Month: July 2025

Thank you Philip.  Yes Phil G found a ‘Carolina Duck’ to go with the ‘Maine Duck’.  I might have mentioned one more we are going to grapple with.  I see Phil’s Birds of NG first ed uses ‘Eastern Koel’.  The story on this is so complicated that it’s hard to trace, but it’s certainly current.  See attached.

—–Original Message—–
From: Birding-Aus <birding-aus-bounces@birding-aus.org&gt; On Behalf Of Philip Veerman
Sent: Wednesday, 16 July 2025 11:48 AM
To: birding-aus@birding-aus.org
Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Australia Will Be There

It is curious to think of the role of what people "liked". I prefer Maned Duck because it is an interesting and somewhat descriptive name, whereas "Australian Wood Duck" is long, boring and being a common bird that will often be found, long names waste space. It had not seemed necessary to call it "Australian Maned Duck". I am suspecting there isn’t another duck elsewhere that shares this feature. Short names for common species is part of the reason why Galah is better than Rose-breasted Cockatoo.

Sorry, I don’t see how any relatedness of Australian Wood Duck to Carolina Duck (if it is not called "Carolina Wood Duck"), is relevant in the "Australian Wood Duck" name issue. Besides there are so many group names that are used for unconnected groups.

So many different groups of birds that share the same group names of for example: bellbird, blackbird, broadbill, catbird, chat, chough, creeper, finch, flatbill, flycatcher, honeycreeper, magpie, marshbird, miner, nuthatch, robin, sicklebill, sparrow, spinetail, thornbill, tit, thrush, vulture, warbler, wren. 

Australian Tern is surely unhelpful for that one species, as there are many other species of tern here. Most terns have the same basic colour pattern so finding distinctive names are difficult.

Philip

—–Original Message—–

From: Birding-Aus [

>> On 14 Jul 2025, at 10:08 pm, Martin Butterfield <martinflab@gmail.com> wrote:

>> 

>>

>> I suspect this will be the first of (at least) a mini-series.

>> 

>> Martin Butterfield

>> http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/ <http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/>

>> https://mallacootaweatherwildlife.blogspot.com/

>> <https://mallacootaweatherwildlife.blogspot.com/>

>> 

>> 

>> On Tue, 15 Jul 2025 at 10:15, Geoffrey Dabb via Birding-Aus <birding-aus@birding-aus.org“>birding-aus@birding-aus.org <mailto:birding-aus@birding-aus.org

>> wrote:

>> 

>>     Those with no interest in English bird names, please read no

>> further. Of the English name changes that are in prospect following

>> adoption of the unified taxonomy, I might draw attention to a couple

>> that come from an unfamiliar direction.  The curious ‘Australian

>> Tern’ is a relatively recent invention with no basis in usage.  The

>> proposers rejected ‘Australian Gull-billed Tern’ because, from an

>> international viewpoint,  an adjective (such as ‘Common’) would need

>> to be added for the northern species,  now just the shorter

>> ‘Gull-billed Tern’.  The name might excite the interest of North

>> American watchers, of which there are several subscribing to this

>> list, I notice.  ‘I’m sure looking forward to seeing one of your

>> Australian Terns’, they’ll be saying. I do hope they will not be

>> disappointed if it looks familiar. ____

>> 

>>     __ __

>> 

>>     The unfortunate ‘Maned Duck’ had the distinction of being one of

>> the small number of recommended names rejected by popular vote in the

>> 1980s.  However, it has renewed life, being the choice of those

>> seeking to promote a set of ‘international English names’.

>> Interestingly, as you can see from AviList ,  ‘Maned Duck’, in

>> defiance of the Australian preference, had been the choice of the

>> three global lists. ‘Australian Wood Duck’, internationally, would

>> suggest an association with the Wood Duck of America, which might

>> also have needed another adjective.  However, our North American

>> visitors might experience some confusion here because the invariable

>> pronunciation is ‘Maine Duck’.  AviList

>> https://www.avilist.org/checklist/v2025/

>> <https://www.avilist.org/checklist/v2025/> ____

>> 

>>     __ __

>> 

>>     Geoffrey____

>> 

<HR>

<BR> Birding-Aus mailing list

<BR> Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org

<BR> To change settings or unsubscribe visit:

<BR> http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org

</HR>

Those with no interest in English bird names, please read no further. Of the English name changes that are in prospect following adoption of the unified taxonomy, I might draw attention to a couple that come from an unfamiliar direction.  The curious ‘Australian Tern’ is a relatively recent invention with no basis in usage.  The proposers rejected ‘Australian Gull-billed Tern’ because, from an international viewpoint,  an adjective (such as ‘Common’) would need to be added for the northern species,  now just the shorter ‘Gull-billed Tern’.  The name might excite the interest of North American watchers, of which there are several subscribing to this list, I notice.  ‘I’m sure looking forward to seeing one of your Australian Terns’, they’ll be saying. I do hope they will not be disappointed if it looks familiar.

The unfortunate ‘Maned Duck’ had the distinction of being one of the small number of recommended names rejected by popular vote in the 1980s.  However, it has renewed life, being the choice of those seeking to promote a set of ‘international English names’.  Interestingly, as you can see from AviList ,  ‘Maned Duck’, in defiance of the Australian preference, had been the choice of the three global lists. ‘Australian Wood Duck’, internationally, would suggest an association with the Wood Duck of America, which might also have needed another adjective.  However, our North American visitors might experience some confusion here because the invariable pronunciation is ‘Maine Duck’.  AviList  https://www.avilist.org/checklist/v2025/

Geoffrey

Hi all,

I have upcoming trips to Japan and Philippines and was hoping for some guidance on field guides.

I still prefer books but open to apps also.

Japan: I have Mark Brazil’s Princeton guide, but it covers all of East Asia and is pretty bulky: I’ll be cycling so want to keep weight down.

I can see there is a Japan-only guide by Mark Brazil, probably a pared-down version of the above, but the best price is can see on Ebay is >$70, which is  a bit steep.

Any suggestions for print or app?

Philippines: had a look on line; doesn’t seem to be much in the way of bird guides. Not cycling, but backpacking and hoping to travel light.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Paul