early 80 bird species names with racist roots are about to be changed
By Leah Asmelash, CNN
2 minute read
Updated 1:31 PM EDT, Thu November 2, 2023
CFDK79 Say's phoebe (Sayornis saya), Okanagan Valley, southern British Columbia, Canada
Say's phoebe (Sayornis saya) is named for Thomas Say, an American naturalist. The American Ornithological Society has announced that beginning next year, birds named after people will be renamed in an effort to be less exclusionary.
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After years-long discussion, birds will no longer be named after people — a decision meant to dissociate the animals from problematic eponyms.
The American Ornithological Society announced Wednesday that all common English-language names of bird species named after people will be changed, along with other monikers that have been deemed offensive. In total, approximately 70-80 birds — primarily in the US and Canada — will be renamed.
“There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today,” said Colleen Handel, president of the AOS, in a statement.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/02/us/bird-species-names-changing-scn-cec/index.html
