[Birding-Aus] "Jabiru"
Michael Hunter
Does anyone think that all the Jabiru motels and lodges should change their names to Black-necked Stork Nest or something?
Scientific names are there for the pedants and would-be scientists.
Of course, maybe when I retire and have nothing better to do, I might jump on the Change a Name bandwagon. The first change would be the ultra boring Pied Imperial Pigeon to Torres Strait Imperial Pigeon. "Torres Strait Imperial Pigeon" is a name redolent with romance, at least to those familiar with the history of Northern Australia and Torres Strait.
Cheers
Michael
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Michael Hunter
self-appointed, un-Australian committee (PBs mainly) changed our best local
bird names to intellectualised bland boring hard-to-remember or greco-roman
non-colloquial misnomers to wrestle with. Unfortunately, many of the younger
generation (ie under sixty) of Oz birders have been suckered into
acceptance.
Delightful though it is to roll off the tongue,( like "Jabiru"), once
taught to pronounce it, "Gerygone" smacks of the pseudo. I am sure that
Linnaeus would not have approved of semi-scientific semantic bastardry like
"White-throated Gerygone".
If distinguishing Australian species from their Northern Hemisphere
DNA-different look-a-likes was the name of the game for the name changers,
how come our taxonomically discrete Robins weren't changed to Petroids or
something.
The most commonly used name for Malurus cyaneus is "Blue Wren". I'm
not sure that Australians were ever strong on fairies, and apart from
checklisting, I don't hear "Superb Fairy-wren" very often. A rose is a
rose.
If popularising birding is at all a priority in Australia, the more
descriptive and less precious Australia's common bird names should be.
Cheers
Michael
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Russell" <prati...@esc.net.au>
To: "'Michael Hunter'" <drmh...@westnet.com.au>
Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 12:28 PM
Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus] "Jabiru"
> You're a silly old bugger Mulga Mick.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: birding-a...@vicnet.net.au
> [mailto:birding-a...@vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Michael Hunter
> Sent: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 11:37 AM
> To: birdi...@vicnet.net.au
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] "Jabiru"
>
>
> Why be pedantic . If anyone sees a South American Jabiru in Australia,
> just call it a South American Jabiru.
> Does anyone think that all the Jabiru motels and lodges should change
> their names to Black-necked Stork Nest or something? Scientific names
> are there for the pedants and would-be scientists.
>
> Of course, maybe when I retire and have nothing better to do, I might
> jump on the Change a Name bandwagon. The first change would be the ultra
> boring Pied Imperial Pigeon to Torres Strait Imperial Pigeon. "Torres
> Strait Imperial Pigeon" is a name redolent with romance, at least to
> those familiar with the history of Northern Australia and Torres Strait.
>
> Cheers
> Michael
> ==========www.birding-aus.org birding-aus.blogspot.com
>
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Steve
masquerading as a common name. We managed to get rid of the Myzomelas,
Hylacolas and Calimanthuses. How did Gerygone survive?
Steve Murray
Peter Shute
I'm not sure of the history of all these name changes, but rather than being "pseudo", I wonder if people's preference for names is usually determined simply by what they're called when they first encounter them. It's hard enough learning one name, without having it change every few years.
I always say Superb Fairywren, or just fairywren, never Blue Wren or just wren. Those names also predate me.
What's a PB?
Peter Shute
________________________________________
From: birding-a...@vicnet.net.au [birding-a...@vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Steve [smu...@uqconnect.net]
Sent: Monday, 30 November 2009 8:01 PM
To: 'Michael Hunter'; 'Tony Russell'
Cc: birdi...@vicnet.net.au
Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus] "Jabiru"
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Shirley Cook
I always warn new birders that they won't find "wren" in the field guide
index. They should always remember to look up "fairy-wren" - this helps.
Anyway these delightful little birds are very close to fairies, aren't
they???
Shirley Cook
Secretary/Treasurer
Birds Australia (Northern NSW)
What's a PB?
Peter Shute
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19:31:00
Michael Hunter
Michael Hunter
guide have you to guide them Shirley. Looking up a name that 90% of
Australians would use for a common bird and not finding it might just be
discouraging for a few.
The easier you make it, the more people will become interested.
Cheers
Michael
----- Original Message -----
From: "Shirley Cook" <shirle...@bigpond.com>
To: "Peter Shute" <psh...@nuw.org.au>; "Steve" <smu...@uqconnect.net>;
"'Michael Hunter'" <drmh...@westnet.com.au>; "'Tony Russell'"
<prati...@esc.net.au>
Cc: <birdi...@vicnet.net.au>
Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 6:26 AM
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] "Jabiru"
Michael Hunter
our top birders are Poms and they have been the major contributors to
Australian birding and Ornithology since day one.
That doesn't mean that they can play fast and loose with Australian common
names which after all are the names used by common Australians.
Cheers
Michael
----- Original Message -----
To: <drmh...@westnet.com.au>
Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 7:27 PM
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] "Jabiru"
> Thanks, several people have set me straight now. I was thinking it must
> have something to do with RSPB, I must be too innocent for this lot.
>
> Peter Shute
>
>
> --------------------------
> Sent using BlackBerry
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Michael Hunter <drmh...@westnet.com.au>
> To: Peter Shute
> Sent: Tue Dec 01 17:51:45 2009
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] "Jabiru"
>
> Pommie bs. Peter.
>
> To encourage ordinary people to bird, and not put them off with esoteric
> names, the simpler the names the better I think.