‘Why are we naming birds after people?’ Behind the plan to scrap many bird names
This week,
the American Ornithological Society (AOS) announced
that, “in an effort to address past wrongs,” it was moving to change the common English names of up to 80 species of birds found in the United States and Canada that are named after people.
The society, a scientific group which maintains the official list of bird names for North America, said the changes are needed because many names are “clouded by racism and misogyny.” For example, some species are named after men who owned slaves, endorsed white supremacy, or participated in activities now seen as unjust. The Scott’s oriole (
Icterus parisorum
)
found in the southwestern United States, for instance, is named for Winfield Scott, a general who served in the Civil War and oversaw the forced expulsion of Indigenous people from their lands.
In recent years, scientific societies and academic institutions have come under
increasing pressure to change the names of species, journals, prizes, programs, and facilities
that honor figures who committed atrocities.
The push has led to fierce debates
over whether species should continue to have common or Latin names that honor, for example, the fascist dictators Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini.
For now, AOS is planning to change only the common English names, not the two-part Latin scientific names, of species. And many birders are encouraging the group to replace eponymous names with monikers that...
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Source Type: news
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