Dozens of species of birds are being officially renamed for good reason
Dozens of species of birds are being renamed in the US due to their associations with racism and misogyny, the American Ornithological Society (AOS) has announced.
In a statement on Wednesday the AOS said names had been reclassified that were previously thought to glorify slave owners and Confederate generals. It comes after a "highly publicised debate" surrounding historical individuals who are deemed controversial in modern times.
AOS president, Colleen Handel, confirmed the body will change names that prove "exclusionary and harmful" in today's society. Her organization established a committee in 2022 to determine which species were an issue. The project, which will continue into 2024, will result in the monikers of more than 100 species across the Americas being the subject of change.
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One of those is the Audubon's shearwater - named after John James Audubon, a prominent 19th century figure in the world of bird illustrations, who is described by the National Audubon Society as "a genius, a pioneer, a fabulist, and a man whose actions reflected a dominant white view of the pursuit of scientific knowledge".
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John James Audubon was a slave owner who adamantly opposed the abolition of slavery
Winfield Scott was known for overseeing the forced relocation of Indigenous people (Getty Images/iStockphoto)A keen bird watcher, Audubon kept his own slaves and spoke out against emancipation, while his dad was a French ship captain who traded slaves. The bird's new name, meanwhile, is likely to reflect its coastal habitat and identifiable round wings.
Another species set to be renamed is the Scott's oriole, named after Civil War general, named after Winfield Scott. The bird inhabits the Southwest and Mexico, but its name has become controversial owing to Scott's history in overseeing the forced relocation of Indigenous peoples in 1838.
A third to be affected is the McCown's Longspur - a Great Plains songbird originally named after Confederate Army general, John P. McCown. In 2020, however, it was renamed the Thick-billed Longspur in order to "erase a painful link to slavery and racism", the AOS said.
It comes after a petition was sent to the AOS in 2020 stating 2020, said that some species paid homage to "men who participated in a colonial, genocidal, and heavily exploitative period of history." It added that "these antiquated common names are harmful, unnecessary, and should be changed in the interest of a more welcoming ornithology."
John P. McCown's name had a 'a painful link to slavery and racism' (Library of Congress)In response, Handel said: "There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today. We need a much more inclusive and engaging scientific process that focuses attention on the unique features and beauty of the birds themselves. Everyone who loves and cares about birds should be able to enjoy and study them freely - and birds need our help now more than ever."
Executive Director and CEO Judith Scarl, added: "As scientists, we work to eliminate bias in science. But there has been historic bias in how birds are named, and who might have a bird named in their honor. Exclusionary naming conventions developed in the 1800s, clouded by racism and misogyny, don't work for us today, and the time has come for us to transform this process and redirect the focus to the birds, where it belongs.
"I am proud to be part of this new vision and am excited to work in partnership with a broad array of experts and bird lovers in creating an inclusive naming structure." The AOS added that changes will only be made to birds of common English names. Names derived from Latin and science are not affected.
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