okay so from my reading of this, it seems like there is a distinct possibility the changing of bird names will not go forward. i believed this was a done deal but apparently a petition was submitted in opposition and they are taking it seriously. i highly recommend showing your support for this change as many birds are named after dead assholes who have no business in the names of our birds or are otherwise well worth changing.
@loren They seem so insistent on the number of signatories on petitions: if they want democracy, then maybe decide who gets to vote and call a vote? Being pushed around by whichever current you last felt is Pooh Sticks, not decision-making.
@faerye fully agree! I don’t like that it was kind of thrown in there. And most other places I’m seeing this are passing it off as a positive move but I think they didn’t read the article. And to be fair it was not an easy article to get through lmao but still. I’m not happy with the whole situation
@loren Yeah, I feel weird. I have been waiting for The New Names with bated breath, so it’s a longer impatient transitional period. I do feel like it’s a good point that South & Central America hosts the birds a bunch, and birders/scientists there use the English names plenty because the Internet is so Anglophone: so I think those stakeholders should have a part in the process. But was that already in the plan? If not, why not? Why just screeching brakes? Ugh.
@loren I haven’t had to figure out a coherent comment to send them yet, because I haven’t figured out anything to put for the mandatory “Institutional Affiliation/Organization” form yet. Maybe I should go join my local Bird Alliance!
@loren Yup. Of course speaking of Bird Alliances, the one local to me was of course an “Audubon Society” until recently!
I also found out while visiting my mom that their local Audubon Society’s switch to Bird Alliance was unexpectedly smooth because someone anonymously offered $5k to cover the cost of logo/website/letterhead changes if they changed. That built consensus! The vote was 81% to 19%. Change is possible and can go fast!
@faerye absolutely north america should not be taking full control of what should be a hemisphere wide effort if they aren’t going to take their concerns into consideration but like you said, shouldn’t that have already been a part of the plan? If not can we get representatives from south and central america on the naming panel? Seems like an easy fix that they’re just yeah dragging on because they got some pushback. Disappointing really
@loren I imagine there are some great Indigenous names, or names that would be evocative and descriptive if translated from Quechua, Aymara, Spanish, Portuguese, etc. Sounds like one of those good problems!
@faerye seriously! It absolutely sounds like a good problem to me, and one that could help tie together an appreciation for birds in all the places they spend time since they rely on both for their survival. Sounds like we should be doing anything to help that along
@loren Am I reading it right that when the Americans decided to change the names of birds to not honor racists, the Central and South American birders all quit the group?