I post this with no comment. http://www.smh.com.au/world/racist-bird-names-prompt-sweden-to-act-20150224-13nw08.html Carl Clifford
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There are some that some might find offensive if perceived as double entendre. There is an example that was pointed out to me the other day in the Hirundinidae. Carl Clifford
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Without checking the list, I don’t think there are any Australian candidates for change. Have we already done ours, or did we never have any? Peter Shute Sent from my iPad
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Hi,Changes of this kind are not new! The AOU, and the IOC both changed the name Oldsquaw to Long-tailed Duck many years ago, for exactly the reasons mentioned here. More recently the IOC changed the name negrofinch to Nigrita, (and despite this word similarity to the word negro, it refers to a place name).Gary From: Carl Clifford < carlsclifford@gmail.com> To: Andrew Thelander < thelander.a@gmail.com> Cc: birding-aus < birding-aus@birding-aus.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 12:23 AM Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Swedes expunge racist bird names. I hope it does not start a world wide trend to change the common names of birds which may offend people. I lost a lot of sweat getting a look at the Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler. Carl Clifford
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Yes. The American name was officially Oldsquaw here in the States. I think it was about 10-15 years ago that it was changed, although at my age time plays funny tricks. Eric Sent from my iPhone
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Was Oldsquaw the official American language common name? Carl Clifford
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I remember all the complaints here about the change from Oldsquaw to Long-tailed Duck. It seemed right to me then and right to me now when the controversy is long forgotten. I see no reason to retain English names that are patently slurs. Eric Jeffrey Falls Church VA USA. Sent from my iPhone
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I hope it does not start a world wide trend to change the common names of birds which may offend people. I lost a lot of sweat getting a look at the Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler. Carl Clifford
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As I understand it, these changes are not to scientific names but to common names in the Swedish language. I am hearing that the changes are meeting with general approval in Sweden itself. It is not a case of do-gooders pandering to a few upset locals. Andrew
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The reaction to this move (mostly from outside Sweden) has been similar to the reaction to the (successful) legal action taken in Queensland in 2009 to rename the ES Nigger Brown stadium in Toowoomba. Many people dismissed it as “political correctness” and obviously felt little or no compassion at all to those offended by such terms as “nigger”. The Swedes are simply dumping names like “Gypsiebird”, “Negrofinch” and “Kaffir swift”. Why keep names like that? Change them and move on. The birds deserve to be viewed through a clear lens and not one coloured by man’s inhumanity to man. Good move, Swedish Ornithological Society! Andrew
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It will be interested to see if the new names are accepted by the various nomenclature authorities. Precedence seems to be more important to them than perceive feelings of a few. Carl Clifford
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The book publishers musst be pleased – all those new books to print! On 25 February 2015 at 13:12, Carl Clifford < carlsclifford@gmail.com> wrote:
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