What new name will the AOS give to the Cooper's Hawk?

[JJ Harris]

No idea, but I found this interesting thread.

There are similar plans for some German species names. Here it's not about names of people, but historical derogatory words.

Verreaux's eagle in German used to be "Kaffernadler" with "Adler" meaning Eagle and "Kaffern" coming from the Arabic word kafir meaning "infidel". The word was used in a racist way to describe the Xhosa people.

The new name is "Klippenadler" (Cliff Eagle), though I haven't heard anyone using that name yet.

Another example would be the Black Sparrowhawk. It used to be called "Mohrenhabicht". "Mohr" is a derogatory word for black people. ("Habicht" meaning hawk). The bird is now called "Dominohabicht" (Domino Hawk).Here are some other German species names:

Peregrine - Wanderfalke ("wandering/hiking falcon")

Europ. Kestrel - Turmfalke ("tower falcon", due to them nesting in (church)towers)

Gyrfalcon - Jagdfalke (Hunting falcon)

American kestrel - Buntfalke ("Colorful falcon")

Hobby - Baumfalke ("Tree falcon")

Golden Eagle - Steinadler ("Stone/Rock eagle" - meaning their alpine, rocky habitat in Germany)

Bald Eagle - Weißkopfseeadler ("white head sea eagle")

African fish eagle - Schreiseeadler ("scream sea eagle")

Osprey - Fischadler ("fish eagle")

We actually don't have a direct translation for hawk, most hawks are translated as buzzard, except hawks of the accipiter genus, which are either "Habicht" (Goshawk) or "Sperber" (Sparrowhawk)

Red tailed hawk - Rotschwanzbussard ("Red tail buzzard"

Harris hawk - Wüstenbussard ("desert buzzard")

Red-shouldered Hawk - Rotschulterbussard ("red shoulder buzzard)

If you change the Cooper's Hawks' name, we would not have to rename anything, since it's:

Cooper's Hawk - Rundschwanzsperber (rounded tail Sparrowhawk)

Sharp-shinned hawk - Eckschwanzsperber ( corner / square tail Sparrowhawk)

For Owls, we have the word "Eule" and for some smaller species "Kauz" (which originates from an onomatopoeia of their call). Eagle Owls and some other Bubo species are called "Uhu", which is literally the onomatopoeia of their call.

Barn Owl - Schleiereule ("Veil owl")

Long eared owl - Waldohreule ("Forest Ear Owl")

Great grey owl - Bartkauz ("Bearded Owl")

Burrowing owl - Kaninchenkauz ("Rabbit Owl")

European Eagle Owl - Uhu

Verreaux's Eagle Owl - Milchuhu ("Milk owl")

[John Farnsworth]

Kathleen Jamie, who recently finished serving as the Scottish Makar (poet laureate), just published a book of poems written in Scotts called The Keelie Hawk.  A keelie hawk, in Scotts, is a kestrel in English.

(Kathleen was my PhD supervisor, which is why I keep up with Scottish poetry.)

John S. Farnsworth, PhD
Reading Nature: The Evolution of American Nature Writing

Nature Beyond Solitude: Notes from the Field
Coves of Departure: Field Notes from the Sea of Cortes

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