The American Ornithological Association, which is working, among other things, to standardize the English names of all birds found in the Americas, will change the common name of all bird species named after humans. One of the main reasons for this change is the fact that the names of some bird species come from, for example, slave owners who opposed the abolition of slavery or soldiers who committed atrocities against Native Americans, according to the Ornithological Association. (the science that studies birds) would contribute to excluding certain marginalized communities from the knowledge and study of birds. However, the change does not affect the birds’ scientific name, which is Latin and is determined by a set of rules that take into account various factors, including evolutionary factors.
The decision to change the name was made by a committee set up by the association in 2022 to study the issue. The name change process will initially affect the birds of North America and will be expanded to include the birds of Central and South America in the coming years. The association intends the new names to better describe the birds’ appearance, behavior or habitat.
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The Ornithological Association has also announced that in addition to personal names, those that are considered offensive will also be changed. The new names are selected with the involvement of the public and a commission of ornithological experts. The decision has also drawn criticism: some consider it unhelpful in promoting research and knowledge about birds and argue that the time and economic resources invested in this initiative could have been used more profitably.
The American Ornithological Association’s decision is part of a debate that also affects other scientific disciplines: the Entomological Association of America has decided to review the names of insects that are considered offensive or inappropriate, and some astronomers have suggested changing the name of the telescope -Spaceman James changing Webb.
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