Friday April 16: AOS Community Congress on English Bird Names

[Megan Jones Patterson]

Hi all - 

The American Ornithology Society is holding a Community Congress (panel/discussion with audience submitted questions) on English bird names this Friday, April 16, 2-4 EDT (12-2 local). This should be a good venue to both hear about various perspectives on the English names of birds and possible next steps for changes in the AOS checklist (which most of us use, even if we don't know it) and the continued use of eponymic names (e.g., named after a person as in Steller's Jay). 

"The practice of naming bird species after people has long been debated in ornithology, with current discussions about eponyms sitting at the intersection of taxonomic stability and social justice concerns. In summer 2020, the Bird Names for Birds campaign publicized a call to remove and replace all North American eponyms.

Changing the English common names of species has far-reaching implications for the ornithological and birding communities and all users of bird names. Thus, defining next steps to address this issue requires an initial awareness of the complexities of name changes and an inclusive approach to understanding diverse perspectives."  -- Excerpt from AOS announcement

Find out more and register to get the meeting details: https://americanornithology.org/english-bird-names/community-congress-english-bird-names/

Thank you, 
Megan 

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Megan Jones Patterson

Boulder County, CO