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  1. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Indeed. Hell, apparently AOS has already voted on the third set of proposals this year for the annual update, and we haven't even gotten a look at what those proposals are.
  2. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    I am not so sure of that...Since the Biden election win politics if anything have degenerated further, which has resulted in bills being passed by state legislatures that would have (or were) dead on arrival a decade ago. At this point, I just assume that every single facet of our lives is at...
  3. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    The funny thing means that if the Yellow-rumped Warbler, for instance, is split, presumably you still have to keep calling it a Yellow-rumped Warbler. The taxonomy would have to be locked in place. Given time, legally Utah might be the only state in the union where your life list automatically...
  4. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    He also published several theological pieces arguing that the keeping of black slaves was perfectly in line with biblical teachings. So it just wasn't that he happened to be a slave owner, he also was a staunch advocate for slavery and important defender of the institution.
  5. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    IIRC the South African bird organization (I can't remember the more specific name and I am too lazy to look it up) changed that name 3-4 years ago. There is discussion of it in the bird taxonomy forum from when it happened (or at least when IOC accepted), with some folks again railing against it
  6. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Isn't the main most repeated argument that changing a bunch of eponyms at once will cause confusion and instability? I fail to see how that isn't related to change?
  7. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    It's still a change that causes confusion, as most birders don't really follow taxonomy as closely as folks who might be hanging out here are.
  8. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    With the caveat that this thread, without actual news, is kind of pointless since we have all backed into our corners and are just talking past each other at this point... One, I fail to see how Austen's and Tickell's make "memorable" eponyms. I'll grant you they exist (Lady Amherst's!), but...
  9. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    The problem there lies with retaining Brown Hornbill as one name, rather than the removal of eponyms. I mean the same thing happens in the states with Common and Wilson's Snipe. The problem isn't the lack of an eponym its the retention of a older name alongisde a new one. Had the old names been...
  10. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    I think Opisska's point is that if birds had never been named after people before now, would people be doing so?
  11. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Although its a bit hypocritical for Remsen (and at least some other members of SACC), who is arguably the driving force of SACC to say this, given that last I heard Louisiana isn't part of the "Global South".
  12. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    18-19 year old biology students, which means at most they have had simply basic biology (kreb's cycle, basic ecology, etc). I doubt I would get much different results here at my school. And biology is a HUGE discipline; here it includes all of your folks interested in fields like biomedical...
  13. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    I mean, I have personally always thought that the "real" reason, not the stated one, is that a lot of birders are just not comfortable birding in Mexico by themselves, for a variety of reasons. A large chunk of a ABA list that included Mexico would be largely unavailable or at least expensive...
  14. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    If you read the AOS page about the change, vagrant and pelagic species have a lower priority, and any name change will only occur with consultation of local checklists. They don't really comment on what happens if those regional authorities have no interest in a name change however. My guess is...
  15. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Ahh...okay. I don't think that detail I posted implies that the guide won't continually be updated, just that it has a new team. The "last edition" doesn't refer to the upcoming 8th edition, which is spearheaded by Ted Floyd. I don't think we can read into that that we won't someday see a 9th or...
  16. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    My comment was flippant but then I think this line of argument is just silly semantics. The NACC is a committee that is part of the AOS (and formerly AOU). It's members are all part of voting members of the AOS. Their checklist is housed on the AOS page which is put together and financed by the...
  17. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    Yes
  18. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    This is the first I have heard about the Nat Geo guide being "finished" after the next update. I was aware that it has new authors but not that it was no longer going to be supported. It's the only guide that is/was regularly updated, not to mention the only one trying to be "complete". I think...
  19. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    While I agree that is the case for most field guides, especially specialist ones, the big American field guides tend to be easily available for purchase in book stores and nature centers, and I suspect the majority of folks who purchase a Sibley/Kaufman/Nat Geo are more casual in there...
  20. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    I think we both tend to be on the same wavelength about this. For better or worse, there is just a general erosion of support for established organizations, a lot of it because of just how the internet operates. And while birding and ornithology are related interests, they also are very...
  21. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    If one wants to succeed in academic ornithology, you apply for grants and publish research articles. One doesn't get tenure by arguing online that a bird's name should be changed. If anything, its a hindrance. Committee work for professional organizations is entirely unpaid, and effort invested...
  22. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    The most sensible solution in case a split occurs (I give this a decent probability of happening) would be American Merganser and Goosander
  23. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    At least until they split Common Merganser!
  24. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    This probably doesn't help Raymie though, who isn't a Brit. While he might not want to use the names "Tricolored Phalarope" or "Northern Solitaire", I would also guess he is not interested in "Great Northern Diver" or "Goosander" either. Also many birds targeted for change (most in fact)...
  25. Mysticete

    Poll - Do you agree or disagree with the AOS's recent decision to abandon the use of eponymous bird names?

    The AOS is not some sort of secretive cabal. For people who doubt that the people making these decisions are scientists, you can go ahead and look up their names very easily and check out there publication records. And remember the ad hoc English names committee merely provided a list of...
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