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Bird Names for Birds is a popular initiative to change the eponymous common names of birds, especially in North America, arguing that many have been named after problematic people.
Take the Hammond flycatcher, named after William Alexander Hammond, a former U.S. surgeon general, said Jordan Rutter, co-founder of the initiative. Hammond, Rutter said, attempted to collect brains from slain aboriginals for study, and also wrote that blacks were “low in mental or physical faculties above the monkey of an organ grinder,” as posted on the initiative’s website.
Rutter said the initiative identified a list of 150 birds in North America with the names of people and is trying to change those names. The effort goes beyond “just the front of bird names,” Rutter said. “We are really calling for a change in the process.”
Last year, proponents of bird name changes won a victory when the American Ornithological Society renamed the McCown’s Sparrow – after Confederate General John Porter McCown – as Thick-billed Sparrow.
On Tuesday there was another step forward. The AOS announced a new ad hoc committee that would make recommendations for guidelines on how to identify and change “English pest bird names,” according to a statement from the organization. The committee is expected to have specific recommendations by early 2022.
“We are delighted to entrust this important task to our ad hoc committee, and look forward to receiving their recommendations on the process of reviewing and changing English bird names to ensure that ornithology and bird watching be as inclusive as possible, ”said the OSA. in the statement.
Ultimately, Bird Names for Birds wants to make the system more inclusive at all levels. While changing the name from McCown’s Sparrow to Thick-billed Sparrow was awesome, it was only the tip of the iceberg, Rutter said, noting that the AOS previously rejected the same proposal in 2018.
“Nothing has changed in the process,” she said, adding that more could be done to amplify the outlook for non-white birders.
In response, the AOS said it has “been seriously discussing the issue of eponymous bird names” since the initial rejection in 2018.
“The American Ornithological Society (AOS) recognizes the systemic barriers encountered by scientists of color, who have been grossly under-represented in STEM disciplines and, in particular, in avian systematics. The AOS unequivocally supports diversity and increasing inclusion in ornithology and is committed to fighting racism, ”the organization said in a statement to CNN.
The issue of name change is not new. Symbols and names linked to the Confederation are abolished throughout the country.
This month, a Florida school board voted to rename six schools previously named after Confederate leaders. An Atlanta school board made a similar decision in April. And of course, one of the biggest of those changes was the name change of the Washington football team, which came after years of campaigning by Native Americans, who called out the team’s once racist name. .
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