names of birds within their geographical reason, this affecting upward of 90 species.

Relevant articles:
Bird Names and Barriers

American Ornithological Society Will Change the English Names of Bird Species Named After People - American Ornithological Society

Today the AOS announced that in an effort to address past wrongs and engage far more people in the enjoyment, protection, and study of birds, it will change all English bird names currently named after people within its geographic jurisdiction.

americanornithology.org

By the nature of this poll, having the intention to keep it simple, this only asks about support for the wholesale change of ALL eponymous names. Having support to change individual 'problematic' names is a different question and is not addressed here.

For discussion of the merits of this proposal, please refer to the ongoing thread HERE on Birdforum. Please do not use this poll thread for this purpose.

(thanks to Bewick, edited by Jos)

 

[Phil Andrews]

Can we have a vote on whether we need yet another thread on the issue?

 

[Bewick]

Can we have a vote on whether we need yet another thread on the issue?

I think this thread has value independent from the other threads, anonymous voting will encourage more people to express their opinions on this topic.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Can we have a vote on whether we need yet another thread on the issue?

We closed one of the two that were running alongside each other and becoming basically the same debate. Idea here is the poll doesn't vanish into the lost depths of the arguments that typify the other.

Even if not perfect, a poll can also give a broad understanding of level of support far more than the other threads which are mostly dominated by the repeat postings of a very small number of persons with strong views.

 

[Mike Crawley]

Should we have to say where in the world we are from to validate our vote ?
Their list = their rules (names, etc.)

 

[Steve Lister]

What Birdforum members think won't make any difference to what the AOS decides.
I just wonder what a poll of AOS members would produce, and how the results would compare with the broad American birding base. I have no idea how big an organisation it is, and I understand it is a fairly young body. I am guessing it is akin to the BOU in Britain - and therefore hardly representative of the general birding community. The ABA I think is more a birders' body than the AOS - has there been much discussion amongst members there?

 

[Bewick]

What Birdforum members think won't make any difference to what the AOS decides.
I just wonder what a poll of AOS members would produce, and how the results would compare with the broad American birding base. I have no idea how big an organisation it is, and I understand it is a fairly young body. I am guessing it is akin to the BOU in Britain - and therefore hardly representative of the general birding community. The ABA I think is more a birders' body than the AOS - has there been much discussion amongst members there?

Yes it won't, though this is simply to understand the opinions of bird forum users on this topic. Most discussions against/for taxonomic splits/bourc decisions etc also won't have an effect on the final decision though I believe its still valuable nonetheless.

 

[Farnboro John]

Yes it won't, though this is simply to understand the opinions of bird forum users on this topic. Most discussions against/for taxonomic splits/bourc decisions etc also won't have an effect on the final decision though I believe its still valuable nonetheless.

BOURC no longer considers taxonomic decisions, just follows IOC.

John

 

[Bewick]

BOURC no longer considers taxonomic decisions, just follows IOC.

John

I meant BOURC decisions on the whether rarities are accepted or not.

 

[Andy Adcock]

What Birdforum members think won't make any difference to what the AOS decides.
I just wonder what a poll of AOS members would produce, and how the results would compare with the broad American birding base. I have no idea how big an organisation it is, and I understand it is a fairly young body. I am guessing it is akin to the BOU in Britain - and therefore hardly representative of the general birding community. The ABA I think is more a birders' body than the AOS - has there been much discussion amongst members there?

On this basis alone, the proposal should have failed, it's been shoved through by academics with zero consultation.

 

[Mysticete]

As Birdforum may be considered a broad representation of the birding community, this poll is to gauge the level of support for the AOS decision to abandon ALL eponymous names of birds within their geographical reason, this affecting upward of 90 species.

That's a very very very big assumption. I doubt most birders have even heard of the site, and a preponderance of those who regularly visit are not from the region AOS oversees. All it tells you is the relative support of regularly visiting posters, not anything about the broader US/Canada birding community.

 

[Mysticete]

What Birdforum members think won't make any difference to what the AOS decides.
I just wonder what a poll of AOS members would produce, and how the results would compare with the broad American birding base. I have no idea how big an organisation it is, and I understand it is a fairly young body. I am guessing it is akin to the BOU in Britain - and therefore hardly representative of the general birding community. The ABA I think is more a birders' body than the AOS - has there been much discussion amongst members there?

AOS is a new name but its simply the name change that occurred when the American Ornithological Union (who originally produced the checklist) absorbed the Cooper Society. The AOU itself dates to 1883. The organizational is also a professional one, whose membership consists of effectively all the active ornithologists in North American and probably the entire New World for that matter, plus many international workers. It's not geared towards the birding community: That would be the American Birding Association.

As far as the ABA is concerned, they expressed support with the initiative. Their default is to follow the decisions of AOU/AOS, and that includes common names. I could see a future where they follow the WGAC, but not sure what that means for common names.

 

[Trinovid]

That's a very very very big assumption.

What an ironically self-unaware statement to make.

Let him do what he wants to, and if it’s worth nothing in the end, at least it was made with better intentions than water thrown on someone else’s fire.

 

[Andy Adcock]

As far as the ABA is concerned, they expressed support with the initiative. Their default is to follow the decisions of AOU/AOS, and that includes common names. I could see a future where they follow the WGAC, but not sure what that means for common names.

Did they poll the membership or was it a decision taken without consultation for the moral, good of the nation?

 

[Trinovid]

Did they poll the membership or was it a decision taken without consultation for the moral, good of the nation?

LoL! I’m sure they’re doing it indiscreetly, and totally for the good of the ignorant masses.

 

[Bewick]

That's a very very very big assumption. I doubt most birders have even heard of the site, and a preponderance of those who regularly visit are not from the region AOS oversees. All it tells you is the relative support of regularly visiting posters, not anything about the broader US/Canada birding community.

The post has moved to a couple of different threads, in the process moderators added to the description- its just a more professional sounding description. I believe originally my description was just the title reworded with two articles linked below.

To address your second point, unsure where anyone is getting the idea that most American birders agree with the AOS's decision... simply browsing twitter will give you the complete opposite impression

 

[Andy Adcock]

That's a very very very big assumption. I doubt most birders have even heard of the site, and a preponderance of those who regularly visit are not from the region AOS oversees. All it tells you is the relative support of regularly visiting posters, not anything about the broader US/Canada birding community.

There's a term going around, 'Tyranny of the minority'. It refers to the masses of people who are cowed by a vocally aggressive minority who are permitted it seems, to choose the direction that society as a whole must take.

I've highlighted your words and I agree with them but from that, unless there is a sudden turn around, I also take that the international view of a usually silent majority on this board, is, on the whole, a rejection of this American model.

 

[Lerxst]

The post has moved to a couple of different threads, in the process moderators added to the description- its just a more professional sounding description. I believe originally my description was just the title reworded with two articles linked below.

To address your second point, unsure where anyone is getting the idea that most American birders agree with the AOS's decision... simply browsing twitter will give you the complete opposite impression

Pity that this issue is too trivial to warrant the attention of Gallup or some entity that could do a reliable sampling of opinion.

 

[Mysticete]

The post has moved to a couple of different threads, in the process moderators added to the description- its just a more professional sounding description. I believe originally my description was just the title reworded with two articles linked below.

To address your second point, unsure where anyone is getting the idea that most American birders agree with the AOS's decision... simply browsing twitter will give you the complete opposite impression

I think the majority of birders are some variation of ignorant the changes are even happening, ambivalent, or okay with the idea of name changes but would rather see a more moderated approach. I had a bird club meeting this weekend and no one brought it up, and when I did mention it, it was new to them.

Social Media can give a very distorted view of reality since it tends to amplify extreme views on either side, And of course people live in there own media bubbles. Some of the bird facebook groups I am on are mostly positive about the changes, even if their is a fair share of humor involved.

 

[dantheman]

Bump

I'm actually quite surprised that, whilst a majority, only around 60% of birders disagree. I thought it would be a lot higher than that. As mentioned elsewhere, changing all eponymous bird names is going to be quite the change (upheaval?)