dotterel or plover

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Roger & others,

 

In most of the older books it is a Dotterel. The 1978 Recommended names list called it a Plover because it is "the international group name for ... Charadrius. Dotterel is an unfortunate choice, used only in Australia, because it implies affinities with Eudromias morinellus." I'm not sure then why the Red-kneed (should be ankled) Dotterel name was retained. Is it closer to Eudromias? Then the 1994 Christidis & Boles list (the authority on "common names") included it as Black-fronted Dotterel and in another genus Elseyornis for biochemical evidence reasons, presumably removing the need apparently felt in 1978 to give it the same name as other Charadrius but that doesn't explain why it is now OK to imply an affinity with Eudromias if that is what it actually did before. So the current official name is Black-fronted Dotterel.

 

I being my usual conciliatory self, recognise the confusion and like to call it, in private conversations with myself, "Dottyplover" because I think that sounds nice, except that it doesn't work as it doesn't really have spots.

 

Philip