tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364158.post115696638833226158..comments2023-10-26T09:46:09.197-04:00Comments on BIRDS ETCETERA: Birds and Angels: Messing With English NamesJohn L. Trapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14001532550767505335noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364158.post-1157142805466569922006-09-01T16:33:00.000-04:002006-09-01T16:33:00.000-04:00Poetry has never seemed to matter much before. Mo...Poetry has never seemed to matter much before. Most of us old farts are still smarting a little over losing our Louisiana Heron, though we did get our Baltimore Oriole back at least. This'll be our third name for that scoter, having already gone from Common Scoter to Black Scoter. Remember the Common Great American Bicentennial Egret, from back in the days that it felt like the English name for that bird was in a constant state of flux? The American Buff-bellied Water Pipit is getting as bad, if not worse; but at least that one is motivated in part by confusing taxonomy, not just arbitrary tweeks. <BR/><BR/>Now that Americans are more familiar with the rude connotations of "Shag," I can't imagine we'll ever give up our Cormorants. At least we're past the days of risking the surrender of our Loons to the terribly prosaic "Diver" monicker. Now if we can only find some reason to split the old- and new-world <I>Podiceps nigricollis</I> before we lose our Eared Grebes.<BR/><BR/>Hooray for their showing sense on the Sharp-tailed Sparrows, though! If the AOU only takes two of these suggestions, those should be it.Bill Pulliamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02333438671130100114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364158.post-1157140016884511082006-09-01T15:46:00.000-04:002006-09-01T15:46:00.000-04:00John said, Is there any explanation for the added ...John said, <I>Is there any explanation for the added modifiers in (C)? Are they getting split from other populations elsewhere?</I><BR/><BR/>In a word, no. In most cases, these modifiers are needed to distinguish between two or more species with the same or similar names. For example, to distinguish <I>our</I> White Ibis from the Australian White Ibis; <I>our</I> Cliff Swallow from the Red Sea, Red-throated, and South African cliff swallows; <I>our</I> and Yellow Warbler from the Dark-capped, Mountain, and Papyrus yellow warblers (all Old World warblers); at least that's the explanation given in Gill and Wright (2006).<BR/><BR/><I>I also find some decisions in (E) rather strange, since they go from a descriptive or colorful name to a prosaic one, like Black Scoter -> American Scoter.</I><BR/><BR/>In the specific case of Black Scoter, this represents the elevation of the American race to a full species (<I>americana</I>, with the English name of merican Scoter). The Eurasian race (now species, <I>deglandi</I>), meanwhile, retains the English name of Black Scoter.John L. Trapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14001532550767505335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364158.post-1157138453350453542006-09-01T15:20:00.000-04:002006-09-01T15:20:00.000-04:00Is there any explanation for the added modifiers i...Is there any explanation for the added modifiers in (C)? Are they getting split from other populations elsewhere?<BR/><BR/>I also find some decisions in (E) rather strange, since they go from a descriptive or colorful name to a prosaic one, like Black Scoter -> American Scoter. Those sort of changes are going to take a long time to sink in.John B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00163297234733313179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364158.post-1157136225435932542006-09-01T14:43:00.000-04:002006-09-01T14:43:00.000-04:00The hyphen in words like "Night-Heron" and "Beardl...The hyphen in words like "Night-Heron" and "Beardless-Tyrannulet" is incorrect in standard English punctuation. "Night" and "Beardless" are adjectives modifying the simple nouns "Heron" and "Tyrannulet." It is a Heron of the Night, it is not a compound creature that is half Heron and half Night. So the hyphen belongs in "Tit-Babbler" but not in "Scrub-Jay." The hyphen in "Red-headed" does belong there, because here it is functioning as a compound adjective and makes it clear that we are talking about a wodpecker with a red head, not a red woodpecker with a head ("Red-headed Woodpecker" versus "Red Headed Woodpecker," i.e. "Red, Headed, Woodpecker." This is the difference between a Great-crested Grebe and a Great Crested Grebe. <BR/><BR/>At least this is the argument based on standard useage...<BR/><BR/>It could be gotten around by compounding the noun German-style: Nightheron, Grounddove; but not Beardlesstyrannulet, please!Bill Pulliamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02333438671130100114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364158.post-1157136095601929702006-09-01T14:41:00.000-04:002006-09-01T14:41:00.000-04:00That's a wonderful analogy, Rick. I just added tw...That's a wonderful analogy, Rick. I just added two species that I missed the first time around: Eurasian Collared Dove (nee Collared-Dove) and Red-crowned Amazon (nee Parrot).John L. Trapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14001532550767505335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3364158.post-1157135049885553452006-09-01T14:24:00.000-04:002006-09-01T14:24:00.000-04:00My favorites of the moment are the "Ground Cuckoos...My favorites of the moment are the "Ground Cuckoos," "Ground Doves," etc., names apparently modeled on "Ground Beef."<BR/>Thanks for the careful collation!<BR/>Rick Wright<BR/>www.birdaz.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com